Christians made a difference during the Winter Olympics – and were themselves affected.
The trans-denominational More Than Gold program, in which the B.C. MB conference took part, offered a broad range of service to visitors, including the provision of welcome packs. One of the services, with the help of the Salvation Army’s portable kitchens, was to provide coffee and hot chocolate to throngs of people waiting at SkyTrain stations and major bus transfer points. More Than Gold volunteers also gave away copies of the Gospels and printed materials about the Vancouver-Whistler area, all of which were picked up rapidly by visitors.
When Games visitors asked why they were being offered these gifts, they were told it was out of a desire to show God’s love, or some similar response. (Coloured zones, set by Vancouver Olympic [VANOC] organizers, determined how much could be said explicitly about Christ.)
The More Than Gold program won thanks and appreciation from VANOC organizers and even, personally, from B.C. premier Gordon Campbell. The leader of one MB youth group whose members offered coffee and hot chocolate said it was a wonderful experience all around. “For many, it was the first time they were in a new environment, taking initiative to talk to total strangers, offering something in Jesus’ name. It was a growing time, and they had fun.”
—Barrie McMaster
