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We get sport from the inside.
Our resources are specially designed for Christians active in competitive sport. Find what you need here, put it into practice, and watch God at work.
A fortnightly podcast helping sportspeople connect their sport and their faith.
Key resources, answering the big questions for Christians who play or coach in competitive and elite sport.
Free resources, helping you put on events to reach sportspeople near you.
As sportspeople, our relationship with sport and exercise shapes how we live. Training, competing and socialising with sports friends might well take up the bulk of your time, but have you ever stopped to think about your relationship with exercise itself?
‘To perform at a high level in my sport I can’t regularly attend church.’ Is this you? Or someone you know? Sunday sport, midweek training and other commitments often pose problems for sportspeople seeking to follow Christ so here’s three reasons why church is so precious for sportspeople.
Your value, your worth does not lie in what you have done, or what you will do, on and off the sports field. You are loved with the love seen by Jesus dying for you on the cross. Your achievements don’t define who you are. This Easter, remember He performed, so you don’t have to.
Every September forty trialists line up at Oxford University Boat Club for their shot at ticking off one of rowing’s hottest bucket list items – victory at The Boat Race. This year one of those hopefuls was Chris Rimmer, a Vicar in training at Wycliffe Hall.
The inclusion of transgender athletes in women's sport is a prominent debate. The sporting world is re-evaluating the balance of fairness and inclusion in competitive sport. As Christians in the world of sport it's important to understand how the Bible helps inform how we engage in this conversation.
I was so well prepped during my pregnancy that I could take labour in my stride. I mean, of course it was one of the hardest things I could ever do, but my fitness, strength and mental resilience got me through... That is the story I want to be able to tell you. I guess that’s what I imagined my story would be. Maybe it’s yours. But it’s not mine. That’s not my story.
"My main reflection was that it’s so exciting to follow Jesus, it’s thrilling when we take seriously the truth that we are completely secure in him and so we’re free to take risks."
Whether it’s putting kit on in a certain order, always getting changed in the same place or having to enter the pitch last - sport is full of quirky routines. So why is it that sport is full of superstition? Can we look at the make-up of the world to find out? Does the Bible have any answers for us?
What does it mean to be a Christian in Sport during a lockdown that takes sport away? University of Exeter trampolinist, Natalya, shares her story.
Two time Olympian Adam Pengilly shares his Winter Olympic story
What is the Christian competitor to do when they are being sent to countries accused of human rights abuses?
What does it mean to have your identity in Christ? How does this change the way we play sport?
Racism in cricket has caused sports headlines to jump from the back pages to the front in recent weeks, as the state of the game comes under intense, and necessary scrutiny. How can we respond rightly?
As Cyrille Regis stepped onto the turf at Wembley on the 23rd of February 1982 he was blazing a trail that transcended football. He became only the third black player to wear the three lions on his chest during a time when racism in football was rife and unchallenged. His bravery in the face of horrendous opposition and his flare on the pitch inspired a generation of black players.
At 19 years of age Jake threw in the towel. He gave up competing as a fighter, but this wasn’t the only life change that occurred during his late teens. Follow his story of discovering his gift as a young martial artist, becoming North American and European Champion in Muay Thai, and the compatibility of combat sports with faith in Christ.
Anna Tipton (nee Sharkey) helps us understand what it's like to be a Christian in the Paralympic sport of goalball
A letter to all Olympians as they prepare to experience the rollercoaster of the Olympic Games.
What does it look like to support elite sportspeople at the Olympics when access is restricted?
It’s the biggest match of your lives. It’s the match you’ve been building up to for years, the nation since 1966. But it’s a match that doesn't define you.
Olympic squads are being finalised. What can you say to someone who has worked 4 years to not get the call up?
This weekend saw the thrill of the British Olympic trials. The ecstasy and the agony of sport was palpable as athletes saw years of training for one plane ticket decided by centimetres and seconds. What help can God bring at times like this?
Is the Bible the place to find motivation for sporting pursuit and thus sporting greatness? Am I really able to do “ALL THINGS” with the strength of God as my enabler?
This summer is packed full of amazing sporting action. What does it look like for the church to make the most of it?
