Back Pages: Spring 2016

Spring 2016

back pages

Look What God Has Done 40 years of work in the world of sport

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BORN TO PLAY Let me tell you why we do it.

Because we were born to play.

Because it’s in our blood and in our bones.

Because God gave us talents, passions and opportunities and when we’re playing sport, we know we were made for this.

NEW SHORT FILM Watch and share now at christiansinsport.org.uk/borntoplay

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WHAT’S INSIDE

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TO GOD BE THE GLORY The history of Christians in Sport is the story of what happens when you make yourself available to God. It’s the story of Christians accepting God’s invitation to worship and witness through their gifts, passions and opportunities.

Above everything else, it is the story of God’s generous lifechanging work in one of the most dominant, popular and expanding spheres of society today: sport.

NEWS Director’s Message God’s work in the world of sport Global Mission Editor’s Inbox

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STORIES To God be the Glory Partnership with the Church of England grows A mission field on your doorstep The Summer of Sport Sport as worship

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Our Mission To reach the world of sport for Christ.

Our Vision Christians everywhere living out their faith in sports clubs and teams.

Churches everywhere engaging with their local sports communities.

Sportspeople everywhere having the opportunity to hear the good news of Jesus.

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DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE What does it actually mean to be a Christian in sport? I was asked this recently by a colleague just before kick-off at a Cambridge United game.

I needed some time to frame my reply and, in the absence of any goals to discuss at half-time, I had the opportunity to offer my response. I wonder what you’d have said?

Jesus’ mission in Matthew 28 is that we ‘make disciples of all nations.’ His plan is that we help people in every country, culture and sub-culture become His followers. Therefore a Christian in sport is meant to make followers of Jesus in every part of the world of sport. It’s not too complicated really.

Isn’t it just great that this is all it means to be a Christian in sport!

Jesus goes on to explain the three simple steps needed to actually do this. Firstly, we have to ‘go’. We don’t wait for sportspeople to come; we go and get stuck into sport as a player, coach or official. Secondly, we encourage all sportspeople to identify with Jesus, since ‘baptising’ is simply an external symbol of the internal reality of turning to

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Christ and trusting in Him. Finally, He asks us to ‘teach [new followers] to obey everything I have commanded you.’ This means that we are to point new followers of Jesus to the Bible, so that they may act on what it says.

This means therefore that all new followers are commanded to do the same; go out and implement the same strategies in their sub cultures so the work goes on, wider and further, and generation after generation.

Isn’t it just great that this is all it means to be a Christian in sport! That’s why this magazine is so encouraging and challenging to me personally, as this edition asks me to ‘look at what God has done’ with stories of followers who committed their lives to Jesus, shared it with others and discipled them and watched the ripples of this good news spreading to others beyond their influence and generation.

christiansinsport.org.uk

Behind all these stories, there is one thing This traces back to the late Gerry Williams, that has never changed and we pray never the tennis broadcaster who you will hear more will. Whether it’s in our work amongst young about later, who in the early days of the work, The good news is that God is building people at Sports Plus camps, with university became fired up about sharing his faith with sports teams, with local churches and sports his church in athletics and sportspeople on a plane from Orlando to the Christian clubs, amongst the elite athletes and coaches London in 1977 and immediately started to go presence in track and field, both in the UK in the UK or the European and global work, and encourage others to do the same. fromthan a few dozen and worldwide, is arguably stronger in sportspeople in 1976 to This magazine names but a handful of these literally thousands of sportspeople in 2016, we anyChristians other incomparable sport. faithful sport. Bishop Tony Porter remain as committed as ever to fulfil the plan who has been implementing Jesus’ mission of Jesus to ‘make disciples of all nations’ and strategy since being an hockey player at so to make followers of Jesus in every part of Oxford University in the 1970s and today leads the world of sport.

the Church of England’s vision to see every church helping sportspeople to follow Jesus.

Willie Stileman has been making followers of Jesus since playing rugby for both Cambridge and Oxford Universities in the 1980s and now leads St Mary’s Church, Maidenhead as they help sportspeople in their own community consider becoming followers of Jesus Christ.

Jesus’ mission statement speaks of ‘all nations’ and extends not just to sportspeople in the UK but, as you’ll read in the vision of the pioneers in 1976, across Europe and the world. You will be in awe of what God has done in the last forty years when you read of the ReadySetGO strategy that has been devised for use in every nation of the world. Its impact has already been remarkable.

This is what it means to be a Christian in sport.

It’s not a complicated mission but it does demand courage and commitment. Thank you for being part of Christians in Sport. Please keep making disciples yourself and please keep helping the work flourish with your prayers and financial support. We’re forty years young and got a lot left to do!

