MARION, Ind. – In early January, a select group of Indiana Wesleyan Baseball members embarked on a transformative journey to Atlanta, GA, attending the Passion 2024 Conference. Passion serves as a gathering of young adults and their spiritual mentors in communion of worship and prayer.
 
The trip was sparked by Athletics Body Chaplain and Director of Pitching Development, Dalton Miller, alongside members of the baseball team who serve as team chaplains. Spearheaded by Sophomores Brock Buckley and Jackson Mott, the group extending invitations to teammates who shared a desire for spiritual enrichment. What began as a small endeavor grew to a group of seven players, a manager, and a coach, all committed to growing their faith and spiritual leadership at the conference. Joining Miller, Buckley, and Mott were Quinn Willard, Gibson Adema, Colin Yoder, Will Eldridge, Andrew Sinish, and manager Garrett Wright.
 
Reflecting on the team's trip, Head Coach Ian Macdonald emphasized, "The four pillars of our program are to: (a) support & challenge each player to grow in their faith, (b) graduate leaders of excellence, (c) serve our community well, and (d) compete for championships on the field. I am extremely proud of Colin, Jackson, Quinn, Andrew, Brock, Will, and Gibson. Their desire to grow in their faith individually, the example they set by how they live their lives, and the shared vision they have for the continued spiritual growth of our team."
 
Miller was moved by the depth of engagement exhibited by the group during the conference. He recounted how the team avidly took notes, journaled their experiences, and attentively absorbed the words of the speakers. "On the trip, we got to see God move by inviting us to freely worship Him and reflect on His faithfulness and holiness. We spent time each night reflecting on what we learned and asking God to use us in big ways for His glory on the team," said Miller. "Since we've been back, guys have been intentional about filling themselves up with the Holy Spirit so that they may continue to be transformed inwardly and bear fruit as a witness to others. As a group, we have devoted ourselves to the spiritual practice of prayer and have relied on the power of the Holy Spirit to continue to transform the heartbeat of our team."
 
Following their return, the group endeavored to match the heartbeat of the team with their own by praying for each individual and the collective spirit of the team. Their aspiration is to cultivate an environment where every team member can tangibly experience the presence of God, irrespective of their spiritual journey. "God moved at Passion in amazing ways! The guys and I saw God show up and show us what it means to be loved by him so that we can go and love others," shared Mott. "I think that we learned what it meant to love our teammates where they are at, and to love them the way that God loves us!"
 
IWU Director of Athletics, Deane Webb, expressed, "At IWU, we are pursuing a 'Both/And' vision of athletics, where we pursue BOTH excellence in competition AND influence for Christ. While this vision comes to life uniquely in each sport, there is a common pursuit of the Both/And across our teams. I couldn't be more excited about the commitment of these guys to go to Passion and how it represents the hunger to grow spiritually in our baseball program. I've enjoyed learning from them about their trip, how they see God moving in the baseball program right now, and tangible examples of how they are pursuing spiritual growth. Would you join us in praying for God's movement in the months ahead?"