News from our Voluntary & Part-Time Chaplains 

 

Rev Ed Jones

Chaplain, Battle Town FC

To be honest, serving as a football chaplain was never something I envisaged I would find myself doing. That said, the opportunity that it gives me to live out my faith, to model what I preach, and to connect with the community of Battle is something I cherish and wouldn’t change.

Having been chaplain to Battle Town FC since autumn 2020, as the 24/25 season came to a close, supported by our Director of Football at the Club (who also happens to be one of my elders),  I took time to really think through how I can best utilise my time and the role.

To this end, for this season, I am now solely basing myself with our 1st team come match days. This has already had a number of benefits. On a very practical level, I’ve been able to take on a number of tasks which last season the manager was having to fulfil - a massive help he repeatedly tells me. So I bring the kit, fill out the team sheet, ensure the water bottles are filled and even oversee the first aid kit (last week doing the Introduction to First Aid course that the FA provide).

Alongside this though, I’m in the changing rooms before matches, I’m in the huddle at halftime, and I’m down the pub afterwards - win lose or draw. All of this means I’m getting to know the players and they’re getting to know me, I’m building those relationship and the conversations, the questions and the opportunities are beginning to come. Recently making a three hour round-trip for a Sussex cup we were playing in, I had the opportunity to travel with the first team manager and his assistant. What a gift. We talked about all sorts of things - football, and the match that day being a key one - but we touched on loads of different things.

This season I’ve also set up a chaplaincy prayer team within the church. There’s a small group who I’ll WhatsApp on a Saturday morning, sharing what the day holds for me, who and where the 1st team will be playing and anything specific that I’d value prayer over. This is also a group, when things come up across the week I can ping a message across to and I know they will instantly be praying.

As a part of Sports Chaplaincy UK, I’ve always been encouraged by their simple yet powerful challenge of being present. Being there. Now entering my 6th year as chaplain to the club, I’m excited about the opportunities that lay ahead. There are challenges for us as a local grassroots football club but the opportunities, in my eyes, far out-weigh them.

Prayer pointers:

• Growth of the team - wisdom as to how we might grow the chaplaincy team. Battle Town FC consists of senior all-age men’s teams, a veterans team, youth football, walking football for men & women and a running club. My focus is quite specific - what an opportunity we have though. 
• Conversations - that God would continue to give me the opportunities to engage effectively with all who I come into contact with through the football club. That I would be ready to respond and have the right words to say when I’m asked about church, God and why I do what I do. 
• Alpha - at the start of this year, as a church we run Alpha. This was promoted to the footballers. No one came, but I have since had conversations with some who have shared they seriously thought about it. As we prepare to do so again in 2026, please pray for those who are ‘searching’, to come along or chat with me about how I might support them explore the questions they have.