Olympics 2012
Ministry Worth More Than Gold for 2012
Come to London for a ministry of exceeding value. Athletes with their families and supporters will descend upon the city for the Summer Olympic Games. Sports-related events will take place throughout the spring and summer of 2012.
Olympic Games dates are July 27 to August, 2012. The Paralympics will meet August 29 to September 9.
The first two windows are ten days each, and volunteers are expected to come for the whole ten days.
The main windows of opportunity are:
• July 24 to August 3
• August 3 to 13
• August 29 to September 9
Within these windows, volunteers will serve a week to ten days. Some may also come early for the Torch Relay, for example. August 3 is necessary as a change date to facilitate housing for as many people as possible.
Opportunities for Service
Opportunities for service include:
Partnership with a local church for community outreach, which likely will include
prayer walking
drop-in centers
big screen events
neighborhood fairs
•Canteen service: a cup of water in Jesus' name
•Free photos of guests
•Prayer walking of tourist areas and around Olympic sites
•Pin trading
•Mixing in the streets
•"Busking": street-side performances and art
Partners
We are working with the Baptist Union, the London Baptist Association, local churches, and “More Than Gold.” More Than Gold is a consortium of Christian groups that focus on ministry for major international sporting events. The name “More Than Gold” indicates that new life in Christ is of greater value than even winning a gold medal.
Southern Baptists played a major role in launching More Than Gold during the Atlanta Olympics in 1996 and have been involved ever since. More Than Gold gives us access to the local authorities, including the Olympic organizing committee, and it allows us to work with minimal staff.
Teams
This is a team-based opportunity. Roundup a team of like-minded volunteers and make plans to come. Because we are limited in staff, we will be facilitating--rather than administrating--volunteer work. We will present opportunities for service and help with meeting other churches or organizations. What a team actually does will be up to them.
Leaders' Orientation
Orientation at the start and celebration at the end of volunteer sessions will be provided. An orientation session and conference for prospective team leaders will gather next
fall—October 24 to 27, 2011. This is highly recommended for team leaders. You will stay at the High Leigh Conference Center, where many SBC volunteers will stay. And you will experience the setting and opportunities first-hand.
Lodging Opportunity
Through More Than Gold, we have been able to reserve a conference center that is a quick train ride to the Olympic Park and downtown London. This is the High Leigh Conference Center that appears on our Facebook page "SBC More Than Gold 2012." It has a beautiful campus and has offered exclusive access at an excellent rate for the period July 27 -August 13. High Leigh Venue Summary for accommodation PDF
More Information
For more details and the most current information: Check out our Facebook page:
Visit the More Than Gold website
Visit the London 2012 website
http://www.london2012.com
Other websites for more information:
http://www.cct.org.uk (housing)
www.londonbaptist.org.uk
London underground map showing the Olympic sites
