Contact Info:

SportsFaith.com
W1202 County JJ
Kaukauna, WI 54130

SportsFaith Phone Number:
920-462-1551

Founder / Marketing:             Matt Kowalczyk: Mattk@sportsfaith.com       920-471-8684

Editor: Jim Bomkamp:               Jimb@sportsfaith.com   
920-606-6345

Co-Host SF Radio:              Keith McCray: Keithm@SportsFaith.com

Marketing and Event Coordinator:                       Steve Schmuhl: Steves@sportsfaith.com

Women's Ministry Writer: Richelle Kowalczyk: Richellek@sportsfaith.com

SportsFaith Bios
 

Matt Kowalczyk
Age: 37
Family: Wife, Richelle; children: Sam, Taylor (only girl), Seth, Jacob, and Alex
Home: Kaukauna, Wis.
Church: Appleton Alliance Church in Appleton

Favorite Bible verse: James 2:17 – “… In the same way Faith by itself if not accompanied by action, is dead.”

Profession: Health insurance and employee benefits consultant for InsGuide, Inc.
Sports passions: Green Bay Packers, Milwaukee Brewers, Wisconsin Badgers football and basketball, mountain biking, boating, golf, and playing my saxophone (OK, it's not a sport, but I enjoy it very much ...).

Faith journey: I was raised in a Catholic environment, but my family never had a strong relationship with God. I went to Catholic grade schools and high school, but unless you have the foundation and desire nothing is going to hold, no matter what church you go to. My parents got divorced after my senior year of high school, and by that point I had already established a very deep rooted passion to serve myself! I was good at sports, and was very good at music, what more did I need? After a brief school career and a successful sales career, I got married, and had three beautiful children (whom I love with all my heart). Unfortunately, when the marriage had problems, we didn't have God to fall back on and I allowed our marriage to fail. I kept doing what was important... building that castle on the softest sand I could find. The divorce was one of the most heart wrenching things that I have ever gone through. It was monetarily devastating, and I constantly worried about my children. I had built a successful company that was supporting us financially, but what was I really offering my kids as a father? Through this time of my life, I met a beautiful woman while doing Community Theater. Richelle had been going through similar problems. She invited me to church and for the first time in my life I found out what true Bible teaching was! The pastor was incredible, and the music was alive! I became hungry for more knowledge and Richelle suggested that I search in the Bible. What a concept?! She even bought me a devotional Bible that I poured through. The third service I attended, they had a service on divorce... In the middle of the sermon Richelle asked me how I was doing. I said, "I hear weeping and gnashing of teeth!" Then the pastor said something that will never leave me and I hang my hat on every day, "God meets you where you are! All your sins were paid for by the Blood of the Cross! Don't get me wrong, Jesus hates sin... BUT HE LOVES THE SINNER! Don't hold on to that sin any longer because Jesus paid the price so you can be FREE!" I was awestruck! I know that I messed up a lot in my life, but I have a God who cares enough about me... YES ME, that he would use some of that awesome, cleansing blood to purify my life!... I married that woman, and we have a strong marriage, that is blessed by our Lord and Savior. We still argue at times, mainly because I am always right (just kidding Honey!), but we have the knowledge that God is always there for us. I gave my life over to Jesus April 2003 on the way to work one day because my best friend introduced me to Him. The sun was shining that day, and I was listening to Todd Agnew on CD (great Christian artist) and I knew I was in the driver's seat long enough. Jesus has been at the wheel ever since.
 

Jim Bomkamp
Age: 55
Family: Wife, Jill; son Steven and daughter Alicia
Green Bay, Wis.
Church: Calvary Chapel Green Bay

Profession: Pastor 
Sports passions: Baseball, football, basketball (but not as much these days), MMA

Faith journey: I grew up in a small town in northern Arizona, and had one sister a year younger than myself.  Mine was largely a non-religious home where church was looked at as something that was good for kids, but God was not really involved directly in one's life.  We were forced to go to an Episcopal church, yet my parents themselves wouldn't go.  The church that I went to didn't preach the gospel nor teach from the Bible, and every Sunday the message was about things associated with doing good works, being a good Samaritan, etc.  I was an acolyte in the church, but by the time I was 12 years old the peer influence in my life began to take precedence over God's will, my family and my parent's wishes, and I soon began to abuse substances, and this was followed later by getting into a bit of trouble.  I had also become very disillusioned with Christianity by the age of 16 and refused to go to church. I had always been a pretty good baseball player with a strong arm and loved the game, and today wish I had stuck with sports and gotten out of the lifestyle that was dragging me down, but I finally dropped out of baseball because sports and I were going in opposite directions.  Throughout my teen years my life continued to spiral down due to more and more substance abuse of various kinds. 

