BCY News

With Sidney Crosby’s overtime and game-winning goal, Canada won more gold medals than any nation in Olympic Winter Games history. Yet even greater things have happened during the 17 days of the Olympic Games in Vancouver: God has been at work.

• Churches in key public corridors opened their doors for big screen viewing of sports events and concerts, creating opportunities for Christian witness. Hundreds of people spent times of prayer in churches that opened their doors for the games.
• More than 400,000 cups of coffee and hot chocolate were given out by more than 900 volunteers at 14 warming stations.
• Mexico’s First Lady called the International Prayer Centre on Keats Island to thank everyone for praying for the leadership in the Americas and Canada. 

More stories after the link.

Stories of God’s transforming grace at the games abound:

• Random strangers met in the crowds, on the Skytrain and in coffee shops, shared their faith and became lifelong brothers and sisters in Christ.
• A teen walking by the Hobbit House café of First Baptist Church in Vancouver, a Canadian Baptist Church, was attracted by the music and lively crowd. She felt so welcomed that she declared, “I've been wanting to go to church for a long time...and I'd really like to go to a church like this!" First Baptist staff will be following up with her.
• There were 400 hours of creative performances with a Christian message.
• Prayer parties were held in 100 cities of the torch relay.
• More than 450 intercessory prayer leaders gathered on Keats Island and worldwide to pray for Vancouver and Canada 24/7 in a ground-breaking global prayer initiative.
• Many Canadian Baptist pastors served as chaplains throughout the Games, at the airport and at many centres across the Lower Mainland and Whistler.
• REED, a ministry supported by the CBWC, provided as strong, silent witness against sex trafficking throughout the Games.
• Christians in diverse churches united across denominations to offer hope and reconciliation, generous service and radical hospitality.

For more stories about how the Holy Spirit moved through the games, go to the More than Gold website, www.morethangold.ca God’s work through More than Gold will continue throughout the ParaOlympics being held in Vancouver beginning March 12.

Already, plans are being made to ensure that there is a similarly effective Christian witness at the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London, UK and the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia.