As North Texas prepares to host nearly 4 million fans next month for the World Cup, churches in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex are gearing up to reach them for Christ.

From June 11 through July 19, the FIFA World Cup 2026 will feature 48 teams and nine matches in the region — the most of any of the 16 FIFA host cities — including a semifinal at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.

While Dallas previously hosted World Cup matches in 1994 at the Cotton Bowl Stadium, this year’s 35-day fan festival is expected to draw upwards of 3.8 million fans to the area, along with as much as a $2 billion economic boost, according to city projections.

For local churches, however, those numbers could also lead to reaping a spiritual windfall as well.

Southern Baptists of Texas Convention (SBTC), a “confessional network” of over 2,800 churches across the state, are ramping up preparations to help local churches either host or get involved with outreach events in the region.

Calling the World Cup a “once-in-a-generation opportunity to reach the nations with the hope of the Gospel right here in our state, SBTC has launched training events in both English and Spanish at several churches since April, including Lamar Baptist Church in Arlington and Champion Forest Baptist Church in Houston.

In addition to helping pastors prepare logistically with tailored outreach methods, networking and building a “step-by-step plan” to engage their communities during the World Cup, SBTC also has a few resources for those independent evangelists who plan on sharing Christ at the Cup.

One of those is a time-honored tactic of speaking to the heart by appealing to the belly.

Inspired by Forgotten Ministries, a local missions and para‑ministry based in Oklahoma, SBTC is urging evangelists to host a “TellGate,” a door-to-door evangelism strategy where a team can purchase a grill to walk through a neighborhood and grill hot dogs for the community.

“As the team moves down the street, they can stop at each house to offer free hot dogs, share the Gospel, pray with residents and invite them to church,” according to a SBTC guide. “This is a great way to get to know your community while also having gospel conversations.”

Another suggested evangelism method is the “E-Ball Soccer” strategy, which uses familiar soccer concepts to communicate principles found in Scripture. Using a multi-colored “evangelism soccer ball” — or “E-Ball” — participants use dribbling, shooting and other drills to help explain the Gospel message.

One of the suggested tactics is to use the origins of the rules of soccer to point children to the Word of God and the divine origin of His laws.

A pamphlet shared by SBTC includes suggested teachings such as, “The Bible is God's rule book for our lives. In it, we learn what we are supposed to do. We see how we are supposed to act. God's rules were not decided on by a group of men. God gave His rules when He spoke to some of His special team members a long time ago. He spoke and they wrote.”

The SBTC also suggests using the Yellow Card Initiative, which plays off the yellow card used by soccer referees to warn players when they have committed a violation of the rules. Under the Yellow Card Initiative, FIFA World Cup-themed yellow and red cards are used to “illustrate sin and how it can cause us eternal separation from God if we don’t repent and give our lives to him.”

For more information on how to join evangelism efforts at the 2026 World Cup, click here.

News Source : https://www.christianpost.com/news/southern-baptists-of-texas-offer-world-cup-evangelism-tips.html