“Why did God take my girlfriend away from me? Where do people go after hell?” asked “Mark.”

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These are the kinds of questions our teams encountered as they shared the Gospel during the FIFA World Cup.

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From June to July, soccer fans from 48 nations gathered across Canada, the United States, and Mexico for one of the world’s biggest sporting events. Our teams didn’t miss the opportunity to bring the hope of Jesus to stadiums, streets, fan festivals, and sports bars, meeting people where they already were and proclaiming the Gospel.

During an outreach in Seattle, “Tony” and “David” from our team struck up a conversation with two young people sitting together after one of the matches.

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“Nathan,” who described himself as agnostic, shared that he had been struggling with anxiety. His friend Mark had grown up around Christianity but admitted he had drifted from his faith. As they talked, Mark began asking honest and difficult questions about faith that had been weighing on his heart.

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Tony and David listened, shared their stories, and pointed Nathan and Mark to the compassion, hope, and forgiveness found in Jesus. After praying for them, they said they felt a peace they hadn’t experienced before.

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A few days later, Tony met up with Nathan and Mark again to spend time together and continue the conversation. It became the beginning of genuine friendships and ongoing discipleship.

While walking downtown in Houston, our team stopped at a sports bar and met “Luke,” a German soccer fan wearing a bright orange shirt covered in signatures from people he had met during his trip. As Steiger team member “Lilly” spoke with him, the conversation turned into a deeper discussion about life, identity, and faith. Luke shared about his family, his work as an engineer, and the things that give his life meaning. The conversation naturally opened a door to talk about faith, and Lilly and the team shared about Jesus, prayed with him, and exchanged contact information to continue the relationship.

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Because of these outreaches across New York City, Seattle, Santa Clara, and Houston:

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- 300+ engaged in spiritual conversations
- 280+ heard the Gospel
- 200+ prayed with a Steiger team member

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But the World Cup was only one glimpse of what God is doing across North America. Over the past year, God has been opening new doors and building momentum for a new missionary movement across the region. Our teams continue to mobilize and equip young people across North America. From the Austin intensive training, where 120 young adults were equipped to share the Gospel, to creative outreaches in cities like Seattle, Houston, Santa Clara, and New York City, God is raising up a generation willing to bring the hope of Jesus beyond church walls.

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God is also opening doors beyond the United States. In Canada, more than 150 participants from 65+ churches and ministries gathered for Winnipeg City Action in July to boldly and lovingly share the hope of Jesus with people who may never walk into a church. Through worship, training, and outreach across the city, participants had hundreds of spiritual conversations, prayed with people, and saw believers discover that sharing their faith can be a natural expression of following Jesus.

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Across North America, God is continuing to open doors and raise up a movement of believers passionate about reaching their generation. Do you want to be part of this Jesus revolution? Join the North America MVMT!‍