Graham Daniels General Director Director at Cambridge United FC

WATCH View a short video encouraging you and others to go into the world of sport at christiansinsport.org.uk/letsgo

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Brian Adams

TO GOD BE THE GLORY 40 YEARS OF SPORTS MINISTRY

February 18th 1976 goals to pray for: ... that we have 18-20 men in March for our luncheon. ...that 120 attend our June dinner in London. ... that the Lord would raise up a man in England to give enough time to administrate a sports fellowship for the nation. ... that fellowship groups would be established for professional athletes by years end in both the North and South of England. ... that England would be an example to the other European nations to start fellowships for Christian athletes

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christiansinsport.org.uk

The dream of sport and the gospel The history of Christians in Sport is the story of what happens when you make yourself available to God. It’s the story of Christians accepting God’s invitation to worship and witness through their gifts, passions and opportunities.

Above everything else, it is the story of God’s generous life-changing work in one of the most dominant, popular and expanding spheres of society today: sport.

It all starts with prayer The story starts forty years ago with what has become the beating heart of Christians in Sport: prayerful action.

In 1976, a handful of Christians were drawn together by their desire to live and share their faith in the world of sport. Their lives had converged within the arena of professional tennis. Gerald Williams, the BBC tennis commentator, met the Reverend Alan Godson at a tennis tournament in the early 1970s this was the start of his own journey to faith.

Later, while working in America, Williams was introduced to an American sports evangelist

by Wimbledon champion Stan Smith. Another person involved was businessman Kenneth Frampton. As well as being a keen tennis fan, Frampton became a vital catalyst for the first meetings of Christian sports players in 1975 and 1976.

United by their interest and involvement in sport, this group committed to praying for five goals, shared in a memo in February 1976 (see opposite page). These prayer points were heartfelt, specific and pioneering. One in particular stands out. It is the goal of “a sports fellowship across the nation”. They dreamed of a network through the sporting world that would unite and encourage Christians. It was a powerful and contagious vision of Christians worshipping and witnessing in teams and clubhouses across the country. Former Oxford University cricketer and Anglican ordinand Andrew Wingfield-Digby, later a key founder of Christians in Sport, remarked that “people were excited that there was a marriage of sport and faith. Everyone wanted to raise the profile of the Christian presence in sport.”

They made themselves available to God’s call The sports fields and clubhouses were their mission fields. They believed that sport mattered to God - and they saw that their sporting desires, gifts and opportunities were God’s invitation to live out their faith in this context of sport. At the time Gerald Williams recognised the huge sense of excitement and expectancy they shared: “We had a feeling that God could do something through Christians in sport if they made themselves available to Him”.

Gerry Williams (right)

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The first gathering On June 19th 1976, the eve of the worldfamous tennis tournament Wimbledon, the first dinner was held for 80 Christian sportsmen and women at the Park Lane Hotel in London.

Brian Adams (see main photo), a member of the British Race Walking team at the Montreal Olympics, remembers the gathering. The very next day he would be on a plane to an altitude training camp prior to competing at the Games.

He told of the fresh excitement in his heart: “It was great to be sent off to the Olympics with the mindset that what I’m doing in sport is for God.” He was aware of the deeper purpose to his sporting abilities and opportunities: “Your identity is in Christ and sport is an expression of that identity.” This was an attitude that would be shared by thousands of Christians in the decades to follow.

throughout the UK. Christians in Sport now supports over 10,000 Christians within the world of sport. Over 1,000 sports leaders have been equipped and encouraged in the last year. The sports camps and university work flourishes and 80,000 people have heard the good news in the last two years alone through various events run alongside churches. And this gospel impact extends to 150 countries throughout the world, where Christians in Sport partners with indigenous sporting ministries.

Answered prayers On June 19th 1977 a second dinner for Christian sports professionals followed and in 1978 a third dinner was attended by over 300 guests.

The desire for a Christian sports network was growing. Various conferences and meetings took place over the next few years with the fledgling movement now going by the name of ‘Christians in Sport’. In 1980, a new opportunity emerged to strengthen the network and ‘Christians in Sport’ became a charity in that year. The prayers on the 1976 memo continued to be answered and in 1984 Reverend Andrew Wingfield-Digby took the step of faith with his family, eventually leaving the Anglican clergy to become the full time director of ‘Christians in Sport’.

God-inspired growth Prayerful action remained the bedrock of the organisation and its growth has been incredible - the kind of growth that can only be attributed to God’s faithful and generous work.

40 years on, it is awe-inspiring to look back and see how God has unfolded His abundant blessings through the humble prayers and actions of Christians living out their faith in sports clubs, universities and at elite level. Since the first fledgling prayer meetings and sports dinners of 1976, hundreds and thousands of people involved in sport have heard the gospel 8

Andrew Wingfield-Digby

Reaching the world of sport for Christ As the sporting sector steadily expands, God continues to invite Christians to offer their sporting gifts and opportunities for His glory and to follow in the footsteps of those pioneering Christian sportsmen and women in 1976. Their prayer memo remains a valuable reminder of God’s faithfulness and life-changing work throughout sport.

