UK Sports Ministries

Football

Ambassadors in Sport: www.ais-uk.org In 1990, 3 overseas amateur footballers who had relocated to the northern England town of Bolton started a football team by placing an advert in a local newspaper. From these humble beginnings a movement started that is ‘Ambassadors in Sport’ which has grown not only nationally across the UK (offices in Bolton and London) but to over 15 countries globally. The ambitions of these founders have always extended beyond the field itself; their Christian faith, ethos and values drove them to go beyond the game and actually seek to ‘bring hope through football’. Since becoming a UK registered charity (No 1055422) and a limited company (No 3172553) in 1997; AIS has aimed to be facilitators in mobilizing people and churches to participate in the vision to bring holistic transformation in individuals and communities through football. AIS want to serve the football community with excellence which means that Ambassadors want to support, help, encourage, include, partner, resource, focus on others and be big hearted towards the people involved at home and abroad in the football culture and community. AIS especially want to stand alongside those (particularly children/young people) who are poor, marginalized or vulnerable. Generally the Christian beliefs and foundations of AIS will be demonstrated in the character (e.g. integrity, trust, grace, Christ-like etc) of AIS workers and the way they connect (e.g. inclusiveness, respect for individuals, family etc) with others within the UK and overseas. Distinctively AIS seek to value Innovation, Team, Football and Church. Therefore in approach and attitude; AIS want to value Church by putting it at the heart of its tactics to be agents of transformation in the football community. The primary way in which this tactic will be worked out is to envision, equip and enable churches to engage effectively with the football culture. AIS wants to be intentional about tying in as much of its work (e.g. in schools, prisons, youth offenders, detached youth work, churches, youth clubs, teams, leagues, tours, tournaments, soccer schools, soccer weekends, football in the community and amongst the marginalised e.g. ‘Kids at Risk and homeless football projects) into local expressions of community i.e. church and football clubs. AIS Website (currently under reconstruction) www.aisint.org .

I’m sure there must be plenty of Christian Ruby Playerss out there? Indeed some have visited the Sports Ministry stands at CRE and Conferences to ask if there’s a Christian rugby group. If you are one of them why don’t you consider setting up a network to encourage each other? You could compare stories, meet up at matches and maybe discuss how you could share with your other rugby loving friends the Good News of Jesus? Do Jesus and rugby excite you, then maybe this is the calling you have been waiting for?

I am happy to put you in contact with others who contact me if this is of interest.

Put “Christian Rugby Players” in the subject line and please email me at mark@mccfc.org.uk and we can set the ball rolling. It’s Olympic year, let’s grow sports ministry in the UK bigger than ever before, exciting times…. Mark Blythe, UK Sports Ministry Website Administrator

www.enigma-sports.com

Contact Martin Bateman for quality Sports Photos

Office: 01524 590410

Mobile: 07889 949612

Email: martinb@enigma-sports.com

LOVE JESUS & LOVE FOOTBALL?

“If you love football and love Jesus what support do you get? Where do you get resources and encouragement? Where do you meet like minded people who understand your issues?

Answering these questions is why the Football Ministry Conferences involving most of the UK’s leading football ministries are organised. All Christians who love football are invited.

For details of the next conferences contact Mark Blythe on mark@mccfc.org.uk or call 07885 778501.

The event aims to keep folks going through the challenges of football ministry through support and stories of great work in our favourite game.”

Ambassadors in Sport are staging 5 training days for folks interested in learning more about Football Ministry. All days have a similar format and are spread around London to make travelling easier. We would also love experienced football ministry practitioners to come and share their secrets and mistakes with others so we can all learn from each other!

The pdf attached below is the booking form and provides all the information required.

FMTCs 2012 Info

For more info contact Steve Read on sr@ais-uk.org

Dates & Locations 2012
Saturdays, 9am – 5pm
14th April – South West London (Morden)
21st April – West London (Ealing)
5th May – East London (Stratford)
12th May – South East London (Bromley)
19th May – London Soccerdome near the London O2 (including watching the Champions League Final.)

