A Picture of Heaven

Bringing Athletes Together

In 2020, Athletes in Action and The Fellowship of Christian Athletes in the Twin Cities metro area formed an official partnership called Currynt. They realized they were both in the ministry of reaching college athletes for Christ and rather than competing over those athletes, God was calling them to join forces so they could make the biggest impact possible for the Kingdom. 

It is in that spirit of coming together that they started a monthly event called the Training Table. Twice a year, they invite college students from all over the metro area and beyond to an evening of food, fellowship, and an inspiring message at Hope Community Church in Minneapolis. 

What’s the purpose? 

First, Tori Miller, soccer player at Concordia University, said, “This is a multi-campus gathering of a bunch of athletes who love Jesus and want to spend time in sports-specific Christian community, which is always beneficial because we can relate to each other on a different level.  It makes us feel like we aren’t alone.” 

Not only is it a place for Christ-followers who are already involved with Currynt to experience a greater community, it is also for those who haven’t experienced Christian community at all or at least in college. Jole Miller, Twin Cities Collegiate Rep, said, “It is also to invite students who either aren't Christians or aren't yet plugged in with the ministry, and give them an opportunity to experience Christian community.”

Fall 2021 Training Table

Chad Beebe was the speaker. Beebe is a former Minnesota Vikings wide receiver who played football at Northern Illinois University. He shared about the faithfulness of God through adversity in life and sport. He asked the crowd, “The Lord has brought me this far and hasn’t left me, why would He now?” 

Davaris Cheeks, football player at Concordia University, was moved by Beebe’s talk. He said, “We are both from the Chicago area, so I always heard of him. To hear his story and how he persevered through adversity and how we can center Christ in our faith will help us get through any tough time.”

Finigan Schirmer, a U of M track athlete, said, “I came because it’s a great opportunity to grow closer with God through someone who has been through as much as Chad Beebe.” Noah Bresson, a Macalester College football player agreed: “Chad’s story was very powerful. I can’t imagine going through all those injuries, and the thing I kept thinking about was his faithfulness through all of this. His perseverance shows how powerful God is.”

Spring 2022 Training Table

Speaker Gaelin Elmore played football at the U of M before transferring to East Carolina University and signing with the Cincinnati Bengals but decided to leave the NFL. Jole Miller, FCA Collegiate Rep, said, “He shared his story of growing up in the foster care system and experiencing different forms of abuse. He viewed sport as the way to get out of that lifestyle, to find love, acceptance, and security. He gave his life to Christ after his freshman year of college, but he still held an underlying belief that his hope was ultimately in football.

When Elmore realized that he continued to put his identity in sport instead of Christ, he knew he had to step back from the NFL. It was a hard decision that didn’t make sense to a lot of people, but today, Elmore’s identity is placed squarely in who he is in Christ. This spoke to Desmon Sachtjem, a swimmer from the U of M. He said, “The biggest thing for me is life after sport and how you are able to still follow Christ and not bank as much on sport. There’s more out there than just swimming for me and I don’t have to have swimming to follow Christ.”

Building Community

Brady Bennett plays football at Hamline University, where, due to Covid he hadn’t set foot on campus until his first football season began. He said, “Coming from a Christian high school, I was really scared that I would go away from that, but God works in amazing ways and the group found me within the first 2-3 weeks of moving here. I was so blessed to find that group, and I’m still part of it today. I cherish this group and what it’s done for me.” The Training Table is an extension of that community. 

Casey Stowe, a swimmer at the U of M, said, “Just today I saw a good friend from high school. It gives me a sense of joy knowing he and everyone here are following the same path and get to experience this great ministry. I have teammates not just on my team but in the rest of the team at the U and the other schools around me that have the same values and want the same experience I do out of this.” Davaris Cheeks added, “It’s like a family away from my family. Being able to collaborate on a larger scale – at the end of the day we are all children of God. Overall, it’s about disciples building other disciples.”

Matthew Brodeur, a football player at St. Thomas, said, “This ministry is awesome. Being able to come here and see all different athletes is really cool. Just being able to be in community with them is a great experience. It connects us and makes it bigger than the game we’re playing. It’s awesome to see that the guys you’re playing against are chasing the same things you are.”