Today, take a moment to look back at what God has done in the great arena of sport and rejoice, and look forward to what God will do as Christians proclaim their faith in sports clubs across the nation and the world.

PRAY To sign up to receive our prayer diary as an email every two weeks or to receive the prayers each day please sign up at christiansinsport.org.uk/pray

God graciously answered these prayers beyond expectation, and moved His people to give time and money to establish Christians in Sport.

Will you contribute to growing this work to His glory?

Please use the insert provided and the freepost envelope if this is something you would be able to do.

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GOD’S WORK IN THE WORLD OF SPORT JANUARY - APRIL 2016

Sportspeople across the UK have been doing lots of different things as they look to reach the world of sport for Christ in their communities. Have a read of just a few of the thousands of stories from the last few months.

University students across the country have been holding Dialogue Dinners this term.

Students invite their teammates for dinner and during the meal, friends have the chance to ask any questions they might have about the Christian faith, often off the back of someone giving their testimony or sharing the gospel message.

Sarah Thompson and Priscilla Kirkland held one of these dinners with the Edinburgh University Women’s football club. Priscilla said “I was surprised at how willing and vocal all the girls were! It was definitely encouraging - especially because it showed me that when people hear about the real Christianity, as opposed to stereotypes, they have a real interest and lots of questions!”

At St Leonard’s Church in Exeter we have been engaging with the world of sport more directly since the Rugby World Cup last year.

We believe that prayer should be central to all we do and are encouraging our own congregation to think of sport not just as a recreational activity to be enjoyed, but to see it as part of God’s harvest field.

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At St Leonard’s Church, Exeter

In February, we started a new prayer meeting specifically with the theme of sport in mind; to pray for the world of sport and for those in teams more locally and people from our own congregation involved in sports at all levels. We believe that prayer should be central to all we do and are encouraging our own congregation to think of sport not just as a recreational activity to be enjoyed, but to see it as part of God’s harvest field. In March, we held our second sports quiz and the evening was a sell out with 68 people attending. At half time we broke for refreshments and watched a film with Rico Tice and some rugby internationals explaining why Christ mattered in their lives. The talk was engaging and sparked conversations amongst those attending in the short time before the quiz continued.

Geoff Hanna, St Leonard’s Church, Exeter

In January, we ran The Sports Quiz at Bicester Rugby Club with teams coming from different sports clubs and school PE departments across the town. Now an annual event in the rugby club’s calendar with the colts, all senior sides and committee represented, we were keen to

Bicester Rugby Club (c) Lisa Horwood

give the players a chance to really investigate the claims of Jesus for themselves. Along with previous sports quizzes, this has led to around 10 players from the club meeting regularly to eat together and discuss a Bible passage – we are praying for players to be transformed as they read of Jesus for themselves!

Mike Harris, Bicester Rugby Club

Westberries Hockey Club, Bristol

I have been playing hockey for my local club in Bristol for the past two years and I’m passionate about my hockey girls hearing about Jesus. Doing this alone can feel demoralising at times and can be quite a challenge. Although I spend lots of time with my team, the chat is generally about all things hockey-related! So when I found out there were three other Christians in the same club but all in different teams, I was really encouraged and excited. Knowing that there are other girls who love Jesus and hockey encourages me to persevere in sharing Jesus’ love and grace with my girls.

I heard that Emmanuel Church were putting on a sports quiz and I knew this would be a ‘cool’ opportunity for my friends to hear something about the Jesus I believe in. From previous experience, I knew Christians in Sport would put on a high-quality event and make it relevant to sport-players. Despite being the only women’s team there, the girls loved it.

Some of the girls would never come to church, but would be much more likely to go to a bar and compete in a sports quiz.

Lucy Howell, Westberries Hockey Club, Bristol 11

Belfast 1

A few weeks after Belfast Sports Plus last summer I received an email to say that a girl in my team had decided to commit her life to Jesus. At camp she had seemed quite closed and uninterested in the Gospel but the team had committed to praying for her and sharing their faith with her. This news was such an encouragement for us as leaders and for the girls. God is so good. He answers prayers and completely transforms lives. He is so much more powerful than we could ever imagine.

Jenny Dixon, Sports Plus leader, Belfast 1

In February, it was great to gather six young hockey lads together in Edinburgh, all of whom play at national level and are seeking to represent Jesus within their teams. Within minutes the banter was flowing and there was lots of hockey chat as well as good time spent together in the Bible! Encouragingly, between them, they could identify another two young Christians who play within their national age group teams. Could this be revival in Scottish hockey?

