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WINTER OLYMPICS: SHIELDS OF STRENGTH SHARES GOD’S WORD AT SOCHI

TONYA WHITAKER, in an article published by ASSIST News Service, looks at a new partnership between Athletes In Action and US company Shields of Strength…

Inside The Pew (via ASSIST News Service)

An athletic ministry and a Christian jewelry company have found the perfect way to put Christ on the minds of the athletes who are taking part in the Sochi Winter Olympics in Russia.

Shields of Strength, along with Athletes In Action (AIA), a ministry of Cru (formerly called Campus Crusade for Christ), are at the games to minister to coaches and competing athletes by providing spiritual, emotional, and mental support in the multi-faith center of the Olympic Village.

SHIELDS OF FAITH: US-based company Shields of Strength has formed a partnership with Athletes In Action to hand out the faith shields at the Sochi Games.

“The world’s eyes are on heroes of the sports fields, and we want to strengthen and encourage them as people watch them relying on God as their Creator, their Savior, and the One who gave them the talents to perform.” 

– Olympic Chaplain Carl Dambman

Team member and Olympic Chaplain Carl Dambman has been ministering to Olympic athletes in both the summer and winter games for the past 33 years. He said a dozen AIA staff and volunteers are distributing the shields to athletes who are seeking God’s Word.

“The world’s eyes are on heroes of the sports fields, and we want to strengthen and encourage them as people watch them relying on God as their Creator, their Savior, and the One who gave them the talents to perform,” Dambman said.

“If the Shields of Strength can help them in their walk with the Lord, then we’re all for partnering with whoever wants to lift up Christ.”

Kenny Vaughan, founder of Shields of Strength, said that the company has donated more than one million of the three million shields they produced to individuals, the US military, churches, and ministries such as AIA. Both Vaughan and Dambman find that the organisations’ new partnership works well.

“Our missions align well because we can give them a tool to help them share Christ through a one-on-one relationship,” Vaughan said.

Vaughan said he understands the fear and pressure that Olympians experience during competition. While trying to win a US Nationals for the water ski long jump, he described a comparable feeling that he was insufficient.

“The unique thing about an athlete, especially in the Olympics, is that they are prepared for pressure,” he said. “But until that moment when you should be disciplined, it’s then when you find yourself saying, ‘God I need you.’ Right then is when you’re even weaker than you realised.

“Athletes in competition think if they have enough courage, they can overcome fear. But really that thought is the trap of life. And it’s not courage, but love that overcomes fear. It’s the courage to love that makes us courageous. That’s the message of God’s word, and Athletes in Action is taking advantage of this opportunity to share that truth.”

During his time of doubt and fear, Vaughan’s girlfriend (now wife), Tammie, wrote scriptures on his ski equipment, which, through God’s power, found their way into his heart and eased his fears. This led Vaughan to inscribe verses onto dog tags and wear them underneath his shirt.

From that first shield, Shields of Strength has grown to also include women’s jewelry and other accessories, like key chains and athletic tape. Seventeen years later, the company hopes that the shields can help Olympians as they face the same trials during competition.

“Love doesn’t always guarantee a win in life; it just ensures we compete with all we have and that gives us a better chance to win,” Vaughan said.

According to Vaughan, the shields have be found on the battlefield and the football field, providing encouragement as a simple reminder to new and established Christians alike.

www.shieldsofstrength.com

www.athletesinaction.org

 

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