Calling Kiwis to the Olympics!
2000. Blood, sweat, and tears is going to flow from thousands of people worldwide at the Olympics this year. And it will not be just the athletes. The YWAM 2000 Games outreach in Sydney, where the Olympic games are being held in September, will be well underway with an estimated three thousand people. Lots of travelling, little sleep and battling crowds is the order of the day but promises to be one of the most memorable and exciting times in someone’s life. The NZ organizers are looking for 250 New Zealanders to take part.
The focus is on fulfilling the Great Commission, with the aim to reach the average person on the street and the many tourists, says associate coordinator and Australian born Mick Thwaites.
The outreach will be very intensive, over a three-week period, with the first week totally dedicated to training. Guest speakers such as Winkie Pratney, John Dawson, Danny Lehman, Loren Cunningham, and Ross Tooley will provide some of the training. 250 people from Hillsong Australia Leadership College will also be taking part for the first week.
When on outreach “it is a time where people will be able to use their gifts to present the gospel” with preaching, dance, drama, servant evangelism, friendship evangelism, puppets, face painting, sport, prayer walking, children’s ministry and getting in and helping the local churches, says Mr Thwaites.
At the last Olympics in Atlanta, 2500 people accepted Christ as Saviour and Lord and thousands more people had seeds of the gospel sown into their lives, explains Mr Thwaites. This year the focus is different.
“Sydney has been divided into twenty regions. Teams will be assigned to these regions, concentrating on the one region as well as the high-volume areas like the Opera House, Darling Harbour, and the beachside suburbs.”
Their goal, he says, “is to see Kiwis coming over, sowing into the people of Sydney then coming back on fire ready to sow back into their local community.”
By Peter Veugelaers.
Published 2000, Challenge Weekly
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