DAVID ADAMS speaks with Tim Pitcher, of Athletes in Action in the US, about the organisation’s bid to encourage Christians everywhere to be praying for the athletes as well as how the organisation plans to support those competing at the Games opening in Rio later this week…
When competition begins at the 2016 Rio Olympics later this week, every one of the more than 10,000 athletes expected to compete will have someone praying for them.
That, at least, is the aim of Athletes In Action’s Olympic prayer initiative which looks to motivate Christians right across the globe to be lifting up the athletes’ names in prayer during the entire two week long event.
Athletes In Action Struggle and Triumph promotional poster
“We had a vision back in the London 2012 Olympics to create a team of people worldwide who would be spending part of their time specifically praying for the Olympic athletes by name.”
– Tim Pitcher, Athletes In Action
Tim Pitcher, communications director for Athletes In Action in the US, says that the prayer campaign builds upon an idea which the organisation started to implement at the previous 2012 Games.
“We had a vision back in the London 2012 Olympics to create a team of people worldwide who would be spending part of their time specifically praying for the Olympic athletes by name,” he says.
Built upon during the subsequent Sochi Winter Olympics, the initiative involves building a database containing the names of every Olympic athlete and then selecting five of the names at random and emailing them out to those who have signed up to be prayer partners.
“[T]hey can then be praying specifically for these athletes by name, for their competition as well for the chaplains – that they will be able to get in touch with them,” says Mr Pitcher. “Just to till the soil, so to speak, with their prayers for the ministry that will be taking place by Athletes In Action and many other ministries around the Olympics.”
As well as the names of five athletes, each of the emails sent to AIA’s prayer partners will also contain links to information on the athletes’ countries provided by Christian prayer guide Operation World as well as a link to the Rio Olympics page so they can see when the particular athletes they’re praying for actually compete.
About 2,500 people have signed up to be prayer partners so far (although those interested in taking part can sign up even after the Games have kicked off this Friday). While many of them are based in the US, Mr Pitcher says the campaign was a “global effort” and involved people from across the world.
“We know there are many people out there who will be watching the Olympics, have an interest in that, but also know the power of prayer…” he says.
Athletes In Action, who, now based in 90 nations around the world, have formally been present as a Christian ministry at every Olympics since Seoul in 1988 (although they have staff who were competing and ministering to their fellow athletes back in the 1960s and 1970s), have also created a “toolbox” of resources – including articles and devotional materials – to help Christians engage with the Games as well as with their own friends and neighbours.
The resources also include the re-released the film Struggle and Triumph, which was originally made for the Beijing Olympics in 2008 and used again during the London Olympics in 2012.
“This Rio Olympics we’ve created a brand-new edition of it,” says Mr Pitcher, noting that what sets this one apart is that for the first time it contains the story of a Paralympian athlete (Brazilian swimmer Daniel Diaz). Others featured in the re-released film are a Winter Olympian, Chinese speed-skating silver medalist Li Yan, American Lauryn Williams, only one of five athletes to compete in both winter and summer games (she competed as a sprinter at the 2004 and 2008 Olympics and as a bobsledder at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi), and US gold medalist swimmer Missy Franklin, who will be competing at the Games this year.
More than 100 Athletes In Action staff from across the globe will be in Rio for the Olympics including four who will be working as accredited chaplains at the religious centre in the Olympic Village itself. They’ll be distributing 10,000 Struggle and Triumph Bibles in a range of languages and, of course, connecting with and supporting the athletes.
“For Athletes In Action, it’s just great – when the whole world comes together in a city – to be able to be there…as a light and (to have) the opportunities to share that light of the Gospel…”
– Tim Pitcher
Mr Pitcher, who will be among those in Rio, says that as well as the athletes, AIA staff will also be reaching out to their parents and inviting them to chapel services they’ll be holding at the hotel the AIA team are staying at near the athletes’ village.
“Because we know that many of them are [feeling] a lot of excitement but also a lot of stress and so we want to provide them with a sanctuary, so to speak, where they can come to have some fellowship, worship, and get to know some other people outside of the sports world.”
Mr Pitcher, says the whole role of Athletes In Action is to be of service to the athletes and their families.
“Whatever that may be. There’s only going to be three athletes, per event, that actually get that medal, so there’s going to be a lot of disappointed athletes and, as well, parents, because they’ve put [in] a lot of effort and [have] dreams and hopes as well.
“So we just want to be there to come alongside them and be an encouragement and be supportive of whatever they may need – it may be some reassuring words, it may be a shoulder to cry, it may be just some encouragement. We want to be there for them.”
The AIA representatives will also be looking, in a culturally sensitive and respectful way, to share how their own lives have been changed by the Gospel – after all, it’s that life-changing work in their own lives which has led them to working with the organisation.
“If they’re interested, we’re willing to share about that…” Mr Pitcher says. “For Athletes In Action, it’s just great – when the whole world comes together in a city – to be able to be there…as a light and [to have] the opportunities to share that light of the Gospel…”
To sign up to Athletes In Action Olympic prayer initiative, head to www.athletesinaction.org/prayer. For other resources, head to http://athletesinaction.org/olympics/share.
