• 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 3 | Pray Play Say Together

Introduction

As Christian students worshipping Christ and witnessing for him in our university sports club, this session will help us understand one of the ways we can reach the world of sports for Christ.

Read

Colossians 1:15-23

Colossians 2:6-7

Colossians 4:1-18

Reflect

Have you ever considered how your sport and faith are connected? Often we may believe in Jesus and go to church, yet when we step into our sporting environment it can feel like our faith has been left in the changing room. So, what does it look like to fully integrate our sport and faith as we seek to encourage sports people to believe in Jesus?

Explain

In Colossians, we find a church struggling to live out their Christian faith authentically in the culture they are in. So, Paul writes to remind them of the supremacy of Jesus (1:15-20) and how this transforms everything. As a result, Paul urges the Christians to be rooted and built up in Christ (2:7), and to live out their God given identity by praying (4:2-4), living wise and distinctive lives (4:5) , speaking clearly about Jesus (4:6), and doing it with the support of others (4:7-18), so that people around them might come to know Christ for themselves.

So, what does it look like to do this in the context of sport? Well similarly, in light of who Jesus is, we can Pray for each other and those in our sport, we can Play our sport in a God honouring way, we can Say something about Jesus when opportunities come, and we can do it Together as a group who supports each other throughout the year.

Discuss

1. How does reminding yourself of Christ’s supremacy, and what your new identity is in him, motivate you to Pray, Play, Say, Together in your sport?
2. Which of Pray, Play, Say, Together do you find the most difficult and why?
3. What does it look like for you to Pray, Play, Say in your sports club? And how can the group support you in that?

Pray

• Pray for three people in your sports club by name (write these names down somewhere and devote yourself to praying for them this week).
• Ask God to help you live wisely and faithfully for him in your sport.
• Pray for God to open doors for gospel conversations in your sports club 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 New Year Training
• Reminding people about carol services and other events the group can make use of.

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

Listen

How can I worship God with my sport when I'm not selected?

Watch

How do I live as a Christian amongst my sports friends?

Read

How do I share my faith with my friends?