A Manitoban decided to show his faith in Jesus on a Sunday morning, not in church as you would expect, but on the ice after a hockey game.
Boldness on the ice
Dereck Heppner coaches the U17 Triple AAA Eastman Selects Team and says it was a bold but necessary step to pray on ice after his team’s hockey game on October 18. He was was joined by a player from his team, Ryan Neufeld, and two players from the opposing team.
“It was a bright and early Sunday morning game that we had that day. Not normal for us to play super early, but we had an 8 o’clock in the morning start at the Hockey for All Center in Winnipeg that day. I had spoken to Ryan in the lobby as he was passing by I said, I think I’m going to go on the ice. I’m going to kneel for prayer, ” says Heppner.
Heppner says he had invited Neufeld to join him on the ice but was not expecting the players from the other team because tensions were high during the game. “Aside from Ryan, we were not expecting anybody to come over. That was totally out of the blue. As Ryan and I were praying together, one player from Parkland came over and he goes, hey, are you guys praying? And we’re like, yeah. He goes, can I join? We’re like, absolutely. So he joined and then as we were praying, another player joined over.”
Neufeld shares his amazement that other players joined him and his coach. “I was a little shocked, actually. But it was still really cool.”
Despite potential frustrations from the outcome of the game, Heppner says it was encouraging that the players from the opposing team came together as fellow believers.
“They put that game aside and they came together in faith. There’s no winners, no losers, and it’s just brothers in Christ. We were able to give thanks to God no matter what the situation, it was so powerful and such a change.”
Displaying courage in an unexpected time
For Neufeld he says the experience was an opportunity to grow in his faith.
“It involved me being bold. This summer I was actually at a church conference in California and one of the things that stuck out to me was just being bolder in your faith. So I decided to take that into life and joined,” shares Neufeld.
Although he did not expect it his faith to take centre stage at a hockey game, Neufeld says that God can use you anywhere.
“I didn’t think it was going to like involve hockey at all. I thought it was just going to be more, you know, in the street, whether it’s like praying for someone or at church even. It’s just His plan. You don’t really know when it happens or what He’s going to do.”
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Overcoming fear to take a step of faith
Heppner shares that since being baptized last year, he has been more open about his faith. “I’ve been more passionate about my faith over the last year and a bit. I was baptized just over a year ago.”
In a video posted to social media capturing the moment Heppner walked onto the ice to pray, Heppner says that he was struggling internally with his decision.
“If you watch that clip closely, I’m walking off that bench, which I had done many times in the last five, six games. And the thought was always there that I was going to do it. The negative thoughts always come in as to what people are going to think. What are they going to say? What are their reactions going to be to me taking that step in faith? I’m kind of looking up and, you know, fighting the wrestling with the negative thoughts that are going on.”
Heppner continues, “I just stepped up and I say today’s the day. And today’s the day that God deserves the glory. I went out there and as soon as I took those first couple of steps and I hit that board [his clipboard] that last time, that was it. It was like I broke through. It was like you break through the wall and it’s now I’m going to make that bold commitment.”
The coach says that giving God the glory is the greatest reward.
“It was so rewarding to actually get past that boundary and to push forward. And again, just give glory to God for all the gifts that he gives us for these players to be on the ice. It was a Sunday morning. Those that were attending church, we all missed the church service. But if you’re still able to represent Jesus, represent God, even in that hockey arena.”
More than a hockey game
Being in a position of authority, Heppner says being a role model to the players he coaches and letting the light of Jesus shine to them is his utmost goal.
“It’s one of the oldest songs that we all know, this is a light of mine. It is like, where does God want my light to shine? Right now, I think that’s a big piece for me is that I got to shine on these young players, these young athletes. I’ve got a great platform where I’m able to coach 20 young athletes that I can only hope I can bring more athletes to Christ.”
Coaching is more than winning a game to Heppner. “If I can bring one person to Christ out of this hockey team, I think I win, and it’s not about me winning. It’s about God winning in the whole scheme of things. Our job as Christians is to disciple people and to bring them to God and to be baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit. That is our job. That is what He left us with. I keep going back to that and really leaning on that in my journey.”
Heppner says that although the world of hockey is not always the most receptive to the Christian faith, he has felt God’s guidance through it all.
“God showed me that we are not alone in this walk. The hockey world that I’ve been in for my whole entire life has never shone brightly on the Christian faith or the men that are following Jesus. The more we bring it [faith] out and the more we are open and transparent with it, the more players are going to jump in and take that step of faith.”
The coach has some encouragement to offer people scared to speak up about Jesus in the spaces they may be in, “Be bold in your faith, stand out, and just do it, do it afraid.”