Sport is a great mission tool. It doesn’t need much planning or special equipment, and you don’t even need to be sporty to set it up.

‘Our new mission resource, Jumpers for Goalposts, is themed around football, the most popular sport of all. We’re launching it to coincide with the World Cup (14th June to 15th July), but actually, you can use it at any time of year.’

"Sport is a great mission tool. It doesn’t need much planning or specialequipment, and you don’t even need to be sporty to set it up.

Jumpers for Goalposts is based on the flexible format of The Light Party Pack. There are three core activities – football skills and a game for the super sporty, games and activities for the ‘sorta’ sporty, and hosting a big screen event for the not-so-sporty. The pack includes advice on how to make your event safe and successful, ideas for follow-up activities, and much more.

Mike Swanson of SU local mission partner 468 Project knows just how much of a draw football can be. Every Thursday afternoon, a crowd of children and young people descend on a Liverpool city park to join in the casual football session he leads. Mike says, ‘These aren’t keen sporty kids – just normal kids who want to be outside playing. We can provide a safe space where they can feel loved, accepted and challenged. This ministry has really helped to reach those children who don’t come to usual church activities.’ And, as Mike has got to know them, both children and parents have asked him why he’s doing this, giving him an opportunity to talk to them about Jesus.

Richard says, ‘Jumpers for Goalposts will help more churches to discover for themselves just how effective football-based mission is – and in turn help more children and young people who aren’t part of a church to learn something of God and his love for them.’

• Aimed at children aged 8–13 but with options for all ages
• Three core resources – one around playing football, one around sporty games and activities, one around screening the World Cup
• Flexibility depending on how ‘sporty’ you are, and how brave in sharing your faith with children and young people who aren’t in church
• How to plan, who to invite, and how to find them
• Top tips on how to bring faith into the conversation
• How to manage risk and keep your event fun and safe
• How to keep ‘un-sporty’ children engaged
• Ideas for follow-up activities
• Ideas for schools-based activities

This story featured in our supporter magazine, Connecting You. To read more stories like this click here.