As many of you know, my longtime friend Dean Johnson was called home to heaven on Monday, November 26, 2018.
Whether he was coaching his soccer players, leading Bible studies for minor-league and major-league baseball players through the Detroit Tigers and Cleveland Indians baseball chapels, working with disabled veterans to renovate their homes for accessibility or serving with his local church, Dean had a passion for ministry and serving, and he spent his entire life pointing other people to Jesus.
Dean loved Leverage Ministries and was a faithful volunteer from the very beginning. With the blessing of his wife Jill, who is also a faithful volunteer, and Dean’s two children—Ben and Bethany along with their spouses—I am excited to announce the Dean Johnson Legacy Team.
This legacy fund will provide much-needed support as we grow and expand the various programs of Leverage Ministries. Currently, there are more than 8,000 at-risk youth in Polk County. These kids are raised in low-income areas, are susceptible to getting involved with drugs or gangs, often have only one or sometimes no parent, struggle in school and oftentimes struggle in the transition between youth and adulthood. We want to reach as many of these kids as we can to show them that someone cares, that they aren’t alone in life, and that they can have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
So why are we calling it a team?
Well, for starters, Dean was a longtime coach — primarily for soccer, but also golf and basketball. Many of you receiving this letter played for Coach Johnson at some point in the last 40 years. He led his soccer teams to six state championship titles and was inducted into the Florida Athletic Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2010.
We’re also calling this a team because there are rules and responsibilities of both the coach and the players. “Team Dean Johnson” will be no different. You don’t win six state championships without rules and commitment.
How can you be a part of his team?
We realize Dean Johnson impacted thousands — maybe even tens of thousands — of lives over the course of his life, but every team has a limited number of players, and so does this team. The Dean Johnson Legacy Team will be limited to 100 people who are willing to give a minimum donation of $25/month for a year. Your photo, along with a one-sentence description of the impact that Dean had on your life, will also be shared on the Leverage Ministries website. This is the commitment required to join the team. You can renew this commitment year-after-year and be part of this legacy team for years to come.
If you would like to honor Dean by joining this legacy team and continuing his passion to serve the youth in our area, please contact Scott Hirdes at (863) 221-7593 or by email at scott@leverageministries.org.
