The urgency to share the Gospel is greater than ever before, but we know God is even bigger than the need and we trust Him to provide ways to share His Truth with others around the world. One of these ways is in the Balkan Region where we began reaching Albanian-speaking people in Albania and Kosovo in 2015 and then expanded the ministry in 2023 to include a Macedonian language broadcast in North Macedonia. This year we are excited about the plans that are underway to expand the ministry even more, and we are inviting believers to make an eternal difference there by joining the Race to Share the Gospel from wherever they are in the world.
Through an innovative virtual challenge, participants are invited to run, walk, bike, hike, or even swim 13 miles in 16 days, earning badges at Milestone Markers as they go, which unlock prayer suggestions for real people at real locations along a virtual race path by recording their progress. This year’s map will take them through the city streets of Tirana, Albania, allowing us to virtually flood the city with prayer. For each recorded mile participants log on their Race page, one Milestone Marker with prayer suggestions will be unlocked, as their icon-person moves along the virtual race path to show where they are in the city.
In addition, new this year, we are holding two in-person events at our Race Kickoff at Norlo Park in Fayetteville, PA. We will begin the morning with a 1-Mile Fun Run/Walk led by one of our ‘boots on the ground’ Albanian pastors who will be in attendance that day. Following the Fun Run, we will hold our first ever in-person 5K Run/Walk race. While both of these require an entry fee, the Kickoff Event itself is free to attend and will provide FUN, FOOD, and FELLOWSHIP, along with door prize drawings for those in attendance.
This year’s fundraising goal is $15,000 which will directly benefit outreach in the Balkan Region of Eastern Europe, and we invite you to help make an eternal impact on the lives of millions in that area of the world by participating or giving toward our goal. The Race Kickoff Event will be held on Saturday, April 27, with the Virtual Challenge kicking off that day and going through Sunday, May 12.
There are still millions of people who are longing for the peace that only Christ can give, and we are determined to share His love in any way we can. We are excited by the outreach we have around the world and want to include our supporters in any way we can. Holding a virtual and in-person race gives fellow believers the opportunity to join in and raise awareness of what God is doing worldwide.
This year’s expansion plan is to take the Gospel into additional Balkan countries including Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, and Serbia, plus add more programming in North Macedonia. These regions consist of a multitude of related ethnic groups and religions, despite being independent countries. Unfortunately, the region has suffered brutal wars and ethnic cleansing that have caused many people throughout the region to not have access to the Christian message. Our goal is to produce a series of television programs specifically designed to share the Gospel with each ethnic group. The audio from these programs will also be edited and formatted for broadcast on radio stations in each country to enable more people to receive the message of hope in Christ.
The ‘Race to Share the Gospel’ is a fun and interactive way for our supporters to get involved in our ministry and actively pray for our continued outreach in these vital regions, and we invite you to join us. No matter the method, it’s our goal to continue to share the Good News to those who are desperately seeking the hope that can only come from Christ.