Just Do It: Georgia mega-church pastor teaches youth to dream big and invest in Nike
A mega-church pastor in Georgia encouraged the youth in his congregation to don their best Nike get-ups during yesterday’s church service, which he called: “Just Do It Sunday.”
The Rev. Wilbur T. Purvis III, pastor of the 3,000-member Destiny World Church in Austell, Ga., was celebrating Nike’s decision to make Colin Kaepernick the face of its “Just Do It” 30th anniversary campaign. In addition to requesting his congregants wear Nike, Rev. Purvis announcing the church is sponsoring an essay contest for high school students where the top three winners will receive Nike stock worth a combined $1,000. Quickly, others in his congregation stepped in and the total amount for the contest is now $3,000.
“This was to show our appreciation for the Nike deal with Kaepernick,” Purvis told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “I felt like it was a win for everybody. Of course, we’ve been pulling for Colin all along. When you take a bold stance, it’s not always popular. … A deal for Colin is a deal for our community.”
This is also to encourage young people to dream big.
Rev. Purvis owns a barber shop, a cigar lounge and is a real estate investor, according to the news article. He wants to teach young people how to become owners and not just consumers.
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“For many kids, the number one goal in life is to be a professional football player or to be in the NBA,” Purvis told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “But that’s not the only way to acquire wealth. There are other ways to do well in life than just playing ball. We can buy stock and become investors.”
For the essay contest, students will write about their wildest dreams or what they hope to accomplish in life. Several teachers, who are also church members, have stepped up to judge the essays.
