At Sports Chaplaincy Australia, we believe in the power of playing the ‘long game’. To inspire you, we want to share with you some stories of how far we’ve already come.
“Sports chaplaincy is a real passion of mine. It’s a fulfillment of what God has put on my heart to do. It’s where I am supposed to be.“
Jeff Hardy is a plasterer and painter by trade.
When his two sons started looking for a new football club to join, Jeff reached out to some old friends from the club he used to play with. As the club interviewed his sons, they quickly realised that the boys wouldn’t be joining unless dad was happy – and dad had some concerns about the culture of the club. However, they came to an agreement that Jeff and the boys would join the club. The boys joined to play football, and Jeff joined to look after the wellbeing of the players as a chaplain.
He has now been serving there for several years. According to his wife Janine, since becoming a chaplain he has become a better father, a better husband and his faith has grown stronger and more purposeful.
Jeff has been instrumental in helping the club regain its former glory. The culture has changed and the team has started winning again.
He is present and available to his sports community and has become the first point of contact for the club whenever there’s someone in need. As a result, Jeff has had plenty of opportunities to share the gospel in action.
