World Ski Championships

Ski Champions Hear About God's Love

St. Moritz, Switzerland - The Swiss love to ski, no doubt about it. When winter comes and snow blankets the Alps, the ski industry kicks into high gear. Adults and kids alike dust off their gear and begin planning ski weekends and holidays. The media gives heavy coverage to ski competitions.

No wonder Athletes in Action Switzerland would ask God for an chance to minister at the World Ski Championships, biggest sporting event ever held in Switzerland.

God responded far beyond their expectations. "Our vision was to bring people into contact with God's love," says Thomas Zindel, director of AIA Switzerland. "We wanted people to see something of God's nature and character, and to see that Christians have something relevant to offer athletes and the people watching."

Few world-class skiers are believers, though some have been brought up around religion. AIA brought people into contact with God's love in many ways.

A Christian music group out of Germany gave concerts in the competition area, and even held a special concert for the organizing committee. The music opened hearts and created a willingness to discuss deeper spiritual issues.

Ten volunteers distributed antique postcards to the 150,000 spectators. The postcards included an invitation to send away for a copy of the JESUS film.

AIA also sent postcards to each of the 9,000 households in the Engadine valley. Teams of local Christians will visit every home that requests a video or a sports Bible.

Chaplains from seven countries, including Austria, Finland and Germany, presented 350 sports Bibles and videos of the JESUS film to athletes. When the Austrian chaplain, a former professional snowboarder, visited the "Austrian house," he shared his testimony, gave a Bible to every member of the delegation and met top skiers of an earlier generation. The former racers had never heard of this kind of ministry, according to Thomas, and were intrigued that Christians would do such a thing.

Most of all, AIA sought to serve and encourage. When her former coach publicly scolded a Swiss skier, Thomas went to her hotel to encourage her. "You have great talent," he said, and prayed that God would help her do her best.

These opportunities did not come easily, however. A year ago, when preparations were not going well, AIA staff members sensed spiritual resistance. They went to the Engadine valley to pray over it and to research the history of the area.

In past centuries, they found, evil things had happened. The famed mineral waters had been whispered to cause abortions when drunken in large quantities, and wealthy women had slipped away to St. Moritz for this purpose.

"As we understood this," says Thomas, "we realized that over the years many good things had begun, spiritually speaking, but often died before becoming full-grown." He felt that AIA's "baby" - the World Ski Championship outreach - was in danger of joining that list. So together with local believers, his team went to the mineral baths, confessed sin, and prayed for forgiveness.

Suddenly barriers seemed to fall. Doors opened wide, and the baby began to grow. The organizing committee invited AIA and its partners to become the "Church at the World Championships," and even allowed them to use the official logo.

And doors my be open for long-term ministry in the Engadine valley which draws athletes from around the world who want to train at high altitude (St Moritz lies at 2,000 meters, or 6,600 feet).

"The ski project is just a kick-off," Thomas says. "Our vision is to take this to the 2006 Olympic Winter Games in Italy."