Sports Ministry & The Great Commission: Encouragement for Planting & Watering Seeds
May 21, 2026
Does it ever feel discouraging to pursue the Great Commission? You tell others about Jesus and demonstrate His love, but don’t see transformation as quickly as you’d like—if at all?
Don’t lose heart!
Paul says in 1 Corinthians 3:6-9: “I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow… Each will receive his own reward according to his own labour. For we are God’s fellow workers.”
Of course, there will be times we are blessed to have the opportunity to see progress and changes in the hearts of people we disciple, but that won’t always be the norm—and that’s okay. It’s in our obedience that God does the work, whether we see it or not. Our job is to plant seeds, while God—the master gardener—will decide how/when they grow.
A Story of a Planted Seed
John serves in the UK with GEM, using sports as a means of outreach.
“I’m actively seeking the kingdom of God to be expanded in my rugby club, so I spend a lot of time in that space, shepherding and caring for people,” John explains. Though he’s an active player on the team, he finds ways to mentor his teammates. “I’m always weaving biblical narratives into the conversations we’re having.”
Dave joined the team when he was still quite young and less experienced than the others. John noticed right away a need for compassion and encouragement to be extended. “I grabbed him for lunch once or twice and just spoke life into him and made sure that he was okay. I think that built a bridge then, that sparked an interest, and he followed me on Instagram.”
A recent reel on John’s Instagram caught Dave’s attention. Quietly tapping the link, he watched the full sermon… and couldn’t resist hitting play again.
The Seed Gets Watered
[About a year later,]”I was sitting next to Dave on the bus to an away match for our rugby club,” John starts. “He’d recently torn his ACL but was coming along to support the lads regardless. I asked him how he was feeling about his injury and when his surgery was coming up.”
John took the opportunity to share how his faith had helped him through his own past injuries. After all, we don’t get to choose when we get injured or how badly, or even if we’ll get to play again. John learned to root himself in an identity in Christ.
“It’s so easy to get wrapped up in your value coming from your ability to perform,” he says. “I remind myself of this often.” John was able to encourage Dave, letting him know he wasn’t any less important because he couldn’t play at that time—he still had value because of who he was. “And if he didn’t know where that value came from,” John said with a smile, “I would have been happy to tell him!”
While discussing these things on the bus, Dave surprised John with the confession that he had watched John’s sermon and had been recalling quotes from it ever since.
What an encouragement!
Though John hasn’t yet seen a visible conversion in Dave’s life today, he remains hopeful. Dave attended church on several occasions, and the two men have been studying the Gospel of Mark together. “He’s still on the journey,” John explains, “but Jesus is knocking at the door, waiting for him to answer.”
As we think about our workers in Europe—including John—let’s remember that gospel impact is often slow and relational. More often than not, our team is building meaningful, trust-filled friendships long before any visible spiritual fruit appears. Ultimately, it’s up to God to complete the work of transforming the hearts of those we prepare for Him.
So, let’s not grow weary in pursuing the Great Commission, and let’s keep praying for our workers!
Pray for Spirit-led opportunities to plant and water seeds; for steady perseverance when fruit seems slow; and that God would give the growth that establishes new disciples. Because every seed planted in obedience matters—even if we don’t see the harvest today.
*Names have been changed for privacy purposes.
Author: Leanne Monge Barrera serves in the Greater Europe Mission Canada Office as a Storyteller and Marketing Coordinator.