Kirsten Ross, Scotland Co-ordinator

A big encouragement in the last term has been to hear stories of sportspeople at university faithfully living out their faith amongst their friends. For the last two years Jason, a Christian sprinter at Cardiff Met University has faithfully 12

lived out his faith in his athletics club, sharing his life and the gospel in both words and actions. This year one of his sports friends has attended a Christianity Explored course and another has regularly attended church with him.

Fran, a rower from Leeds University, became a Christian this year through the witness of a Christian in her boat. She explained what went on saying: “Doing the ‘fresher thing’ at uni wasn’t satisfying and deep down everyone would agree with that - people are searching for more, even if they don’t know. The key moment for me was when I found out that Christianity was a two way relationship - not just a distant God to be presented with a shopping list, but an intimate Father!”

Sports Plus Xtra Edinburgh

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A Christian golfer at Warwick University was able to invite six of his golf friends to an Alpha course hosted at his local church.

All engaged in the discussions and two have started attending church, one of who attended church as a youngster would now say he “fully believes”!

At Christ Church Newcastle there are a lot of people involved in sport. We wanted to set up a prayer meeting every term where we could encourage one another to seize gospel opportunities with sporty friends, and to consider sport as one part of our wider mission as a church to be making disciples of all nations.

My daughter came home from Sports Plus Xtra Edinburgh full of excitement and a renewed enthusiasm to live for Jesus in her sport. I know she particularly appreciated the time spent in groups looking at issues she faces in her sport and was encouraged that she is not alone in finding these hard.

We held our first one in March and we looked at the Bible together, watched a film from Christians in Sport and prayed that God would keep us focused on the Great Commission while we play sport. We each named three friends and committed to praying for them over the next 12 months. It was a thoroughly encouraging time together and well worth giving up a Saturday morning for!

Annelie Uwimana, Parent

Fabio, a former professional footballer from Brazil living in Jersey, has been running a football academy for young people aged 7-14 and regularly has 25 along each week of which only four are from church going families.

Each week he has been doing a “water break” discussion sharing the good news.

Fabio’s academy in Jersey

Phoebe Dickinson, Christ Church Newcastle SIGN UP Want to hear each month about various stories, resources and events for you to get involved in? Sign up now at christiansinsport.org.uk/signup and subscribe to Back Pages Online

GIVE Support Christians in Sport’s work and enable more sportspeople to hear and respond to the gospel. Fill in the form on the insert provided or go to christiansinsport.org.uk/give

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PARTNERSHIP WITH CHURCH OF ENGLAND CONTINUES TO GROW Back in April 2015, The Church of England appointed its first ever Archbishop’s Sports Ambassador, Bishop of Sherwood Tony Porter.

An Oxford blue and ex-chaplain himself, Bishop Tony has a real passion to see the Church of England engaging with the sports world, both at a grassroots and elite level.

On his commissioning he said “my main work will be to encourage parish churches to be involved in the world of sport, and for the world of sport to receive Christian ministry in a culture and language they understand.”

With 41 dioceses and thousands of parishes covering the whole of England, this is a mission opportunity waiting to be embarked on.

“Reaching into an area of life where huge numbers of people across the country are involved, particularly on Sundays, is something that is critical to expressing what it is to be a Christian.”

Archbishop Justin Welby Bishop Tony has seen this in action in his own parish with people gathering to pray every few months for their world of sport as well as churches using events to engage with 14

Lambeth Palace, February 2016

their communities such as sport quizzes, big screenings of matches and sports tournaments.

In February this year, this initiative was launched to all the dioceses in the Southern Province. 50 delegates gathered together in Lambeth Palace and Archbishop Justin Welby gave his overwhelming support to sports ministry within the Church. He said, “reaching into an area of life where huge numbers of people across the country are involved, particularly on Sundays, is something that is critical to expressing what it is to be a Christian.” A similar meeting will take place with

the Northern Province in York later in the year with the Archbishop of York.

This is just the beginning for the partnership between the Ministry of Sport and Christians in Sport. In England, over 10 million people are involved in sports clubs, each one of these is covered by a Church of England parish making it a huge area of opportunity. The ReadySetGO resource you will read about on page 22 is one of the ways churches are being encouraged and inspired to go out into their communities and reach sportspeople in their area.

Bishop Tony Porter

WATCH Watch the Archbishop’s address from Lambeth Palace now at christiansinsport.org.uk/archbishop

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INTERVIEW

A MISSION FIELD ON YOUR DOORSTEP Wife and mother of two, Liz Kennedy, would happily confess that she isn’t the sporty one in the family. However, as a parent of two sports mad boys - both of whom have been involved through Sports Plus camps to the university work - Liz has been fully immersed in sport.

“I don’t play sport, the closest to a sport I do is walk my dog! I don’t play in a team and I’m not the one on the touchline, it’s my boys and husband that are, but I can see how it [faith and sport] fits together.”

