Why should Christian athletes at the top level get stuck into church? That’s the question we’re tackling on the latest Christians in Sport Podcast.

Having met a series of elite sportspeople over the course of the year, we now discuss another key issue that comes out of many of the interviews. The Bible tells us that followers of Jesus should prioritise meeting together (Hebrews 10:25), but that can be really hard for elite athletes who spend much of the season away from home and are often viewed as celebrities when they are there. Despite this, our panellists, former Olympic rower Debbie Flood and ex-Premier League footballer Linvoy Primus, found church to a vital encouragement as they looked to follow Jesus at the highest level of sport.

In this podcast, they tell Danno why that was the case and the vital difference being part of supportive church families made to them. To get the ball rolling, we hear clips from previous interviews with Paralympic sprinter Niel Louw, ex-England women’s hooker Ann O’Flynn and former West Bromwich Albion defender Darren Moore, which Debbie and Linvoy expand on.

Listen to this fascinating podcast as the panel talk about:

• The feeling of finally belonging somewhere (3mins 40secs)
• Being cared for and supported by a church family and the wonder of normality (6.00)
• The importance of good Bible teaching in applying faith to professional sport (8.30)
• Prioritising meeting with other Christians (13.40)
• Still going to church when your bad performance was shown on Match of the Day (16.45)
• Being supported and prayed for while on training camps and away competing (21.30)
• The importance of midweek fellowship groups (22.30)
• Advice to church leaders if elite sportspeople join their church (23.40)
• Why every follower of Jesus needs to be encouraged (26.00)