Hundreds of Evangelicals Storm the 2026 Winter Olympics With the Gospel

Southern Baptists and Evangelicals Bring the Gospel to the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy

Hundreds of evangelical Christians are sharing the Gospel at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, the 25th edition of the Winter Games, currently underway in Northern Italy from February 6 through 22.

The International Mission Board (IMB), alongside Southern Baptist missionaries and volunteers, has deployed teams across the host regions to share the message of Jesus Christ with the estimated 2 million spectators and 2,900 athletes from 92 nations attending the Games.

Teams are using the "Who Am I?" apologetics campaign, which first launched at the 2024 Paris Olympics. The approach uses conversation starter cards addressing questions of identity, meaning, and purpose, all pointing people toward faith in Christ.

Distribution methods include Gospel booklets and Bibles at hospitality points across Milan, as well as Olympic pin trading exchanges where volunteers make personal connections.

In Italy, you strive to live the good life. If you've got a good friend, a good house and a good income, then what more do you need?

IMB missionary Charlie Worthy said, highlighting the spiritual emptiness that material comfort can mask. He emphasized that Italy is the third oldest Southern Baptist mission field, with a longer missionary presence than nearly anywhere else on the globe.

The Rock Music, a Salt Lake City based worship collective, has also partnered with Youth With A Mission (YWAM) and local Italian congregations to perform at official Olympic Fan Zones and venues across Milan and Arco.

Music is a little like smiling. Even if you don't speak the language, you can still communicate through song in a meaningful way.

Founder Steele Croswhite said, explaining how worship music transcends language barriers in a historically Roman Catholic city known for the Duomo di Milano and Leonardo da Vinci's "The Last Supper."

Evangelical Outreach at the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympics Reaches Millions

The Milano Cortina Games are the most geographically dispersed Winter Olympics in history, spanning 15 venues across Northern Italy. This presents a unique opportunity for evangelical teams to reach diverse crowds in multiple cities simultaneously.

With denominations working together across borders, the Gospel outreach at the 2026 Winter Olympics stands as one of the largest coordinated evangelical efforts at a global sporting event in recent memory.

The Crusader's Opinion

This is what the Great Commission looks like in action. While much of the Western church debates itself into irrelevance, Southern Baptists and YWAM missionaries are on the ground in Italy doing exactly what Christ commanded: Go and make disciples of all nations.

Two million spectators. Ninety two nations represented. And believers are right there, armed not with political power or cultural clout but with the Word of God and a willingness to have a conversation. That is how you build the Kingdom. That is how you push back the darkness.

The secular world would rather Christians stay silent and invisible. But the Church was never called to be comfortable. It was called to be bold.

Take Action

• Pray specifically for the IMB missionaries and volunteers on the ground in Italy. Visit www.imb.org to find daily prayer guides for the Games.
• Support the International Mission Board's global outreach financially at www.imb.org/give.
• Learn about Youth With A Mission (YWAM) and their evangelism efforts at www.ywam.org.
• Share the Gospel with someone in your own community this week. Use the "Who Am I?" conversation approach: ask questions about identity and purpose.
• Support Christian mission work worldwide through www.TheShepherdsShield.org.