Face to Face
     Where sports can truly make a difference

December 2025    | Print |

Dear Friends,

Devon McDonald played on the last Notre Dame football team to win a national championship in 1988. He also had a nice career with the Indianapolis Colts. Today he works for Athletes in Action, mentoring a number of NFL chaplains. AIA is the sports division of CRU, formerly known as Campus Crusade for Christ.

He is also a close friend. Each year. Devon is the first speaker we have for our football and basketball chapels at Columbus North. Though he hasn’t played for a number of years, at 6-4 and 240 pounds, he still commands quite a presence when he speaks. But it is his spiritual stature that grabs your attention.

A native of New Jersey, Devon has a strong Jamaican heritage and still has the accent of that land. But when he opens the Word, he comes across with a strong message about following Jesus Christ. This year our chapels have been exceptional. Football chapel was on Thursday nights right after the team meal. About half of the 85 members and coaches came on a regular basis. Basketball chapel for the guys and girls teams are held in a room just outside the gym on Wednesday nights right after practice. All of the chapels are voluntary but the basketball chapels have almost 100 percent attendance.

Recently I watched the players in the basketball chapel as they were locked in on the message Devon had for them. It was a humbling experience to see how God is using chapel to reach these players and coaches, many who are not involved in a church.

It is also humbling to have a friend like Devon. We have often shared and prayed with each other, going back to his days with Sports World Ministries, where he spoke to thousands of kids in high school assemblies all around the country.

Sports ministries around the country are “under the radar”, but more and more, athletes are using their platform to share their faith. Recently after an NFL game, I heard former Ohio State quarterback, and now the QB for the Houston Texans, CJ Stroud, give a strong declaration of his faith after a win. There are others who aren’t afraid to be vocal about knowing Christ. Bo Nix is the quarterback for the league leading Denver Broncos. He recently was quoted in Sports Spectrum Magazine as saying, “God put me here for a reason. I believe that God has a plan for me and my life.”

His life verse is Colossians 3:23.”Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.”

At Face to Face, that is also our goal. As we start 2026, I remain committed to building relationships through people like Devon and spreading the Word through the testimony of other athletes I may not know. Thanks for your prayers and gifts that make that happen.

Have a great year in Christ,

Tom Rust