United corps use soccer practice to reach others.
Soccer is not the only thing on the minds of the members of The Salvation Army soccer team, comprised of boys from several corps in the Singapore district. The team meets every Sunday at the MRT (mass rapid transit) station at Khatib to practice from 3:30-6 p.m.
Beyond improving their soccer skills, they have an additional goal to use their love of soccer to share the love of God. The sport gives them an opportunity to connect with “pre-believers” and invite friends to share in a sports ministry.
Each session begins with a brief sharing time by a team member, then practice, and ends with a short one-on-one training game.
Future plans include joining forces with other corps and centers that have compatible ministries to facilitate more interaction, bring the church to the people rather than the people to church, and serve to unify the various groups in a ministry. The team also plans to contact another soccer team and invite them to a friendly match once a month.
The soccer ministry is a program of the Singapore, Malaysia and Myanmar Territory’s youth department.