Children's Ministry Project

Welcome to the Children's Ministry Project 2021. We are delighted that you have decided to utilise this project as part of your churches children's ministry this year. The Children's Ministry project is a great way of teaching your children the Bible, informing them about mission and encouraging them to raise money for a particular mission organisation! 

After you have watched the brief intro video above, we would encourage you to download and read our teacher's notes. These will help you navigate through the Children's Ministry Project 2020/21. If you would like to see an introduction to the project, click here.

Session 1 - The Whistle:

The Coach is putting His team together. Jesus has just begun His ministry on earth and, as we’ll learn in this first lesson, He has also begun calling the disciples to join Him. Where He goes, they will follow. As Jesus travels, teaching and performing miracles, the disciples will see and experience it all. Jesus is still calling people to follow Him. All kinds of people, including boys and girls like you. The Coach is calling us to be a part of His team; to grow in faith, to become more like Him and to do what He does in today’s story – make disciples. The Sports Academy in George trains young people to be better at their sports, whether it be football or netball, but most importantly they are making their students into disciples

To download Session 1, Click here

Session 2 - The Red Card:

Imagine you’re on the football pitch. You see the opposite team storming towards your goal with the ball. You run as fast as you can to reach the striker and you slide in to tackle the ball from them. Except you miss the ball and hit the players ankles instead! Ouch! You expect the other player to be mad, to be hurt and upset. Instead, the player says, “Don’t worry about it, I forgive you. Let’s play on.” Not what you thought would happen right? Later in the match, it’s you with the ball heading towards an open net. You’re going to score. The keeper is nowhere to be seen. Out of nowhere, a defender steps in front of you trying to get the ball, they miss it entirely and you’re sent flying. How will you respond? Angry? Furious? Demanding a penalty? Or will you remember how the last player treated you and let it go? When we’re part of the Coach’s team, it means we’ve asked for forgiveness for the wrong things we’ve done it our lives. Jesus welcomes all those who put their trust in Him and ask to be forgiven. But we are forgiven so that we might forgive others. If we’re going to be part of the team and make disciples, we have to be like Jesus and forgive others for what they do against us – just like Jesus forgave us.

To download Session 2, click here

Session 3 - The Captain's Armband:

It’s crucial for any disciple of Jesus to know exactly who He is. The better we know Him, the easier it becomes to understand how He wants us to live and to trust Him. On the pitch, when the Coach gives instruction, how much easier will be to follow if we know and trust that the Coach has our best interest at heart? So it is with Jesus, we must find out as much as we can about Him because when we believe that He knows all things, is in control of everything and loves us completely – it gets easier to do as He asks. When Jesus was on Earth, many people had different ideas about who He was but Peter recognised Him as the Messiah. In other words, as the one who could save sinners like you and me from the penalty of sin. One of Sports Academy’s most important jobs is to teach boys and girls in South Africa exactly who Jesus is.

To download Session 3, click here

Session 4 - The Football Boots:

What is the job of a coach? Well, coaches train and manage teams, they tell players what to do on the pitch and point out how they can improve. In many ways they’re just like Jesus, our Coach! Except for one big difference. Coaches never come on the pitch. They stay on the sidelines shouting instructions and encouragements. Once the match has started, the team is on their own – the coach doesn’t get to play. Today’s story is about the time when Jesus washed His disciples’ feet.

This was a smelly, dirty job which normally was carried out by the lowest servant in a house. How amazing then, that Jesus, who was the disciples beloved and respected Teacher and leader humbled Himself to get on His hands and knees to wash feet! In doing so He sets an example for how we should serve others, but it also shows how Jesus isn’t afraid to get His hands dirty. He comes down to our level and joins us where we are. As our spiritual Coach, He doesn’t just stand on the sidelines shouting instructions. Jesus pulls on His boots and plays right alongside us on the pitch. He’s always with us – instructing us and helping us obey through the Holy Spirit.

To download session 4, click here

Session 5 - The Subs Bench

On the pitch, if someone breaks the rules, maybe they tackle someone too aggressively or use their hands to deflect the ball, the other team get a free kick or a penalty to make things right. There are always consequences when we do wrong. Whether we lie, or steal, or cheat or fight – there has to be a punishment. We call this sin, and sin deserves punishment. Every single one of us has sinned and so every single one of us deserve the punishment of being separated from God in hell forever. The good news is that the Coach made a way to avoid this punishment. When Jesus went to the cross, He died for our sin. Jesus took our punishment, so we don’t have to. If we put our trust in Jesus as our Lord and Saviour then we won’t take the punishment but live forever with Him.

Everyone in the world needs to hear this good news. The job of a disciple is to tell others about what Christ has done. Sports Academy in George, South Africa does just this. Telling boys and girls about what Christ has done so they can put their trust in Him and avoid the punishment for their sin

To download Session 5, click here

Session 6 - The Team Badge:

Playing sport can be tough. There’s a lot to remember, a lot of tactics to put into practice and a lot of training to be done. Living the Christian life is tougher. Disciples are to live in way that reflects the greatness and the glory of Christ who saved us. We are to constantly turn from sin and resist temptation – something we’ll face every day of our lives. We must put others before ourselves, always showing love and forgiving others even when we don’t feel like it. We must also be committed to telling others about Jesus, even when it’s awkward or uncomfortable.

The disciples would feel very alone after Jesus left them. He was their Teacher, leader and Coach. And now they had to live their lives for Him without Him by their side. Or did they? Jesus promises them a helper, the Holy Spirit who would give them power to be His witnesses. It’s the same for us. We don’t live the Christian life alone. When we become disciples, the Holy Spirit comes to live inside us giving us the power we need to live for Jesus sharing the gospel with people near and far

To download Session 6, click here

Donate Money To Sports Academy

As you will have learned throughout this project, we are seeking to support the work of Sports Academy this year. There are many ways you can donate money. Perhaps the easiest, however, is to donate via our JustGiving page. You can find the link by clicking here