Faith Guide Barry Watkin and SU’s Mark Oliver explain how starting regular football sessions gave them the means to connect with young refugees and Reveal Jesus to them.
In 2017, a group of families fleeing war-torn Syria moved onto an estate in the Tyneside village of Rowlands Gill. Members of Strathmore Road Methodist Church were keen to befriend and support the newcomers to settle in. Although the Syrians spoke almost no English, the church soon established that their children loved football.
So, a group of local Christians, including Mark Oliver (who now leads SU’s Mission Through Sports Team) started organising weekly football matches for local children, including the young Syrians. Mark recalls, ‘We played on a scruffy patch of grass in the middle of the estate. It became “Holy Ground”, a place where we used sport to connect with the children, build relationship and reveal God’s love to them. It also helped the Syrian lads to integrate - back then, football was the only language we shared!’
From Connect to Explore
By 2023 when Barry joined the church as Youth and Community Outreach Pioneer, the young Syrians were teenagers fluent in Geordie! Barry and Mark felt it was time to start exploring faith with them. Barry says, ‘We invited them down to church after football to learn more about Jesus through a pilot sporty version of Rooted. Even when football stopped for winter, the lads continued coming to Rooted. We’ve had some great conversations about faith over pizza.’
Last autumn, Mark and Barry took the Rooted group on an SU Faith Guide holiday to Seahouses. Barry says, ‘They’d never been away from their families overnight before, but because their parents knew and trusted us, they were happy to let them come.
‘The lads had a go at crazy golf for the first time and loved it! Then we went to Bamburgh to play Brazilian football on the beach. It was low tide, and with the light of the setting sun on the wet sand and the castle, it was amazing. At dusk, we sat round a fire and shared a bit about our faith journeys. On the Sunday after another game of football we had fish and chips together. ‘The lads said it had been the best day of their lives.’
Reaching out respectfully
How do Mark and Barry Reveal Jesus whilst remaining respectful of the boys being Muslim? Mark observes, ‘Muslims recognise Jesus as a prophet, and we’re respectfully sharing why we see him as God’s son and the ultimate role model – how he included the marginalised, spoke out against injustice, valued women. We’re helping the lads get a sense of the worth they have in God’s sight and to develop integrity, self-esteem and a strong positive identity. We’ll also be developing their leadership skills by helping them run football sessions for younger kids.
‘We don’t know if they’ll ever get to “respond” but we will play our part and leave the rest in God’s hands because he knows and loves these young men. He has called us to do this, and we know that his Word doesn’t return to him empty.’
‘Holy Ground’ is a great way to connect!
Mark and Barry used a patch of grass on the housing estate as ‘Holy Ground’, a place to play sport and active games, socialise and build relationships with children and young people not in church.
Why not find a community space near you and create your own ‘Holy Ground’? Contact Sarah Bowey from our Mission Through Sports Team.