This Friday night, the world will turn its eyes to Rio to see more than 11,000 people compete in the 2016 Olympics.
It is estimated that video and user-submitted content may be watched by as many as 30 million people. When we consider the various platforms on which people could be paying attention to the Olympics, we know that there is great opportunity here to engage the world with the Gospel.
The question is: how will you make the most of this time? How might God have you step into the conversations with His good news?
Pray.
God might lead you to focus your attention on the people in your personal circles, using content about the Olympics to engage them with the Gospel. Or, He might be calling you to sow more broadly by engaging in a global conversation, putting content out there that could reach anyone following the events in Rio. Be clear on who your audience is.
Gather content or create your own.
Athletes in Action has created a page with links to video testimonies and stories that can be shared across multiple platforms. Consider the common themes of the Olympics – victory, defeat, patriotism, dissolving borders, perseverance, admiration. Do you have personal stories to share that reflect these themes?
Choose your platform.
A survey of fans indicates the platforms they plan to use for sharing content. It looks like Facebook is the winner, so that’s something to consider.
Twitter might not be your platform of choice, but when it comes to sporting events, this is where conversations happen in real time, so consider spending time following and tweeting with #Rio2016 to get in on the action.
The Olympic committee is planning to make greater use of Snapchat this year in order to reach the millennial crowd. Look for Christian athletes like Gabby Douglas, Laurie Hernandez, and others there, as well as on Instagram and other platforms.
It’s not just #Rio2016 that will be a commonly used hashtag though. Keep an eye out for #DoWhatYouCant, #LoveOfSport, and #JustDoIt.
The world is watching Rio. It’s also tweeting, snapchatting, instagramming, videoing, and hashtagging it. What a great opportunity to engage the nations with the love of Christ!