Youth With A Mission has been active at the Olympic Games since 1972.

• 1972 Summer Olympics, Munich

It is believed 1,000 volunteers were part of the outreach effort ^[1] which included 50 dutch volunteers under Romkje Fountain (who later founded YWAM Holland) ^[2]

• 1976 Summer Olympics, Montreal

The outreach included street evangelism. ^[3]

• ‡The 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow were heavily boycotted and afforded little opportunity for evangelism because of Communist precepts. YWAM is presumed not to have participated.
• 1984 Summer Olympics, Los Angeles ^{[4] [5]}

YWAM notes they performed street theater during these games. ^[6]

• 1992 Summer Olympics, Barcelona

YWAM conducted open-air church services and performed gospel drama and dance in the streets. ^[7]

• 1996 Summer Olympics, Atlanta

4,500 YWAM members were active behind the scenes. ^[8] About 1,000 volunteers were official greeters at the Olympic Village ^{[9] [10]} and 1,000 more helped with Olympic security and translating. ^[10]

• 1998 Winter Olympics, Nagano

Southern Baptist International Mission Board missionaries cooperated with YWAM at the Nagano Winter Olympic Games Outreach. ^[11] According to the YWAM website, the central event was a prayer march from Zenkō-ji, an historic Buddhist temple, to the Olympic Plaza. ^[12]

• 2000 Summer Olympics, Sydney

YWAM Member Kara Miller Stewart participated in an Olympic dance events. ^[13] YWAM worked closely with United Bible Societies to distribute Towards the Goal, a sports focused New Testament. ^[14]

• 2002 Winter Olympics, Salt Lake City

YWAM was hosted by the Salvation Army. ^[15]

• 2004 Summer Olympics, Athens

YWAM member musician K. Benny Prasad was invited to perform during these games. ^[16] YWAM also organized arts and music events. ^[17] YWAM member Jonathan Irons was arrested for "suspicious activity" and but was later released. It is illegal to proselytize in Greece. ^[18]

See also: The Athens Three

• 2006 Winter Olympics, Torino

This was reportedly the 16th YWAM Olympic related event. YWAM used entertainment events such as music, street drama, community festivals and snow boarding clinics for creative interaction. ^[19]

2008 Summer Olympics

Several Christian missionary groups plan to infiltrate Beijing during the 2008 Summer Olympics in defiance of laws in China against evangelism. YWAM's 2008 Olympic Discipleship Training School will take place in Brazil shortly before the Games. The only Chinese Christian groups allowed to operate legally in the country are the Catholic Patriotic Association, the China Christian Council and the Three-Self Patriotic Movement. ^{[20] [21]}

References