Josh Davis is a swimmer who won three gold medals at Atlanta in 1996 and two more medals at the 2000 games. He is now a full-time motivational speaker, addressing secular and church audiences at least 70 times a year and has edited ‘The Goal and the Glory’. He was the only man at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games to win three gold medals. He travelsall over America telling people how great God is and reminds himself that even as his hard-earned Olympic medals are now dented and scratched from handling, God's Word is eternal. See http://www.christianpost.com/news/interview-olympic-gold-medalist-josh-davis-on-christian-athletes-the-games-and-michael-phelps-78742/#8WQwtMMH3q4iTBpw.99 Being a Christian in a secular club or team can be challenging and in the UK ‘Christians In Sport Network’ gives Christians the opportunity to find and link in with other Christians actively involved in their sport. There are currently 15 different men’s and women’s sports providing sport specific resources, training and events to help believers live and share their faith in their team or club.

Pray: for Christian sport initiatives and Christian athletes to shine during and after the Olympic season. (Heb.12:1,2)

More: http://www.christiansinsport.org.uk/networks.asp?section=25§ionTitle=Sport+Networks

Major sporting events such as World Cups and Olympic Games are often preceded by warnings about a rise in prostitution and sex trafficking as a result of the impending influx of spectators. The children’s charity Barnardo’s has warned hoteliers and bar staff near to the Olympic Park in Stratford to be on the lookout for any vulnerable youngsters during the Games, and has produced a leaflet to help those in the travel and hospitality industry to spot the signs of sexual exploitation. Barnardo’s has also called for better data collection of the crime to prevent children being abused during the next few weeks. Chief executive Anne Marie Carrie said, ‘With a huge influx of visitors to the capital everyone needs to play their part in spotting the signs that sexual exploitation is taking place. We must pull together to ensure that protection of vulnerable children is gold standard during the Olympics.’

Pray: for effective communications between the many agencies working to eliminate sex trafficking in our towns and cities. (Ps.17:13)

More: http://www.london24.com/news/crimeolympic_child_sex_trafficking_a_threat_says_charity_1_1453812

After the spectacular closing ceremony, the Bishop of Chelmsford praised the Olympic Games for the positive impact they are having on community life. The Rt Rev Stephen Cottrell welcomed the way in which the Olympics and the Paralympics, due to start in a few weeks, had regenerated a deprived area of East London, saying, ‘The vast and impressive buildings of the Olympic Park and the Olympic Village will indeed bring much needed regeneration. But I am beginning to wonder whether the Olympic legacy may bring a further change as well - a legacy of good will. ‘Last week I met a 17 year old who is on duty at Stansted airport every other morning. There is nothing very glamorous about this. But she wanted to be part of something bigger than herself. She is spending her summer welcoming strangers.’ Bishop Cottrell also said that many people had rediscovered a desire to celebrate with their neighbours through the Games.

Pray: for the volunteers who have learnt new skills and flair through serving the Olympics that they grow as they discover new ways to use and develop talents and gifts. (1Cor.12:4-6)

More: http://www.christiantoday.com/article/bishop.hails.olympics.goodwill.legacy/30461.htm

The following is an excerpt from Athletes in Action report on the prayer effort during the Olympic Games: 'Now that the Olympic Games are under way, we hope all of you are enjoying being able to pray for the 10,500 competing athletes BY NAME on a regular basis. We have heard so many great comments from many of you about how you are using this as a learning experience for your children, praying as a family or using the names with Sunday school classes. We're so blessed not only to have you help us cover these athletes with prayer but also that you are so EXCITED about doing it! It makes all the work worth it! You might want to check out some of our stories on Olympians of Faith and pass these along to friends. Gives you someone to cheer for who loves God and is competing for His glory alone! You'll find those stories on this list with live links'.

