APRIL 2019

The Winter and early Spring of 2019 was one of the most demanding, if not THE most demanding season of ministry that we have been blessed to have in several years.  Not only does John continue all his commitments and outreach roles in the community but God continues to supply assistance from numerous young men who have been involved with the ministry for 10, 20, or even 30 years.  Several became new believers in Christ when we met and then have continued to grow and desire to be used by God to help others in their community.  And like John has been doing, most of them serve their communities and represent the Lord without compensation or special expectation of reward.

Here is a highlight summary from October 2018 thru March 2019. 

• Shawn and Molly Lazarus at Northwest High school - Discipleship meetings with young couples at their homes on Sundays.  Molly provides a Bible Study for Northwest provide a Bible Study for Northwest HS teachers on a weekly basis before the beginning of the school day.
• Shawn Lazarus provided weekly chapels for an area Youth Wrestling program.   Every participant in the weekend tournaments participated,
  sometimes numbering approximately 200 students. 
• Dante Booker is an Akron Fireman/Paramedic and prepared his son Dante Jr. in selecting an agent and begin his Professional Football career.
• Lamar Sharpe was featured, honored, and assisted by Mike Rowe ("Dirty Jobs" tv show) on his Podcast for the work he has done with his "Be a Better Me Foundation" that he founded in Canton, Ohio.  Lamar is a Canton policeman and community liason.
• Captain Mike DeRienzo is a chaplain in the U.S. Army and is charged with mentoring the next wave of chaplains for service.
• Matt Futch is Akron Buchtel HS basketball's boys head coach and an Akron U admissions counselor.  He led the team in just his first year to the state championships, a rarity for a city school.  He is also charged with the responsibility of mentoring Chris Livingston, his brother, and their family.  Chris is the top sophomore basketball player in the country and pressures and temptations require spiritual guidance and leadership similar to when LeBron was in HS.
• Tony Stockman is head coach for Columbia International University's (S.C.) mens basketball team (a Christian College)
•  Bryan Jones is the head track coach at Northwest HS in addition to being a teacher at Canton Glen Oak HS. 
• Jeff Hildebrand is a long time teacher at Hudson HS and leads the FCA for Hudson's football team in addition to coaching basketball and track.
• Former NFL player Andy Alleman led weekly Bible Studies in his home on Tuesday nights. 
• Jake Kretzer (Akron U player and chapel leader) completed his first year as an assistant coach at Duquesne U, impacting the team in similar ways.
• Jerome Moss helps lead a youth AAU program in Akron and helps lead the "Hoop for Coop" event every June to raise money to assist the Akron community in health screening as well provide a platform for numerous ministries to be accessible to the community through the event. 
• Rob Eggers and his wife continue to be help fund numerous  scholarships for Hands of Hope so foster children can go to Christian summer camps in Indiana.
• Brandon Sweeney provides inspirational messages in Texas schools through his programs "Prevail"

*​Art work continues to be designed by Heather Cagwin, now living in Orlando, Florida.  Additional cards will be made as older testimony cards are updated and additional production work is completed.

Meanwhile, John continues to:

• Minister part-time (30 hours weekly)  as a Hospice Chaplain for the elderly
• Be a guest speaker at local churches
• Coach as a varsity assistant for Streetsboro High School boys basketball team.
• Be a long-distance Mentoring and discipling of college students and athletes by phone
• Serve as Chaplain for the Canton Charge professional basketball team - providing prayer, counsel, discipleship and crisis intervention for players and coaches (including some who played for the Cavs).
• Serve as chaplain for Akron U men's basketball team and provide weekly Bible studies - attended voluntarily by players and three coaches. 
• Began coaching long jumpers for Hudson HS at the request of Coach Jeff Hildebrand - aiding familiarity when speaking at Hudson HS's leadership retreat.

​
9/10/18
​Summer 2018 marked the beginning of transition to a new "season" for TEAM JAM.  Though numerous young men have already been either assisting us in ministering to others in our area, even more are pursuing their OWN passion and vision based on their own spiritual skill set and opportunities.

For years, John has tried to model being a servant in the community to numerous young men in order to share what Christ can do.  Now, many of these young men are doing it themselves and are out running him!!  This requires a shift in focus from DOING as much as can individually be done, to John being in a more supportive role.  This transition will aid these young leaders in THEIR ministry & outreach endeavors.

 An example of what OTHERS are doing, unconnected with TEAM JAM but as a result of our investment:

