Pursuit of Purpose

Parenting Pathway Stonebriar Community Church Frisco, TexasIn this episode of the Parenting Pathway podcast, Pastor Dave Carl introduces you to our new Associate Pastor of Junior High Ministries, Gary Steffes. Gary followed a unique path to ministry through professional hockey at the ECHL and AHL level.  Following his retirement, Gary has been involved in FCA Hockey as Campus Director and other organizations leading young men to Christ though speaking engagements, hockey camps, and special events. Earlier this year, he published his first book, The Mental Side, where he shared his experience and encourages athletes of all ages to not be defined by what they do, but to be bold in their God-given identity and purpose.

There is a natural temptation to encourage and support the development of a specialty in our children. We do this by investing in tutors for accelerated academic programs, music lessons, dance schools, athletics programs, etc. Often we do this to the exclusion of helping our children develop their general purpose to passionately love God and bravely care for the people around them.  At the core of your child’s general development is the need to learn how to build and maintain relationships where they are not the center, but rather the participant. There is nothing erroneous about helping our children achieve success in an activity where they show promise and interest, but when we push this to the exclusion of all other components of purpose (relational, general, and spiritual) we are doing them a disservice. We are sending them into a world where their one pursuit of achievement has left them without the development of other crucial areas in their life. We are setting them and ourselves up for bitter disappointment.

Join us for this lively conversation with a fresh perspective of a professional athlete.

Additional Resources:

  • The Mental Side – https://www.garysteffes.com/
  • Raising Kids for True Greatness by Dr. Tim Kimmel
  • Grace Based Parenting by Dr. Tim Kimmel

Authors

  • Dave Carl

    Dave Carl is the Family Ministries Pastor at Stonebriar Community Church and is responsible for the ministry focusing on children birth through high school graduation and the parents who love them. With a ministry philosophy based on Luke 10:27, his primary focus is to give parents the skills to raise kids who truly love Jesus and want to serve others. Dave has a passion for ministering to families in crisis in our community. He has spent several years pouring into fathers and husbands and helping them learn that they need community, were designed to guard and protect, and that they really can be the spiritual leaders of their family.

    Dave and his wife of 30 plus years, Cathy, have two adult children and one in college and grandparents to three amazing children. They are completely in love with these new member of their family. Dave is an avid woodworker and loves to write. He sees all stories in the form of pictures, and he would love to connect with you!

  • Gary Steffes

    Gary's passion for the Lord overflows, and he has a real desire to see athletes and leaders all across the world draw closer to Jesus Christ and live in victory. Gary retired in 2017 after a seven-year professional hockey career at the ECHL and AHL levels. During his pro career, Gary served on full-time staff as the Campus Director for FCA Hockey. Gary worked heavily with professional, college, and junior athletes around the world, leading discipleship huddles, training athletes to compete at the highest levels, and working to develop Christian leaders. He traveled domestically and internationally, coaching, teaching, mentoring, and fighting to spread the Gospel in the hockey world.

    Gary and his wife, Michelle, are newlyweds and now serve together on staff at Stonebriar Community Church.

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