Athletes urged to run for persecuted church by supporting ‘Challenge 1 000’ campaign

Open Doors South Africa has called on athletes running in the Two Oceans Marathon in Cape Town in April and the Comrades Marathon between Durban and Pietermarizburg in June to support the persecuted Church by participating in their Challenge 1000 project

The project headed by Biblegivers 4THEM, the sports arm of Open Doors South Africa, aims to support Christians who are persecuted because of their faith in Jesus, says Open Doors in a press release.

The Challenge 1 000 slogan, “Run for their lives!”, suggests that participating athletes can run to save and improve the lives of their persecuted brothers and sisters, says Open Doors. “Every step they take will raise awareness about the situation of persecuted believers around the world.”

Athletes who participate in Challenge 1000 are challenged to raise R1 000 for persecuted believers, who live for Jesus in the most dangerous places around the world, thereby strengthening them “to continue to run the race that is set before them”.

Thys Visser, of Biblegivers 4THEM says Challenge 1000 is one of many challenges that can be tackled within Open Doors’ sports arm.

According to Thys, there are numerous innovative ways for atheletes to support persecuted Christians. “Invite your family, friends and congregation to support you with the challenge and make a contribution so that you can reach your target of collecting R1 000. You can even break up the R1 000 into several smaller contributions, for example 10 people who each give R50 or 20 people who each give R100,” he said.

All participating athletes will receive a Challenge 1000 gift pack from Open Doors. Click here for more information and to register for the project, or contact Thys at athlete@opendoors.org.za

Athletes running in the iconic annual Cape Peninsula events, the 56km Two Oceans Marathon on April 13 and the Two Oceans Half Marathon on April 14 are urged to partitcipate in the Challege 1000 project. Likewise, the call to support the persecuted church is made to athletes tackling SA’s premier ultramarathon and the world’s oldest ultra — the Comrades Marathon. which is an 85.9km up-run this year, from Durban to Pietermaritzburg on June 9.

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