Olympic Facts
February 12 – 28 & March 12 – 21, 2010
9 competition sites
3 training sites
11 non-competition sites
59 support sites
80 VANOC sites
5,500 athletes and officials
80+ countries in main games
40+ countries in paralympic games
10,000 media representatives
3 billion worldwide TV viewers |
IT IS expected that more than 500,000 people will visit
Vancouver during the Olympic Games. Churches, denominations, ministries and
individual Christians recognize the opportunity to serve and welcome them.
More Than Gold (MTG) is an organization which is
coordinating at least 10 denominations, and hundreds of churches, to
facilitate a number of events and services throughout Metro Vancouver. They
have also established a relationship with VANOC, the games’
organizers, and are recognized as officially authorized to provide support
services.
MTG is headed by a board of directors which includes
many well known Christian leaders, such as; Jonathan Raymond, president of
Trinity Western University; Leonard Buhler, who heads Power to
Change Canada; and Tom Cooper of City in Focus.
A wide range of working groups’ have been formed,
utilizing skilled people from various organizations:
• Hospitality: Sharon Tidd,
Salvation Army
• Creative and Performing Arts: Brent Gibson (PAOC); Russ and Sandy Rosen (YWAM/The Dance Barn)
• Open Crowd Big Screen
Festivals: Heather Robertson and Tim Rowe
(Fusion Sports Initiatives/KidsGames); Dave Klassen (Athletes in
Action)
• Prayer: Pastor Dave
Carson (Hope Vancouver)
• Mission Teams: Janet
Campbell (Vancouver Focus)
• Sustainability: David
Wells (PAOC); Jonathan Bird (Shalom Seekers)
• Chaplaincy: David Wells
• Resource Development:
Jack O’Halloran (MTG)
• Development: Laura
Edwards (York House School)
• Community Cluster
Development: Doug Penner (MTG)
David Willson of the Global Events group (a U.S.-based
ministry with extensive experience coordinating Christians at large sports
events), heads More Than Gold.
Continue article >>
|
Jack O’Halloran is director of operations; he has
worked with KidsGames, and served as national director for sports
ministries with the Salvation Army. Doug Penner, who has a masters degree
in business administration, is director of planning.
The Hospitality working group had an introductory
evening at Broadway Church last month. A Salvation Army canteen truck with
a tent was set up – to give participants an idea of what the warming
stations spread around the city during the games will look like.
There was also a presentation showing how churches can
be part of MTG. Tables manned by committee members were set up,
demonstrating each individual strategy.
Hoping to engage more than 500 churches,
O’Halloran is setting up visits to churches in coming months, with
the aim of setting in place church reps.
Penner has previously facilitated community service
events with ‘clusters’ of local churches. It is hoped that the
whole More Than Gold experience will leave a legacy after the games, of
unity and cooperation between churches and ministries which hitherto have
not had much contact.
Christian Info Society, the publisher of BCCN, is involved in a number
of ways – to undergird that vision for the future.
Watch for monthly updates on MTG.
– Peter Biggs
November 2008
|
