How does a local church hockey team make national press? Answer: When 200+ Remnant Fellowship members, a full blown pep band and a mascot named “Ash” weekly cheer their team, “The Phoenix Flyers”, on to victory! Recently the USA Hockey League got wind of the hoopla.
Read the full article here!
Remnant Fellowship Church “Phoenix Flyers” at Ashlawn estate for a Church event. Pictured bottom right is Coach Larry Sims.
Yes, on any given Sunday evening at the Ford Ice Center in Nashville, while the Remnant Fellowship Phoenix Flyers laced up their hockey skates and donned their green and white uniforms, Remnant Fellowship Church members of all ages faithfully filled the stands.  Were the adoring fans arriving with the hope of getting a glimpse of lightning quick skill and a visual display of NHL greatness? Uh, no…this is D League hockey, people. Perhaps the crowd hoped to witness a bit of hockey drama…see a good fight or two?  Never. This class act team is well known in the league for upright conduct.
Co-Captain, Brent “BB” Barcus
“We have a very strong sense of community at Remnant Fellowship Church, and so it is very easy for that bond of community to carry over to hockey,” Phoenix Flyers co-captain, BB Barcus explains.
So, in a day and age when church attendance is dropping dramatically, how is it conceivable that a church D League hockey team would draw a crowd of a couple hundred at each game?  The answer may be more complex for this  brief article, however the answer is tremendously exciting for anyone in search of a life full of genuine friendship and authentic community that bears one another’s burdens and celebrates each other’s victories…even a Sunday night hockey game! For certain, the answer is best described by Remnant Fellowship Church founder Gwen Shamblin in her latest book The History of the Love of God (a must–read, by the way)—God is drawing together a magnificent “Super Community” of like minded believers and the bottom line? We just can’t get enough of each other!
Behind the scenes…
Aside from the throngs of joyful attendees, what is not known to casual observers is the “back story” that the Phoenix Flyers represent…healed marriages, restored health, true friendship— modern day miracles affecting family generations for the better!  For example, coach Larry Sims and his wife, Karen found Remnant Fellowship Church through one of the church’s ministries, Weigh Down, years ago. Their renewed relationship with God and each other bonded their entire family…sons, daughters, grandchildren and even great grandchildren, all members of the church, and most of whom live within minutes of each other…with three grandsons and two “grandson-in-law” playing on the Flyers team.
Father/Son Duo
Remnant Fellowship shepherd, Eldon Gormsen, and his 23 year old son, Dylan, are the resident Flyers “Father/Son duo extraordinaire”…with Eldon being a regular scoring player on the ice. So, how does a soon-to-be grandfather for the second time keep up with the younger players, many of whom are half his age?
Eldon Gormsen pictured with his son, Dylan and daughter Laura.
“Without putting into practice what I have learned at Remnant Fellowship Church, there is no way I would be able to enjoy sports with my son! Not only am I no longer 50+ pounds overweight, I also have learned so much about what a godly family looks like—how to be a husband and father. We thoroughly enjoy our time together.”—Eldon Gormsen
Read more on Remnant Fellowship Church—the foundational beliefs, the families, the youth, the worship times and how this beautiful Kingdom of Love on earth is growing around the world!  To read the article by the USA Hockey League, click here.
