Ministries ready for the Olympics

Russia (MNN) — In just 22 days, thousands of people will be gathering in Sochi, Russia for the 2014 Winter Olympics. Mission Network News will be there, too, providing coverage of the games–but from a different perspective. MNN will be talking about ministry during the games.

SOAR International Ministries is also getting ready for the Olympics. The ministry’s president, Dick Page, is there now, helping national church leaders get ready. “We’re going to have teams here from the United States, and our partners here in Russia will be working with the local churches here to reach out to the people who are at the Olympics–especially the local people–with the Gospel.”

The first item of business was to help “build a platform for a large, inflatable tent that’s going to be used for the Fun Zone: a hospitality center where we’re going to invite folks to come, and we’re going to share the Gospel with them.”

SOAR is partnering with Russia Inland Mission. The Director Vladimir Samoylov says, “Our main goal is to organize and lead three Christian Fun Zones.” Those Christian Fun Zones will be operated by local churches from the community.

According to Samoylov, “The most important part of it isn’t that people will have a great emotional time [at] Olympic Games and see their favorite athletes, but being able to know more about God.”

How can this happen? SOAR’s Greg Mangione says their teams will be “visiting with people, staffing a little café, and talking about their faith. There’s going to be some outdoor games and entertainment, [and an] indoor big screen TV or projector broadcasting the Olympics for those who can’t be there in person.”

MNN will be there February 12-21 providing you the information you need to know so you can pray. In the meantime, we’ll continue covering the preparations as ministries get ready for the Olympics.

You can be a part of helping SOAR minister on the ground at the Olympics. Support their efforts here.