Bryn Athyn College Alumni Magazine Winter 2015 | Page 7

campus life

ATHLETIC

COMMISSIONING SERVICE
contributed by
THANE GLENN, CHAPLAIN
MATT KENNEDY, DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS

T

he Bryn Athyn College Athletic Department
is excited to be launching a multifaceted
spiritual life program for their student
athletes. The first portion included an “Athletics
Commissioning Service” which was held on Sunday,
November 8, 2015 in the Bryn Athyn Cathedral. The
commissioning service was led by Rev. Dr. Thane
Glenn, and his talk explored the real meaning of
courage and whole-heartedness on and off the
field. Each of the twelve intercollegiate athletic
programs, representing 130 student-athletes,
received a blessing to carry with them into the
athletic season by Glenn. He says “It was powerful
to be able to speak to our athletes about how our
spiritual mission might show up for them on and
off the field. As chaplain, I look for opportunities to
challenge our students to reflect on what a spiritual
path might look like in their day-to-day lives. We
talked about the kind of courage it takes to play
the game for a higher win — for God and for our
neighbors (whether they are on our team or our
opponent’s). To be able to stand with our students
in the blessing circle and pray with them was
incredibly rewarding.”
In conjunction with the Commissioning Service,
Bryn Athyn Athletics will launch a new “Athletic
Chaplaincy” program for our student-athletes. A
team chaplain is a college community volunteer

who possesses both
an understanding
of Bryn Athyn
College’s mission
and values as well as
a desire to be more
involved in student
life. The primary
Chaplain Thane Glenn
responsibility is to be
performed the service
present to a designated
athletic team by forming positive relationships
and providing personal and spiritual support to
student-athletes. Glenn shared his thoughts on
the chaplaincy program: “I think that to be able to
connect with a spiritual mentor could make a huge
impact on many of these students’ lives. Not only
could it be a daily reminder of what it looks like
to bring Bryn Athyn’s spiritual mission into their
play, it could also open up a new dimension in their
individual lives. All of us face struggles as we walk
our paths, and for our athletes to know someone is
there for them, pulling for them and offering them
guidance — that will be a blessing.”
Team chaplains “walk with” student-athletes
during their transformative journey by modeling
core values, among them respect, integrity, and
teamwork, in a manner that is authentic to
the unique gifts chaplains offer as individuals.

B RY N AT H Y N A LU M N I M AG A Z I N E

| 7