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By Peter Biggs
VANCOUVER will be in the spotlight next February, with an estimated two-thirds
of the world viewing the Olympics on TV.
Some 300,000 visitors are expected to come in person.
More Than Gold is coordinating the Christian community’s response to this unprecedented opportunity; many expressions of inter-church collaboration are coming up.
Outreach Training
For More Than Gold, a key piece is a series of six identical two-hour Outreach
Training sessions, held in five locations throughout Metro Vancouver/Fraser
Valley.
They will focus on enabling Christians to engage confidently in conversations
with strangers about faith issues. It is known from previous global events that
visitors are extremely interested in talking with locals about local life and
values.
Sponsored by the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association of Canada (BGEAC), the
sessions will be led by David Macfarlane as the main presenter.
Now with BGEAC, he is perhaps best known from his previous position as the very
effective director of national initiatives with The Evangelical Fellowship of
Canada.
Ken Anderson of BGEAC has been seconded to More Than Gold (part-time) and heads
this initiative.
He says, “This is an awesome and unique opportunity to more effectively interact with
friends, family and neighbours – both at the time of the Games and long after.”
Indeed, MTG is hoping that churches and Christians throughout the area,
including all those involved at any level in MTG, will grasp this opportunity for training.
Bulletin insert masters (both colour and black and white) can be downloaded from
morethangold.ca. Churches are encouraged to include this insert in their
bulletins prior to the gatherings nearest them.
The sessions will be held as follows:
• Surrey – Sept 25, 7 pm at Cedar Grove Baptist Church, 10330 144 St.
• Richmond – Sept 26, 9 am at Richmond Pentecostal Church, 9300 Westminster Hwy.
• Vancouver – Oct 16, 7 pm or Oct 17, 9 am at Broadway Church, 2700 Broadway.
• Abbotsford – Nov 13, 7 pm at Northview Community Church, 32040 Downes Rd.
• Langley – Nov 14, 9 am at Christian Life Assembly, 21277 56th Ave.
Resources
At these events, important resources will be available, for use at the time of
the games.
• Those involved with More Than Gold will be seen as a significant expression of
the Christianity in our city. In order to help them be identified, MTG
organizers are providing jackets, hats, scarves and umbrellas, all with the
distinctive coloured ‘snowflake’ logo on them.
The quality of these items is high, and their usefulness ongoing. MTG will be
selling these at only a little above cost to participants in More Than Gold.
The volunteer’s package includes a jacket with a zip-in vest, toque, scarf, carry bag and
umbrella, and sells for $200. In previous games the ‘More Than Gold’ logo has opened up many opportunities for meaningful conversations.
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• In addition to ‘wearing the ministry,’ MTG participants will be encouraged to present the Word. Canadian Bible Society
has made available an array of gospel literature. New Testaments, Gospels of
Mark and a magazine entitled Book of Hope will all contain athletes’ testimonies, as will a handy 36-page Pocket Guide.
• The number one event at every Olympics is pin trading. The colourful More Than
Gold pin will be a valuable tool in fostering conversations that count. Pins
are available for 65 cents each, in lots of 100 or more.
All the resources can be ordered online at www.morethangold.ca > Resources.
Sports Working Group
More Than Gold’s Sports Working Group is headed by Dave Klassen (the national director of
professional ministry for Athletes in Action). He is also chaplain for the B.C. Lions.
With over 20 years of experience in sport-related ministry, he is working with
representatives from a number of denominations. They are developing four
specific initiatives to be ready by the end of September.
• Life Series Curriculum – a six-session DVD. The DVD contains a one-minute introduction and a two-minute
athlete’s testimony (by athletes such as Cindy Klassen). Topics: destiny , meaning, struggle, perseverance, identity, encourage.
The overall theme is drawn from the life of Moses, and Bible studies are
attached. There is also a printed study guide. A trailer will be posted on
MTG.ca by the end of September.
• Sports Initiatives – kids games. This is a program, complete with online curriculum and instructions,
you can run in your church. Many church groups do not know how to run sports
camps; Athletes in Action can provide personnel and guidance.
• Group Events – MTG will help provide an athlete of stature who can visit a community or church
at the time of a MTG initiative, such as a large screen event, to which the
community is invited. Go to MTG.ca to find a speaker request form.
• beyondtheultimate – a website targeted at enquirers on which Christian athletes answer questions of
life and help visitors to explore common challenges and issues.
A church will be able to download invitation cards to any event with a notable
athlete on the cover. This site will available by the end of September.
Klassen is clear: “Not just athletes have a platform to communicate. Each of us has a platform. Are
we going to show up to our neighbours in our communities? We want to create
tools to enable people to be community influencers, not teaching people to
perform but to engage others.”
September 2009
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