Sports chaplaincy: bridging the sports missionary gap

Sports Chaplaincy is the provision of spiritual care to believers and non-believers in the sports world. By integrating faith with sports, sports chaplaincy can bridge missionary gaps on the African continent. The Church has done little or nothing to reach out to sports people, often demonizing and scorning them, forgetting that Jesus died for them too.

Sports chaplaincy integrates biblical principles into sports to help athletes, coaches, and officials find deeper meaning, purpose, and resilience. Scripture offers timeless lessons on faith, teamwork, perseverance, humility, and sportsmanship for personal growth and ethical decision-making. Many sports men and women have come to Christ and have matured in their faith through sports chaplaincy services. Through sports chaplaincy, challenges like poverty, disease, political instability, and social unrest can be addressed. Sports bring hope, camaraderie, unity, and purpose to communities. Sports chaplaincy can also foster cross-cultural understanding and unity in a continent divided by religious, ethnic, and political differences.

Qualities of a chaplain

A successful sports chaplain is a person with good character, competence, a sense of calling, a deep faith in the Bible, and a genuine commitment and passion to serve others. Understanding the world of sports, building rapport, and offering emotional support are crucial. Effective communication, active listening, and compassion are essential qualities as well.

Starting a sports chaplaincy programme involves a well-planned approach. Key steps are:

1. Assess the needs of the local sports community by engaging with athletes, coaches, and organizations.
2. Build partnerships with local churches, faith-based organizations, and sports governing bodies.
3. Recruit and train dedicated chaplains with the necessary skills and knowledge in biblical principles, counselling, and sports.
4. Develop a chaplaincy programme that caters to the holistic needs of athletes and coaches.
5. Establish a visible presence in the local sports community and be available as a trusted resource.
6. Monitor and evaluate the programme’s impact for continuous improvement.

Athletes in Action (AIA) is an influential sports chaplaincy organization. AIA chaplains offer spiritual guidance, emotional support, and practical resources to athletes and teams, helping them navigate the unique challenges of the sports world. AIA’s initiatives in sports chaplaincy training, coaching, Bible studies, and outreach events, have touched lives across Africa. AIA can help to launch this service in any country. Visit https://athletesinaction.org/insport

Silas A. Ngong is a global sports chaplaincy leader and an Olympic Games chaplain with Athletes In Action.

SPORTS MINISTRY STRATEGIES

ReadySetGO (RSG) refers to the strategies used by the Sports Movement to make disciples. RSG creates a platform for raising leaders to engage unreached people and communities using sport and play. The Sports Movement also focuses on untouched areas in the sports world by raising sports ministry leaders across different sporting disciplines.

 “Ready” is the process of gathering people to share the vision of disciple-making. “Set” prepares everyone to become a disciple-maker. “GO” gives the practical strategies for making disciples among different groups as follows:

GO Sport: For elite sports people, officials, sports governing bodies, etc.

GO Play: Uses thousands of unorganized sports and games to reach young people and develop them as leaders.

Health and Fitness: For those practising health and fitness.

All Abilities Sports: For the disabled and special needs persons.

Action Sports: For extreme sports people such as skateboarders.

E-gaming: For those who play electronic games.

The RSG website has thousands of free resources for vision casting, training, and practical disciple-making. Find the resources here: https://www.readysetgo.tools/en.