Youth Sport - Update

NEWS AND VIEWS

Belfast Sports Plus One Day Camp Monday, 30th October, 2006

Grey skies and rain in the air failed to put a dampener on the Sports Plus One Day camp in Belfast on Monday. Seventy-one young people from all over Northern Ireland arrived bright and early, keen to get stuck into the day ahead. We began the day altogether in the morning meeting, where we began to consider the theme of the day 'The Greatest Victory...ever!' Four hours of top quality coaching followed by the ever popular team challenge. This saw some amazing games, both in the junior and senior competitions, as teams battled for the coveted winners spot! The final meeting was a great time together watching highlights of the day, taking part in a sports quiz and exploring the theme of 'The Greatest Victory...ever!' as we heard about the victory which Jesus achieved for each one of us. Teams then had some time together to discuss this further and ask questions about what they had heard. Just before heading home the winning teams of the day were announced. Angola were the Junior winners and the Netherlands won the Senior competition - well done boys! That saw the end of the day, great times were had by all, playing sport, making friends and learning more about Jesus and the greatest victory ever! Here's what two girls said they had enjoyed about the day:

Doing all the different sports and playing them for God! Amy

Making new friends and learning how to honour God in my sport! Rebecca

New Year Conference

We have been given more spaces by the Pioneer Centre in Kidderminster so if you are in year 11-13 make it a priority - it will be such a quality time. Click here for more more details.

PLAYER PROFILE

Name:Adam Robertson

Nickname: Robbo

Sport: Football (different standard each week!)

Status: Church football team at the moment

Story: Adam wants to help us grasp PPS better:

Pray for your own actions in games, that you will be able to stand out and make a difference by playing fair and pray that people will notice.

Play in a way that represents Christ and do not be afraid of bad reactions from other team members. I have been in a side that has badly lost, but standing out from the crowd, keeping my cool and admitting to bad fouls gave me an unusual satisfaction. Many times have I been on the winning side and felt bad because I failed to represent Christ.

Say if asked why you do what you do (represent Christ) and try and invite your mates along to youth groups etc.

BIBLE BIT

Believe it or not we've got just over 8 weeks till Christmas - I wonder if that excites you? I couldn't believe the advert that I watched in October about a boy receiving a Christmas wish from his dad - it made me frown!! Try answering this question honestly: What are you most looking forward to this Christmas?
I'm looking forward to so much - Christmas eve midnight service in Carlisle Cathedral, fun and banter of family together again, Boxing Day footie on the rec. So many good things happen at Christmas but we so very often miss the point. We're gonna take the next 8 weeks looking afresh at the first Christmas story found in Luke's gospel so that you might be excited for the right reasons and be able to help those friends you play your sport with to understand the true meaning of Christmas!

...it seemed good also to me to write an orderly account for you most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught. Luke 1v3-4

Try counting the amount of Christmas cards you receive this year that actually visualise or talk about the true meaning - I think you'll struggle to get one! Why? - because people do not know or believe the certainty of the truth behind Christmas. Most of my friends think that Christmas has roots as a religious festival but has now turned into a time of good-will/ good food and drink/ and good friends!

Doctor Luke writes the whole of his book as an explanation to the truth that he holds to. He has kept a very orderly account of events that have happened and have been passed down to him by eye-witnesses. He especially wants his friend Theophilus (we know next to nothing about this man except that the word excellent is used 3 other times in the NT in reference to a Roman Soldier - he might have been a Roman Soldier who had become a Christian)

Luke wanted to persuade his friend of the truths of Jesus.

2 questions for you:

1 - Do you want to persuade you sporting friend about the truths of Jesus this Christmas time?

2 - Do you know how to do it?

I do hope that your answer to the first one is a big fat 'Yes'. For that is what Christians in Sport is all about - reaching the world of sport for Jesus. The answer to the second one is a bit trickier - Luke wanted his friend to grasp the truths by reading an orderly account of what eye-witnesses have seen. Your job is to get your friend reading this orderly account. Is it not the best Christmas present ever to buy your friend a gospel of Luke and pray that they read it? For we believe that God's word is the key to all knowledge and that is why Luke wants his friend to read it - to be certain of the truth.

I'm looking forward to sifting through the first few chapters in Luke over the next 8 weeks - To be reminded of the greatest truth of all this Christmas - 'Jesus my saviour was born today'

PRAYER POINTS

Why don't you use Adam's advice above on PPS to focus your prayers this week with the hope that sometime leading up to Christmas you'll get the chance to share the certain truth of Jesus.

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