Liz and her family have been a part of St Mary’s Church, Maidenhead for over 20 years; an evangelical Anglican church that sits in the heart of the town surrounded by over 520 sports clubs. It was recognising this vast mission field on their doorstep and a passion for sport from within the church that a new afternoon service was born.

“There were lots of parents at church, us included, whose kids wanted to play sport and the only time they could play for a club was Sunday morning so you were really stuck. That was part of the idea behind the 4pm service.”

The 4pm service has gone from strength to strength since its introduction just a few years ago, however Liz is honest about the challenges the church faces in encouraging their local sports community to step through the doors of the church.

“The 4pm service has grown from 35 to a hundred and something, which is great, but we are a million light years away from populating the service with people currently playing sport on Sunday mornings. I would say very few have been invited from the sports world which was one of our prime objectives. Realistically, after being out all morning playing sport and having lunch, people just want to slob on the sofa.”

Clubhouse Maidenhead at St Mary’s Church

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(C) Google

MAIDENHEAD A town with over 520 sports clubs

“However, that’s not to say it’s not going to happen. We need to put the stepping stones in place that move people from the touchline to the church. It could be a sports quiz or something else, but you have to provide those steps for people. That’s where Christians in Sport’s resources are crucial in helping people along that journey.”

St Mary’s Church is one of hundreds of churches that have hosted ‘The Sports Quiz’ over the last few years; a resource which has seen thousands of sportspeople coming under the sound of the gospel. It’s a simple model but one that Liz believes has a vital role to play in acting as this stepping stone between the church and it’s local sports community.

“The quiz is a fantastic event; it’s just so easy for people to invite their friends because they know that it works- it’s not cringe worthy, it’s brilliant! I see it as a Maidenhead event, not a St Mary’s event and my aim for the next one would be that the rugby club, where we host it, will be full. I would like to think we could have 10 tables, maybe more.”

And the key to getting sportspeople through the door of a guest event?

“Step one is getting the publicity out there.

Step two is the email that says, ‘Hey have you seen the publicity about the event?’, an email that helps people pick up those images they look at but haven’t actually taken on board the info, so you bring it into their consciousness.

But after step one and two, unless you go up to someone and say, ‘I’m going to this event and I would love to have you on my table’, it just becomes another email or thing to look at, I know what I’m like! It’s that third step that people respond to.”

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As fruitful as a ‘one off’ guest event like a sports quiz can be, Liz believes the success of a guest event lies in the follow up.

Looking forward, Liz believes Clubhouse has a real place in reaching Maidenhead’s vast sports community.

“The person that does the inviting needs to ‘get’ the long-term thing. The event is just a springboard to say, ‘Would you like to come to church with me?’, or a carol service, Alpha course or whatever the church is running. It’s just a great way to do that. Timewise therefore, you need to position it just before something kicks off at the church which you can link in with, like Christmas carols followed by Christianity Explored or Alpha in the new year.

I think St Mary’s is great but I’m not precious if people want to go to another church in Maidenhead after a guest event, I don’t care, as long as they are doing something!”

“I think Clubhouse is the place to almost galvanize the troops. It should be about exciting people about the gospel, exciting people about the fact that they have got a mission field right on their doorstep and that’s what I think Clubhouse can really do. It’s a place where we can almost set the agenda for the year for reaching sportspeople in Maidenhead by saying, ‘We are going to have a sports quiz on this date, now start thinking who you can invite’. It’s about exciting them with the vision but also giving them something to point their excitement towards, like a sports quiz.”

Since this interview, Liz has started meeting with others in local churches passionate about reaching Maidenhead’s sports community and together they are planning ahead to what we hope and pray will be a life-changing year for many local sportspeople in Maidenhead.

Back in October 2015, 30 Christians involved in sport in the Maidenhead area gathered together at their first Clubhouse event.

“Clubhouse this year helped me to realise that this isn’t just about St Mary’s. This is about the sports world around us and working together with people from churches across Maidenhead who have the vision. What I was struck by was the network Christians in Sport has in this area. At Clubhouse there were people there that I had never met and those recently moved who you’d linked in with. I met a couple who had been involved with Christians at Sport at university and, having moved to Maidenhead for their first job, into their inbox was an email saying about Clubhouse in Maidenhead and there they were.”

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(C) Photographs above are credited to Chris Turner and the Brown family.

PRAY IN YOUR CITY If you want to run a Clubhouse in your town or city then look out for a new package coming out in the Autumn. For now, why don’t you start meeting with other people passionate about sportspeople and praying for the sports clubs in your local area?

MISSION PAC K 201 6 includes

How are you and your church going to make the most of a massive summer of sport to reach sportspeople in your community?

A six-round multimedia quiz A gospel film and talk Guides of how to run various events like sports tournaments or big-screen showings

to download your free resource go to

christiansinsport.org.uk/2016

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THE SUMMER OF SPORT If you’ll permit, let me paraphrase Jesus in Matthew 28: “go and make disciples (not just friends of Jesus, not even just converts, no, lifelong followers of me) in sports clubs and teams across the UK, in every sporting community in every corner of this land”.

