As the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics unfold across Italy, hundreds of Evangelicals are taking part in a coordinated evangelistic effort aimed at athletes, tourists and local residents.
Large numbers of Southern Baptists have partnered with missionaries from the International Mission Board (IMB), spreading out across host cities to share the Christian message during the international sporting event.
The 25th edition of the Winter Games, scheduled from Feb. 6 through Feb. 22, features roughly 2,900 competitors representing 92 countries. Organizers have described it as the most geographically expansive Winter Olympics to date, with 15 venues operating throughout Northern Italy.
Much of the outreach is centered in Milan, a city deeply shaped by Roman Catholic tradition and home to renowned sites such as the Duomo di Milano and Leonardo da Vinci’s “The Last Supper.”
Evangelism teams are reviving the “Who Am I?” apologetics initiative first introduced at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Volunteers use printed cards posing questions about identity, purpose and meaning as conversation starters, guiding discussions toward the Christian understanding of Jesus.
Bibles are being distributed alongside John’s Gospel booklets at hospitality points around Milan and through the beloved Olympic pastime of pin trading.
IMB missionary Charlie Worthy highlighted what he described as a rare global opportunity. “I think what most people don’t realize is that Italy is the third-oldest Southern Baptist mission field,” he told IMB. “We’ve had missionaries longer here than just about anywhere else in the entire world.”
He also asked for prayers for the teams and volunteers involved in sharing the Gospel with boldness, noting his hope for long-term outreach in Italy after the Games conclude.
In addition to the IMB-led effort, the Salt Lake City–based worship collective The Rock Music has traveled to Northern Italy to participate in outreach activities. Working alongside Youth With A Mission (YWAM) and local Italian churches, the group is performing both in official Olympic Fan Zones and smaller venues in cities such as Milan and Arco.
Their approach blends large public concerts with more personal café-style performances, using music as a bridge for faith conversations throughout the 17-day global gathering.
