Who is invited?
All leaders and staff that are and will be part of our global team moving forward. We will also be inviting some former staff, key ministry partners, and speakers for different parts of the gathering. All registrations will be coordinated and approved by the Global Executive Team.
What about spouses and children?
We appreciate the many wives or husbands who are hands on and involved in the ministry and/or otherwise enable their partners to serve with Ambassadors. We believe they are a valuable part of Ambassadors and we welcome them to join us for gathering in Germany. Parts of the gathering will be spent all together. Other times wives, families, and children will be offered a separate program and special opportunities (including tourist outings, spiritual events, and relational times together).
Where will we be gathering?
We’ll be in Altenkirchen, Germany at Neues Leben and Sporthotel Glockenspitze. Both facilities are owned by and/or bases of ministry organizations. The hotel is linked to SRS – a German sports ministry organization with several international ties.
Frankfurt International Airport will be the best airport to arrive at for most all of you, however Köln/Bonn airport is even closer if that works better for your travel plans and lower cost.
Why is the gathering in Germany since we don’t have an office there?
In the past our International Leadership Conferences (ILC), the precursor to this gathering, had taken place in various countries. There are many great memories of those ILCs that took place outside of the USA and hosting the ILCs in Cleveland (as with the last two events) had made logistical aspects easier. However, we also learned that meeting in Cleveland imposed limitations on our focus because some people had parallel objectives and commitments that came into play because of the location. We also experienced visa challenges related to the event being in the USA.
Having the gathering in Germany will allow everyone to have more focused time together in and around all of the sessions and other programs. Germany is also more geographically central and easy to reach through many international flights. We trust that visas will be less of an issue also, especially if we begin the processes early.
A symbolic encouragement for us is that Germany will also be celebrating 35 years of unity as a country in October 2024. It was a prayer movement that had helped the dividing wall of Germany to fall. Ambassadors and our prayer partners in Germany and beyond are praying for our overall unity and processes up to the gathering.
Rahel, who will be coordinating the conference and its preparations, is from Germany and has an established network of individuals, partner organizations, and churches that are excited to play a role for this gathering to happen resulting in a greater Kingdom beyond this event. Please pray for those who are going to invest their time, resources, and energy to serve and help us in this way!
What is the “Ambassadors Football Förderverein”?
The Ambassadors Football Förderverein (est. in 2017) enables people in Germany to financially support our works around the world. The funds that are raised are transferred to the International Office on a quarterly basis and distributed as designated.
A Förderverein, also known as a “support association” or “promotional association,” is a type of non-profit organization found in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. “Förder” means support or promotion, and “Verein” means association or club. The primary purpose of a Förderverein is to support and promote a specific cause, institution, organization, or project, in this case Ambassadors Football. Fördervereins operate as separate legal entities. They can raise funds through membership fees, donations, fundraising events, and other initiatives. The collected funds are then used to provide financial support for the supported institution’s activities or to finance specific projects or improvements.
The current board and members of the Förderverein are people from Rahel’s sending church and her broader network of supporters. They look forward to getting to know you all and to hear about our ministry around the world firsthand! As part of this gathering, we are planning a special event for the Saturday, an Expo, where people from surrounding churches are invited to get to know you and our ministry. This will provide opportunities for you all to network and possibly gain new ministry partners and to build overall awareness for Ambassadors in Germany.
How will it work financially?
We will need to raise funds – together.
Flights will be the largest expense for most, depending on your country of origin. Accommodation, meals, ground transportation, and other conference expenses will also add to the overall cost of the gathering.
Generally, everyone/every country is asked to budget for and fundraise for, their own cost (flights + an amount to be determined). Additional fundraising will take place to reduce the overall costs and to subsidize other costs as needed, mainly by Rahel and the “Förderverein”.
Overall, we seek and trust God to provide and make a way for everyone to be there.
If you have any other questions, please reach out to Rahel at: [email protected]