Soul’d out for the gospel

S.O.A.R. Dunk team travels during the year to perform and share salvation

Chandler Bronkema cannot dunk a basketball.

And yet during 70 shows this year, he will find himself high above the rim, weaving the ball “through the right leg, left leg, then right leg,” before slamming it through the hoop for what he deems his favorite trick.

The extra boost he needs comes from the trampoline positioned in front of the basket. It is what launches each of the seven members of S.O.A.R. (Soul’d Out and Ready) Dunk into the air for dunks including flips, spins and plenty of bounce passes off the ground to one another before one member finally sends it home.

Bronkema, now a junior at Liberty University, hoped from his very first day at school that he could be part of the ministry team someday.

“I saw them doing their training camp in the Schilling Center,” Bronkema said. “I thought it was super cool. I told my roommates that if they ever had tryouts, I would try out.”

In the spring of 2014, he learned about tryouts, and his roommates held him accountable to his previous claim. He said he felt hesitant at first, but he decided to skip class that day and give it a shot. Tryouts consisted of first learning how to get the right jump off the trampoline without the basketball and then eventually adding the ball and the flare necessary to wow the crowds at schools, churches and other venues up and down the East Coast.

The former high school varsity basketball player impressed the team captain, senior Luke Seaborn, from the start, and soon-to-be teammate junior Evan Apon called him “quite a natural.”

“Chandler was actually very impressive right away,” Seaborn said. “He had a Michigan State shirt on, so we just called him ‘Michigan State.’”

And “Michigan State” made the team.

Now in his third semester with S.O.A.R. Dunk, Bronkema and the team use their high-flying and astoundingly acrobatic athleticism to earn the attention of the audience so they can share what they all know outshines even their most impressive feat. After a half hour of dunking, a different member at each show takes a turn giving his testimony and presenting the gospel.

“(We) reach people for Christ through this act,” Bronkema said. “We speak after every show … if it’s a venue where we can talk about Christ, which is places like Christian schools, churches and youth events. We share the gospel every single time. At public schools, sometimes we can’t talk about Christ, but we do a speech on character and integrity. Oftentimes we’ll invite them out to another event at a church where we’ll present the gospel.”

Bronkema shares the story of the passing of one of his friends who was in his freshman year of college and how he now confronts the reality of death with the assurance of his salvation.

“I just remember feeling this peace during this catastrophic time that I don’t need to worry about that because I know where I’m going when I die,” Bronkema said. “After that I share with people and tell them they can know the same thing.”

The Grand Rapids, Michigan native also said showcasing difficult and sometimes dangerous stunts and speaking to crowds that have ranged from “nine people, including a baby” to “close to 5,000” carries with it a degree of anxiety, but taking his focus off his own performance and keeping his mind on their mission helps diminish those fears. The chances he gets to personally speak with the youth who responded to the message are what he said are “the highlights of being on S.O.A.R Dunk.”

Bronkema said the group he travels with all year feels like brothers, and each member brings a unique element to the team. Apon said Bronkema’s reserved personality differs from many others on the team, but his collectiveness keeps them all on track.

“During the shows, we love to have fun with the crowd and different tricks, but Chandler’s always the one who’s like, ‘Alright, guys, let’s go, let’s get this trick down, let’s focus, let’s think about what we’re doing here,’” Apon said. “That’s a part of the team we need, so we’re grateful for Chandler.”

Clarke is a copy editor.