The Peterborough Petes was the first team in the OHL to have a chaplain. And since its origin in 1994, through God’s hand and the faithful work of David Fisher, there have been three chaplains who have served the team. In 2010, Tim Coles started leading the chapel, and in 2018 he invited me to join him in leading the program.

The model is simple, and we see it practised by Jesus many times: we get the players together to share a meal! (Food always works in ministry.) Then we have an opportunity to share part of our testimony and, most importantly, share the gospel!

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This year’s chapel program has been going great. God continues to amaze us as we show up in weakness and allow His strength, wisdom, and love to shine through to the players and the team!

After our first chapel of the season, a player came up to me after I finished speaking and said he wanted to know more about God and asked if he could get a Bible. With his new Bible, we’ve since been able to unpack an overview of the Scriptures and each of its books. He was very interested and said he’s been searching for peace, just like the peace of God I spoke of in my testimony. I was able to share more about that peace that surpasses understanding (Philippians 4:4–8), and he said that’s what he wants in his life. He said he used to think that God only offered a relationship to people in good standing with Him or who had an official role in the church. But after hearing my testimony, he understood that Christ came not for the healthy but the sick, not for the whole but the broken!

Please join us in praying for him and the whole Petes team as we continue to share the peace, love, and joy of the Lord!

Our next goal is to start a team Bible study. The idea was inspired by another player I connected with at the rink this week. He also asked for a Bible and mentioned that he used to go to church but can’t now because of his hockey schedule.

Praise God—He is so good! And doing more than we could ask or imagine!

-Dave Jones, Peterborough Youth for Christ

Photo: Petes chapel and breakfast at The Bridge