GIC Tourney: We Value Young People – Lead Pastor

The Lead Pastor of Gate
way International Church, GIC Pastor George Izunwa has said that the ongoing Gateway International church Football tournament in Port Harcourt is furtherance of the Church’s passion for youth and evangelization.
Speaking in a recent parley with Sports journalists in Port Harcourt, pastor Izunwa said that GIC is a Church that is interested in Sports because it values young people.
“We believe in the Youth, we believe that if we reach them and care for what they are passionate about, it will become easy for us to accept their values and introduce jesus Christ to them.
“When you don’t care for what somebody values, you may also not have an open door for reaching that person for what you also value. So, our foray into Sports (football) is to have a plat form for reaching out to the young people and show them the love, the compassion and the care of Jesus Christ”, said the Pastor.
Interestingly, the grassroot football competition being sponsored by the Church is not the first time GIC would be doing something in football. The Church has a standing football team, which, according to the Pastor had won a Rivers State organized competition which qualified it to represent the state in the Governor’s cup in Calabar.
The Lead Pastor stated that the Church would embrace sports and do whatever it takes to spread the gospel and win souls for Christ.
“our values in Gateway are two, passion for God and compassion for people, we’re passionate about God that we tell ourselves that whatever it takes to promote the course of the gospel, we’re ready to do it, provided that it is legal and righteous. So, if sports can open a door for the gospel, our hands cannot be too full to get into it”, he said.
On the usual immoral environment associated with Sports and Sports people, Pastor Izunwa said, “it is a foolish person that goes to fish in a desert, you fish where the fishes are. If you want people to be converted, fish where the unbelievers are you cannot prepare a fish you have not caught. If it takes over going into sports to reach out to unbelievers, bring them in and discipline them, then we’ll do it and Jesus will be glorified.
Meanwhile, the competition which has been going on at the Nkpolu Community Secondary School Port Harcourt has entered the semi final stage with Gateway FC 2  battling Diamond FC today and Mercyland FC confronting Nkpolu community team tomorrow for the right to contest the grand finale next week.