25 May 2006

2006 FIFA World Cup of Soccer™ Evangelistic Campaign largest international mission team event in the Army's history

Die Welt zu Gast bei Freunden (direct translation: The World as Guest with Friends; English motto: A Time to make Friends) is the motto of the 2006 FIFA World Cup of Soccer™ being held in Germany from 9 June – 9 July. The world is indeed coming to this great land - four million football fans and 15,000 journalists are expected to flood German soil during the four-week competition. The 12 Host Cities (Munich, Cologne, Gelsenkirchen, Dortmund, Hannover, Hamburg, Leipzig, Nuernberg, Kaiserslautern, Frankfurt, Stuttgart, Berlin) will be on the world stage as players from 32 nations spin their magic on the pitch during this 64-match classic.

Die Welt zu Hause bei Familie (The World at Home with Family) could well be the motto of The Salvation Army Germany and Lithuania (Die Heilsarmee / Isganymo Armija – www.heilsarmee.de) as we host the largest international mission team event in the history of our movement; 85 Salvationists representing 13 Territories/Commands (Australia Eastern, Canada, Korea, Singapore, Malaysia and Myanmar, USA Southern, USA Western, Italy, France, Norway, Iceland and The Faroes, Sweden and Latvia, UK with the Republic of Ireland, Southern Africa, Switzerland, Austria and Hungary) and four Zones will minister in 12 teams, helping local corps and institutions make Jesus and die Heilsarmee better known.

With tremendous support from the Kickoff2006 Evangelistic Network (www.kickoff2006.org) die Heilsarmee has organized the largest single sustained evangelistic campaign of its 120-year history (since 1886 in Stuttgart). An inspired suggestion in early July 2005 was quickly endorsed by the Territorial Commander, Colonel Horst Charlet, and Chief Secretary, Lieut-Colonel Odd Berg. With oversight from the Secretary for Evangelism, Major Hans-Goeran Andersson, the ball got rolling. From the 12 host cities the leadership chose eight in which to focus the campaign: Cologne, Gelsenkirchen, Dortmund, Hamburg, Berlin, Leipzig, Nuernberg and Stuttgart. During the past 10 months contact has been made with other Salvation Army and international sports ministries. A six-person mission team travelled to the Turin Corps, Italy, during the 20th Winter Olympic Games, to gain first-hand evangelistic experience at a major sport event. 80,000 copies of the evangelistic “World Cup Special” War Cry (including a match schedule) have been printed in German/English. We are ready!

Now while we - along with the rest of the world - wait, die Heilsarmee is praying that this 2006 FIFA World Cup of Soccer™ Evangelistic Campaign will have an eternal impact for the Kingdom of God and that our international 'family' will truly feel at home while we minister together in Germany. Please pray with us!
 

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