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DALLAS During the first weekend in August, under the grueling Texas sun, hundreds of people from Hindu religious backgrounds gathered at a soccer field in Dallas, united by a common love for the game. But the event was not merely about playing soccer.
Despite the heat, about 200 players participated in a two-day soccer tournament, organized by New Life Family Church (NLFC) in Dallas.
While walking through the neighborhoods of their North Dallas community, NLFC leaders noticed many Nepalese-speaking neighbors playing the game in parks, yards and streets.
“I found soccer is a bridge to reach out to these wonderful people groups in the city here,” said one NLFC Leader.
Dan Acharya, a missions strategies associate for the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention, and his wife lead a church for Hindu-background Christians in North Dallas, and together with their church leaders, they began organizing the annual soccer tournaments as a way to get to know more Hindu neighbors, in hopes of sharing the good news of Jesus with them.
“Every time I go out into the community, the elderly people and the young adults, the teenagers, the kids, always talk about playing soccer. I thought maybe I should start using this as an outreach event so people can come together and I can share the love of Christ with them,” Acharya said.
This tournament attracted players from across age groups and from cities across the Dallas area. While teams played, Acharya said he had the opportunity to talk with spectators, sharing the gospel with them and offering prayer.
“Many times (Hindu people) don’t really feel comfortable coming to a church building, but if you go out and tell them in their context, in their interest, wherever they are, using soccer as a tool to gather them together, they are feeling so comfortable and they talk so openly,” he said.
The tournament also created an opportunity for the Hindu community to see unity and selfless service displayed through the church.
“Every individual, every NLFC leader came and joined and donated. It was very active involvement. The Hindu people saw that as a very good example of working together, working as one body. They really liked that because that doesn’t happen in the context where we are serving,” Acharya said.
Through making connections at the soccer tournament and other outreach events, relationships begin to form.
“They really appreciated being invited. Then they invite us to come to their houses, and we talk more about why and how we do this, and what makes us do this. And I say, ‘This is all because of the love of Christ,’” Acharya said.
“We are very much well received by our community,” Acharya added. In addition to engaging in conversations about the gospel, several families who participated in the soccer tournament even visited his church the following Sunday.
“Even though they are not accepting Christ yet, that’s the way they will. They will slowly begin to realize salvation belongs to Christ,” Acharya said.
As the Hindu community in Dallas continues to grow, Acharya hopes his church’s desire to see more of them follow Jesus also will grow, and they will be able to reach their neighbors with the good news of Jesus.
“Jesus commands us to go out and preach the gospel and bring people to Christ. … In the future, I want to see every one of them come to know the saving power of Jesus Christ, and be the one body of Christ,” he said.
Acharya plans to continue using soccer as a way to achieve that goal among his Hindu neighbors and hopes to see the tournaments expand their reach.
“I really want to promote it not only in Dallas but beyond Dallas. There are so many Hindu communities around the state.”