FMTCs 2012 Entry Form & Info

HIGHER SPORTS LTD is a fledgling sports ministry formed solely to provide coaching and teaching resources for the local church. ‘Higher Rugby’ and ‘Higher Football’ are 8 week courses combining drills and games with biblical ‘team talks’. ‘Higher Cricket’ and ‘Higher Games’ are in the pipeline over the next 3 years leading up to London 2012 when all 4 packs will be ideal resources for the British Church’s response to the Olympics. Each pack contains all that is required to run the course (kit, equipment, manuals and book). www.highersports.org bryan@highersports.lccnet.co.uk Bryan Mason (Executive Director) (office) 07711 572032 (mobile)

KICK LONDON is about transforming young people’s lives with God’s love through football, and aims to apply Christian values in a way that combines:

·        Quality sports and football programmes
·        Integrated life skills training

We provide an innovative and engaging programme of sports activities that are set in an encouraging, inclusive, and supportive environment focussing on the holistic learning (physical, social, spiritual, and emotional) of each young person. Kick London was established in the London Borough of Richmond in 2003. It is a company limited by guarantee, and a registered charity.  It is overseen by a Board of Trustees who focus on the work of Kick London as it develops across the whole of the capital city and local management teams in individual London Boroughs.

Our F.A. qualified coaches provide curriculum-integrated sessions in mainstream schools and Pupil Referral Units (for excluded pupils), are engaged in other national and local government programmes for children and young people outside mainstream education. We undertake assemblies, breakfast, lunchtime, and after school clubs in mainstream schools, provide activities for the socially, geographically and physically disadvantaged and support the establishment of local academies providing training and sports skills for all – not just those gifted and talented.

Kick London is making a difference already working with 3,500 young people per week and we are currently seeking funding to support a step change in our organisation and develop a managerial and operations team to facilitate Kick London’s growth to reach 30,000 young people each week by 2012. Website: www.kicklondon.org.uk
Contact details: Mark Anderson, Operations & Development Manager, markanderson@kicklondon.org.uk Kick London, Holy Trinity Church, Sheen Park, Richmond, TW9 1UP

LionsRaw (Supporters Football Ministry): www.lionsraw.org

Mission Statement -

90+ is a Sports Ministry that exists to see people transformed through knowing Jesus Christ

Aims -

- To identify those who are called to full time ministry that uses sport as a tool to share the Gospel

- To teach a biblical basis for Sports Ministry for mission in the church and community

- To equip Sports Ministers with practical skills for mission in their church and community

- To send out experienced Sports Ministers who are trained and equipped for mission

- To disciple Christian leaders as a resource for church ministry

Ninety Plus Ministries is a Christian Sports Ministry. We Disciple sports men and women through Identifying, Teaching, Equipping and encourage to use their gifts and passion of sport for Gods Glory. We are also a resource for the Church to show how to use sport as a tool to share the Gospel. Through creating a network and community of Sports Ministers on our website and through our Player Ministry Academy, we pray we will fuel those who know Jesus to impact those who are yet to hear the Good News.

W: www.ninetyplusministries.com

M:07850540295

T: 0151 200 0836

E: info@ninetyplusministries.com

Onside Soccer (www.onsidesoccer.com) is a Christian sports outreach charity which specialises in taking groups from the UK to the developing world to set up football coaching with children and young people there.  Working in partnership with local churches, we also engage in social projects and get involved fully in the communities where we are based.  Currently we have established links in Uganda, Ghana and Romania and hope to expand to other destinations soon.  As a charity we have three main aims:

• to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ to the unsaved through sports coaching (mainly football),
• to contribute to the work of social action projects in targeted areas via the contact of local churches,
• to disciple and educate tour participants through a structured programme of daily talks, bible studies and practical application focusing on social justice, poverty and international development from a Christian perspective.

To help raise awareness of what we do and to assist with raising funds we also organise European football weekend breaks, giving customers the chance to see some of Europe’s top football teams in action.

SCORE RELAUNCHES AS “SPORTS CHAPLAINCY UK” IN OLYMPIC YEAR

Contact details: admin@sportschaplaincy.co.uk 0161 962 6068

With the Olympic year 2012 now upon us SCORE, the Christian sports chaplaincy charity, have announced some significant changes within the organisation. From January 1^st SCORE has changed its name to SPORTS CHAPLAINCY UK, and have on the 18^th Jan. appointed Richard Gamble as their Chief Executive Officer.

SCORE began back in 1990 under the leadership of John Boyers when he sensed God’s call to develop chaplaincy in sport.  Since then, the network has grown significantly with over 200 sports chaplains across the UK.  “With that growth domestically and an expanding influence internationally, we felt the need to rebrand with a name that really states who we are and what we do,” said Matt Baker, Pastoral Support Director in English Football.

The Sports Chaplaincy UK trustees unanimously agreed that Richard Gamble be appointed as Chief Executive Officer of the charity.  Richard, Matt & Graham Locking, (Director of Chaplaincy to Horse Racing) presented an exciting “Plan for the future” which will modernise and professionalise the charity as it looks towards the next 20+ years of sports chaplaincy.  “We are convinced with the increasing demands and challenges in professional sport, we need to ensure that the chaplaincy provided by Sports Chaplaincy UK is consistent and excellent”, said Richard Gamble.  Richard is a successful entrepreneur and a club chaplain at Leicester City FC.

