VICTORY BEYOND THE CUP: A World Cup Outreach for Teenagers

Victory Beyond the Cup: World Cup Outreach – Teenage Version

This occasion is so big we can only handle it every four years. (It may be because the World Cup only comes every four years, but that’s beside the point!)

If you are planning a World Cup outreach, we strongly encourage you to order the Victory Beyond the Cup kit at victorybeyondthecup.com. The kit provides training, strategy, training videos and materials that will help you put together a meaningful outreach event.

This page is meant to supplement that kit, especially if you are planning something for middle school or high school students. The materials below offer ideas and tools that can help you shape a World Cup event that connects well with teenagers. Together, the kit and these ideas can help you create a fun and impactful outreach.

What Are We Aiming For?

Fun and impact.

The average event will center around three simple things:

the World Cup game
the food, and
the relationships

Start by thinking about a group of people you are already connected to. It could be a team, a school organization, a group of friends, neighbors, your youth group, or another circle of students who already know each other. The goal is to gather people in a relaxed environment where friendships can grow and spiritual conversations can naturally happen.

What Do We Have in This Package?

Games

We recommend offering small prizes for winners. They do not need to be expensive. The point is simply to add energy and fun to the event.

Trivia

There is also a World Cup Trivia game for the audience to guess the answers. One rule that makes it more fun: no phones allowed.

Trivia works great during breaks in the game and helps keep everyone engaged.

Videos and Halftime Program

Halftime is a natural moment to pause the event and turn the conversation toward faith.

During the halftime program, you could:

Share a short personal testimony
Show a video testimony from an athlete
Lead into a clear presentation of the gospel

A helpful place to find athlete testimonies is Iamsecond.com, which includes many powerful faith stories from athletes and public figures.

Gospel Presentation

We recommend using The Four as a tool for presenting the gospel to the friend group.

The Four provides a simple way to explain the message of Jesus and start spiritual conversations with friends. CLICK HERE to find videos and other resources that can help you become familiar with it before your event.

Additional Activities

Not everyone who attends will be fully interested in the game itself. Some students may simply enjoy being with friends. To help those guests stay engaged, consider offering a few extra activities such as:

Mario Strikers League Battle (Nintendo)
FIFA FC or FIFA International on a game system
Human Foosball

These options allow students to participate in the event in ways that feel comfortable for them.

The goal is to gather people in a relaxed environment where friendships can grow and spiritual conversations can naturally happen.

Gaming Centered Party Version

In some groups, students may be more excited about playing soccer video games than watching the actual World Cup match. If that is true for your group, you can still use the momentum of the World Cup by hosting a video game tournament instead.

You could organize a tournament using games like FIFA, Rocket League, or other soccer themed games and create your own “World Cup” competition for the night. Students can compete in teams, advance through brackets, and enjoy the same excitement and friendly competition.

This kind of event can still include food, fun, and a halftime moment where you share a testimony and the gospel.

We have two helpful resources you can use if you want to run a gaming focused version of the outreach:

How to Use the World Cup for a Video Game Tournament – A practical guide for organizing a gaming event around the World Cup.
How Gaming Can Open Doors for Spiritual Conversations – An article that explores how video games can create natural opportunities to talk about faith with students.

Capturing the Moment

When something big captures the attention of the culture, it creates a unique opportunity. Events like the World Cup bring people together, spark excitement, and give us a natural reason to gather with friends. Moments like this can also open doors for deeper conversations about faith.

By using the energy around the World Cup, you can create an environment where students have fun together and also hear about Jesus in a meaningful way. We hope this guide helps you make the most of the moment and create an outreach that students will remember long after the final whistle.

Next Step

Looking for more ways to reach students? Explore GoToTheCampus.com for outreach ideas, student training, Bible studies, and practical resources to help teenagers share the gospel on their campuses.

Check out Gotothecampus.com

Starting Spiritual Conversations

Bringing up spiritual topics can be hard, but it’s one of the most important steps in reaching your friends. If no one starts the conversation, most students will never talk about their faith.

Solarium: A deck of picture cards to help you start conversations about life and God.

Sharing Your Testimony

Your story matters. Sharing what God has done in your life can open hearts and help others realize that faith is personal and real.

How to Share Your Story (article): A step-by-step guide to help you talk about how Jesus has changed your life.