It’s not always easy to be a woman in sport. But do you know what? It’s worth it.
Last year Lancs took his first steps to discovering the virtual pulls and mysterious pushes of Strava. Nearly 12 months on, what’s the verdict? Strava - friend or foe?
For long years I could not conceive of conceiving because of what it would mean for my body and my sport. But, my body, don’t you see that something wonderful is happening to you?
The current pressures on elite sportspeople are growing. How can we support them at this time?
Thanking God for 25 years of Sports Plus Camps.
The story of 40 years of work in the world of sport.
In a year full of sporting difficulties, how can a Christian say they have joy this Christmas?
The Good Sporting Life will help anyone looking to live out their faith in a sporting context whether that be sports players, parents, coaches, pastors or elite athletes.
Preparation and waiting. The majority of sport is spent in these two states. This time of advent for the Christian sportsperson is no different. So what does it look like to prepare well this Christmas time?
What should I do? How much is enough? Should I get involved or not?
Ever wondered what our work with elite athletes consists of? Men’s golf worker Kenny Crawford helps us step into the world of staff supporting and serving those in elite sport with the gospel.
Starting university is a really significant time in life and full of so many changes. It can be daunting, unpredictable and challenging, potentially even more so now.
We give thanks for the life of former Aston Villa player and Christian in sport, Mike Tindall.
As recreational cricket returns, Rob reflects on why he loves to play cricket and be part of a team, as the only Christian in his club.
Graduating from university and heading into the world of work can prove one of the biggest challenges life throws up, even more so now.
Matt Dickinson writes in The Times about professional football, faith and mental health during the Covid-19 pandemic
With the uncertainty that Covid-19 has brought us sports people it’s inevitable that we’ve asked questions of our life, our faith and of our God.
Find out more about Jesus with this video and short blog
An update from our directors on how our work continues to reach the world of sport for Jesus
Sally and her husband Peter have four children, all of whom have competed and trained within elite sporting pathways. What are some of her top tips for those supporting a sporty family?
For athletes for whom sport is their livelihood, how are they to cope in the midst of all the coronavirus confusion and the inability to predict what tomorrow might bring?
In the lead up to International Women’s Day, be encouraged by some key lessons from the career of Christian and international coach and sportswoman Jane Powell.
A recent article in the Daily Mail outlined the large number of British athletes struggling with mental health problems following their retirement. Speaking with UCB Radio on this topic, here is a summary of our conversation.
The history of Christians in Sport is the story of what happens when you make yourself available to God.
Craig, a hockey player from Cambridge, has gone to Club La Santa eight times in the last decade. He chatted to Christians in Sport to tell us about these amazing Lanzarote sports trips and the opportunity they provide.
What does a leader do on Sports Plus? Learn more about the key work of these volunteers at our summer sports camps.
What’s it like on the inside the elite environment of top level sport? How would it be to seek to play for Jesus in the world of pro rugby?
Last night the news hit of the death of US Basketball legend Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna and seven others in a helicopter crash in California. The Christian faith is realistic and it makes sense of the world we live in. And at the heart of the Christian faith is an understanding of life’s frailty.
As a New Year rolls around again, we go back to the 18th century for some inspiration.
Former cricketer involved with Christians in Sport awarded the British Empire Medal in the Queen’s New Year’s Honours List for services to cricket.
Christians in Sport President Lord Mawhinney has died at the age of 79
Three university graduates write to their former fresher selves about making the most of university.
Owen Brown reflects on exciting opportunities for growing student sports ministry on the Continent.
It’s the biggest match of your lives - the Rugby World Cup Final. It’s the match you’ve been building up to for years, if not decades. But it’s a match that must not define you.
Kipchoge's amazing sub two-hour marathon was an amazing feat and one which cannot help but let our minds wander to Hebrews 12 and the call to "run the race."
The Rugby World Cup provides a great platform to share the gospel with local sportspeople. Why not make the most of it and put on an event to reach your sports mates?
Distance runner Gill Bland reflects on her experience of individual sport and faith, and how she has grown in courage evangelising to fellow runners.