The staff and trustees wish to thank and honour John Boyers, the founder of the charity, for all he has done over the last 22 years.  John will play a significant role in the next few months as he puts his considerable experience to use in heading up chaplaincy to the Athletes Village at the London Olympics & Paralympics.  However, he also acknowledges that now is the time for change,

“I sensed last year that it was time for others to pick up the baton.  Now is a time for new momentum and I believe that 2012 will be a springboard for new impetus for Sports Chaplaincy UK with Richard’s appointment.  I support Richard and the other members of staff wholeheartedly, and ask you – individuals, churches, fellowships and other sporting organisations – to stand with them so that this significant ministry can become the movement God intends it to be for the next several years”.

Please do pray for us and for all the sports chaplains involved in this work as we move into a very exciting stage in the life of sports chaplaincy in the UK and Ireland.

SPORTSFORCE (www.sportsforceinternational.org) Contact Mark Blythe mark@mccfc.org.uk

Serving Churches through sport. This ministry is set up to help the local church to use sport as an outreach tool. Training and practical support are available. Contact Mark to arrange a meeting with the sporty people in your Church.

The following activities have been initiated:

The National Christian Football Festival – 11-a-side football weekend for church based teams – contact Ambassadors in Sport 0845 071 4390 www.ncff.org.uk

The National Christian Veterans Football Cup (over 35s) – contact Mark to enter in 2011

Football Ministry Conferences – For everyone that loves Jesus & Football – contact Mark

The National Christian Cricket Cup 10th year 2009 Final at Chatsworth House Derbyshire (St Thomas’ Yorkshire lost to Molesey Community Church Surrey). Contact us for details of future Cups.

The National Christian Cricket Festival – for church based teams. Now being run by World Sport Ministries contact info@worldsportministries.com

The National Christian Golf Cup – contact the Christian Golf Society

MISTAKES IN CHURCH FOOTBALL – We’ve made them all – DONT YOU!

A book to help churches that run football teams for outreach has been released. It is based on the experiences Mark Blythe has had heading up the Molesey Community Church football outreach for over 10 years. Every mistake has been made! To learn from them pick up a copy from www.veriteshop.co.uk (or call 01903 241975) for just £10. Title “FOOTBALL 2 FOOTBALL MINISTRY 3″ ie Football is good but footy ministry is even better!

Church Football Leagues: Mark has held every position whilst serving the longest running church football league in the country (the Southern Area Christian Football League – www.sacfl.co.uk): Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer, Fixtures Secretary, Information Secretary, Disciplinary Committee member, Results Secretary, Prayer Co-ordinator, Awards Night Organiser, Cup Final Organiser, Procedures writer…. If you need help starting or running a Church League do make contact.

SportsReach (www.sportsreach.org.uk) started as CSIL back in the late 80’s when the founder Graham Stamford was challenged to combine his two passions of football and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.  He got two teams together to play a game of football and at the end of the match shared the Good News of the Gospel with them.

In 1990 SportsReach was then founded and became a registered charity in 1997 (No. 1065723) and since that point the work has multiplied many times over.  Our offices are at Carnforth, Lancashire and this is where our men’s football league, 5 aside league and ladies netball league are run from.  We also have a ladies football team and a classics (veterans!!) football team. Each team is linked with a local Church and has Christian leaders who will share a Gospel message at each game.

During the spring and summer we organise soccer (7-14 years old) and netball (9-13 years old) schools around the UK.  Always working alongside local Churches wherever we go, our aims are to give the children quality coaching and competitions as well as sharing the gospel.

As well as all this SportsReach takes football teams (both men’s and women’s) and coaching teams out into Europe as well as North America and Africa.  In the Dachstein Valley in Austria, where SportsReach have been taking teams for 18 years we are known as ‘the joy people’.   We always share about the reality of our faith in after game presentations as well as giving out Bibles and literature where appropriate.

SportsReach’s motto is ‘Reaching the world for Christ through sport’.

office@sportreach.org.uk

www.sportsreach.org.uk

Youth For Christ. Yfc is passionate about using sport to reach young people with the good news of Jesus. YFC runs mission teams in football, basketball and street football – Kick, Fly and Nomad. If you want to check out details on these teams and how they can help in your local area then please go to our website at www.yfc.co.uk/teams. YFC is very excited about its Cage football and street football pitch, both of which are available to be delivered with your own church or school. Barry Mason is responsible for all the sports ministry in YFC and would love to hear from you with any questions or comments on 07734022443 or barry.mason@yfc.co.uk