Does God care who wins?
If you say, "No," why no? Are our games not important enough in light of other world issues? This is the common reason given. It trivializes sports and leaves us wondering what else isn't important enough in our lives to garner God's concern.
If you say "yes," why yes? Does God favor a particular team over another and if so, why? This answer tends to trivialize God and leaves us encouraging different values than those God declares matter to him in the gospel.
Does God Care Who Wins? challenges each of these common answers and discuss their implications while encouraging more dialogue on the question. In it, Bob Schindler explores what he sees as the answer that not only honors God but also brings meaning and passion to sports.
It is an answer that has been in development for over 30 years. It began with Bob's journey into professional golf and came to a head in the midst of his first PGA Tour School where he was trying to qualify to play on the PGA Tour. It has been formed along the way by discussions with athletes, coaches, and parents who wrestle with the question.
While Does God Care Who Wins? is more about God than sports, it is not a theoretical approach to the question. Rather, the book comes from a very practical perspective -- one that honestly addresses athletes, coaches, and parents and the real questions we all ask around this question.
Bob Schindler is the Director of Cede Partners, an initiative of Cede Sports, where he has served since 2003. Prior to that, Bob was an Associate Pastor for eight years and a church planter and Senior Pastor for 10 years in East Tennessee. In both churches, Bob started sports ministries that served both adults and children and were the primary outreach vehicle for both churches. Before entering the ministry as a vocation, Bob played professional golf for four years and was in business for six years, in both the chemical and software industries. Bob studied Chemical Engineering at Vanderbilt University and is currently pursuing his Masters in Religion with an emphasis in Christian Thought at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in Charlotte, NC. Bob is married to Beth, his wife of 40 years, and has six grown children (one daughter, three sons, two daughters-in-law) and three grandchildren. They have called Church at Charlotte home since 2003 and have been supported missionaries of the church since 2008.
