Originally published in Christian Today
Evangelism and discipleship ministry Cru is hoping to mobilise 10 000 churches to spread the Gospel during this summer’s World Cup taking place in the US, Canada and Mexico.
Cru is partnering with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA), Alpha USA, I Am Second, TryPraying and other organisations to equip churches and individuals to use the World Cup to host events and gatherings that can lead to “lasting Gospel conversations”.
The campaign, called Victory Beyond the Cup, will see churches and individuals provided with physical and digital kits on hosting events. The kits cover everything from prayer cards, to conversation starters, to food recipes.
Heather Reddy, executive director of Victory Beyond the Cup, said: “With so many people interacting with the World Cup, whether watching with friends, checking scores, or even attending a game in one of the United States’ host cities, the opportunity for Gospel impact is too large to miss.
“By removing barriers and making it easy to host and be involved, our hope is that we will see a lasting change, one that persists long after the winner is crowned.”
The initiative is not the first time Christians have used the World Cup as a Gospel opportunity.
During the 2018 World Cup in Russia, Mission Eurasia was involved in a major campaign that saw 400 churches host live screenings and hand out 500 000 pieces of evangelistic literature, including Russian Bibles.
Similarly during the World Cup in Brazil in 2014, The Salvation Army deployed mission teams and volunteers from all over the world to share the Gospel and provide local support for communities on the ground.
Other Christian campaigns have focused on some of the less savoury aspects of the World Cup. In Germany 2006 many churches and Christian organisations joined campaigns raising concerns about prostitution and sex trafficking.
At the time Germany had recently legalised prostitution and official prostitution zones were set up to cater to fans during the competition.
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