Wouldn’t it be great to see sportsmen and women, boys and girls in sports clubs and teams near you come under the sound of the good news of Jesus in 2016? Better still, for these friends to become Christians and follow Jesus in their sport! Can you imagine that?!

Millions of sportspeople within the UK don’t trust Jesus as Lord and Saviour; we want to change that and we hope that the Sports Mission Pack for 2016 will help you make disciples of sportspeople in your context.

Major sports events provide us with a great context for sharing life and the gospel with sports friends. The Sports Mission Pack provides ideas of how to help you and your church develop friendships with sportspeople

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which could lead to exciting discipleship journeys of faith. And what better time to start than this summer when in just a few months, some of the biggest sporting events in the world are taking place.

Let’s start with the Euros, it’s the first time that three home nations are competing in the finals between 10th June and 10th July.

July is then taken up with the iconic grass court tournament at Wimbledon, showcasing our very own Andy Murray, Johanna Konta and Heather Watson, which takes us into the cycling season and the 103rd Tour de France assault with Chris Froome hoping to retain his title. August holds the biggest sporting showcase the world ever witnesses with the Olympic Games heading to South America and a Brazilian carnival atmosphere to look forward to. After Team GB’s raging success in 2012 all eyes will be on them to bring home medals a

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plenty. Then onto September and, when you think the summer is done and the fun is over, the magnificent Paralympic Games will be hitting our screens and the European team will be battling it out against the USA in the bi-annual Ryder Cup in Minnesota. Oh yes…2016 is an epic year of sport!

So what’s in the Sports Mission Pack? The pack includes ideas to be used on different levels: 1. Making the most of televised sporting events by being intentional and watching these with friends or going a little bigger with big screen events.

2. Organising your own sports events (Sports Quiz, Night of Champions, Dodgeball Tournament) to engage friends and provide opportunities to speak openly of Jesus.

change that and we hope that the Sports Mission Pack for 2016 will help you make disciples of sportspeople in your context. The last few lines of verse four in that hymn sums up our prayer:

From cowardice defend us From lethargy awake!

Forth on Thine errands send us To labour for Thy sake

Ian Lancaster UK Co-ordinator Alchester Running Club, Magdalen Road Church, Oxford

3. Developing those friendships and going deeper by investigating the Christian faith through dialogue dinners and getting the Bible open, either one-to-one or in a group.

Why do it? On 21st February 2016 the so called ‘greatest missional hymn’ called “Facing A Task Unfinished” was sung by millions of Christians around the world as a global commitment to going after the Great Commission which Jesus described in Matthew 28.

Millions of sportspeople within the UK don’t trust Jesus as Lord and Saviour; we want to

DOWNLOAD Get your own free Sports Mission Pack 2016 now at christiansinsport.org.uk/2016 and start planning what you’re going to do to reach out to the sports communities around you.

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GLOBAL MISSION READY SET GO November 2015 was a pivotal moment in the history of sports mission across the globe.

With 50 years of work and accumulated training materials, the time had come to simplify a common curriculum so that sports mission could be easily multiplied to every country, city, community and club. Four years of collaboration with over 500 leaders from over 70 countries enabled us together to launch ReadySetGO last November with 628 people from 127 countries attending. It was an incredible time as each country was asked to send four of their best people to be trained in the material in order to take it home and train others.

Christians in Sport helped lead the European teaching room along with other leaders from the European Christian Sports Union. The 77 people in the room have gone home and, in four months, there have been 36 trainings in 19 different countries training 810 people from 78 cities in the new material.

To put this in focus, the previous sports leadership training we delivered around Europe enabled us to train 837 people in five years but at times struggled to lead to effective sports mission activity as the right tools weren’t available to practically take things forward.

Before this magazine lands on your doorstep, we will have surpassed this figure with ReadySetGO trainings as well as seeing more sports mission activity taking place than ever before as people who don’t yet know Jesus hear about him and are discipled.

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A European version of this conference takes place from 18th-22nd May in order for countries to send more than one team to be trained and for those for whom visas were an issue back in November. We expect more than 200 people from over 30 countries to attend and to see a summer of packed sports mission activity.

With the UEFA Euro 2016 in France this summer, there is a project team helping every qualifying country to hold a Sports Festival in their biggest cities. Albania have never qualified for the Euros before and the team of four that came to the global launch are capitalising on the momentum this is bringing and channelling it into sports mission opportunities; they are one of the countries that have held multiple trainings since November. The many numbers of people trained is a testament to how easy the ReadySetGO resource is to use and train, no longer relying on experts or ‘Western’ teachers but empowering local people to train to make disciples in sport and play. We are so thankful for how work across Europe is spreading and growing and excited about how God will use this movement in the coming months. Read the prayer diary inserted in this magazine for individual country reports.

