By using one of the most popular sports in the world, Ambassadors in Sport (AIS) spreads the gospel to thousands of people throughout the world by playing soccer. Founded in 1990, AIS, whose world headquarters are located in Twinsburg, Ohio, finds the soccer field to be a common battle ground that helps build trust and develop relationships. "When you're battling out there and one of your guys gets kicked, and you go alongside him and pick him up, you're building trust on the soccer field that starts to build trust off the field," explains Matt Pheneger, Parkside member and coach with AIS. "The ideas of teamwork, training, being disciplined, persevering, running towards a goal, those are all biblical ideas and through soccer we can illustrate all of those concepts."
In a few weeks, Parkside Church will host an AIS soccer camp for boys and girls, ages 6 to 16, where kids can learn and hone their soccer playing skills under the watchful instruction of highly skilled coaches from around the world. "We have coaches coming from Southeast Asia, the United Kingdom, Brazil, and all over. Last year, we had 16 different countries represented. It's a unique experience," says Matt, who has also worked in AIS' office in Spain.
Worldwide Reach
While AIS might be best known locally for it's summer soccer camps, their ministry is worldwide. With offices and satellite workers in 14 countries, AIS trains coaches and players throughout the world in an effort "to see indigenous football ministry in every country and people group, empowering the Church to engage the football culture at every level, leading to the transformation of individuals and communities through the power of the Gospel." From week-long soccer camps to daily prison ministries to professional exhibition team tournaments, AIS uses soccer and its mass appeal to develop relationships. Matt, who first started his international soccer ministry in 1995, remembers what it was like to visit post-Soviet Russia. "They were just coming out of communism, on the brink of deciding whether to go back into communism or not. It was an interesting time to see people respond to the Gospel because you spent 90 minutes kicking the ball with them."
Professionals, Too
Matt also notes the power of connecting with people by playing the sport they love. With the professional teams, AIS draws out teams who are eager to compete against a foreign team. "Over time, we'd play the same teams over again and form relationships with people." But Matt also points out that developing relationships means being involved in people's lives. "I think it's easier to be involved with programs and to put on programs to let people come in, share with them, and then go away. We really need to be about being in people's lives. That's what we're trying to get across. The events open doors and provide an opportunity to meet people, but you really need to get involved."
Getting Involved
Another way that AIS gets involved is through their prison ministries, particularly in South Africa, through a program called Hope Academy. On a daily basis, Hope Academy goes into a prison cell block where young offenders, many of whom are awaiting trial and have yet to be convicted of a crime, are given the chance to participate in the soccer program. They are given a strict set of rules to follow and are then allowed to practice soccer for several hours a day, and then take part in a Bible study. "Some guys that have been released have gone back into their communities and started soccer teams to give the kids something to do, something to focus on to stay out of trouble," adds Matt. "Recently, the department of corrections in South Africa has asked that these Hope Academies be established in as many prisons as possible."
Locally, AIS is working toward more outreach. In addition to their youth soccer club that brings out about 200 kids playing premier soccer, for the most advanced players, AIS has started some smaller, grassroots clubs with Urban Vision in Akron, and The Park in Chagrin Falls. "Our local ministry is a work-in-progress," explains Matt. "We've primarily been focused on our international work, but we do see the value of it happening here in the States and want to continue to develop it."
Not All Fun and Games
But sports ministry is not all fun and games. "Each country is different and our coaches are dealing with different issues. In Haiti, we've done a lot of training on basic nutrition because that's what they're dealing with. In Africa, there's a lot of poverty, and in South Africa, HIV/AIDs is very serious," notes Matt. "So in addition to giving them a strong biblical foundation, we also give our coaches practical, social awareness.
How You Can Pray
Please pray for the camp that Parkside is hosting, as well as all of the other area camps taking place. Particularly, we are looking for opportunities to invite friends and family that like soccer, but wouldn't normally set foot in a church. We'd love to have them at the camp.
Also, AIS has a lot going on relating to the World Cup in South Africa, so we ask for prayers to help churches with the outreach during that time and thinking about soccer ministry well beyond 2010.
Please pray for us as a mission as we continue to seek God's will and put the pieces in place to see this vision fulfilled and to do it well.
Article and photos by Julie Hahn