How can we, as Christians in sport, make the most of the new opportunity joining a club provides? Jesus’ great commission in Matthew 28 to make disciples remains the same, but the place we are doing that, our club, has changed.
A meal with your sports mates and a chance to share the gospel with them; what's not to love! Dialogue dinners are the guest event taking the student world by storm.
For a sportsperson, their identity, their sense of worth can be completely wrapped up in their performance. What does it then mean to have sport in its right place, to help our identity be solid and secure in Christ and not based on performance?
The highs of the conquered climb, the sting of 21 days in the saddle, the buzz of the crowds. What an epic sporting contest the Tour de France is! But what can it tell us about the Christian life?
In the build up to The Open, the handful of Christian members at Royal Portrush Golf Club jumped at the opportunity for an evangelistic event and so committed to hosting a sports quiz.
With the Women's World Cup, the Netball World Cup and loads more women's sporting events on this summer, there's a huge buzz around women's sport. In all this excitement, is this a bandwagon Christians should be jumping on? Well, it could be argued that the Bible gives us the best foundation for celebrating and encouraging women in sport.
It’s been a rollercoaster to reach the final of the World Cup for England, with pressure from all sides. Pressure isn’t unique to Morgan’s squad - it’s universal across competitive sport, so how are Christians to respond in these clutch moments?
Chris Brown is going for a Guinness World Record as he raises money for Christians in Sport.
On Sunday evening Tiger Woods won the Masters for the fifth time and his 15th major. Even as remarkable as that statement is it doesn’t come close to capturing the full significance of what happened and is possibly the greatest comeback in sporting history.
If you follow rugby at all then it couldn’t have escaped your attention that there’s been a furore around Israel Folau’s provocative Instagram post and then Billy Vunipola’s subsequent ‘like’ of the post and expression of support for it.
Because of what Jesus has done, we can understand our sport differently.
Being committed to prayer is something many of us find challenging. At the same time, we know that prayer is important. So why do we often struggle to pray consistently?
We must tell our team mates and friends the truth about eternity.
The Bible is clear what our role is when it comes to pointing sportspeople to Jesus, regardless of whether we know it (or not), we’re good at it (or not) or like it (or not). Once we get it, there’s no place to hide.
If you are a Christian, you’ll know that nothing is more important than our sports friends hearing the amazing news of the gospel and responding to it - eternity is at stake. But how can you go about doing this?
How do I be different amidst the culture of drinking, of sex, in the chat of the changing room? How do I get involved with the sports club and yet be distinctive? How can I be fully committed and yet remain faithful to Christ?
We may think it's obvious for team mates to work out that we're Christians just by observing our behaviour. But how can they know unless we or someone else tells them that we follow Jesus and why we do so?
You’ve been praying for months, you’ve talked about everything in life other than this, but as you walk along to training you just can’t find the right way to start a conversation about Jesus.
At the end of a long season, it's only natural to want to rest our legs and enjoy a bit of a break - after all, our bodies need to recuperate. However, the temptation is also there to take a break from sharing our faith with our sports friends.
When a sports friend who says that they want to become a Christian, it's like that wonderful moment of a baby's first steps. There is something quite remarkable, breathtaking, and yet serious as we help a sportsperson take the first steps in becoming a Christian.
For players, parents and pastors, the issue of whether you should play sport on a Sunday is a difficult one.
Ever find it hard to explain the Christian faith to your sports friends? Ever find it hard to help them see the brilliance of the gospel message? Ever wish you could get someone better to explain it to them?
We are on the pitch as a player and yet again the decision goes against our team. We start to get caught up in the general chorus of complaint. What do we do as Christians?
Disappointment and sport so often go hand in hand. Poor performances, defeats, injuries, getting dropped, a failure to improve - every sportsperson has experienced one or all of these multiple times. But how are you to respond to such disappointment?
The challenge is simple, will you do it? Will you get to work and seek to make Jesus known in your sporting context?
The player who celebrates too early, or the team that holds a celebratory promotional shoot before then losing the final are subject to derision. All of us are quick to revel in the misplaced pride so often seen in sport.
