Saskatchewan Roughrider Eddie Steele will be coming to Tisdale and the region for a week to talk about his faith.
Steele will address the Awana club at the Tisdale Alliance Church Feb. 14, talk at the Nipawin Hawks game Feb. 16, be the guest of honour at a breakfast at the Nipawin Alliance Church and speak at the last game of the Trojans’ regular season Feb. 17, and then speak at a special church service at the Maurice Taylor Performing Arts Theatre and the Trojans’ award night Feb. 18.
Brian Friesen, the Trojans’ chaplain and event organizer, said Faith Night, which is in its ninth year, is a way to make Christianity relevant and a way to show the practical side of the faith.
“To me, as a pastor in Tisdale and as a chaplain, to have somebody like a Rider come and talk about their life experience and what their faith means to them, and they talk about Jesus and those things, to me it’s fantastic,” he said.
Steele, a defensive lineman born in Winnipeg in 1988, will also address schools in Rose Valley, Archerwill, Nipawin and White Fox.
“They’re so popular, the students love it and having the Riders come and speak to them about leadership, perseverance and talk a little bit about anti-bullying, it helps teachers, it helps principals to be able to talk about these things that’s important,” Friesen said. “When it comes from a Rider, it can be pretty meaningful.”
Faith Night also has a silent auction, which serves as the only fundraiser for the Trojans chaplaincy program.
“What that allows us to do is run our chapel program for a year,” he said, adding that it funds team-building exercises for the team like the SWAT program with police, as well as snacks for the chapels held every couple of weeks.
Last year’s Faith Night saw Roughrider linebacker Henoc Muamba visit Tisdale. Friesen said he co-ordinates with Derek Granfield, the Hawks’ chaplain and Jared Lacoste, the Riders’ chaplain, to come up with dates that work for all three teams.
In Tisdale, Steele will talk at the Awana club at the Tisdale Alliance Church Feb. 13 at 6:30 p.m., the Trojans game Feb. 17 at 7:30 p.m., and a special church service at the Maurice Taylor Performing Arts Theatre Feb. 18 at 10:30 a.m.
In Nipawin, Steele will speak at the Hawks game Feb. 16 at 7:30 p.m. and at the Men's Breakfast at the Nipawin Alliance Church 8:30 a.m. Feb. 17
