Our church has an 11 a-side football team – Bill Quay Community Church FC. We play in the Northeast Christian Fellowship League on a Saturday morning. This sees us competing in both league and cup competitions against other church teams in the Northeast of England. Our travels take us as far north as Blyth and as far south as Stockton.
We have been playing for 4 seasons and have around 30 players signed on with a core of 15 players who play each week. The ethos of both league and team is to provide churches with :
- Outreach opportunities through football
- To use football as a means of Christian fellowship
- To use football as a means of representing a positive Christian witness
- To encourage one another to experience a greater understanding of God’s love
- To encourage pastoral care through practical support and prayer
Our team consists of a majority of non-Christians, so it is a fantastic vehicle to invite players to church events and find out more about the work we do and to introduce them to the gospel. Recently well-attended events have been the annual TEAR Fund Quiz.
As a club we focus on enjoying playing together as a team, respecting each other, the opposition and league officials and always reinforcing the ethos of the league. We are a mid-table team that individuals really enjoy playing for and our best results have come when we play with a real sense of enjoyment and smiles on our faces.
We are currently finding it difficult to find a regular home pitch due to their scarcity in Gateshead so, if you know of anyone who might be able to help please contact the church via email – billquaycommunitychurch@gmail.com