Pray: that the testimonies of Olympians of faith will bless all those that they come into contact with. (1Cor.2:1)

More: http://www.athletesinaction.org/news/post/2012/07/17/Olympians-of-Faith-Features-Spotlight-Christian-Athletes-in-London-2012.aspx?utm_source=Constant%2BContact&utm_medium=Email%2BCC&utm_campaign=OLYMPIC2012

An annual festival of disability sport is to be staged at the Olympic Park as part of a £2m package of future Paralympic plans at the east London venue. It is to be linked to a programme of training at sporting clubs in surrounding boroughs, said the London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC). The site will reopen from July 2013. Sport England figures show east London has a lower uptake in disabled sports than the rest of London. The park - to be renamed the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park - will reopen in phases after £292m of investment. The LLDC said tens of thousands of people will benefit from its Paralympic Legacy Programme. The programme will help to create new homes, public spaces and sporting venues that are accessible, it said. The LLDC plans to introduce a range of sports for disabled people including wheelchair rugby, boccia, wheelchair basketball and Goalball in the Copper Box.

Pray: that this development will bring a lasting legacy that will benefit the many thousands of paraplegics. (2Cor.4:15)

More: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-19480661

Faith leaders and community groups in London are promoting 'One Hundred Days of Peace', an initiative to develop a ‘peace legacy’ for the London Olympic Games in 2012. Churches, schools and colleges, together with a coalition called London Citizens that includes more than 300 faith and community groups, are organising ecumenical programmes of prayer and a range of activities linked to the Olympics to promote peace. These include a campaign called City Safe, which aims to build a network between shops and businesses across London to fight crime. The tradition of an Olympics truce was established in 9th century BC to enable competitors and spectators to travel safely to and from the games through ancient Greece's warring city-states. The International Olympic Committee decided to revive the ancient concept of the Olympic truce with the view to protecting the interests of the athletes and sport in general, and to encourage the search for peaceful and diplomatic solutions to conflicts around the world.

Pray: for One Hundred days of peace and that the initiative will have an enduring legacy. (Ps.34:14)

More: http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/16299

Thousands of women producing clothes for UK brands are working 14 hours a day for poverty pay in Bangladesh.This accusation comes from the charity War on Want in new research launched as the People newspaper publishes allegations that Bangladeshi workers earn under 6p an hour for night shifts. The charity’s researchers interviewed 1,000 female employees from 41 factories supplying western retailers, many of them British. Leading retailers – including Zara, Gap, Marks & Spencer, Monsoon Accessorize, New Look, Primark, River Island and Tesco - have pledged to observe a code of conduct with the Ethical Trading Initiative which says that suppliers’ workers earn a living wage, do not work over 48 hours a week or face abuse.The report, Stitched Up, is supported by the National Federation of Women’s Institutes. A new poll shows members of the WI, Britain’s largest voluntary women’s group; want retailers and the British government to ensure a fair wage for overseas garment workers.

Pray: for all retailers to follow the ethical code generously to ensure a fair wage for all workers. (Mal.3:5)

More: http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/15139

The Government is to consider making extended Olympic Sunday trading hours permanent, but critics are concerned about the impact on families. During the six weeks of the Olympics and Paralympics large shops are allowed to choose when they open on a Sunday, rather than being restricted to six hours between 10am and 6pm. On Monday the Prime Minister’s official spokesman said the legislation allowing unrestricted opening was for a defined period but a ‘number of people want to look at this issue. Communities Secretary Eric Pickles said , ‘I’m always keen that we respect people’s religious beliefs. But I think we should kind of look long and hard at the results.’ Labour Party’s business spokesman Chuka Umunna commented,’We were very clear – a temporary relaxation of Sunday trading restrictions should not be used as a Trojan horse for permanent change.’

Pray: that this debate will not lead to extending current Sunday trading laws. (Gen.2:3)

More: http://www.christian.org.uk/news/%E2%80%98trojan%E2%80%99-bid-to-make-longer-sunday-trading-permanent/

Schoolchildren as young as five may be taught about ‘transgender equality’, a Government document has disclosed. Theresa May, the Home Secretary, signed the foreword to the new plan along with Lynne Featherstone. The move, which is being considered by the Department for Education (DfE), was highlighted in the Government’s new action plan for advancing transgender equality. But one campaigner has warned that these issues are adult ones and should not be discussed in class at such a tender age. Margaret Morrissey, founder of campaign group Parents Outloud, said: ‘These are adult issues and we should leave it until children are older or until they ask. The problem is we are overloading our children with issues that they should not have to consider at a young age. PSHE is already overloaded with other issues.’

Pray: that our education standards will be upheld and young minds be protected. (Ps.12:5)

More: http://www.christian.org.uk/news/trans-equality-teaching-for-5-year-olds-being-considered/