Sharing Your Faith

The gospel is powerful and your friends need to hear it. Learning how to clearly explain the message of Jesus is a huge step in making your faith your own and helping others follow Him.

How to Share the Gospel (article): a step-by-step guide to help you share the gospel with a friend.
Connecting with God Booklet: A short, simple booklet you can read through with a friend to explain how they can know Christ.
The Four Wristband: A wearable tool with four simple symbols to help you talk about God’s love and how to receive Christ.
GodTools App: A free app with interactive ways to share your faith in different languages and styles.

“You don’t have to be perfect to start reaching your school.”

Following Up a New Believer

When someone accepts Christ, they need help knowing what to do next. Helping a new believer grow in their faith is one of the most rewarding things you can do.

Thrive Studies App: Includes the START series—four Bible studies for new believers.

Leading a Small Group

Small groups are a powerful way to build community and help students grow. If you can lead a good conversation, you can lead a small group.

Thrive Studies App: Includes dozens of studies on real-life topics and built-in leader training.

Campus Ministry Training

Reaching students on your campus is one of the most strategic ways to share your faith. Learning a few simple principles can help you start conversations, gather students, and take steps toward building a movement at your school.

Campus Training Videos – Short, practical videos to help you learn how to reach students on your high school campus. These eight trainings cover key topics like meeting students, starting conversations, sharing your faith, and taking simple steps to build a movement.

Other helpful tools

Everystudent.com: articles to help students learn about faith
Gotothecampus.com: ministry training and tools to help you grow your ministry

Next Step

Pick one tool and take a step this week to start a conversation or gather a few friends.

Ask a Coach – Tips from an Expert

Starting a ministry on your campus is an exciting step, but it can also raise a lot of questions. What should you do first? How do you find students who are interested? What if your group is small or things do not go the way you expected?

This is where a coach can help. A campus ministry coach is someone who has experience helping students and leaders start and grow ministries on high school campuses. They listen to what you are facing, help you think through wise next steps, and connect you with helpful tools and resources along the way.

Throughout the Reach Your School Playbook, you will see short insights from coaches who have spent years helping students reach their campuses. This page gathers more of those tips in one place so you can learn from their experience and keep moving forward.

Below are practical coaching tips from leaders who have walked this road before. As you read, look for what applies to your situation right now and take your next step. You can get your own coach by emailing us at coachingcenter@cru.org. We’d love to help.

Starting a ministry on your campus can feel overwhelming, but you do not have to figure it out alone.

Coaching Tips

Ask a few non-Christian friends how they would respond to your ideas, then process those same questions with Christian friends to sharpen your thinking.

Evangelism is the engine of your ministry, and helping students influence others is how you build future leaders.

You don’t have to figure this out alone, there are people with experience who would love to help you gather students and get the word out.

You have rights on campus, learn them, then live them out with confidence.

Many people are looking for something bigger than themselves, so give them a vision worth joining.

You may be walking past someone God is preparing, start a conversation and see what He does.

Pray Scripture, if God says it, you can pray it, and keep prayers short so more people can participate.

Invite a coach to join your team early, it will help you move faster and avoid common mistakes.

Use the tools available to you, there are helpful resources for sponsors, leaders, and teams if you ask.

When meeting with school leaders, bring others with you so it’s clear you’re building something together.

Be curious, kind, helpful, and bold, those four traits open doors.

Work with your school, not against it, staff can often help you more than you expect.

Teams help you reach more people, save time, and build momentum.

If your school allows non-curricular clubs, they must allow a Christian club too.

Use tools and visuals that help people remember and apply what they learn.

Create environments people actually want to be part of, whether on campus or off.

Use social media, simple graphics, and personal invites, everyone plays a role in getting the word out.

Have a clear process for identifying and developing student leaders.

Work within school expectations for roles, but organize your team in a way that actually helps you function.

Start outreach where you already have relationships, teams, clubs, and shared interests.

Use response cards or forms to follow up, gather feedback, and invite people into next steps.

If God is nudging you to take a step, go for it, but bring others with you.

Parents can be powerful allies, don’t be afraid to involve them.

Always have a next step ready so you can invite people while they’re still engaged.

Next Step

Do you have any questions for our coaches? If so, ask your question here, or request a coach for your ministry by emailing us at coachingcenter@cru.org!