• Welcome everyone and particularly any newcomers this week.
• Remind each other of the vision of CIS and the purpose of the weekly group meeting. (Consider using CIS videos and resources to keep this fresh each week).

1. In pairs look back on your week of sport and discuss how last week’s group meeting helped you. Follow up with anything people asked for prayer about.
2. In pairs share prayer points for the week of sport ahead and spend time praying for each other.

Some weeks pray more widely for other clubs and teams in your university which are not represented in the group. Alternatively, you can also use the CIS prayer diary to pray for the whole mission of CIS.

You might also want to use this slot to discuss and plan your evangelistic event for the term and pray specifically about it.

Week 16 | Meeting people where they’re at

Introduction

As we continue to reach the world of university sport for Christ this session will help us reflect on what our sports friends are thinking and feeling, and how we can faithfully and relevantly say something of the good news of Jesus into their lives. Read

Read

John 4:4-30

Reflect

What most strikes you about the conversation Jesus has with the woman at the well?

Explain

In those days for a Jewish man to have engaged in conversation with a woman, let alone a Samaritan woman, would have been regarded as shocking. But, knowing her back story, her pains, the reasons as to why she had to come to the well at noon (the hottest part of the day), Jesus boldly ‘meets her where she is at’, and holds out His offer of living water, eternal life.

Of course, Jesus is God and so knows all things; we don’t know our sports friends’ stories, fears, longings unless we spend time with them, listen to them, ask them, explore their concerns, cultural interests, backgrounds, needs, dreams, fears, values and religious beliefs.

As we work hard to authentically love and listen to our friends in sport, we will be better at ‘meeting them where they’re at’, speaking the gospel into their lives as individuals, as Jesus so powerfully does with this Samaritan woman at the well. It’s important we don’t see our friends as ‘evangelistic projects’, or make them feel like they are, but rather treat people with care as individuals to be ‘met with’, listened to, known, and related to with dignity and authenticity as we hold out to them the gospel of life in Jesus.

Discuss

1. How well do you know those in your sports club? How can you better know and listen to them this season?
2. What challenges you from Jesus’ approach to the woman at the well? And what can we learn that would help us meet our friends more personally where they’re at?
3. How might you bring the gospel of Jesus clearly and boldly into the lives of one of your sports friends at the moment?

Pray

• Ask God to help you listen well and learn more about those in our sports club.
• Pray for opportunities to boldly speak the truth and hope of Jesus into their lives in a relevant and faithful way.
• Pray by name for your sports friends in light of this session and ask God to create divine opportunities to get to know them better this week.

Update everyone on the key messages for the week. These might include:

• Sharing the student sign up link
• Promoting your evangelistic event for the term
• Plugging Sports Plus leader applications

Share these resources with your group at the end or immediately after the meeting to encourage them.

Listen

Should I smoke to have gospel conversations with my teammates?

Watch

What does the Bible say about friendship? | Friendship, sport & sharing faith

Read

There and back again. A story of faith and football in Aberdeen