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SCORE & SPORTS MINITRY
SCORE is essentially a resourcing, envisioning and equipping ministry
It desires to serve the church and the world of sport
It works co-operatively with Christian and other faith organizations as well as secular bodies
SCORE is a registered charity focussing on two main areas of work
The development of effective, high quality sports chaplaincy
The encouragement of fruitful local church sports ministry
SCORE has a role alongside other, perhaps more well known, Christian sports ministry
organisations. The best known probably being Christians in Sport. It developed in the 1970’s and has focused on
support for high level Christian sports people, evangelism to sports people, workamong sports people at universities and more recently work with local churches in sports ministry.
Ambassadors in Sport arose as a
branch of the American organisation ‘Missionary Athletes International’. They came to the UK in the 1990’s and focus on football - doing evangelism through teams working abroad and via
teams working in local football leagues, or visiting prisons in the UK.
The foundation for SCORE came from the Baptist Union of Great Britain in 1991 with its focus
as above.
Broadly speaking CIS engage in sports evangelism, AIS engages in mission via football at home
and overseas, while SCORE focuses on chaplaincy at club level and higher as opportunities arise.
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PRINCIPLES
Chaplains are
- Competent and trained professionals
- Approachable and acceptable to both the religious and those with no particular faith
- Appropriately and sensitively involved with their clients and their particular sporting
environment
- People of integrity, who act with confidentiality, trustworthiness and wisdom
- Offering their neutrality, pastoral and spiritual training, care and support, rather than
imposing themselves
- Evaluating and developing an increasingly valued style of ministry
- Generally proactive pastorally, and reactive spiritually
POSSIBILITIES
SCORE has been involved in helping the development of chaplaincy in varied sports settings
- Football - at League and Non-League level
- Cricket – at County and Local level
- Rugby – Union and League
- Athletics – local clubs
- Golf Clubs, Sports Clubs, Leisure Centres
- One-off major events – 2002 Commonwealth Games, etc.
- European Golf Tour
- Horse Racing
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EXAMPLES
We have chaplains at many football clubs ranging from Premiership to non-league, and in both
professional and amateur rugby clubs. SCORE also provided chaplaincy to the 1999 World Cross-Country Championships, 2000 Rugby League World Championships, 2001 World Amateur
Boxing Championships, 2002 Commonwealth Games, and the 2007 Rugby U19 World Cup. SCORE’s National Director also acted as Chaplaincy Consultant to the organisers of the 2004 Olympic and Paralympc Games in Athens.
SCORE also has a chaplain working innovatively in Horse Racing based at Newmarket.
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DANGERS
It is essential that in what we do and the way we do it we are seen to be a professional. The
world places high expectations on Christians and activities in which we are involved. It is equally essential that the integrity of those who work as Sports Chaplains be beyond reproach. It is a
serving ministry. Chaplains give their time, care, support and experience to the club. They are concerned with function and role rather than title or status. Confidentiality and trustworthiness are essential. We have a Code of Practice which details our modus operandi.
We also recommend that chaplains are suitably conversant and trained in both club and church policies for the protection of children and vulnerable adults. Further information can be
obtained from SCORE. In choosing chaplains we acknowledge that:
- Not all types of clergy are suitable.
- It is a serious commitment and needs available time.
- Both parties need to understand the role and there must be mutual trust.
- Acceptance doesn’t happen overnight, confidence takes time to build.
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HELPS FOR LOCAL CHURCHES
Our aim is not to produce an itinerant well known ‘after dinner speaker’ but to resource and
initiate chaplaincy and sports ministry.
Involvement with local churches will ideally span a weekend, with teaching and training as well
as practical examples of sports ministry. Our National Director, John Boyers, is highly gifted in this area and experience has shown that his link as chaplain of Manchester United Football Club
is often of real interest to the unchurched community.
The aim is that the weekend will show various possibilities of sports ministry, not all of which
may be appropriate but at least some are likely to fit the local needs and situations.
All events in the weekend are important but a sports ministry workshop is one of the main keys.
A typical workshop will include video and OHP presentations, discussion and question times
embracing
- ·Church attitudes to sport
- ·The importance of sport in society
- ·Theological bases for sports ministry
- ·Ideas for local church mission in secular society
- ·Actual examples of ideas used in sports ministry
- ·The dangers and problems in sports ministry
- ·Names and contacts who can help
- ·Practical ideas for sports ministry.
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To request further information on SCORE, please use the email page on this website.
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