National Sports Sunday

Sports Chaplaincy UK is inviting churches and individuals across the UK to get involved in National Sports Sunday on 14 May 2023. Research shows that more than 25 million people participate in a sports community each week – whether as a participant in a game, as a parent watching their child play in a school game, or as one of the tens of thousands who flock to Premier League football matches each week. All in all, a huge number of people are impacted by the power of sport.

National Sports Sunday is an opportunity to pray for those involved in a sports community, one of the biggest untapped mission fields in the world! Since its launch six years ago, National Sports Sunday has seen churches of all types and backgrounds engage. Some churches give sports chaplains and missional partners the opportunity to speak about their work at their Sunday services. Others take time to pray for those reaching out to the sports community, asking God to help them to view those involved in sport in the same way that He does.

Bishop Mike Royal, General Secretary of Churches Together in England, says, ‘It’s great to see Christians from across the church coming together to celebrate National Sports Sunday. I am delighted to add my voice to those church leaders cheering on sporting ministries challenging us to take our service with the community of sport more seriously. If you haven’t put National Sports Sunday into your church calendar, let me encourage you to do so.’

To help local churches, Sports Chaplaincy UK has provided a range of resources, including prayers, sermon outlines, a reflection based on the lectionary reading, a written assembly for those who have the privilege to share in schools, an all-age worship outline and several videos. The resources can be found on the National Sports Sunday webpage HERE. Read more about the ongoing work of Sports Chaplaincy UK HERE. Sports Chaplaincy UK is one of the 78 ‘Charities and Networks in Association’ with Churches Together in England (Find the full list HERE).