Finally, on January 1st 1973, a friend shared with me how that he had received Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior.  I had never expected this friend to become a "Christian," so I was totally taken off guard by his story.  Over the next few weeks and further discussions with my friend, I began to realize that I could have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and that He died for my sins so that I could have the free gift of eternal life, and this gift was received just by trusting by faith in Him and what He did for me on the cross.  Somewhere near the end of January of that year I finally committed my life completely to Jesus Christ and asked Him by faith to come into my life.  I look back upon that night that I committed my life to Christ and came into a personal relationship with the Lord as being the day my life really began.  Everything in my life began changing in a positive way since that time, and since that time I have been involved in many ministries and efforts to tell people the "good news" I have come to know.
 

SportsFaith: “Besides being an avid sports fan, my journey into sports since becoming a Christian has occurred because God gave my wife and I two children who were very athletically inclined.  I have a son who is a junior in college and plays college baseball (after playing baseball and football all through high school) and a daughter that has played volleyball, softball, and basketball up through high school as well.  Since my kids were young I have encouraged them in their sports, and in the case of my son and his baseball, been a personal trainer and coach and worked with his baseball teams since he began playing at the age of 7.  I was the first pastor to appear on the first SportsFaith Radio broadcast's Pastor's Perspective, and I have enjoyed sharing with athletes, coaches, and parents of athletes lessons that I have learned along the way with my kids and their sports."
 

Keith McCray
co-host: SportsFaith Radio

Pastor Keith McCray does not have the typical minister's background. Not too many ministers have counter terrorism on their resume. He served on an elite counter terrorist team while serving in the military. Upon his discharge he decided to pursue a quiet life and ventured into the world of professional wrestling and made a name for himself as Steve Storm. He wrestled for any organization with initials; WWE, WCW, ECW, NWA, XYZ, FBI - you name it, he was there. Injuries cut his career short and he went on to manage several Gold's Gyms. Keith moved from Wisconsin to Louisville to attend the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He graduated in May 2004 with honors from Boyce College (the undergraduate school for the Seminary) with his Bachelor of Science in Youth Ministry. After graduation Keith served as a Youth and Family minister in southern Indiana and returned to Wisconsin in June of 2006.
 

Richelle Kowalczyk
Age: 40
Home: Kaukauna, Wis.
Family: Husband: Matt, 5 children: Sam, Seth, Taylor, Jacob and Alex, 6 dogs, 3 cats, 3 birds, 1 bunny, 1 fish, and 1 ferret
Church: Appleton Alliance Church

Profession: Drama and Speech Teacher at Appleton Christian School

Favorite Bible verse: Philippians 1:21, "For me to live is Christ, to die is gain."
Sports Passions: Packers, Brewers, soccer, UW Badgers football (especially when playing the Hawkeyes!)

Faith Journey: I was born in Beloit, Wis., where I first received the Lord at the age of 8 during Sunday School at Peoples Church. I was married at the age of 21 and we had two beautiful sons. Unfortunately, we didn't safeguard our marriage within God's plan and we ended up divorcing. This was somewhere I never thought I would ever be. My parents were married over 50 years when my father passed away and I always thought that this would be my life. But, God being who God is, always has been and always will be, used this time in my life to show me that I never truly was a part of Him, I was always just trying, kind of like the Pharisees. This period of my life brought me closer to God and into a dependent relationship with and on Him. I truly had no where else to turn and it ended up being one of the best things that could've happened to me. Also, during this time I met my "now and forever" husband, Matt. Maybe you've heard of him? Any how, we blended our beautiful families together and strive to work together every day to live as God would wish us to and to raise our children to love and serve Him. Matt introduced sports into our lives in a BIG way. I never thought I would ever know the names of players on different teams, their records (especially the Packers), the coaches names, first downs, etc. I have always enjoyed working out and tried to be knowledgable about women's health and health issues, but because of a major knee injury when I was very young I could never participate in much. I had my knee replaced at 35 and found out that not only could I play baseball, I actually helped coach our oldest's school soccer team. I enjoy most sports and appreciate the different dimensions that sports has added to our family and my relationship with my husband.
 

Steve Schmuhl

Age: 44

Family: I have two beautiful daughters ages 17 and 15. I am in a committed
relationship with a wonderful women who has two great kids of her own.

Church: Christ The King

Favorite Bible verse: John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his only
Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not die but have eternal life.

Profession: Account Manager for Roadrunner Transportation Services

Sports Passion: working out, running, NFL, Pittsburgh Steelers fanatic, NBA,
Brewers, college football, college basketball

Faith Journey: I have been a believer in God my entire life. However, I took
much for granted including my faith. It wasn't until about 10 years ago that I
became closer to God. I went through a very difficult time in my life and it
caused me to question a lot of things. I had the support of a very loving family
which helped me through those times but I needed more. It was then that I
reclaimed my relationship with God. Through God my faith has grown stronger and
this has enabled me to find the courage to battle through those difficult times
past and present. My faith is now stronger than it has ever been and strive to
keep God at the center of my life.