WATCH PARTIES
How to Connect to Your Community by Hosting Watch Parties
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
A HEART FOR THE COMMUNITY
There is no doubt most people want communities to be safe and for everyone to flourish.
But as Christ-followers we also desperately desire for our communities to experience the forgiveness, hope, healing, and unconditional love that comes through a personal relationship with Jesus.
Often we need to clear rocks off the path that may cause stumbling (making it safe) before we can share about life with Jesus (helping people to flourish).
How do we help others move on a clear path towards Jesus?
THE JOURNEY TOWARDS JESUS
Here is a helpful way to see people on a journey towards Jesus.
No Interest
Seeker
Ready to Believe
New Believer
Growing Believer
Mature Believer
THREE EARLY STEPS IN THE JOURNEY
In Acts 17:32-34 we see examples of the first three categories of the journey:
▶ No Interest
Those who are opposed or haven’t considered God and faith.
▶ Seeker
Those asking questions and searching for God in the scriptures.
▶ Ready to Believe
Those who believe that Jesus is Lord and understand that this requires a personal response.
THREE LATER STEPS IN THE JOURNEY
The following categories merge on a continuum as a believer grows in Bible knowledge, intimacy with Jesus, and influence in leadership. There are many examples in scripture:
▶ New Believer
Growing as a disciple of Jesus and telling others (Acts 8:26-40)
▶ Growing Believer
Growing as a disciple-maker (Colossians 1:3-8, 1 Tim 6:11-21)
▶ Mature Believer
Growing as a maker of disciple-makers (2 Timothy 3:10-17)
BUILDING TRUST AND FRIENDSHIP
Plan all gatherings recognizing that people are on a journey. Aim to build trust and openness. Consider an all-year plan spiced with many types of neighbor interactions. Approach any neighborhood gathering as part of this bigger strategy of bringing safety and trust to the community and, ultimately, introducing them to Jesus.
PREPARATION
Colossians 4:2-6 is a helpful model for planning a community gathering.
“Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. Be wise in the way you act towards outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.” (NIV)
FOUR STEPS IN THE PASSAGE
It can be summarized in these four parts:
Pray
Helps us begin to see neighbors and their needs through the lens of Jesus
Open a Door
Take or make opportunities to connect
Wise Conversation
Make good conversations your goal
Proclaim Clearly
Tell them about Jesus
PRAY
▶ Make prayer the foundation.
▶ Think about the needs of your community. Pray about how you could respond.
▶ Draw a prayer map of your neighborhood and make notes about the people you want to reach (What do you know? How can you pray?).
▶ Go for prayer walks around the local streets – be intentional about greeting and engaging people on the walk.
▶ Ask your church family to pray for this strategy and invite them to try it at the same time in their neighborhood.
▶ Pray at the same time every day for your neighbors.
OPEN A DOOR
▶ Be intentional.
▶ Make your church or home a safe and welcoming place.
▶ Walk the neighborhoods to pray, chat, and see the needs.
▶ Play games and sports outside in common areas so others can join in.
▶ Join community sports groups and be a positive Christian influencer.
WISE CONVERSATIONS
▶ Be wise in conversations.
▶ Be a good listener.
▶ Ask good, open-ended questions.
▶ Remember it’s not about you.
▶ Help people talk by saying, “Tell me about yourself” or “Can you tell me more about that?”.
▶ Make the conversations winsome and gracious. (Colossians 4:5-6)
▶ Be attentive to opportunities to bridge the conversation into a spiritual one.
PROCLAIM
CLEARLY
▶ Talk about Jesus.
▶ “May I pray for you?” is a way to start a caring conversation of trust.
▶ You can proclaim Jesus by thinking carefully about the things you put around your home, desk at work, church and other places you spend time. Bible verses, kids’ projects, artwork, books, and decorations can all point people to Jesus and proclaim him. These items can start conversations as people are curious.
▶ As the Holy Spirit leads tell about your own journey of discovering Jesus.
▶ As you have conversation listen for shared life experiences or struggles that give opportunity to share about hope through Jesus.
▶ Write thank you notes after the event. Let others know that God has been generous to you in giving them as your neighbors.
HOSTING A WATCH PARTY
Watch Parties bring neighborhoods and communities together for fun, food, friendship, and gospel-centered impact. It is a natural way to bring people together during the World Cup. Passionate fans will be looking for places to gather to watch their team.
BEFORE THE WATCH PARTY
▶ Find out who in your church is already involved in or connected to soccer. Gather them together with any other church members who want to be a part of outreach and evangelism through the Watch Party.
▶ Pray, plan, and delegate responsibilities to the group.
▶ Plan an orientation for church members serving at the Watch Party to explain purpose, target audience, and to practice gospel-conversation starters and the “4S” tool. It is easy to have fun at the Watch Party, but it takes intentionality and practice to ensure gospel-centered impact.
WHO
Are there ethnic groups in your community whose country is playing in the World Cup? Are there children, youth, and families involved in soccer leagues? What vulnerable or at-risk populations are near your neighborhood or church? Watch Parties are a perfect way to connect! While many will be excited to watch Team USA, there are many other countries playing who have fans in our communities. (For a demographic report of the people groups near your Georgia Baptist church, visit missiongeorgia.org).
And don’t forget Team USA! Even the marginal soccer fan loves to chant “U-S-A”! The US Men’s National team will play three times in the group stage with hopes of moving on to the next stage of the tournament.
