Summary of the Feb/March article by James Dotson

There's a reason the description of the United States as a "melting pot" is not used as much these days. Increasingly it has become more of a mosaic, a mesh of distinct cultures and ethnic groups that continually find their place in the ever-shifting pattern of national identity.

The hope of Southern Baptists - through the North American Mission Board and its state and local churches - is that one of the bonds holding the mosaic together would be Jesus Christ...

The "World at our Doorstep" can also be applied to home-grown cultural groups that for a variety of reasons have had little exposure to church. Among them are the most avid participants of a sport as pervasive in many parts of the upper Midwest as football is in the south: ice hockey.

Ross and Stephanie Smith operate the Twin Cities Northern Lights - a nonprofit member of the Minnesota Junior Hockey League. Their staff's Christian values permeates the team which partners with churches to demonstrate Christ's love to players and fans.

"Because the hockey community typically isn't going to church (due to travel & practice schedule, and other commitments) and many Christians aren't going to the hockey rinks (because of their equally busy church life), we wanted to create an environment where they would meet and interact," Stephanie said.

"We hope to teach the players that what they do on the ice is just one part of their identity and purpose in life," Ross noted. "We want to prepare them to be men who will be successful in college, their careers, and their family lives. Our staff has committed to living their faith in front of the team to show how God accentuates sport and life."

Players for the Northern Lights who are 16-20 years old sign a contract agreeing to abstain from drugs and alcohol while affiliated with the Team. They also commit to complete 100 hours of community service and embody the values of integrity, character, and commitment on the ice, at practice, in the classroom, and in life.

The Smith's experiment defied expectations when teams throughout the league saw (the results): they won their league championship in their first year of operation.

"It's amazing to me that God has allowed us to be part of what He is obviously orchestrating," Smith siad. "He is apparently trying to get the attention of the hockey community to let them know that He loves them and that He would like to have a personal relationship with them. I know that God has put (our staff) in this place at this time."

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