• 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).
• Remind those graduating to fill in this form using a non-university email address so Christians in Sport can stay in touch with them after they leave university.

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 24 | Staying in the Room During the Off Season

Introduction

As we continue to reach the world of university sport for Christ this session will help us consider what it looks like to keep being faithful witnesses to our friends in our sports clubs during the off season.

Read

Read 2 Timothy 4:1-5

Reflect

What challenges and encourages you from these verses?

Explain

The off season is often a time to rest, reflect and recover. To let our bodies repair and to enable our passion for our sport to grow again, as we take our foot off the gas from the intensity of sport. Yet, a danger emerges when we do the same with our faith and our willingness to share Jesus. So what does it look like to be a faithful witness during the off season?

In the final chapter of 2 Timothy, Paul reminds Timothy to discharge the duties of his ministry (v5) for it is Christ who holds him to account and who will certainly return (v1). Therefore, Paul urges Timothy to keep preaching the Word even when we don’t feel like it or it’s the ‘off season’ for Christ is coming (v2). This remains true for us. Much like v3-4 there are many false teachings and philosophies / theories on life and we live in a world of echo chambers where we gravitate towards those who only affirm us. However, we are to let the Bible shape how we live and how we speak of Jesus to our friends, for they desperately need the truth of Jesus and be given the opportunity to respond.

So, this off season, as you rest from sport don rest in your faith. Put things in place to help you to flourish in your walk with Jesus, and don’t get tired of holding the gospel out to your friends in sport.

Discuss

1. How does understanding that Jesus will return and judge the living and the dead, shape the urgency of how you view your clubmates needing to hear the gospel?
2. How could you intentionally stay in touch with your clubmates during the off season? E.g. have regular video calls, send them a book to read, write them a postage with a verse on the front.
3. What does it look to preach the word (v2) and to discharge all the duties of your ministry during the off season (v5)?

Pray

• Pray that the gospel remains good news in your heart through the off season.
• Pray that you will be intentional in remaining in the lives of your sports friends.
• Ask God to continue to give you a passion to share the gospel with your friend, in season and out of season.

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

• Sharing the student sign up link
• Encourging graduates to fill in this form using a non-university email address so Christians in Sport can stay in touch with them after they leave university.
• 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

How can I start well as I move from university to the world of work? | Ask Christians in Sport

Watch

What's our role in speaking about our faith in Jesus? | The Bible & sport explained

Read

How do I point people to Jesus in the off-season?