• At-risk intervention by Shawn and Molly Lazarus at Northwest High school - including monthly gatherings for students and their families at their home in order to teach Biblical principles for handling life challenges.
• Shawn Lazarus coaching for Northwest High School football.
• Dante Booker coaching for Akron Hoban High School football and an Akron Fireman/Paramedic
• Lamar Sharpe founded/leads "Be a Better Me Foundation" in Canton, Ohio and is a Canton policeman
• Mike DeRienzo is a chaplain in the U.S. Army and stationed in Asia.
• Mark Murphy (SVSM High School, Indiana U)  is a software developer locally who started "Fully Equipped" , which provides athletic equipment and evena training room (Akron North HS) for area high school athletes, leadership events for teams, and special speakers to model Christ's love and outreach. 
• Pierre Wooten (Winthrop U. ) lives in the Cincinnati area and designed the Christian card game "Seasons" teaching scriptural and spiritual terms and characteristics in a way that can be applied to every day life !!
• Matt Futch is Akron Buchtel HS basketball boys head coach and an Akron U admissions counselor
• Tony Stockman is head coach for Columbia International University's (S.C.) mens basketball team (a Christian College)
• Former Ohio State star and NFL vet Roy Hall co-founded the Driven Foundation that provides for the needs of school aged youth, school assemblies, and inspirational speaking primarily in the Columbus area but also throughout Ohio. 
• Johnny Saucier is coaching Western Reserve Academy (Prep) football and a 2nd Lieutenant in the Army National Guard.
• Former NFL player Andy Alleman is leading weekly Bible Studies in his home on Tuesday nights. 
• Carrington Hanna is in the Los Angeles, California area (Corona, Calif.) with Winner's Circle Athletics as a coach and spiritual director.
• Jake Kretzer (Akron U) was instrumental in starting the Bible studies for athletes on Akron's campus and within the basketball team as a player.  Now he is an assistant coach at Duquesne U, impacting the team in some of the same ways.
• Josh Holden and his wife Jessica are involved in a church plant by Faith Family in Lakewood, Ohio, called King's Church. ​
• ​New testimony cards have been produced for current professional athletes Ben Heller (NY Yankees) and Isaac Hamilton (G-League basketball) so that they can use their platforms to share the gospel.
• Former pro athlete and Kent State U alum Luke Wollet is National spokesman for Banyan Treatment Center .  Banyan is a faith-based substance abuse treatment center that Luke personally benefited from.  His newly made testimony card will assist him in sharing his testimony at his speaking engagements.​

*​Art work continues to be designed by Heather Cagwin, now living in Orlando, Florida.  Additional cards will be made as older testimony cards are updated and additional production work is completed.

Meanwhile, John continues to:

• Visit area high schools & coaches with current pro basketball player Jon Horford to share basketball coaching resources. 
• Minister part-time (20 hours weekly)  as a Hospice Chaplain for the elderly
• Be a guest speaker at local churches
• assist in coaching Streetsboro High School varsity basketball
• Be a long-distance Mentoring and discipling of college students and athletes by phone
• Serving as Chaplain for the Canton Charge professional basketball team - providing prayer, counsel, discipleship and crisis intervention for players and coaches (including some who played for the Cavs).
• Provide weekly Bible Studies for Akron University athletes.
• Serve as chaplain for Akron U men's basketball team and provide weekly Bible studies - attended voluntarily by players and three coaches. 

4/10/2018
The end of March concluded the most active ministry season experienced by John, Shawn, Dante and other ministry volunteers:

• Ministering part-time (20 hours weekly)  as a Hospice Chaplain for the elderly
• Serving as Chaplain for the Canton Charge professional basketball team - providing prayer, counsel, discipleship and crisis intervention for players and coaches (including some who played for the Cavs).
• Providing weekly Bible Studies for Akron University athletes.
• Serving as chaplain for Akron U men's basketball team and providing Game Day chapels - attended voluntarily by players and three coaches.  
• Providing Bi-weekly studies on the life of Christ for Streetsboro HS FCA participants - aided by students Joshua Saucier & Braden Tucker.
• Shared TEAM JAM ministry principles as guest speaker at Hilltop Baptist (Pa.), Clarks Summit University chapel, and Maranatha Bible Church (N. Canton).  
• Helping again with Hudson High School's Leadership Retreat (over 100 students) - this year also included four students from Streetsboro.
• At-risk intervention by Shawn and Molly Lazarus at Northwest High school - including monthly gatherings for students and their families at their home in order to teach Biblical principles for handling life challenges.
• Assisting numerous area coaches and teachers who were once led to Christ while involved with TEAM JAM in high school.
• Early morning devotionals to kick off Akron SVSM high school's wrestling season. 
• Long-distance Mentoring and discipling of college students and athletes by phone.
• Visiting area high schools & coaches (Medina, Hudson, Western Reserve Academy, Streetsboro, Norwayne, Coventry, Streetsboro) with current pro basketball player Jon Horford to share basketball coaching resources. 
• Hospital visits and funerals.
• Coaching Streetsboro High School varsity basketball

It is a unique privilege to be permitted to share the hope of the gospel so freely in secular environments exactly when it is needed the most - at the MOMENT that it is needed the most. 

Jimond Ivey is from Cleveland's Glenville high school and is currently a junior on Akron University's men's basketball team.  Jimond had the 2nd highest scoring basketball game (48 pts) in the nation this past season.  However, his spiritual growth and maturity has improved off the court as well.   The video shares his viewpoint of how that has happened.   On the picture to the right, Akron U continues to open and close their practices with prayer.

Coach Pete surrendered to Christ before he went to boot camp.  When he came back he started this youth running program with our guidance.   Pro basketball player Jon Horford (picture on right) has been providing free basketball workouts and character-based messages on his visits to Medina Sr., Streetsboro, Coventry, and Norwayne HS's.  These gestures of good will continue to give us numerous ministry opportunities after his visits. 

Portage County student of the month Braden Tucker (on left) invited John to stand in as family when he was honored as Student of the Month while his dad had to work.  He boldly shared the value of his relationship with Christ.   (Middle Pic)  Two Canton Charge players joined John in a visit to Mansfield State Prison to see their museum and talk about their relationship with God.  (Pictured right) -  A former Pastor's wife had a moment of clarity shortly before her passing when she recognized a NEWSBOYS song honoring God. 

From left to right -  the Hudson HS leadership retreat, (middle pic) TEAM JAM product/former pro athlete/military veteran Josh Holden was the guest speaker for Akron U's ROTC military ball - as arranged by Johnny Saucier (left).   (Picture to the right) Brandon Gency (Ashland U. football) sharing his testimony at Hudson HS's FCA meeting, led by Hudson coach and TEAM JAM volunteer Jeff Hildebrand.