Before you design your Watch Party, decide who your target audience will be. Ideas include:
▶ The neighbors around you
▶ The neighbors around your church
▶ Community-wide
▶ A specific ethnic group
▶ Local sports players and coaches
▶ Your congregation with a challenge to invite an unchurched friend
As you plan, check fifa.com for an up-to-date list of countries represented and schedule of games.
WHERE
Choose the Watch Party location based on who you are inviting.
▶ In Your Home
▶ In Your Neighborhood – The driveway, cul-de-sac, common green space
▶ In Common Spaces – Local park, soccer fields or community center. Make sure you get permission to use the space. Check on permitting regulations. Leave the space in better shape than you found it.
▶ At Your Church
WHAT TO DO
▶ Make the space comfortable, relaxed, and festive.
▶ Use country flags and international-themed decorations to reflect the World Cup teams.
▶ Have a large screen television, outdoor inflatable screen or other projection to make sure the game is easy to watch. Test connectivity and sound before guests arrive to make sure everything is working.
▶ Think about where people will sit. Do you need chairs, tables, or blankets for people to sit on outside?
▶ Ask people to dress in clothes that represent their favorite team or country.
▶ Provide snacks and drinks. Do a food tasting with international dishes. Order a variety of international food snack boxes from Amazon or visit an international grocery store.
▶ Provide other activities such as games, thought-provoking questions, face painting, chalk drawing, crafts for kids.
▶ Have drawings/door prizes throughout the event.
▶ Make sure team members are assigned to greet people as they arrive, engage in conversation, and make people feel welcome.
▶ Incorporate the Gospel through spiritual conversations, soccerthemed gospel tracts, or sharing a Bible thought during halftime.
▶ Incorporate a testimony at halftime from a coach or player from the community.
▶ Prepare gift bags for each attendee. Fill it with items such as Kleenex, lip balm, sunscreen, hand sanitizer, lotion, etc. Include a gospel tract and information about your church.
▶ Use simple conversation starters to build relationships.
WHAT TO SAY
The following conversation starters allow people to share their own experiences.
Conversation Starters
▶ What is your favorite moment in sports history, and why does it inspire you?
▶ If you could learn to play any sport, what would it be? Why?
▶ When have you been most surprised by an athlete? Both good and bad?
▶ Why is sport important to you?
▶ When have you needed a good talk at halftime in a sports game? If you are at halftime in your life, what message do you need to hear?
Ways to Guide a Conversation
The ‘4S’ Tool
Practice moving the conversation from a simple conversation to a serious one in a natural way. Then, from serious reflections to spiritual truths that lead to sharing scripture and an invitation to go deeper into God’s Word. You may finish with an invitation, ‘Would you like to meet together so I can show you how you can discover God in the Bible?’
▶ Simple – Casual talk about the game, players, commercials, etc.
▶ Serious – Share meaningful things from your life – your values and experiences.
▶ Spiritual – Share how your relationship with Jesus anchors your life.
▶ Scriptural – Share scripture that is meaningful to you and is relevant to the conversation.
Remember: It’s okay to build trust as you begin. Some people are not ready or curious about spiritual or scriptural conversations. But don’t be scared to move into these conversations either. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you.
Examples of Serious Questions:
▶ What’s been one of the biggest challenges you’ve faced recently?
▶ When life feels overwhelming, what helps you get through it?
▶ What’s something you’re currently learning about yourself?
▶ Who do you turn to when you need advice or perspective?
▶ If life had a halftime, what message would you need to hear right now?
Examples of Spiritual Questions:
▶ Do you ever think about your purpose or why you’re here?
▶ What role, if any, has faith or spirituality played in your life journey?
▶ When you look at the world, do you think there’s something (or someone) bigger behind it all?
▶ Have you ever prayed? What was it like for you?
▶ What do you believe happens after this life? Has that ever influenced how you live now?
Conversations and Bridge Building
Roy and Wendy had a diverse group of neighbors and some friends over for a simple gathering.
“Many were unbelievers. There were games in the backyard –volleyball and badminton. Kids and adults played together. We cooked up a BBQ, and everyone brought a salad to share. As we were about to start the meal, I simply asked everyone to try and ask three different people this simple question sometime during the afternoon: ‘With the world the way it is, what gives you hope?’ Everyone had a chance to have individual conversations. They were honest and free flowing. People just wanted to keep talking and didn’t want to go home. Jesus turned up naturally in many conversations all over the place that afternoon.”
FOLLOW UP
Make a plan in advance of the Watch Party about how you will follow up and stay connected to participants.
Here are some ideas:
▶ Before the Watch Party ends, promote the next activity or event – Vacation Bible School, children’s events, block party, sports league, adult outings, small group Bible studies, Back to School Party, etc. Make sure they have a clear way to register and receive information.
▶ Do you have contact details to stay in touch? Information can be gathered from door prize entries, digital connection cards or QR codes that lead to an interest form.
▶ If sending to your website, make sure it is updated with the most current information.
DEBRIEF THE WATCH PARTY
Meet with the planning team and share observations, ideas, and challenges.
▶ Pray and praise God together for his help and faithfulness.
▶ Pray specifically for any needs shared during conversations at the party.
▶ Send a personal note of encouragement and gratitude for coming to those who shared their information. Discuss additional opportunities for follow-up.
▶ Adjust any future plans based on what you have learned.
And remember, you don’t need the World Cup to host a Watch Party. Watch Parties can work with any major sporting event shown throughout the year as a way to gather people, build relationships and share about Jesus.
