Evangel Football kicks off spiritual awakening on campus

December 16, 2008

Nightly devotions during the football team's trip to Central Eurasia sparked a spiritual awakening among the Crusaders that continued back in the States.

Evangel University Campus Pastor Sid Griffith, known to students as “Pastor Sid,” is responsible for the spiritual development of students during their college years. That includes everything from coordinating chapel services and residence hall discipleship programs, advising CROSSwalk student ministries, and providing pastoral care and counseling.

But nothing makes Pastor Sid happier than sitting back and watching students take over the role of spiritual leadership on campus. And this school year he’s been amazed to see an unprecedented level of spiritual maturity among the student body.

A football clinic and a spiritual flame

It all began, says Pastor Sid, when the Evangel football team took a service trip to Central Eurasia last summer. What began as a football clinic for Muslim students new to the game turned into a life-altering spiritual experience for the Evangel players that ignited a spiritual movement back on campus.

EU Head Football Coach Scott Metcalf and his staff took about 30 players, who each raised $1,500 on their own for the trip, partnering with Assemblies of God Chi Alpha Student Ministries. The group worked with Assemblies of God missionaries and college students, running a football clinic and service programs, and playing in a football tournament in the heavily Muslim nation. “We were using football as a unique vessel to build relationships and show the love of Christ,” says Metcalf.

During the nightly devotions, Metcalf says he saw something incredible happen among the football players. “People were being so transparent with God, and He started transforming their hearts,” he says.

“You could see God really touching lives. The guys didn’t want to leave the devotions. We were having a literal upper-room experience.”

When the football players returned to Springfield later in the summer, several stayed in town and started holding prayer meetings in their apartments. The events, say Metcalf, sparked a flame that ignited a spiritual awakening on campus that was unprecedented this fall.

Brandon Shank, an evangelist and president of Tour 29:11 ministries, is married to Casey Shank, residence director of Evangel’s Burgess Hall. Shank attended one of the summer prayer meetings and wrote this about it later in his blog: “Last night I was invited to a Bible study made up of football players from Evangel University. We had an amazing knock-em-down and drag-em-out prayer meeting. The Holy Spirit just blanketed the place and five of the fellas were baptized in the Holy Spirit. … I don’t know that I have ever been around a more primed and ready group. Their hearts are so pure, motives are so precise and intentions are so holy. There is a good chance that this fall Evangel football will be known more for their spiritual leadership on the campus than their record on the field. God is doing His thing!”

Metcalf says Shank’s predictions certainly came true. His players became spiritual leaders on campus, holding prayers meetings in residence halls that grew to several hundred students throughout the semester. Others were meeting in smaller groups in apartments and residence halls. One of the football captains, Andrew Matrone, was subsequently nominated for a Silver Shield Award — Evangel’s highest character award — for his spiritual leadership on campus.

Casey Shank, the Burgess Hall RD who nominated Matrone for the award, says, “Andrew has challenged his fellow men to wait on God and not hold back any part of themselves from Him.”

Across campus from the football field, another spiritual awakening was happening as well.

Students lead a 24-hour prayer service
on campus like this one every month.

A monthly 24-hour prayer service

In 2007 Junior Danielle Pagnanella began praying about how she could facilitate a spiritual movement that would help her fellow students go deeper with God. Her journey led her to starting, “24,” a 24-hour, student-led worship and prayer meeting that would be held on campus every month.

Pagnanella had sensed a hunger for more worship and prayer opportunities on campus, but felt there wasn’t a venue for what students were truly desiring. She began rallying support for her vision, which included building a leadership team, finding worship leaders for the entire 24 hours, securing funds from Senate for decorations and lighting and going to the board of administration for permission.

During “24” the chapel is lit with candles and Japanese lanterns, and students lead worship and read Scriptures. Throughout the 24-hour time period, students may come and go at their convenience and spend time in prayer and worship. The events have been drawing as many as 300 students to worship and pray.

Amanda Maicus, a senior from New York has served on the “24” leadership team. She says she believes “24” is foundational for students. “People are hungry, and they really need that time where they can feed on the Lord and ask of Him what they desire. It has been a huge blessing for me. It sparked something inside of me that is just going to continue to ignite. I am hungry for His presence, hungry for His word and hungry for the changes that are going to take place. God is awesome. He gave Danielle a dream for this, and He is doing awesome things on our campus.”

Pagnanella says she believe one of the most important factors in the success of “24” is that it is student-led. “We are the ones rising up to lead this generation,” she says.

Pastor Sid couldn’t agree more. “Nothing succeeds on a college campus like activities that are student-initiated and student-led,” he says. “To have students showing spiritual leadership is a real sign of spiritual maturity on this campus.”

EU Football Team
The Crusader Football team plans to return to Central Eurasia to continue the work they began last summer.

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