F r a n k f u r t a m M a i n (EBPS) – Christians all over the world are requested to pray for Germany during the Football World Cup. A prayer initiative has been launched by the inter-denominational mission movement “Kickoff 2006”. It intends during the World Cup to approach and witness to foreign and national football fans about faith in Jesus Christ. Pastor Bernd Oettinghaus (Frankfurt am Main), prayer leader of Kickoff, recently introduced the campaign at Prague headquarters of the European Baptist Federation (EBF). EBF-General Secretary Tony Peck assured Oettinghaus that many of Europe’s 800.000 Baptists would take part in the prayers for the spiritual renewal of Germany. Oettinghaus expressed to EBPS the hope that many Christians in Germany would also participate in the campaign. The prayer initiative intends that “Christians will pray for the spiritual transformation of Germany whenever a German stadium appears on the world’s TV screens.” Germany is a mission field and desperately needs to be renewed by God’s love. In many countries God has “entrusted Christians with treasures not now present in Germany”. International mission movements such as Operation Mobilisation, Youth With a Mission, YMCA, Campus Crusade and Youth for Christ have already adopted this appeal.

In Germany the prayer campaign is supported by the German Evangelical Alliance. Its chairman, Peter Strauch (Witten), leader of the Federation of Free Evangelical Churches, declared: „Our creativity in mission must be accompanied by prayer partners.” The Alliance centre in the Thuringian resort spa of Bad Blankenburg will host an international prayer camp for the duration of the World Cup. Prayer is to take place there constantly for a 30-day period. Every two hours an international team is to lead the prayer sessions as it sees fit. Non-football fans are also welcome to participate in the prayer campaign. Oettinghaus hopes „that in Bad Blankenburg that might become visible, which is only invisibly present elsewhere: That nations are partnering in prayer for Germany.“

The prayer initiative plans to set up 24-hour prayer rooms in all 12 World Cup stadiums. There will also be prayer for the 4.300 short-term international missionaries who have already expressed readiness to propagate their faith in Jesus Christ among the stadium crowds. The theologian Oettinghaus is prayer leader for the Evangelical Alliance in Frankfurt am Main and part-time pastor of a Baptist congregation in Kelkheim.

Further information is available under: Prayer@kickoff2006.org.