Amid the National Summer Games in Saarland, athletes of the Special Olympics, officials, volunteers, and sports fans celebrated an uplifting church service at the Protestant Community Center St. Johann. President Dr. Thorsten Latzel of the Protestant Church in the Rhineland, who is also the sports commissioner of the Protestant Church in Germany, delivered the sermon on the motto "Tailwind from Above."
Attached you will find a press release with a request for consideration.
CAPTION 1-2: Around 40 people celebrated the service at the Protestant Community Center
BU 3: President Dr. Thorsten Latzel (c.) appreciated the participants of the Special Olympics in his speech
Photos: evks/Eulenstein
Best regards
Rieke Eulenstein
Public Relations
Evangelical Church District on the Saar
Goethestraße 29+31, 66538 Neunkirchen (Saar)
Tel. 0681/ 5 30 81
Mobile: 0152 530 577 26
Mail: rieke.eulenstein@evks.de
www.evangelisch-im-saarland.de
Church service for the Special Olympics in Saarland
God tangible in the goosebump moments of sports
Saarbrücken. Amidst the National Summer Games in Saarland, around 40 athletes of the Special Olympics, officials, volunteers, and sports fans celebrated a lively church service at the Evangelical Community Center St. Johann. Many guests wore sportswear; some had just come from a competition, others from Tblisser Platz opposite, from the festival of the inclusive sports event for people with intellectual disabilities.
A church service at a sports event? That fits very well together, said Dr. Thorsten Latzel, president of the Protestant Church in the Rhineland, who led the service. “Sport trains our body, but faith trains our soul,” said Latzel, who is also the sports commissioner of the Protestant Church in Germany. It is only logical to be accompanied by God during sports. God is tangible in sports, emphasized Constanze Göbel from the Saarland working group “Church and Sport.” “You can feel Him in goosebump moments, for example on the tennis court or on the winner’s podium,” said Göbel.
That sport is inseparably linked with great emotions was demonstrated by touching conversations with two Saarland athletes from Lebenshilfe Obere Saar, who spoke during the church service. Christof Olbrich had already won a medal in tennis, but he gave it to another teammate "who was so sad" because he had not won anything. When asked about his inner strength, Martin Hahn (table tennis) said he was sure that his "dad is watching from heaven" during the competitions.
“Tailwind from above” was also emphasized by President Latzel in his speech. There could hardly be a better place for the “summer fairy tale” of the Special Olympics than Saarland, “where people do not allow themselves to be impressed or limited from the outside.” This serves as a role model because no one should limit themselves, not even internally. The Christian faith helps with this. “With tailwind from God, who is always there, we can jump over all walls,” said Latzel.
The athletes of the Special Olympics give others hope through their actions, and many relatives and helpers make the event possible through their commitment. "You are my heroes!" Latzel called out to the participants of the Special Olympics in this spirit.
District cantor Bettina Nonnweiler encouraged the worshippers to sing and clap along with lively songs. The music for the entrance and exit was performed with great applause by the 18-year-old VDM award winner Sophia Brandt on the piano.
