Meet Gary Steffes
From Professional Hockey
to True Confidence
Gary Steffes is the Executive Director of Pure Encouragement, a ministry with a mission to strengthen and encourage people to live a victorious life in Christ.
A former professional hockey player, Gary spent years in a world where confidence was often tied to performance, success, and results. Through his own journey, God began teaching him that lasting confidence isn’t built on what we accomplish, what others think of us, or how well we perform. True confidence comes from an intimate, abiding relationship with Jesus and knowing who we are in Christ.
Those lessons have shaped Gary’s life and the heart behind Pure Encouragement.
A former professional hockey player, Gary spent years in a world where confidence was often tied to performance, success, and results. Through his own journey, God began teaching him that lasting confidence isn’t built on what we accomplish, what others think of us, or how well we perform. True confidence comes from an intimate, abiding relationship with Jesus and knowing who we are in Christ.
Those lessons have shaped Gary’s life and the heart behind Pure Encouragement.
Ministry & Outreach
Today, Gary has the privilege of encouraging individuals, athletic teams, churches, ministries, and leaders across the country. His desire is to help people become more intimately connected to Jesus, understand their identity in Christ, and live with confidence from the inside out.
Books & Resources
Gary also hosts the Pure Encouragement Podcast and has written several books and resources, including The Mental Side, The 30 Day Identity Challenge, and the 6-Week Confidence Journal. Each was created to help people move beyond simply knowing biblical truth to putting it into practice in their everyday lives.
Core Mission
Through it all, Gary’s heart is simply to be faithful with the opportunities God gives him, encourage the Body of Christ, and ultimately point people back to Jesus.
About Gary
GARY STEFFES is passionate about strengthening and encouraging people to live victorious lives in Christ. He serves as the Executive Director of Pure Encouragement, where he has the privilege of encouraging athletes, teams, ministries, churches, and leaders across the country.
Gary’s passion for helping others discover lasting confidence grew out of his own journey. As a college hockey player at Miami University, he competed in four NCAA tournaments, two Frozen Fours, and the 2009 National Championship game. Despite his success on the ice, confidence remained one of his greatest struggles.
Then Jesus Christ grabbed hold of Gary’s life and began transforming him from the Inside Out. As Gary learned to abide in Christ and understand the truth of who he was in Him, confidence went from being one of his greatest struggles to one of his greatest strengths.
Gary went on to play professional hockey, leading the ECHL in goals in 2015 and helping the Allen Americans win back-to-back ECHL Championships in 2015 and 2016. His number was retired by the Allen Americans in 2017.
Today, Gary shares what God has taught him through speaking, teaching, the Pure Encouragement Podcast, and resources including The Mental Side, The 6-Week Confidence Journal, and The 30 Day Identity Challenge. At the heart of his message are two truths that have shaped his own life: abiding in Christ and knowing the truth of who we are in Him.
Gary lives in Florida with his wife and their three children.
Gary’s passion for helping others discover lasting confidence grew out of his own journey. As a college hockey player at Miami University, he competed in four NCAA tournaments, two Frozen Fours, and the 2009 National Championship game. Despite his success on the ice, confidence remained one of his greatest struggles.
Then Jesus Christ grabbed hold of Gary’s life and began transforming him from the Inside Out. As Gary learned to abide in Christ and understand the truth of who he was in Him, confidence went from being one of his greatest struggles to one of his greatest strengths.
Gary went on to play professional hockey, leading the ECHL in goals in 2015 and helping the Allen Americans win back-to-back ECHL Championships in 2015 and 2016. His number was retired by the Allen Americans in 2017.
Today, Gary shares what God has taught him through speaking, teaching, the Pure Encouragement Podcast, and resources including The Mental Side, The 6-Week Confidence Journal, and The 30 Day Identity Challenge. At the heart of his message are two truths that have shaped his own life: abiding in Christ and knowing the truth of who we are in Him.
Gary lives in Florida with his wife and their three children.