Sports Mission Pioneer (Central Region)

Are you passionate about sharing the good news of Jesus with children & young people through sport and physical activity?

About the role 

We’re looking for a creative and entrepreneurial individual with a passion for using sport to help children and young people across our Central Region to explore and respond to the good news of Jesus. 

This unique role combines the benefits of direct face-to-face engagement with young people in a local context, delivering mission through sport activities and programmes, while also developing and mentoring others to expand ministry across Central England. The ideal candidate will have equal passion and experience in both contexts. 

Location: Home based with travel across England. 

Important things to note before you apply. 

1. This role will focus on Central England and will require extensive regular travel across the region.  
2. We are committed to building a culturally diverse workforce. As part of this commitment, we welcome applications from people, regardless of their background. 
3. We take Safeguarding seriously. This role will require an Enhanced Disclosure from the Disclosure & Barring Service and has an occupational requirement to be filled by a committed Christian, active in church life. Equality Act 2010, Part 1, Schedule 9 applies. 
4. Please note that we do not provide visa sponsorship arrangements so applicants will need to have the right to live and be employed in a permanent job in the UK. 

A flexible role shaped around you 

The role is part-time and would suit a candidate who enjoys face-to-face interactions with young people locally and strategic work regionally, training others for delivery. You’ll maintain weekly connections with the SU Sports Mission team as well as contributing to the wider work of the SU England & Wales team. 

Who we’re looking for team

You are someone who loves variety in your work and thrives on the fact that no two days are the same. You value a blend of face-to-face interaction with children and young people through sports coaching and leading, while also adopting a facilitating approach; equipping, training, and motivating others. You enjoy being rooted in a local context but are also happy travelling and working in a range of settings. 

You’re a connector who relishes being in the community, with experience in leading teams whilst working with diverse groups of people. Your creative mindset, combined with excellent organisational skills, enables you to spot and create opportunities for impact. You love Jesus and are filled with energy and passion for sharing the gospel. You excel with people and thrive when given a blank canvas to drive projects from conception to completion. You are a confident communicator with experience in training, coaching, and empowering others. You have a passion for sport and experience in using this as a tool for sharing the gospel with children and young people. You’ve got a Level 2 coaching qualification or you’re willing to work towards one. 

If this describes you and you would like to join a like-minded organisation that offers the flexibility of an exciting, varied role, provides a competitive salary, a generous pension scheme, and other valuable benefits, then read on.  

Invest in our mission, as we invest in you: Our Benefits: 

• Home-based working
• 23 days holiday + bank holidays + 5 volunteering days 
• Up to 12% pension contribution 
• Life insurance 
• Enhanced family leave. 
• Free Bible Reading Guide 
• A supportive, faith-filled environment where your work has eternal impact 

About Scripture Union  

You might have heard of us before if you're one of the 1.5 million+ who have attended one of our Christian holidays or missions over the years, or maybe you're one of the 40,000+ subscribers to have used our brilliant devotionals or been stirred by our exceptional bible resources. We've been at this for a fair few years... over 150 to be precise. Over this time, we’ve remained passionate about helping children and young people develop a vibrant faith in Jesus. As our name describes, the radical power of God's word has always been central to our approach.    

We still do all the great stuff with resources and holidays, but in the last few years, we have sharpened our vision with a renewed focus to help the 95% of young people (primary and secondary school age) across the UK who have never stepped foot inside a church, to hear and respond to the good news of Jesus. We do this through equipping and resourcing the local church, training up volunteers from local churches (we call them ‘Faith Guides’) and collaborating with local and national partners across the UK to connect with children and young people and support them on a journey of exploring faith in a way that is relevant and meaningful.  

In the last few years we’ve developed a brand new approach to how we do this, it’s deceptively simple and incredibly effective, we call it Revealing Jesus, and its making a massive difference, in the last couple of years we’ve trained up nearly 600 faith guides across 400+ churches all over the UK, collectively we’re seeing over 50,000 young people across the UK on a journey of exploring the Christian faith and responding to an invitation to become followers of Jesus. We have 24 staff organised into four regional mission teams, and alongside our local and national partners, we’re playing our part in a network of organisations that seeks to reach children and young people in every context, across every town and city across the whole of the UK. The journey ahead is significant, and we invite you to be a part of it! 

Since 2015, SU has had a dedicated Mission Through Sport team which contributes directly towards this outreach to the 95. We have recently developed some innovative new resources, aligned with the RJ framework, which the post holder will be involved in both delivering and equipping others to utilise. These include our flagship programme called Holy Ground which empowers churches to adopt a local sports space in their community to connect with the 95 in their context. Half Time is our brand new Explore-Respond resource which uses sports-themed videos and fun games to help the 95 to explore the life of Jesus by journeying through Mark’s Gospel. 

About your team

With this role, you will have the benefit of being part of a national-focused sports team at SU, as well as the Central team with a regional focus. You’ll contribute your expertise in a variety of settings, ranging from urban and suburban to coastal and rural areas across Central England. You’ll have a brilliant time getting acquainted with this rich tapestry of local and national partners.

Closing date: 5th October 2026

Interview date: 21st October 2026

Interview location: Nottingham, venue to be confirmed. 

We invite interested applicants to contact Mark Oliver, Sports Mission Team Leader at Scripture Union, for an informal conversation.