CHECK OUT ReadySetGo.ec is a website packed full of resources for you to do sports ministry wherever you are. Have a look and see what you can find!

This summer, we are running the European Sports Mission, a month long summer school for young leaders from across Europe aged 18-25.

The first two weeks of July will be spent in Italy having two weeks of intense sports mission training, some are recognisable, such as PrayPlaySay and Explaining the gospel, and some are new, looking at heart values of sports mission as well as different strategies for doing it. The second two weeks will be spent on week-long missions around Europe including sports camps.

We’d love for as many young emerging leaders from the UK to be a part of this as possible.

Bertie and Struan are two Christians in sport who have served on a camp in Romania that Christians in Sport helped start up alongside a local leader. After three years, the camp runs independently of any UK support.

“Seeing the unity we have around the gospel and praying together in different languages was a real highlight…I gained confidence in leading and facilitating, how to be a servant leader and gained experience in interacting with young people you have no history with. It increased my desire to see sportspeople all over the world having the opportunity to hear the good news of Jesus.

I was challenged to be more confident and proactive in sharing Jesus with my own teammates….it’s great to step out of your home environment for a while and gain a fresh perspective.”

Struan

Here are some reasons why they would recommend it:

“It was a great chance to grow in my own faith, being totally reliant on God in everything because you don’t have as many comforts as leading on something similar back home…It struck home to me that although we speak different languages and have led totally different lives, the God we share is the same and that’s incredible!”

Bertie

SIGN UP The full cost of the European Sports Mission is £500 which covers flights, food and accommodation for the whole month. For more information, email caroline@christiansinsport.org.uk.

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EDITOR’S INBOX We love hearing from you about how you’re going about reaching the world of sport for Christ. This term we’ve heard from people on various social networks about what they’re up to – have a look and get in touch yourself! @CIS_UK

@CIS_UK @benwildman1992 Epic @CIS_UK sport quiz last night at Mellish Rugby Club Nottingham! #GreatFirstTweet! #Unashamed #116

@CIS_UK

@ctanderson89 So encouraged reading and praying on the @PrayerMateApp for a student who was saved through work of @CIS_UK #Salvation #PrayPlaySay

@CIS_UK @LlandoveryColl A huge thank you to Christians in Sport for a fantastic few days!

@seanfletcherTV On my way 2 Eng v Wales. Listened 2this podcast last night 2get me in mood. http://christiansinsport.org.uk/podcast Gr8 insight into Garin Jenkins @CIS_UK Danno meets...Garin Jenkins Garin Jenkins is a former Welsh rugby union player capped 58 times by his country. He played in three World Cups and multiple Five and Six Nations tournaments. In conversation with Graham Daniels

Fantastic few days at @LlandoveryColl sharing life, sport & Jesus with staff & pupils! #schoolswork #gospel

@CIS_UK @southam_pam Inspiring speech by Archbishop Justin Welby about the Church’s involvement with sport.

Archbishop @JustinWelby excited by the #sportsministry taking place in the UK http://christiansinsport.org.uk/ministryofsport

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christiansinsport.org.uk

@Christians_in_Sport pepebathgate Back looking at #prayplaysay.com this week we’re going to be looking at Worship, one which is especially relevant after hosting a dodgeball tournament here at Stirling Uni, where over 50 people hear heard the truth of the gospel

@Christians_in_Sport

s.maunder CIS academy 2015 members unite and where better than on the hockey pitch?!

Got to play against this one today, what an absolute joy! Edinburgh vs Nottingham #hockeyisourharvestfield Christains_in_sport Love it @s.maunder! Praying for you this week with events week and hoping you had a great catch up with @ruth_tresidder1! Who got the better in the hockey?

@Christians_in_Sport marshy166 Amazing week in Wales realising my love of skittleball and sharing the good news of Jesus Christ with young people in schools #christiansinsport #harvestworker

ruth_tresidder1 @christians_in_sport Edinburgh won 2-1!but it was an ace game so great to play with @s.maunder even if we were against each other!

GET INVOLVED Follow @CIS_UK on Twitter for the latest news Like Christians in Sport on Facebook at facebook.com/ChristiansinSport Follow @Christians_in_Sport on Instagram to see what we’re up to Sign up on our website to hear more each month with Back Pages Online

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SPORT AS WORSHIP: A GUEST POST FROM MOREPRECIOUS.CO.UK

FAITH PLAYED OUT MorePrecious.co.uk is a blog for women all over the world to share stories of their faith and their walk with God. Their series ‘Faith Played Out’ looks at when faith and sport collide.

‘Worship’ is a term that we use frequently; a term that we probably feel we understand.

