‘Godzone Tour’ in Slovak and Czech cities reaches 37,000

The six-day Godzone evangelisation tour, themed “Welcome to Freedom,” visited 6 Slovak and Czech cities and drew 37,000 people. Bratislava set a record: in the tour’s 17-year history, it hosted the largest gathering in one place, with over 9,000 participants hearing the gospel.

The Godzone Tour programme consists of music and dance performances, personal testimonies, video productions, and drama. The aim is to reach out to young people in Slovakia and Czechia with the gospel, showing them who Jesus is in a modern way.

Almost a year of preparation culminated on 20–25 October, when 18 lorries and vans with equipment, 87 cars and 400 team members (mostly volunteers) arrived first in Košice, then in Poprad, Žilina, Brno, Bratislava and Banská Bystrica – always at one of the local sports halls or stadiums.

Admission was free for all the events.

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The Bratislava programme was opened with a video greeting from the mayor of the city, Matúš Vallo. The Godzone Tour is supported by cities, regions, and Roman Catholic bishops of local dioceses.

“The opening dance and theatre performance introduced visitors to the theme ‘Welcome to Freedom.’ It depicted the story of the adulterous woman and the acceptance that Jesus brings”, said Tomáš Coufal Jr., who participated in Godzone in Bratislava, to the magazine Život víry (Life of Faith).

“The programme radiated a desire to appeal to different generations. The production chose songs of praise from different eras. A wide range of performers took turns on stage. The frontman of the band Timothy, Marian Lipovský, and the orchestra—which also accompanied the band eSPé in the second half—were very well received. For many, this was a spiritually powerful moment. It emphasised the human need for silence, which is so rare today, for encountering God. When the ten-thousand-seat hall fell silent for prayer, a large cross emerged from the stage to the sound of strings.”

The evening also included a screening commemorating Pope Francis's speech during his last visit to Slovakia, during which he emphasised the importance of spiritual freedom. “Although the programme may seem too liberal to many, I think the organisers’ goal was clear: to give viewers the opportunity to leave behind their human perspective and look at the message of Jesus in new ways. The expression of the word ‘freedom’ was thus truly broad,” adds Coufal.

This year, the programme expanded beyond evening events in sports halls: the organisers visited primary and secondary schools as well as people on the margins of society. As a result, up to 5,400 pupils heard the gospel, and volunteers from the charity team visited around 200 senior citizens, homeless people, and women who have suffered abuse in the past, whom they tried to help practically and support spiritually.

The gospel was also heard in Slovak public squares – according to the organisers’ statistics, about 2,500 people heard it in this context, 150 of whom decided to give their lives to Jesus.

Godzone is a civic association, fundamentally Catholic, but Christians from other confessions collaborate with it. Its director is Július Slovák, leader of the SP community and frontman of the band eSPé.

This article was first published by the Czech magazine Život víry and translated with permission.

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