University years are undoubtedly formative. The combination of increased independence, critical thinking and practically limitless opportunity to socialise enable individuals the time and freedom to explore the questions of life.

The ‘dialogue dinner’ has become part of the staple diet when it comes to sharing faith at university. It’s as simple as inviting friends over to share a meal together and explore the message of Jesus.

Duncan jumped on a zoom call with three students; Matt, Millie and Sarah, who ran dialogue dinners last year, to get their reflections on their experiences.

You can watch or listen to the full conversation on Youtube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever else you get your podcasts from.

Tell us where you’re at university and what it’s like to be a Christian in your team at the moment:

Matt: I’m a hockey goalkeeper at the University of Birmingham, it’s been tough battling for selection, particularly getting dropped from a team in my first year which I found really difficult to take. This year I’ve loved playing in the second team, as a team we’re often winning which is great, and off the pitch I’ve been able to build relationships with the boys and share Jesus despite being the only Christian in the club.

Sarah: I’ve been playing hockey in the 3rd team at the University of Dundee for three years. It’s been a mixed bag, last year we won our league and got promoted, then half the team graduated, and we’ve been struggling in the league above this year.

As a fresher I tried to hide my faith and struggled with fitting in when I was so obviously different, I’d miss socials and just say I was busy, so it was hard to bond with teammates when I was hiding such a big part of my life. But joining the Christians in Sport university group and going to the New Year Training conference encouraged me to be more open and honest. This helped me to build relationships as the girls found out more about who I am and what I believe, and they were interested which wasn’t what I expected.

Millie: I play basketball and study at the University of Southampton, currently in my 4th year so I feel like part of the furniture! I actually became a Christian in my first year and teammates saw me go through that change up close. Now we’re blessed to have a number of Christians in the team and the club so it’s normal to talk about faith. It’s such a privileged position to be surrounded by teammates, both Christian and not yet Christian, who love and accept me for who I am. Having said that there have been challenges, including tensions with one of my old coaches, but generally it’s really positive.

How did find inviting teammates to a dialogue dinner? How did the evening go?

Sarah: I’m as last minute as it comes, but after three years putting it off I thought it was about time to get a dialogue dinner done! So, I sent a message to my team ahead of Easter inviting them to eat and chat about Christianity. Lots showed up, and together we explored a really simple model that explains the gospel through six ‘windows’; creation, fall, judgement, cross, resurrection and choice. It was an easy way to get conversation flowing, there were surprisingly few awkward silences. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised it went so deep, because I spend most days with these girls and they are actually interested in my life!

Matt: I stuck a message in the group chat, it’s a big group so I was nervous that no one would respond. But we’d run a Sports Quiz just before Christmas and off the back of that I was able to share my intention to create a space to talk about faith with the boys that came, so they were warmed up to respond when I sent the message out. So I hosted an evening where I cooked and we watched the rugby and then I started the discussion by asking the boys what concepts or words they associated with Christianity to explore their ideas, we about an hour of chat off the back of that.

Millie: We also ran a Sports Quiz, and I invited guests to the dinner as a follow up to continue conversations. I was really nervous ahead of it, I needed a long coffee with Laura from the Christians in Sport team to work through that! Eight came round and we started with Laura asking me why I was a Christian and how that came about, and I shared my testimony. Then we had time for questions, continuing from the quiz and I asked my friends to share their thoughts on faith too.

What happened after your dinners? Did conversation around faith continue?

Matt: It has been tricky committing time, I’d love to spend more time with each of the boys, but I’ve managed to regularly meet to read the Bible with one of the lads, and others know this is going on which I think is a good thing. I’m graduating this year so I’m conscious that this context won’t last forever. I’m planning to do a barbeque at the end of the year and end my time at uni on a good note, trusting God will remain at work as we move away from each other.

Sarah: I held my dinner at the end of the season, so it’s been hard to stay in touch with all the girls with no training or matches. There’s been some good chat continuing with those I’m on a course with, so I’m trying to keep in touch over summer and pick up where we left off at the start of next term.

Millie: After the dinner I offered out a weekly Bible study to the girls, I started a group chat called ‘chats on a Wednesday’ where we’d read together and then afterwards there was an open invite to my church’s student night. A couple of girls have now been to church a few times now which is incredible. My hope is that this seed that’s been planted would take hold in their lives and they’ll come to faith, whether I get to see it or not.

What advice would you give to other students looking to share Jesus over dinner with their sports friends?

Millie: Don’t be tempted to put all your teammates in the same box. They’re all human just like you are, all made different and interesting, and they’re interested in you too as a friend and teammate. Everyone has questions when you get to know them and often are so much more open than you realise. So, it might be an easier ask then you think.

Sarah: Just do it! I chickened out of hosting a dinner last year because I was too scared. But, after a reunion social where girls who’ve graduated came back, it struck me that I’d spend so much time with these girls but never once shared the gospel with them. It was motivation to go for it this year. So do it, and pray what you talk about stays with your guests.

Matt: Get a slow cooker – you won’t regret it! More seriously Pray, remember you rely on God. It’s easy to feel the pressure is on you to, but it’s not our job to change people, God does that. So, pray and go and do it. You’ll be surprised about how many people are open to hearing more about Jesus.

University remains a pivotal time in the faith journey of many Christians, and a brilliant setting for training future leaders. It’s a joy and a privilege to support Christian students as they love and serve their teammates and boldly step out in faith to proclaim the gospel.

Click here for more tips on how to run a dialogue dinner, and if you are a student or want to find out more about how to connect with us, head to our connect page.