Paul Putz

It’s that time again: Time to look back and reflect on the highlights from a busy 12 months.

It’s been a year of change and new developments. To name one, I’m writing this as FSI’s director, a role I moved into in June.

It’s also been a year of quiet faithfulness and ongoing work. The most important things we do at FSI aren’t captured by numbers or celebratory anecdotes, but instead in the ordinary parts of life, the thousands of little actions and interactions where we connect with others and come alongside those who want to serve Christ while engaging in sports.

As you read through the updates and highlights below, please know how much we appreciate your support. None of this is possible without you!

GRADUATE DEGREE PROGRAMS

As a Truett Seminary program, graduate education is the foundation of our work. We have both residential and online degree options. Residential students can pursue a concentration in sports ministry/chaplaincy as part of an MACM or MDiv degree under the leadership of John White. Online students can receive a Master of Arts in Theology and Sports Studies (MATSS).

Between the two programs, this fall we had more than fifty students (!) enrolled, a new record. We also celebrated our first group of graduates from the MATSS program, a degree program that started two years ago.

Follow our Instagram page and check out our “Student Profiles” posts to learn more about our amazing students. A special shoutout to one of those students, FSI grad assistant Jenna Patteson, for her work putting those profiles together.

CONTINUING EDUCATION

Along with graduate education, we provide flexible non-credit options for lifelong learning through our Online Certificate Program.

Isaac Lee, FSI’s Continuing Education Program Manager, has done a great job providing day-to-day guidance of the program. A few highlights stand out:

  • We had 101 enrollments in certificate courses this year, matching our highest total.
  • In the summer we partnered with a group of 25 coaches from India, taking them through our Mental Health in Sports certificate class.
  • A new class on Spiritual Formation and Sports was offered in the fall. “The highlight for me was THE TOPIC!!! It’s long overdue,” one student said. “I work in a spiritual formation ministry and learned from this course in ways I didn’t expect,” said another.

In 2025, look for a brand new Sports Chaplaincy course, offered in the spring.

BAYLOR COLLABORATIONS

We say this often, because it’s true: Being at Baylor is a huge blessing. We get to be part of a Christian research university with major college athletics. We also get the opportunity to collaborate with a variety of university partners who are doing outstanding work.

This year, that collaboration has taken several different forms. With Baylor Athletics, we partnered with their Sports Ministry team to offer a summer retreat for athletes, combining faith and competition in a unique experience. Two of our residential students also began interning with Sports Ministry, gaining hands-on experience serving college athletes. And FSI and Baylor Athletics received a capacity-building grant to delve deeper into Christian character formation in college athletics, reinforcing our partnership (check out the Baylor Connections podcast to learn more).

In other parts of campus, John White taught a chapel class for undergraduate students on faith and sports. Said one student: “The assignments and practices we did outside of class were extremely meaningful. As a lifelong athlete and a believer for about the same amount of time, learning how to integrate my faith into my sports was truly beneficial.”

In addition, FSI sponsored a panel on faith and sports for the Institute for Faith and Learning’s annual Baylor Symposium on Faith and Culture. And we collaborated with Baylor’s Center for School Leadership, hosting a session during their Culture of Joy event in the fall.

RESEARCH AND PUBLICATIONS

Because we’re at a research institution, we work to produce new scholarship that can contribute to a greater understanding of sports and Christianity in our culture.

This year we’ve been able to do that in several ways. My first book, The Spirit of the Game: American Christianity and Big-Time Sports was published in October with Oxford University Press. I couldn’t be more grateful and encouraged by the response and support it’s received so far, with coverage from places like Christianity Today, the Boston Globe, First Things, and The Gospel Coalition.

The FSI team has also produced several articles this year. For Christian Scholar’s Review, John White republished a three-part series originally published in 2023 with Christian Ethics Today. The title: “Do Not Be Conformed to the World of Sports.”

Isaac Lee wrote his first piece for this blog, “Reflections on Worship and Sports.” FSI grad assistant Austin Hallman did as well with “The Cost of a Sports Life Surrendered.”

And I was able to publish a few pieces for places like Current and Christianity Today. The highlights were an article for Christianity Today’s summer print issue, “Eric Liddell’s Legacy Still Tracks, 100 Years Later.” I also appreciated the chance to contribute to a forum for Common Good centered on youth sports: “What Happens When Church and Sports Conflict?”

In addition, we received a couple different grants. There’s the character formation grant with Baylor Athletics mentioned above, which is part of the Educating Character Initiative from Wake Forest’s Program for Leadership and Character. And John White received an “Integrating Virtue Together” pedagogy grant from Notre Dame.

PUBLIC CONVERSATIONS

Beyond the written word, we’ve been able to participate in a variety of public conversations about faith and sports. Podcasts are a great venue to do this. John White joined BYU’s Strong Youth Project for a conversation on integrating faith and sports. I was able to hop on several podcasts, including one with our friends at Sport Faith Life.

We also hosted two virtual events and held our annual spring chapel service. Click below to watch the video recordings:

LOOKING AHEAD

In 2025, the heart of our work will remain the same. We’ll continue to teach and lead students, serve and collaborate with partners at Baylor and beyond, and engage in research and public conversation about sports and Christianity.

That said, we do have a couple new things we’re excited about. On February 7 and 8, we’ll be hosting our first Youth Sports Summit at Truett Seminary. Learn more here, mark your calendars, and look for more details to come in January.

Then in the summer, from July 31 – August 2, we host the 4th Global Congress on Sport and Christianity. If you study, think about, or work at the intersection of sports and Christianity, we’d love to have you join us for this unique event!

Thanks so much for your support over the past year. As we turn the page on 2024, we’re looking forward to another year of forming and equipping Christian leaders in sports—and beyond!