God is Moving in Paris. Here’s How He’s Transforming Lives
By Movieguide® Contributor
God is using the 2024 Paris Olympics to bring the Gospel to competitors and spectators alike.
The summer’s Games have been the focus of French Evangelicals who are sharing the Good News wherever they can with the help of Christian organizations Ensemble 2024 and International Prayer Connect
International Prayer Connect is “a 5,000-strong prayer network for global intercession, for the Love France campaign,” the Christian Post reported. “More than 500 Gospel-focused events are underway, and they are covered by a united prayer effort called ‘France 1 Million,’ which seeks a million prayers for the secular nation, an initiative inspired by a similar effort for the Japanese at Tokyo 2020.”
Ensemble 2024 national coordinator and French missionary Matthew Glock spoke about the vision behind the initiative.
“The idea was just to provide a platform that would allow people to connect and to see if we can build synergy around the different aspects of ministry that could happen during the Olympics,” he said. “What we say is if you have a passion, like you’re passionate about sports ministry, come together, share what your dreams are, share the projects that God’s put on your heart, and work together to do things. Because by doing that, we’re modeling a way of working together that will last after the Olympics. So, we’re thinking about that legacy.”
Ensemble 2024 acknowledges that legacy ultimately comes from God, saying they are “reassured by the truth that God is at work and that He will accomplish His purposes. It is He who gives a lasting legacy through transformed lives.”
Glock also acknowledged the challenge and the benefit of having different Christian organizations come together and encourage one another.
“I think that’s also one of the other challenges. You’ll have big groups like Youth With a Mission, the International Mission Board from the Southern Baptists, the Catholic Church with their Holy Games — those are big initiatives that have a lot of people and a lot of work. So by saying, ‘Why don’t you come together around the passion, then we can see what each other is doing?’ and we can just encourage each other.”
Along with working with larger organizations, Ensemble 2024 enables believers to work in a grassroots way.
“A catalytic event like the Olympics comes in, and it gives them an opportunity to show the love of Jesus Christ, to proclaim the Gospel in word and deed. And it was great. That’s a good example of what we’re trying to encourage,” Glock explained.
Other Christian groups are using the Games as an opportunity to share the Gospel as well. The French Bible Society is getting free Bibles and athlete testimonies into the hands of 200,000 people in Paris during the Olympics.
“It is so inspiring to read the athletes’ testimonies featured in this special edition of the New Testament. These accounts serve as a powerful reminder of the enduring impact the Bible continues to have in our contemporary world,” said Jonathan Boulet, General Secretary of the French Bible Society. “Moreover, they underscore the vital role that each country’s Bible Society plays in ensuring the accessibility and relevance of this timeless book for all.”
Athletes are also boldly proclaiming their faith. Movieguide® reported:
Brazilian street skateboarder Rayssa Leal pointed fans to God after she took home the bronze medal in the women’s street skateboarding event at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
When the cameras were on her, the athlete used American Sign Language to sign John 14:6: “Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.”
The 16-year-old skateboarder also took to her Instagram where she posted another Bible verse. This time it was Joshua 1:9.
“Another chapter in my story,” Leal wrote on her Instagram.
“Didn’t I command you? Be strong and courageous! Don’t get carried away or discouraged…” she included.
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