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Dear Christians in Sport,

I finished uni earlier this summer and am just about to move to a new city and start my first graduate job. It feels like a big change and it’s been tough saying goodbye to my university football team, so how can I start well in this new phase of life?

This is such an exciting yet challenging time. Like many graduates, you’re moving to an unfamiliar place, and you’ll almost certainly have much more pressure on your time, so how can you make this transition well? As a Christian sportsperson, what should you prioritise as you leave university behind and join the world of work?

Here are two priorities and four tips we think will help you hit the ground running.

Find a good church

Look out for a church where the Bible is taught faithfully. This will be somewhere you can be well supported and serve and a place you can bring friends.

Researching ahead and then cracking straight on with visiting churches is really helpful, and the best plan is to settle quickly rather than ‘shopping around’ for too long.
Use your time wisely many churches run online services which can help give a feel for what they're like. It won't give you the whole picture but it will give you an idea of the teaching before you head to your new place.

No church is perfect! Get in contact with us as we can always help link with you up with people in churches we have contact with.

Find a club

Get involved in a club quickly and get stuck in. With lots of potential time commitments in a new place, it’s really important to make sure you prioritise investing in those who don’t yet know Jesus. Set aside time to get to know your teammates. Don’t expect that time to appear naturally, you’ll have to prioritise it and get it in your diary.

Persevere in this club. Moving from university sport into adult sport is difficult enough as people have less time to socialise and you don’t spend every day together. Many will also have families or other responsibilities which take priority over socialising, so be prepared to play the long game. Persevere with your new club, and intentionally protect time to be available for your new teammates, and friendships will flourish in time.

So that’s two things to prioritise, here’s four quick tips as you go about this:

Be bold

Speak of your faith naturally and normally straight away in your new place and club. Starting on the front foot is really helpful in living and speaking for Jesus in a new setting.

Team up

Look out for those in your church, and other local Christian sportspeople, who can help encourage you to pray, play, say in all of life, including your sport.

Be patient

Often relationships do not form as quickly as we’d hope and we lose heart. Be patient in these moments and continue to invest in church and sport. It is through patience, honesty and vulnerability that relationships grow and we must trust in the Lord’s timing.

Pray

God will sustain and use us wherever we go. In Matthew 28:20, Jesus promises His disciples He will be with them always. This is true too for us, wherever we end up.

Do you have any questions about sport and faith?

Send them to us at askcis​​​​@christiansinsport.org.uk or feel free to contact us via social media