All match he’d been nipping at your heels, deliberately stepping on your feet, pushing you, elbowing you. The referee doesn’t seem too bothered. But these constant niggling fouls have been getting to you. And this incident is the final straw.
Some types of questions can be asked of us and can make us feel uncomfortable or are hard to answer at times. With God’s help these questions need not, and should not, be avoided.
Sport can be a great place for developing friendships. You spend so much time together on and off the pitch, you experience the highs and the lows of a season together, and have a lot in common. Sometimes, however, it can be hard to foster these relationships.
The world of sport is vast. How are we meant to go and reach the millions of people in it with the Gospel?
When we have seen or experienced something exciting it’s natural to want to share it with others. Why, then, are we sometimes so hesitant to tell others the story of the greatest thing that has ever happened to us?
You love your sport and you love Jesus. You know that your sport can be worship as you use your gifts and talents for Him. But have you ever considered how you might share this news with your sports friends?
A short guide to help you put on a meal for your sports mates where you share something of Jesus
In our culture, our looks and our bodies and our diets seriously matter. How do we live distinctly as Christians in this world?
An open letter to one of our readers
Psychology is a big deal in modern sport. From Steve Peters' now famous 'chimp paradox' to the in-house sports psychologists employed by many professional clubs. Now it is almost as common to have a therapist as it is a personal trainer. What are we to make of this from a Christian point of view?
As the Christian mother of four children who love the Lord and love sport I have found myself living through a very real dilemma. The structures of Church and the structures of sport seem to be poles apart and pulling in opposite directions creating a gap!
Parents and pastors alike find themselves torn between prioritising children’s spiritual growth and encouraging them in the sport they are evidently passionate about. It is a very real dilemma
How can I make the most of my sporting talent as a Christian? Can I strive to get to the top, while still following Jesus? `
What began as a desire to witness at his cricket club has led to more than 30 years of sports mission for Bryan Hewett.
Why does pressure have such an effect on us, how can we cope with it and does the Bible give us any pointers?
Celebrating the life of Cyrille Regis
The Ashes is one of sport’s oldest rivalries. As a Christian, how should one respond when healthy sporting rivalry shifts to being characterised by conflict and bad blood?
You want to be part of the team on and off the field, but you know the alcohol might be flowing and getting drunk will be the name of the game. If you’re a follower of Jesus, how should you react?
Celebrating the life of Douglas Smith
There are few harder things to deal with in sport than injury. So how can we approach this perennial enemy as Christians in sport? What does the Bible say about injury?
It has been amazing to see how God has grown the work of supporting professional and elite-level footballers. Here, two members of our Performance Team explain how they are encouraging the next generation of UK footballers.
Celebrating the life of Alan Godson
It has to be one of the most coveted prizes in sport, let alone golf...but it's a prize that is only temporary.
We can all think of great sporting captains and leaders. But what should it look like when a follower of Jesus steps up to lead?
Celebrating the life of Clive Frampton.
One of the best weekends you could ever have as a rugby player
Sport has a love-hate relationship with justice and fairness. On one hand it cannot function without it, but so much debate circles around the many unfair decisions and outcomes. So what does the Bible say about fairness?
The legendary American football coach Vince Lombardi once said “Winning isn’t everything, but wanting to win is”. This might be overstated but have you ever had the nagging feeling that wanting to win is inherently ‘un-Christian’.
Should Christians be those who recite the old amateur mantra ‘It is not about the winning, but the taking part’? Does ‘turning the other cheek’ mean that we shouldn’t even want to win in the first place?
Turn to the back pages at the moment and it is difficult to get away from doping scandals. How as Christians should we think about these issues?
The Bible says lots of things...but what, if anything, does it say about sport?
The summer term of university is a funny time. For many sports the season is over so Wednesdays are no longer taken up with travelling to BUCS fixtures. Then once exams are over everything can become a bit of a blur. But what about reaching the world of sport for Christ? How does that fit into the last month of university life?
Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury speaks at a Church of England sports ministry day
Celebrating the life of Gerald Williams
There’s no doubt that the tension between Sunday sport and Sunday church services is a significant problem for the church. How do we decide what to do? Well we need to be clear on the biblical principles at stake here.
