IWU STUDENT ATHLETES IN STEP WITH CHRIST

Dalton Miller ’23, IWU’s Athletic Chaplain, nurtures relationships with student-athletes, learning about them as individuals and loving them wherever they are in a journey with Jesus. He deeply understands the importance of discipleship with student-athletes because he established his own relationship with Christ out of his experience as an athlete on the IWU baseball team. Now, as a chaplain, Miller simply “does life” with students and helps to establish rhythms of corporate worship and discipleship. As a result, he is watching hearts change for the glory of the Kingdom.

Student-athletes at IWU are oftentimes attracted to the university based on the success of its athletic teams and the intentionality of the coaches who recruit them. Because IWU remains an unapologetically Christian university, the athletic department crafted a structured set of gatherings to teach these students about Christ and help them understand how Jesus can change the way they compete and live. Twice per semester, the athletes gather corporately. In the fall, they learn about the calling God has placed on their lives as athletes and as individuals, and they are commissioned for the work He has called them to in the upcoming year. Later in the fall semester, students are encouraged toward excellence in all things. In the spring semester, the first gathering dives deep into the influence they possess as student-athletes and as Christians. The final event is a celebration of all the good work God has done, not only of athletic accomplishments, but spiritual growth and decisions for Christ.

Coaches on all IWU athletic teams appoint team chaplains who gather twice a month and hold weekly prayer meetings. Many student-athletes also choose to attend the Monday night Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) events, and on Wednesdays during the designated small group times, many teams form their own small groups and grow together throughout the year. These rhythms create a cadence for open conversations, accountability, and growth toward Jesus. IWU Director of Athletics Deane Webb acknowledges, “A key part of an athlete’s development is their desire to grow and a key part of a Christian’s desire to be discipled is to understand the magnitude of what really happened upon a confession of faith.”

The intentional approach to disciple student-athletes at IWU results in many students making decisions for Christ. Webb calls Miller “an integral part” of those decisions, as he watches Miller walk alongside student-athletes as they enter these sacred moments and decisions. Miller counted a handful of student-athletes who already chose to follow Christ for the first time during the fall semester. He loves celebrating with new believers who take the first step in a relationship with Jesus. He says, “God is inviting us to simply lead from our own stories.” Based on Miller’s own IWU student-athlete experience of transformation, he is helping shape the stories of current student-athletes, one conversation at a time.