A gospel goal for the World Cup

Thanks to your support, John’s Gospel and copies of the New Testament in 14 different languages will be distributed during the World Cup finals that kick off in Qatar on 20 November.

These Scriptures will be given to migrant workers who have toiled to prepare the country for FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 as well as to football fans visiting the region for the event.

Human rights groups have repeatedly raised concerns about the treatment of migrant workers in the Gulf region. Thanks to your support the Bible Society team in the Gulf is providing these workers with Scriptures as well as training pastors and supporting churches.

Migrant workers – mostly from Nepal, Bangladesh, India and the Philippines – had been toiling in brutal heat building stadiums and other infrastructure and enduring poor living conditions in labour camps. There have been reports of unpaid wages, 18-hour shifts and a significant numbers of injuries and deaths, according to The Times. Some workers have been paid as little as £1 an hour, reported The Daily Mail.

A growing number of these migrant workers, though, are rediscovering hope by encountering Jesus in the Scriptures and churches in the Gulf region are flourishing.

You can give the Bible to a migrant worker today
Donate now

The Bible Society team in the Gulf is now intensifying outreach to the 1.8 million Bangladeshi, Nepali, Indian, and other migrant workers in Qatar who have been constructing eight World Cup stadiums, expanding the Hamad International Airport, building Qatar Rail, and even building a new city, Lusail (which houses one of the stadiums).

‘Our mandate as a Bible Society is to light hope, care, and love in the hearts of thousands,’ said Dr Hrayr Jebejian, the General Secretary of Bible Society in the Gulf.

‘The 2022 FIFA World Cup is an amazing opportunity for Bible Society in the Gulf to spread the good news of the gospel to thousands. The plan is to reach migrant workers and World Cup international visitors through the distribution of the Gospel of John and the New Testament in Arabic, English, French, German, Hindi, Italian, Malayalam, Nepali, Portuguese, Sinhala, Spanish, Tagalog, Tamil and Telugu,’ Hrayr said.

The Scriptures were shipped to Qatar from England.

‘This is a tremendous chance for the Bible Society in the Gulf to reach lonely, depressed, and troubled people – workers and visitors – with the comforting and life-giving word of God,’ added Hrayr.

Give Scriptures to workers in the Gulf