Quick Update

Just a quick update as to where i am in terms of joining staff with AIA.  Things since my last update have been moving quite quickly. I've agreed with work to cut my hours from 5 days a week down to just 3 days a week, freeing me up to spend 2 days a week with AIA. I hope start officially on the 5th of September.

Russell and I have been meeting and are in the process of putting together a AIA Church Partnership Pack which will outline who we are as an organisation, what partnerships we offer and how the partnerships will work. This will take us quite some time to put together, but it is really exciting to actually start and get a glimpse of what the partnerships will look like.

Our mission for church partnerships is to help the local church engage with the local community through sport.  Effectively we plan to do ourselves out of a job as the plan is to commit to a 2/3 year plan, training and equipping the church to run effective sports ministry within their local community. After the 2/3 years we will step out and take on an advisory role for the church.

Sorry this is all a bit brief, but as i said we're still in the process of figuring the exact details of how this will work!

I believe that using sport to tell people about Jesus is a really great and exciting way for the local church to to reach out and be part of the local community. I've attached a video that i think explains what I'm trying to say, only it says it way better!!

My First Blog

God’s call

Over the past 3 years or so I’ve felt that God has been preparing me and is calling me into full-time ministry.

Just a year ago I had a clear vision from God calling me to use the platform of sport to tell people about His grace and love. I arranged to meet up with Russell (AIA Ministry Director for Ireland) the following day and since then we have spent time praying and pushing doors to confirm Gods call on my life. Check out the video below for more info.

I’m currently in the process of applying to become a part-time member of the Athletes in Action Ireland team. I would like to encourage you to prayerfully consider how you can support me and the work of Athletes in Action.

Who are Athletes In Action...

Sport is the one language that knows no boundaries and sees no distinctions. It unites cultures, transcends values and defies convention. When words fail, a game can speak. 

Athletes In Action is committed to using the language of sport to communicate the most powerful message of all: God’s passionate love for his children as communicated through his Son, Jesus Christ. It’s a story that’s changed our lives, given us purpose and hope, and we long to tell this good news to others.

We have been commissioned to go into the world and make disciples. The tool we are using to accomplish this mission is sport.

Our goal is to mobilize athletes and fans worldwide to boldly win people for Christ, deeply build into their lives and send them with an urgency to do the same. Since we first started back in 1974 that’s exactly what we’ve been doing. Today we have a  world wide team of over 600 people working in more than 60 countries.

We urge you to consider the power of the gospel, the world’s fascination with sport, and how you can become a part of this movement that combines the two. 

My Role...

As a part time member of staff with AIA a large part of my role will be to build partnerships between AIA and local churches,  providing skills to enable them to engage with their local communities through sport

How will I do this?

-Building relationships with key volunteers and staff within local churches.

-Equipping staff and volunteers with the skills to facilitate effective sport outreach in their communities.

-Running Soccer camps for children and young people.

 How can you help?


My ministry as part if AIA will only be possible with a team of supporters behind me to encourage and equip me. Being part of my support team will involve...

• Praying for Lois and I as we begin this ministry together.
• Providing Encouragement and Honesty to us about the direction of the ministry as it begins and grows.
• Financial Support Due to the fact that AIA is a faith-based ministry and has no central funds to pay employee salaries, all AIA staff are required to raise their own financial support.

If you're interested in becoming part of my support team in any of the above ways please feel free to contact me by e-mail, robertbailie10@hotmail.com, or give me a call on 07795556084 or follow the link below for more information on how to support me financially.

https://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?hl=en&formkey=dDcySTdKd184UXU1NGxvTkluX0ItZXc6MA

I want to thank you for taking the time to read my blog and I look forward to hearing from you soon.