Never mind England coming home after another quarter final defeat - WEBA's Cambray FC had an excellent season, losing just one game - and that was in the final of the Cotswold Churches League, when they were runners up to Cornerstone United.
For Cambray FC good football means a good opportunity for mission. "The twenty-five players who represented us last season are a mix of those who attend Cambray and those that don’t" said Steve Jones in this month's Cambray magazine. Cambray's Sports Ministry Apprentice Tim Wallace has also re-established a 'kickabout' during the hour before the team training. "God has been at work amongst our group this year" Steve writes, "and we were very thrilled that one of our players came to know and trust the Lord and was baptised at Easter – a massive thrill."
This year the team chose to enter the 'secular' Gloucestershire FA County Cup instead of the National Christian Cup, again because this gives them an opportunity to stand out and be different, witnessing to their faith. They reached the second round of this competition.
In the same magazine Cambray pastors Tim Welch and Jonathan Loose present their suggestion of adding the word 'everyday' to the church's mission statement, which currently reads ‘Encouraging all people to become fully committed followers of Jesus’.
"Churches can convey some wrong signals - that following Jesus is really about our church-based activities and commitment, rather than the very places where we find ourselves. We come together in corporate worship to then go out and serve the Lord Jesus as his followers, with the help of his Spirit."
It seems to me that Cambray's footballers have found an excellent place to serve as everyday followers of Jesus.
Does your fellowship support a football team? Perhaps you'd like to tell us a bit about how this season went for them...
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