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OUR PASSION GOES BEYOND SOCCER - KICKOFF 2014

The World Cup in Brazil is more than just passion for the sport. There are those who are passionate about life, and the opportunity to, through sports, bring cultures together to transform lives by working in unity. Our Kickoff has brought together hundreds of young people from all over the world to make a difference for Jesus in the context of the largest soccer event in the world.

The Beginning Of It All
Kickoff is an initiative which was launched in November 2005 when leaders of various mission agencies, churches and international sports organizations met to plan outreach and cultural activities for The 2006 World Cup in Germany. The vision of sharing contacts and experiences brought the Kickoff concept to reality and it made The World Cup in Germany more than just another sports event. The movement caught the attention of local media and became a great Christian witness to the whole world.

After the success of the project in Germany, those involved had their eyes on The 2010 World Cup in South Africa, the vision was the same: make The World Cup more than a soccer competition, make it a platform by which the host nation and its visitors would have the opportunity to experience the transforming power of Jesus in their lives. During The World Cup in South Africa, various teams were in schools, universities, and prisons emphasizing to people from all walks of life their real value and their responsibility to share this message with others.

Kickoff and The 2014 World Cup
After its success in South Africa, Kickoff began to prepare for The 2014 World Cup in Brazil. Its goal was to have a presence in all 12 of the host cities. The national coordination office is located in Belo Horizonte - MG, under the supervision of Johan Lukasse.

The current Kickoff initiative is a partnership of several national and international organizations such as: Love Brazil, World Vision, Athletes in Action Athletes of Christ, Play Clean Brazil, Reindeers, Network A Cry for Life, King's Kids Brazil, Gateway Brazil, Gift Box Brazil, Movies Bridge, CBE, Tearfund, Not For Sale, Exodus Cry, 27 Million, Because Justice Metters, Happy Child, Shine Seminar, Rahab, The Freedom App, Photagen X, Jubilee Campaign, MCM and many others.

It has also a partnership with the Faith Comes By Hearing organization that released the Bible.Is application for Smartphones, which allows people to access The Bible in 1110 different written languages and in 700 audio versions. Additionally, Campus a Crusade for Christ has made the Jesus Film and many other videos available to view on Smartphones.

Combating Human Trafficking And Sexual Exploitation
This year's Kickoff will be especially focused on ending human trafficking and sexual exploitation, because it is a major problem during events like the World Cup. We believe that we must act and provide a means for dealing with this type of cruelty, especially because Brazil is already one of the main destinations for sex tourism in the world.

Specifically in Belo Horizonte, our teams will be involved in preventive action through awareness campaigns in the local schools, as well as social and educational activities in the red light district.

Contact Information:
Johan- National Coordinator
Rodolpho- Belo Horizonte Coordiantor
Contacts & Information:
Johan Lukasse - National Coordinator
Rodolpho Bueno - Belo Horizonte city Coordinator

E-mail: ywamkickoff2014@jocum.org.br

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