When someone hears the words “ripple effect”, they’re probably inclined to think about the ripples moving out in circles when you drop a rock in the water.
A ripple effect is something making so much of an impact that it continues out into the water even when the rock has sunk to the bottom of the lake.
Our ripple effect originates with prayer. There are countless occurrences of prayer coming to fruition years after it started, and we want to show the power of Christ through prayer on a bigger platform.
Win or lose, home or away, we pray.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 says “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”
After a hockey game it’s vital to realize that yes, the game was important, but salvation is preeminent. Your witness, whether in the locker room or on the ice, is a reflection of Christ and His faithfulness through you. We are called to give thanks in all circumstances, regardless of outcome. Christians are called to be different, and prayer in hockey is different for a lot of people, but through it we glorify God!
The impact of prayer can change someone’s life forever. Former ACHA Division 1 hockey player Josh Hamilton went off to play juniors at age 18 and only knew one player on his team. When the season started, he prayed that God would use him as a witness and allow him to continue glorifying Christ throughout his junior career. Josh began praying before games and slowly but surely, other players began to pick up on it. By the end of his first season with the team, there were about 5 players who joined in on Josh’s pre-game prayer. About halfway through his second season with the team, everyone would join the prayer before the game.
After his junior career ended, Josh had a few former teammates reach out and thank him for bringing them to church and being a witness in the locker room. Josh credits this to God’s faithfulness and trust in letting Josh be an advocate for Him. Josh says, “In a locker room that I thought was untouchable spiritually, God had another plan. To Him be the Glory, forever!”
When we trust God to drop a rock in the middle of the lake, we’ll see the ripples follow. FCA Hockey and Liberty Hockey both prioritize this ripple effect through prayer after each game, win or lose, home or away.
In order to begin executing the ripple effect on a larger scale, we need your help and participation! We have an incredible opportunity to be a witness for God and glorify Him through our time in and out of the rink.
We want to see prayer become a priority throughout sports and give glory back to God for the ability to play the game we love. People are watching Christians intently, whether we realize it or not. We should hold ourselves to a higher standard and recognize that we represent something far beyond us.
We have been blessed with the task of spreading the love of Christ in every area of our lives, that’s what the ripple effect will do.
When you participate in a game and pray before or after, take a photo of the prayer and put it on social media with #RippleEffect and watch God’s glory spread!
So how do we embrace the ripple effect and keep the ripple rippling?
#1 Pray after your hockey game at center ice
#2 Take a picture of your team praying
#3 Post on Twitter, FB, and Instagram
#4 Use the hashtag #RippleEffect, #LibertyHockey, #FCAHockey
#5 If you have friends or family on any of the above team(s) share to their social media accounts
#6 Share your post with Liberty University or FCA Hockey.
-Rick Randazzo, FCA Hockey Director