Often, however, we automatically think of worship as singing, playing an instrument or an activity that takes place in church. I would guess that sport is not the first thing you think of when it comes to worship. Of course the worship which we partake in during church services is amazing and essential, but there is another element of worship that we so often overlook.

God has blessed each of us with gifts and abilities. Not everyone can play in a worship band or be great at public speaking. We all have different gifts and this is so exciting. If you are gifted in sport this is because God has designed you in that way. It is not an accident.

This is such an exciting truth for us; God designed our talents and our passions. He loves that you love to play sport because he made you that way.

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“For we are God’s masterpiece” Ephesians 2:10 “You are fearfully and wonderfully made” Psalm 119:14 If this is true then what does this mean for our worship? God does not simply bless us with gifts for our own enjoyment or to fill our time. He wants us to use our gifts to bring glory to Him. “So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walkingaround life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him.”

Romans 12:1 (The Message) This verse absolutely thrills me; Paul tells the Christians in Rome that they can worship God through offering their ‘normal’ activities as a sacrifice to him. How often do we do this? I know

christiansinsport.org.uk

that so often I go through my day bored and unfocused, just living for myself and certainly not worshipping God. If we stop, however, to consider what Jesus has done for us, what can we do apart from worship him with everything we have?

Worship is in the everyday. Worship is doing the things you love for God. Worship is playing a hockey match to glorify God. Worship is running in a race to glorify God. Worship is winning or losing but playing for God. When we grasp this truth it completely changes how we live in every moment of our lives.

Finally, if our sport is worship this must change how we approach it. If we are playing in light of what Jesus has done for us this changes everything; our attitudes, our actions and how we treat our teammates or opposition.

Suddenly it is not just about winning but about worshipping God. Let this change how you view your sport. If you love to play tennis do it because Jesus died for you; worship him. If you love to run then run because God made you that way; worship him.

Eric Liddell was a missionary but also an Olympic athlete. He worshipped God all over the world including on the running track. He said ‘Yes I believe God made me for a purpose, but he also made me fast. When I run I feel God’s pleasure.’

Sport is not something that is separate from our Christian life. It actually couldn’t be more closely connected.

What sport is it that you love to play? Go and play it to the best of your ability and feel God’s pleasure, as you worship him through using the gifts that he has given to you.

Jenny Dickson Having grown up in Ballymena, Jenny graduated from Durham and is excited about moving to Cambridge in September to play hockey and begin a PGCE.

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SUNDAY SPORT DILEMMA

RECOMMENDED RESOURCES FOR PARENTS

VIDEOS SABBATH | A PARENT’S PERSPECTIVE 5 minute interview with mother of four, Julia Wilkinson, sharing her experience of the weekly tension between Sunday sport and Sunday church services.

SABBATH: PART 1 Ann O’Flynn, former England rugby player, tells of the weekly clash between rugby and church and why she chose to play.

SABBATH: PART 2 Graham Daniels, Christians in Sport General Director, explores how Hebrews 10v24-25 can help us think Biblically about the Sunday Sport dilemma.

BIBLE STUDIES Being committed to church and committed to sport Sabbath Part of the online PrayPlaySay.com video Bible study series

ARTICLES

Finding practical solutions for the weekly tension between Sunday sport and Sunday church services Written by Pete Nicholas Mind the Gap: The Sunday Sport Dilemma through a mother’s eyes Written by Julia Wilkinson

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Should Christians keep Sunday as a day ‘set apart’ for God and church?

Written by Pete Nicholas An introduction to the Sunday Sport Dilemma Written by Pete Nicholas

Available at christiansinsport.org.uk/sundaysport

(c) Harald Joergens

The Christians in Sport Podcast has been created for elite athletes and coaches. In conversation with Graham Daniels, former elite athletes and coaches reflect on their professional careers and how their faith influenced their careers and lives.

‘Thank you very much for the podcast. Had a listen last night, amazing. Debbie puts everything perfectly into perspective and I couldn’t agree more with her outlook on religion and sport in her life. Great to hear someone else’s story and how they coped with the ups and downs, I could relate to nearly every point.’

International hockey player

Previous Episodes Cyrille Regis Debbie Flood Garin Jenkins Linvoy Primus

OUT EACH MONTH Subscribe on iTunes and SoundCloud by searching for ‘Christians in Sport’

About Christians in Sport Formed in 1980, Christians in Sport has more than 35 years of experience supporting Christians in the world of sport and helping sportspeople explore the Christian message. For more information on who we are and how we can help you, please get in touch using the details below.

@CIS_UK

Christians in Sport

Christians_in_Sport

ChristiansinSportUK

01869 255 630 info@christiansinsport.org.uk christiansinsport.org.uk Frampton House, Unit D1, Telford Road Industrial Estate, Bicester, OX26 4LD Registered Charity number for England and Wales 1086570 Registered Charity number for Scotland SC045299 Company number 4146081