Celebrating 100 Years with 311 “GOL” Soccer Balls
 
Paper soccer balls, each representing a $10 donation, decorate the windows of Gallatin First Church of the Nazarene in Gallatin, Tennessee. The children of the church are learning what it means to love Jesus and love others. Twenty children raised $3,110.62 for purchasing soccer balls for global distribution to reach children and youth for Jesus.
 
These aren’t just any soccer balls as the children can explain. The multicolored balls are used to share the gospel: black represents sin, red is the pure blood of Christ, gold represents the holiness of God, white is a pure heart before God, and green is growing in God’s way. Children’s Pastor Greg Nash said, “One second grader explained how and why the soccer balls are needed by sharing the meaning of each color when asking for a donation.”
 
Pastor Nash said, “The focus of the project was to let the kids know that, at their age, they can make a difference.” The kick-off included a contest for the child raising the most money and for the child getting the most individuals to participate. A main emphasis was to let others outside the church know about the project. By the end of the contest, one child said, “It’s not about winning. I did my best. I have to get these balls in the hands of people to tell [others] about Jesus.”
 
These young “world-changers” celebrated their success by praying over the paper soccer balls, each representing a $10 donation, and displaying them on the church windows. The children know the balls will have a global impact on lives changed for Jesus.
 
JESUS Film Harvest Partner’s, Children’s Ministries International, Nazarene Youth International, and Global Mission are joining forces to make the soccer balls a global outreach program. Soccer camps using the “GOL” evangelism balls will be held around the world. In conjunction with the camps, JESUS film teams will show the film and work to establish new mission churches in each location.
 
You can be part of this project by praying for the coordinators of the soccer camps or make a donation to the project by writing “JFHP AHE 1023” in the memo line of your check and mail to JESUS Film, 15055 W. 116th Street, Olathe, KS 66062. Online giving is also available at www.JFHP.org. 

Greg Nash
Gallatin, Tennessee
 
Diane Robbins
JESUS  Film Harvest Partners

Editor’s Note: The following items were used by the Gallatin Church for this successful project. Click the link to download them; or if you receive this in hard copy, they may only be downloaded from the NMI Web site.
 

• GOL Donation Sheet—Each child received one to have people sign up for their donations.
• GOL Donor Flyer—Half-sheet informational sheet explaining how the soccer ball is used and about the children’s project; given to each donor.
• GOL Information Sheet—Detailed explanation of the project for children’s leaders; outlines the project, anticiapted outcomes, how to make it work for each group, and ideas for success.
• GOL Parents Info—Basic explanation of the project distributed to the parents, asking for their help.
• GOL Soccer Ball Colors—What the colors on the soccer ball mean, with scriptures used when witnessing with the soccer balls; given to each child.
• GOL Soccer Ball Stickers—Placed on the containers in which the money was placed.
• GOL Soccer Ball Cutouts—These had the names of donors added (see photo below); the children then prayed over the cutouts, and they were displayed in the church windows.