International: Salvation Army teams are on the ball in Brazil ahead of 2014 FIFA World Cup
11 June 2014
Mission teams from North America, Europe and Australia will boost The Salvation Army's teams in Brazil during the 2014 FIFA World Cup which runs from 12 June to 13 July. The 60 volunteers of various nationalities will be present at eight of the 12 host cities to help local Salvation Army teams communicate effectively with football (soccer) supporters from around the world.
The primary objective is to share the gospel message with fans, as well as to share testimonies and be a friendly, approachable presence for supporters who are thousands of miles away from home. The arts will be used to good effect, particularly in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo where the Southern California Youth Band will be ministering, accompanied by a Creative and Theatre Arts team from USA Western Territory. Bandmaster Garry Lawrence, himself a former semi-professional football player, outlines that the team members' desire is to 'share their love of Jesus, of music and of football'.