Heaven at Home Plate: What if Jesus Coached Baseball?

Have you ever wondered if the baseball stories of your life have significant, life changing meaning? Have any of the stories of your life changed you for the better or worse? If you played or coached baseball you might notice in your stories as you reflect on them, that God was speaking to you in some form or fashion, maybe directly? As you read these baseball stories and reflections on them, reflect deeply about what baseball means to you today. Listen for that still, small voice. We Christians suggest that God is ever and always present. Is He really? Even in baseball?

Bill Brunton, (Coach B) grew up in an alcoholic family atmosphere and found Baseball to be great relief. Having graduated from Westminster College in Fulton Missouri with a business/economics degree, he spent his first 20 years after graduation in the retail automobile business purchasing and selling part or all of five different new car and truck dealerships

Bill Brunton, (Coach B) grew up in an alcoholic family atmosphere and found Baseball to be great relief. Having graduated from Westminster College in Fulton Missouri with a business/economics degree, he spent his first 20 years after graduation in the retail automobile business purchasing and selling part or all of five different new car and truck dealerships.

God began to change Coach B's life when he began reading books by C.S. Lewis, John Bunyan, Dallas Willard, and encountered professors Dr. Larry Crabb and Ken Wilson (O' Captain my Captain) and the movie Field of Dreams. A short time later, he sold his businesses, received his masters of biblical counseling at Colorado Christian University, and after two years as an assistant coach at Regis University in Denver, he became the head baseball coach at Asbury College (university)in Wilmore Kentucky. He found God's presence in Baseball and saw Jesus grow in the hearts of his players during those years. He went on to complete his Masters of Divinity from Western Seminary.

He returned to Evansville, Indiana area where he grew up and began volunteer coaching in local high schools and youth leagues, he started a church, called Sojourn Community and continued his second love, teaching the Bible.

" The real church (the ecclesia) is found on baseball and softball fields, in coffee shops and local businesses, and in breakfast diners more frequently than in the formal church. Realizing that I had always been searching for Jesus, even on all those baseball fields, I wanted to help lovers of the game find Him, connect with Him, and follow Him even on those ball fields."