Sports Open Doors for Transformation

In the heart of Birmingham, Alabama once dubbed America’s most segregated city something extraordinary has taken root on the football field. A hundred inner-city baptisms over just three years are not the result of a new program or flashy event. They’re the fruit of one church’s bold commitment to step outside its walls and into the heart of the community through sports.

It all began with a challenge “Be in the church office as little as possible. Be with the sports teams as much as possible.” That’s what a young minister was told when he joined the team at Shades Mountain Baptist Church. The strategy? Coach a team. Meet people where they are. And for Birmingham, there’s no better meeting ground than the football field.

Myles McKee, who first caught the vision for this unique approach as a college student, didn’t start with a grand plan. He simply showed up. He went to the parks. He played pickup football. He walked the streets of Titusville, a neighborhood marked by poverty, violence, and deep historical wounds and he moved in. He didn’t just serve the community; he became part of it.

Living where ministry happens makes all the difference. Myles and his wife Shila raised their kids in the same neighborhood where bullets once hit their car and where pain is often close to the surface. But proximity breeds authenticity. People know when you care, and coaching football became a powerful way to earn trust and build real relationships.

There was no attempt to fix everything at once. Instead, Myles and others joined existing youth sports programs, partnered with local leaders, and took their place alongside the “old folks” already doing the work. Coaching turned into mentorship. Rides home turned into discipleship. Before long, they were asked to help run the very schools and programs they once only served.

One of those programs included an after-school training facility, which grew into a full-fledged outreach. The kids who once played pickup football now worship at church with hands raised high. And the mentors? They’re suburban grandfathers, tradesmen, and businessmen white men from across town who now sit beside young Black athletes, united not by background but by the love of Jesus, football, and food.

Jordy Henson was one such man. He didn’t lead a ministry. He simply showed up over and over. He brought stability and kindness, cheering at games, mourning at funerals, and celebrating report cards. Before his passing, he helped usher in a movement that bridged racial and social divides in a city long defined by them.

This is what real revival looks like. It’s not loud. It’s not trendy. It’s slow and costly. It means showing up when it’s inconvenient, opening your home to people with painful stories, and letting the gospel become more than words letting it take on flesh in your own life.

As Myles puts it, “The Bible doesn’t become real until you invite its words into your home.” That’s the kind of gospel that changes communities and it’s the kind that has led to one hundred lives publicly declaring faith in Jesus.

Sports opened the door. Love, presence, and faith walked through it. And what started with a whistle on a field now echoes in worship every Sunday, led by young men whose lives were once far from the church but are now at its very heart.

Israel reminds us that strong communities begin with bold steps of faith, rooted in values like presence, compassion, and action. If stories like this inspire you, share it or subscribe to our newsletter to hear more ways people are making a difference.