EVANGELIZE THROUGH SPORT

INTRODUCTION

Kenya Assemblies of God Church is one of the fastest growing churches in Kenya. Since the biggest population in Kenya is the youth, the church came up with a sports ministry which will be an arm to evangelize through sporting activities such as soccer, volleyball, netball, for both boys and girls and any other upcoming games. We have the youth at heart, who happens to be the bigger number in our various local churches.

Today’s youth face many struggles such as religious and cultural, drug, alcohol, sexuality, gags, poverty, broken homes, unemployment and internet gaming. Sports serve as a powerful and effective tool for building relationships and sharing the gospel while at the same time equipping the church to effectively reach out to this generation.

The issue of unemployment being on the rise, many youth have found themselves in wrong group thereby being misled i.e. get involved in drug abuse, joining militias groups.

It is out of such a need in our society the Kenya Assemblies of God, Nakuru District saw this opportunity and wishes to be part of the solution through this programme.

Our department of sports would want to reach out to the youth through sporting activities. Now that our school December holiday will be the longest ever witnessed in our country, sport activities will really be timely as we engages both the school leavers and those who are still advancing in their education, a program for sports for both boys and girls will be of great help through this engagement.

It is for this very noble cause we wish to ask for a sponsorship to enable us run this program which is due to take place in the month of November-December.

Kenya Assemblies of God Church Sports Department is pleased to present this sponsorship proposal for the Nakuru District (Diocese) tournament on 10^th to 17^th December, 2016 at Njoro Stadium. This is an event that is aimed at bringing various soccer teams from within KAG Nakuru District and its environs to participate in a 20 team tournament.

OBJECTIVES

• Impact positively on the lives of our young men and women, through sports.
• Involve our youth in a sporting activity to avoid idleness and create a platform for the youth to showcase their talents.
• To uphold right morals and encourage other young people through the word of God

EXPECTATIONS

• Train and impact the right mindset. By creating and holding leadership training meetings for team captains and assistant's and any other player who will be interested. Our plan is to hold three leadership training meetings
• Enhance creativity and innovativeness. Through holding special presentations during the leadership training program on projects that will be assigned to our trainees
• Set up a global football network. This is a five year objective, as we grow we want to create a league and tournament that will include team from neighboring districts (Dioceses) to come and participate. We want to bring a national look to Nakuru and take it nationally.
• Support young and upcoming football teams in slum areas through football training programs, paying for their entrance to tournaments, buying training equipment for the teams and any other support that they may need.

EVENTS HELD SO FAR

As a church organization we have in past held such activities through friends and church members. We have managed to hold tournaments for soccer, volleyball and netball the years 2006, 2008, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 and last year.

The small contributions which were made went towards purchase of balls, trophies and refreshment and some went towards training of coaches and facilitating of those programmes. To name just but a few places this programme has been conducted in Njoro Township, Ahero, Eldoret, Lumakanda, Western Kenya, Kakamega County.

It was great experience for the young generation and as Kenya Assemblies of God Church Sports Department, despite the challenges faced, we emerged victorious and outstanding. This created a platform to interact with the young people showing them that they have what it takes to mould the future they desire and that limitations are only in their mind.

Last year we held three sessions for coaches which were climaxed with one day tournament whereby teams from Umoja, Lanet, Piave and Njoro sections participated. This was done around Christmas time.

Rev. Hudson Nyando of KAG Njoro and also the District Secretary to Nakuru District has been running this programme since the year 2006 under the umbrella of Sport-reach Ministry. During the PEV the year 2007/2008 he did conduct a tournament whereby 12 teams registered and all fully participated. This was a bridge to reconcile the youths who were part of the violence during this sad moment.

MEDIA COVERAGE

We have a media team in place that will hand photography and video shoots. This will include team photos, game play, crowd activity, personal photos for spectators and player and also shoot interviews as the tournament is going on.

We will have our team on a continuous basis moving around the grounds to capture every single moment and they won't miss any.

The content will be uploaded on social media roughly two to three days after editing the photos and compilation of the photos. If there are any personal photos needed they will be sent via email to the specific people or company

SPONSOR INVOLVEMENT

The main sponsor for our event we shall overall Naming Rights in terms of the Tournament name and Trophy name for that particular event.

We will invite the sponsor to Present awards and make a speech. We will present a special certificate and a team photo to the sponsor.

ZONAL TEAMS

Nakuru District has almost 200 churches which have been grouped into five zones.

• Zone A: Subukia, Kainda, Kabazi, Bahati
• Zone B: Wanyororo, Solai, Kabatini, Engashura
• Zone C: Umoja, Mbaruk,Lanet, Nakuru
• Zone D: Njoro, Elburgon, Piave, Mau West and Salgaa
• Zone E: Kihingo, Naishi, Karogoe, Mau Narok and Gatimu.

These are the areas where these events will take place before doing the final games in December before Christmas time. Every section (Parish) has 10 churches. The youths from these respective sections (Parishes) are encouraged to form groups for the purpose of reaching to their friends who could be among those that get involved in wrong groups as stated above.

During our annual youth conventions at National level, our youth have been participating in these sporting activities. This goes in line with our mission statement. We engage the youth with the love of God inspire to follow Jesus and equip them to serve the world.

By so doing I am pleased to inform you that we have lives transformed through this interaction, moral uprightness and character change by seeing most of these young people come to church and fully participate in the church activities.

WHAT MAKES THE MINISTRY OF SPORT UNIQUE

Church Focus

We believe that God’s primary means of relating to and transforming the world is the church. We therefore are committed to equip local churches within the sections (Parish) to use sports as an effective tool to reach out to the lost (Evangelism)

Church Planting and Missions

Our great mandate is to reach out to the lost. By training local pastors to use sports in church planting whereby cultural and religious barriers are broken and thereby building relationship through sharing the gospel.

Sports provide natural opportunities to share the love and word of God in a non-threatening environment.

This is an ongoing ministry which is not an event but rather a long-term investment in the lives of young people and their families.

Through this we do develop through the church a sustainable evangelistic and discipleship program for those who turn to God (Converted)

At the grassroots that is local church level we focus on sports at recreational level with an aim of not simply playing a given game but rather improve their skills and have fun.

Last but not least, we lay a lot emphasis on training churches which once identified, we take them through a program that will help them reach their respective communities where they live through sports.

Coaching serves as a powerful connection between players and coaches. Being a church initiative we believe Godly coaches when they demonstrate love they will impact the lives of the youth for eternity. Moreover, sports provide a natural environment for discussing character issues and life lessons such as self-control, respect for authority, honest, teamwork and commitment to a cause.

In view of all that has been said, we are making our humble request for sponsorship to help us do more in impacting the lives of these young people. Your support will go a long way to make use of the energy in the young people which they use for destruction during the times of violence or any other time, be channeled in the right direction of identifying and make use of their talents an develop skills. Ours is to change their behaviours through the word of God.

The support which you shall give will go towards;

• Provision of sport materials i.e. balls, jerseys sport boots.
• Funds to conduct training for coaches like those who had held in the past
• Future plans is to have a project where we shall set up a sports academy where during the holiday break of April, August and December the youth can be engaged in sporting activities.
• Since our District (Diocese) covers a big area we are looking forward to have our bus for transport purposes.
• We are also looking forward to have a 5 acre piece of land.