POPUP! SPORTS & GAMES
From Planning to Play: How to Organize a Fun Day of Sports and Games
EVERYTHING YOU NEED FOR EFFECTIVE MINISTRY
DURING THE WORLD CUP
In 2026, the eyes of the world will be on North America as we host the FIFA World Cup. Sixteen cites in the United States, Canada and Mexico will host 48 teams in 104 matches June 11-July 19, 2026. One team will emerge as the World Cup champion!
From the most knowledgeable soccer fan to the person who knows nothing about the game, there are unique opportunities for followers of Christ to harness the energy and excitement of the tournament for outreach and evangelism in their communities.
There are eight matches in Atlanta, but no matter where you live in our great state, there are ministry strategies and resources available to help you connect with your community during the World Cup. We are excited about your interest in reaching your community through one of these strategies. This guide is designed to help you as you begin to pray, plan, and implement your outreach.
RESOURCES
Gospel resources, how-to guides, training videos, equipping sessions, and other resources are available to help as you lead your church to be on mission in 2026.
Connect for resources and information at missiongeorgia.org For additional training go to nationsunited.net 2
ADAPT, CREATE, RESPOND, GO!
WHAT ARE POPUP! SPORTS AND GAMES?
Adapt, Create, Respond
PopUp! Sports and Games are fun, high-energy games that gather people for building relationships and sharing about Jesus.
Sports and games strategies can go everywhere – big cities, small towns, neighborhoods, parks, schools, and streets! They can be organized in advance or happen spontaneously when a well-trained team arrives in a neighborhood or an apartment complex and finds children at play.
The principles of PopUp! Sports and Games can be applied to children, teens, families, the disabled, and the elderly.
Keep It Simple and Go!
In Matthew 10 and Luke 10 Jesus sends his disciples out to share about the Kingdom. Jesus said, “Go to every town and place where I will be going...”. But he told them, “...do not take anything with you...”.
They only took with them the lessons He had taught them - the new Kingdom thinking and new skills - and they went in pairs.
PopUp! Sports and Games applies Jesus’ strategy today.
Teams who have prepared through prayer go out into cities, fields, beaches, parks, and various communities and start something with the people they encounter.
Teams go with scripture knowledge and skills in discovery learning, sports and games. Once the kids and families start to gather, the team improvises, adapts, and is led by the Holy Spirit. They play in a way that engages everyone, creates fun and belonging, and points people to Jesus.
PREPARE
GATHER A TEAM
▶ Survey church members to find out who is interested in helping.
▶ Identify athletes and coaches in your congregation willing to help.
▶ Strive to have a team that includes males and females in a variety of ages.
PRAY
▶ Pray for God’s leading as you build the team, identify the location and for potential participants.
▶ Prayer walk the places where you plan to run the PopUp! Sports and Games. Observe people, look for felt needs, and identify people who are spiritually receptive.
▶ Mobilize the church to pray for the preparation and implementation of the event.
IDENTIFY THE LOCATION
▶ Consider local parks, community soccer fields, multi-housing complexes, beaches, assisted living / special needs residential communities, or other places where people in your community gather.
▶ Obtain any needed permission to use the space.
▶ If possible, promote the PopUp! Sports and Games Day around the location in advance.
PREPARE WITH THE TEAM
▶ Let the team discover and discuss Matthew 10 and Luke 9-10. Apply it to today.
▶ Find out what skills the individuals on the team can offer. Equip team members to serve and lead games with confidence.
▶ Work together (or in small groups) to make a flexible plan for the specific sports, games and Bible discovery you will lead. Build off the excitement of the World Cup by incorporating soccer games, soccer balls, international flags, favorite World Cup team cheers, etc. Visit kidsgames.com for a variety of ideas (e.g for large groups, small groups, with a ball, for all abilities, with no equipment, icebreakers, Bible discovery activities, etc.) Remember, adaptability and flexibility are vital!
▶ Purchase or collect supplies needed for games.
▶ Involve the church in collecting items for games or small gift bags that include items such as sunscreen, tissue, lip balm. Make sure to include information about your church.
▶ Make PopUp! Sports and Games plans that can be completed in 30 minutes, 1 hour and 2 hours. Be ready to be flexible!
▶ Take small water bottles for participants.
