CIty Impact ~ Vancouver Churches Team-Up

Canadian Churches gear up to welcome a world of guests for 2010 Winter Olympics

By Michael Ireland
Chief Correspondent, ASSIST News Service

VANCOUVER, BC (ANS) – As the Winter Olympics are fast approaching, many Christians in B.C.’s Lower Mainland are anticipating some extraordinary opportunities, according to an article by Frank Stirk for www.canadianchristianity.com .

More Than Gold working group leaders, left to right: Nicole Preston, Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada – Hospitality; Sandy Rosen, Nondenominational – Creative and Performing Arts; Brian Wahl, Seventh Day Adventist – Sports; Sharon Tidd, Salvation Army – Hospitality; Janet Campbell, Canadian National Baptist Convention – Missions Teams. (Photo: Peter Biggs.)

Stirk says that in Richmond, The Fridge — a Youth For Christ (YFC) drop-in centre at Fraserview Mennonite Brethren Church — is getting ready to accommodate 50 underprivileged and ‘unchurched’ teens from California.

Thanks to the generosity of two San Francisco-area doctors, who are underwriting the cost of the trip, that they — along with their sponsors — are able to come here for a week during the Olympics, Stirk says.

“We’ll be transporting these kids to the events that they have tickets to, and having a time to build a relationship with them – and, through that process, hopefully show God’s love,” said Eric Enns, YFC’s Richmond area director.

At the same time, Stirk writes, the city of Richmond will be using The Fridge as a temporary community centre, while its regular facility is closed over the Olympics.

“It’s kind of neat that all this stuff is coming to our place, and we’ll see how it goes,” said Enns. “It might be a mess — but hopefully not.”===>MORE . . .