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Spreading the Love of God in Southeast Africa through Soccer

Written by Athletes in Action

May 14, 2013

“We want to have other nations [become] strong enough to be sending countries,” says Paul Ballard, a former professional soccer player and now the national director for AIA Soccer, “It’s not that farfetched to believe countries in Africa could be consistently sending teams to start and sustain ministry.”

Since 1993, AIA Soccer has been sharing the message of Jesus with the soccer community worldwide and, for over 10 years, God has been faithful as they bear witness to an abundance of fruit throughout Southeast Africa, including:

Significant growth of AIA’s soccer ministry
Development of local and national leaders
Doors opening in new cities and countries
Sending shipments of equipment and ministry supplies
The transformation of many souls

AIA is dedicated to helping others in the region discover Jesus, experience the power of the Holy Spirit, and inspire fellow believers to mobilize and perpetuate the cycle.

In a region that lacks the resources for soccer cleats and balls, a large part of the ministry is directed towards training coaches and developing their leadership skills. “We focus on trying to help coaches teach the players the principles to be ‘total athletes’ and how to include spiritual training in their lives as well as athletic training,” Ballard says.

AIA International soccer tours seeks to expose thousands of athletes and children to the life-transforming message of the gospel, and equip leaders of this generation to have an impact for Christ.

AIA is committed to using the universal language of soccer to communicate the most powerful message of all: God’s passionate love for His children as expressed through His Son, Jesus Christ. Thanks to the generous contributions of our donors, we have been able to integrate the gospel into the fabric of the culture of soccer both in Canada and around the world.

If you are interested in supporting AIA’s soccer ministry please visit us online.