THE local branch of Gideons International (Oldham and North Manchester) has presented our club with a Bible and has offered players and backroom staff a copy of ‘New Testament and Psalms’ which has the club name and crest on its front cover.
It’s part of a Gideons initiative to reach out to sporting, business and other organisations across the country and to spread the Gospel’s good news, in our case via our club chaplain, the Rev Tony Ford.
Tony, a regular at Roughyeds’ training nights, was joined recently by two Gideons representatives, Ian Whitehead and Eric Johnson, who presented our chairman Chris Hamilton with a club Bible.
Their visit followed similar representations to Greater Manchester Police and the North-West Ambulance Service.
Said Tony:
“Gideons Bibles are available to sports clubs across the country where they have a chaplain. It’s a great move.
“Most of our players and some of the backroom staff have taken them home.
“We’ve also adopted a club prayer, which is printed in the back of the book, under the club crest.”
Ian and Eric are heavily involved at separate local churches, but both are proud to be also working for Gideons, who are best known for placing Bibles in hotel rooms around the world.
Said Ian:
“We aim to get the scriptures to as many people as we can. This is a tiny part of a global initiative.”
THE CLUB PRAYER
Loving God, you give each of us
special gifts and You
call us to serve You and one
another in particular ways.
Help us to do the very best we
can, sharing our talents
and skills.
Bless our club and season.
When we have the
opportunity to excel, encourage
us toward excellence in
Heart, Mind and Body.
When challenges and obstacles
come our way, remind us to
fulfil our responsibilities and
commitment to our club.
Help us, Loving God, to always
do our best at whatever we do.
We pray this in the name of
Jesus, our Lord, Amen.