▶ Decide on evangelistic resources that will be used to talk about Jesus. Visit missiongeorgia.org for a soccer-themed gospel tract, available in adult and children’s versions.
▶ Practice blending sports, fun and faith conversations in simple ways.
▶ Explore ideas for gathering family contact information for follow up (e.g. digital connection card, QR code with interest form, drawing for door prizes, etc.).
SAMPLE SCHEDULE FOR CHILDREN
▶ Welcome and Fun Games: Help children feel welcome and loved.Play several high-energy games.
▶ Discovery Game: Play a discovery game that helps explore an aspect of the Bible message.
▶ Bible Story: Actively explore the story. Involve the children as much as possible. Help children understand how they can live out the Biblical principle in the story.
▶ Memory Verse: Use creative ways to learn and memorize a verse of the Bible.
▶ More Sports/Games: Continue with a variety of sports and games.
60-MINUTE SAMPLE PROGRAM
Welcome & Fun (10 min)
Smiles, music, icebreaker game everyone can join (tag, relay, name + action).
PopUp! Sports and Games Rotation (20 min)
2–3 simple games (relay races, ball toss, parachute, soccer dribble). Focus on inclusion of all children.
Bible Discovery Time (15 min)
Interactive Bible story (drama or movement), memory verse game, small group reflection.
Wrap-Up & Prayer (10 min)
Celebrate, pray together, and invite participants to bring a friend next time.
Team Debrief (5 min)
Discuss: What worked well? What was challenging? How can we improve?
GO
SET UP A WELCOMING AND SAFE ENVIRONMENT
As a team, go to the place where you will run the event. Take balls, musical instruments, other supplies and equipment. Gather children, families, and others as you go. Create a fun and welcoming atmosphere to grab people’s attention and curiosity.
▶ Environment
Use flags, colors and music. Clear the area of any debris, sticks, rocks or other potential risks.
▶ Team
Through your facial expressions and body language communicate that this is an event where everyone is welcome. Assign team members to help include those on the fringe who may be afraid to join in the fun.
▶ Curiosity
Start with a few activities to attract attention and increase curiosity. Remember, a happy group will attract others to join you.
▶ Activities
Begin with activities people can easily join. Incorporate latecomers as quickly as possible.
SPORTS, GAMES, & BIBLE DISCOVERY
Use your team and their ideas to make PopUp! Sports and Games fun, challenging, and surprising. Incorporate the plans the team prepared in advance to provide sports, games, and Bible discovery.
Ideas for getting people involved:
▶ Find ways to include all-ability children
▶ Make up team names, chants and cheers
▶ Do fitness stretches
▶ Interview athletes, leaders or Bible characters
▶ Create movements to memorize Bible verses
▶ Include children doing art, music, video
▶ Include dance, energizers and movement
▶ Sing fun action songs
▶ Assign team members to talk with parents who may be on the sidelines watching their children play
AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE EVENT
Provide information on the next event/activity offered through your church (e.g. VBS, back to school party, children’s activities, small group Bible study, etc.) Clearly communicate how to register, attend and connect. Offer to provide transportation, if needed.
Clean up equipment, supplies and trash. Leave the location in better condition than it was when you arrived.
FOLLOW-UP
PRAY
Continue praying for participants.
CONNECT
Communicate with families who shared their contact information.
EVALUATE WITH THE TEAM
Gather your team soon after your PopUp! Sports and Games, and debrief together.
▶ What went well?
▶ What can be improved?
▶ How are we implementing the follow-up plan?
The answers to these questions will help you grow as a team and strengthen your PopUp! Sports and Games strategy and shape your next steps.
EXPAND & MULTIPLY
Ideally, your PopUp! Sports and Games should not be a one-off activity. Lessons learned and relationships established can be used to develop and strengthen your disciple-making strategy.
Your evaluation may lead you to:
▶ Repeat and Improve
Put all you have learned into action.
▶ Repeat and Expand
Seek new partners from your community to work alongside you to repeat and expand your activity.
▶ Repeat and Multiply
Invite people from other contexts to come and see your next activity in order to multiply the strategy. Or take a team to a new location for a PopUp! Sports and Games.
▶ Innovate
Do something completely different.
And remember, you don’t need the World Cup to lead a PopUp! Sports and Games Day. It works anytime throughout the year as a way to gather people, build relationships and share about Jesus.
