ON Good Friday, Kevin Cavanaugh of Hope-Vancouver issued what he termed an “invitation challenge” regarding the 2010 Winter Olympics.

“It’s time for the church of Jesus Christ to rise up, with the greatest display of unity and oneness the Lower Mainland has ever seen,” he declared.

Cavanaugh exhorted Christians “to release good works in Olympic proportion throughout the region and the world during the Olympics. The time has come for our light to shine and so that our Father in heaven will be glorified in our land.”

He noted “the eyes of the world [will] be on Vancouver over the Olympics.” In response, he said, he hopes to see churches join together to fill Vancouver’s B.C. Place stadium with praise and worship. The stadium is to be the first indoor venue used for the opening and closing ceremonies of the Olympics.

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Cavanaugh is head of one of Surrey’s leading churches, Cedar Grove Baptist. He is also active in coordinating the Church of Surrey – a relational network of churches throughout the city, which conducts initiatives with other municipal pastors prayer groups. Cavanaugh says he has received encouragement for his 2010 initiative from other leaders.

He says he got the idea last summer while visiting his son in Australia. There, he experienced a Hillsong worship conference which was attended by more 36,000 people, with 77 nations and 50 denominations represented.

He was inspired  to consider the impact of such an event in Vancouver, especially as the world looks on in 2010.                      

– Peter Biggs

May 2007