SportsLife Leadership is expanding into the Brazilian jiu-jitsu community with a new devotional available in both English and Portuguese. This unique resource was developed using foundational writings from SportsLife’s CrossFit materials. Anderson Couto, Country Leader for Brazil, and David Said, Jiu-Jitsu Field Leader, collaborated to create this ministry tool.

“Anderson did an amazing job translating the existing material into Portuguese,” Said remarked. “I helped adjust some language to fit the jiu-jitsu perspective, but most of the work was Anderson’s.”

Couto joined the team in November and has quickly realized a five-year dream of creating a resource that will impact the ten nations where Portuguese is the official language, including Brazil, Portugal, Angola, Mozambique, Guinea-Bissau, and Macau.

“The devotional is designed to disciple coaches and guide them in sharing the Gospel with their athletes. It helps bring the church’s liturgy to the mat.” – Anderson Couto

Featuring quotes from notable figures in jiu-jitsu, the devotional addresses foundational biblical teachings aimed at leading readers into genuine discipleship.

“We aim to connect athletes and coaches to the Bible and the teachings of Christ,” Couto added. “While they train their bodies and improve their skills in the gym, we also want to nurture their spirits.”

The 12-part devotional covers key biblical topics including one that Couto said hits hard amongst jiu-jitsu athletes and coaches.

“Identity is a significant issue in this world,” Couto noted. “What is your belt color? How many medals do you have? What championships have you won? We want to show them that their identity is not based on accomplishments, but that it comes from God, who has a greater purpose for them.”

Couto envisions expanding the devotional to 48 sessions to cover most of the year. He also aims to develop a similar resource for soccer, which would be beneficial in Brazil.

Said has plans for the devotional as well, including translating it into Greek. For now, he and Couto hope to distribute at least 5,000 copies of the current edition this year. Their first opportunity arose in January at the European IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu Championships in Lisbon, Portugal, marking the beginning of the resource’s international reach.

“I recently reconnected with a friend from Brazil I’ve known since I was 15“He’s a Christian trying to serve God through sports.” – David Said

“The devotional has allowed me to support him in his ministry efforts,” Said shared. “This is just one example of how impactful this resource can be in the hands of sports ministry leaders in the Brazilian jiu-jitsu community.”

“I have a contact in Brazil who has known me since I was 15 years old,” Said added. “We recently got in touch again through social media. He is a Christian and he’s trying to understand how to serve God through sports. He’s been doing this by himself in Brazil and this devotional book has given me the chance to support him and serve him in his ministry efforts. That’s just one example of how powerful this kind of resource will be once placed in the hands of sports ministry leaders within the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu community.”