7 key resources for Sports Ministry with children
KidsGames is a sports and games program. It is for children aged 6-14 years. KidsGames shares positive life values. It harnesses the power of sport to build relationship bridges and grow healthy, active children. It helps children learn important messages about life, and gives them opportunities to develop compassion and community spirit. There are versions for teens, families and the more adventurous.
This is a sports based program with extensive curriculum and a particular emphasis on boys and young men. It emphasises character as well as skill. Click the link for access to the free materials which cover many sports.
Another model of sports ministry working with churches, schools and within the community. Their vision is to provide value- based sports coaching in a large proportion of primary schools in the UK, and to be the premier provider of sports coaching to Christian faith schools and academies. They also want to develop their work in more secondary schools, pointing young people to local church based academies.
Messy Church is a popular expression of church with a strong interactive element. It often reaches families on the fringe of the church because it meets outside the Sunday morning slot. Sports Fun for Messy Churches is a great way to enhance the Messy Church experience by providing fun-filled games and sports activities for families to enjoy together. This little book provides a wealth of simple, interactive games and family-friendly sports ideas for Messy Church leaders to use in their sessions.
Sport and the Christian Religion – An overview of the literature
This book provides a systematic and interdisciplinary analysis of the published literature and practical initiatives on the sports – Christianity interface, from both Protestant and Catholic perspectives. Within the context of this relatively new and rapidly expanding area of inquiry, this text offers an original contribution to the current literature for both undergraduate and postgraduate students and serves as a point of reference for academics from a wide range of related fields including theology and religious studies, psychology, history, sociology, philosophy, psychology, health-religion studies, and sports studies. The book will also be of interest to sports chaplains, those involved in sports ministry organizations, physical educators and sports coaches who wish to adopt a more critical and ‘holistic’ approach to their work. It’s not cheap but if you want to dig deeper it is an important place to start.
Here is a model of sports ministry in action in several nations. ‘Sports Outreach Institute exists as a mission because we believe that Christ’s love compels us to change the world through serving our neighbors. The mission of Sports Outreach Institute is to train, equip and deploy committed Christian leaders in the proper use of sports ministry for the purpose of sharing the Gospel and to alleviate human suffering.’
The Association of Church Sports and Recreation Ministries
This well designed site looks at discipleship and evangelism in the sports context in some depth. It’s a bit of a treasure trove. They are willing to talk about difficult stuff on their blog. Their aim is to equip local churches to change lives through sports outreach.
Dave Roberts
Dave is the editor of the Aim Lower Journal