Christopher Chen
Episode 290
19 AUG 2024
He started into sports later in life, with basketball being his primary sport, including having attended a basketball training academy where he learned from NBA Skills Trainer Drew Hanlen. He also worked out with former NBA player and three-time dunk champion Nate Robinson. In addition, he played ball hockey, including winning four championships, and he competed in touch football leagues. Over the last few years, he, “made the conscious decision to serve the church while incorporating lessons learned from sports to help my clients.” He is based in western Canada and is a state officer for the Knights of Columbus BC/Yukon State Council, and six months ago was invested as a Knight of the Holy Sepulcher in the Vancouver Lieutenancy. On the professional side, he serves as a Catholic Life Coach for Freedom Coaching. (LISTEN FOR THE POWERFUL TESTIMONY HE SHARES ABOUT HIS EYESIGHT AND A GOSPEL PASSAGE HE HEARD AT MASS!)
Notable guest quotes:
“My brother and I eventually started serving (as an) altar server… we were altar servers at a Saturday afternoon Mass at 5 p.m., it’s a Mandarin Mass … I was about 10 years old and that was my first exposure to the Catholic church, to altar server, something closer to just attending Mass from afar as a young child, not right up in the altar.”
“I learned later on that I had this missing part of my life where I wanted to be part of a team, wanted to play the game that I love.”
“I don’t pay to play; I pay to win. I learned that from a CFL legend coach, Wally Buono, and I took that to heart. I don’t want to just keep paying league fees just to play, just to lose.”
“We were able to win four championships in the ball hockey leagues in a short period of time, so that actually taught me how to work with others, lead by example, while also knowing what it was to fit on a team.”
“My eyesight got so bad, to the point where it was interfering with my ability to work, my ability to drive, my quality of life was really diminishing to the point where I think I was actually going blind.”
“God’s grace is working, I know that … I’m here to serve Him, whatever way that He wants me to serve.”
“He sent me a message through Instagram asking me if I’m able and willing to promote his ministry to the local bishops in my area. I said, ‘Sure, I’d love to do that’.”
“It was divine providence … and it’s probably the most rewarding thing I’ve ever done, might, most likely, be the most rewarding thing I’ll ever do in my professional life because it touches on my Catholic faith. I can use all my past brokenness and use that as part of testimony to relate to the clients.”
“I still use that as part of my testimony when people ask, ‘How did you join the Knights of Columbus?’ I always put up my hand and say, ‘I joined because of the free throw championship.’ That leads to all sorts of laughter and all sorts of different conversations as well.”
“There was a shift in my heart, that this secular part of my life needed to change. And at this point in my life, I went all in for the church in 2017… and I started taking on all sorts of different ministries and leading to me where I am today.”
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