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Sunday sport is a difficult and sensitive topic for parents or guardians of sporty children.
So how can you respond to someone who says your child should not compete on a Sunday?
Decisions
When sport and church clash, tough calls need to be made. Will missing training or matches, lead to your child getting dropped, or losing friendships? Will the coach think they aren’t committed? Will they resent church because it’s causing them to miss sport?
If your child misses church, will they drift from a relationship with Jesus? Will they view church as a rule rather than an opportunity to grow as part of a wider church family?
It’s worth saying that the sabbath is an example of a ‘disputable matter’ Paul mentions in Romans 14 - issues that cause Christians to take different views and have the potential to cause division.
The Bible does not give a specific answer on Sunday sport, but here are helpful principles to help you navigate a conversation on ‘disputable’ matters.
Be convinced
In Romans 14, Paul urges his readers to be ‘fully convinced in your own mind’. What do you have in place to think this issue through as a family, to become convinced?
Know why you have made a decision, but be willing to listen, and open to changing your decision if you are convinced of a different view.
Can you creatively help your child regularly spend time with Christians their own age, as well as the wider diverse church family? How will they be taught from God’s word? What can you do to disciple your child and encourage them on in their faith?
Remember this isn’t to justify your decision to others – but to become fully convinced in your own mind as you pray, think and talk this through.
Maintain the conversation with:
Your pastor and/or youth worker - Share concerns and decisions you need to make, help them understand why you might not be there on a Sunday. If they can’t practically help, at least they can pray and journey with you.
The coach – Do they know church is a necessity for your family? This is a brilliant opportunity to witness!
Your child – Help them understand why you want church to be a priority whilst acknowledging sport as a wonderful, God-given, context to worship and share faith. They will notice your effort and see how much you value their spiritual growth.
Respond well:
Listen to their story – They may be in the same boat. You might agree that church and youth group are essential, but it looks different for each family.
Learn – Share ideas, remember you’re not trying to justify yourself or win an argument.
Love one another – they might have a genuine care and concern for your spiritual growth, that is wonderful! Keep that motivation at the centre of your conversations so that the body of Christ might be built up, just as we are encouraged to do in Hebrews 10:24-25.
Wherever your child is on their journey of faith Christians in Sport have specific resources to help you navigate the joys and challenges of sport together as well as a team dedicated to supporting Young Performance Athletes (YPAs) and families.
Find out more: christiansinsport.org.uk/pathwayparents
