Chaplain's Corner!

As I close out my third year as Chaplain with Racers for Christ, I thought it a good time to honor this fine motorsports ministry. R F C is headquartered in Gilbert, AZ.; Ken Owen is the founder and still director going on 25 years. There are over 100 Chaplains serving over a thousand events in a year. Their focus has been from the beginning, offering at the track pastoral care for all of us weekend warriors. Many chaplains are the first ones at the track greeting those who come to the race, the last ones there giving good-by hugs as racers leave. These Chaplain stay with the emergency staff offering counseling to families in case of injuries and in some cases death. Some Chaplains are at the starting grid, praying with the racers before the event while others travel about the pits just loving people. Multiple chapel services are offered on Sunday mornings with sometimes hundreds in attendance. These chaplains are some of the finest pastoral staff I have ever met. They are indeed do our honor and support.

My own participation as a Chaplain, to me, has been limited. As Chaplain of the Championship Enduro Series, I have done every chapel service at every event for three years. I have done 1 hospital pick-up (Thank God) a couple of crash sites, some invocations, other than that I was a fellow racer. RFC doesn't encourage chaplains racing, for it limits their service and sometimes can create a bad witness. For example, a chaplain punching out a fellow racer or the tech man. If any consolation, racing as at least has given me material for Chaplains Corner and I have enjoyed the many relationships I have developed with fellow racers.

I will end by giving thanks to Dave Larson and the International Racing Association for allowing me to do this. After I became Chaplain with RFC Dave opened the door for me, which I truly appreciate. Next year has many questions for most of you and I too must evaluate my direction.

If you love racing and agree with the focus of RFC please consider supporting them with prayer and finances. You can get on their support team by mail: P.O. Box 1208 Gilbert, AZ. 85299-1208 or E-mail: TeamRFC@aol.com.

Chaplain Ken