Taking God’s Message to the Olympics
Jeff Kolkmann remembers watching the 1968 winter Olympics games on television when he was six years old. Set in Gernoble, France, these games led to inspiring performances from athletes like Jean-Claude Killy, who won the gold medal in downhill skiing along with two other gold medals. “Back then, not everybody had a television. It was kind of a rare thing. But my dad went out and found some place that rented televisions. It was a little tiny television that was black and white, and he had to set up the antenna to try to get two channels. And we watched the Olympics. That was really cool!” said Kolkmann.
This inspiring experience led Kolkmann to not only be a fan of the Olympics, but also an avid attendee. He has now attended all but one of the summer and winter Olympics games since 1984. And, starting in the late 1990s, he has also handed out Christian literature at every Olympics games.
When he learned about a program called Greater Than Gold at the 2010 winter Olympics games in Canada, he was inspired to join this powerful ministry in sharing God at such a global event. It aligned well with the purpose he had already been working on while giving out Adventist books. He had been connecting with local Adventists in each city where the Olympics were held and giving out literature to the many different people attending the Olympics games.
“I remember being at the winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada, in 2010. I took my son there and we were on our way to an event, and at the train station we saw people serving hot chocolate and giving out knitted scarves,” explained Kolkmann. “The package the scarf was wrapped up in said it was handmade. I looked at it and in the bottom there was a card that said, ‘From your friends at the Seventh-day Adventist Church.’ I'll never forget their kindness and that gesture.” The Canadian group handing out clothes, food, and literature worked with the Greater Than Gold program to help people connect with God and their community. This led Kolkmann to join this program as well and distribute their literature at the many Olympics games he continues to attend.
At the 2024 Olympics games in Paris, France, Kolkmann made sure to be present and hand out literature to as many attendees, athletes, and staff as possible. He worked alongside the local Adventist churches, ASI, Habitat for Humanity, and other groups to turn the whole trip into something very similar to a mission trip—sharing God’s love with the Olympic community.
Adventists from throughout Europe joined him in this mission to give out literature. They handed out books at the Olympic village, at the city malls, at the metros and bus stations, and connected with many people who were able to hear about God’s impact on their lives. With help from Filipe Robalo (from Portugal), Benjamin Eibisberger (from Austria), Christopher (from Germany), Filip Asturias (from Spain), and Stephan Heinig (from Austria), they were able to connect with people from all parts of the world to share Christian literature.
Kolkmann said that this desire to share God with others everywhere he goes came from his parents. “Ever since I was a little boy, when we started watching the Olympics, my family was always part of a gathering. It's kind of a natural thing for me to find a way to do something to help the Lord's work and represent Adventists.” At nearly every Olympics event he has attended, he has connected with the local Adventist Church and spent time with the members.
Because of being present at these Olympic events, Kolkmann has also met many of the incredible people who attend these events. He was even able to meet Jean-Claude Killy, one of his original inspirations, at the Olympic fair in Switzerland. He has also met many inspirational leaders such as Nelson Mandela. But throughout these events, his main purpose is simply to share God’s story with everyone, no matter if they are an athlete, an attendee, a national leader or someone just walking on the street.
Jeff Kolkmann attends Modesto Central Adventist Church. If you would like to learn more about how to become involved in or support this ministry, reach out to Kolkmann at jeffsunpowur@gmail.com.
Bringing Christ to the Public Schools in Central California
Noemi Gallego saw the power of the high school ministry taking place at the public school in Fresno, and it inspired her to encourage a campus ministry be started at the public schools in her city, Visalia. “My sister would take her son and I would take my son, and we would help out. We saw how incredible it was that we were able to go on a public high school campus and share Bible studies—share about God!” she said.
Gallego requested the leader, Mike Carter, to start a similar campus ministry at the nearby Central Valley Public School in Visalia. But instead of starting another campus ministry, Carter encouraged Gallego to lead out in the ministry at Visalia. Although she was hesitant to direct the ministry, she realized Carter was right that it is much more about the power of this ministry than about the leader. This led her to begin the public school campus club in the spring of 2024.
The ministry itself is very simple. Students at local public schools are allowed to meet during lunch period in one of the designated classrooms and study the Bible, eat lunch, talk about God, and share with each
other about their personal spiritual experiences. But the power of this happening on public school campuses opens the doors to students connecting with God who would not normally have the opportunity.
In order for a ministry like this to happen at a public school, the most important starting piece is students who are willing to request that the group be started. If a student wants to meet and discuss a topic—even if it is God—it is allowed in a public school. The second important piece is that a teacher provides the space. The teacher simply needs to be willing to be in the classroom and allow the students to use the classroom.
Gallego knew a student at the Mount Whitney High School in Visalia who had recently begun attending the Adventist Church. The student requested this group be started at her school, and Gallego and Carter were able to connect with a teacher at the school who was able to host the group. “And then my husband had a coworker, and his son was telling my husband that he wanted to start something at his school,” explained Gallego. “He felt like his youth group really wasn't meeting the needs.
And Mike told me, ‘That's perfect. You have students. You just to find teachers who are willing to open up the classroom.’” He emailed a few teachers at the Redwood High School in Visalia, and right away teachers responded saying the students could use their classrooms.
These groups started with about 15 students attending each one and talking about God. The food is all provided by the local Adventist churches, and the students lead out in discussions related to the Bible
and God’s impact on their lives. The ministries now have about 30-40 students attending each one on a weekly basis, many of whom would not have connected with the Adventist Church. Another group was also recently started at Visalia Technical Early College High School.
Recently, a student who was looking for a study hall happened to walk into one of the groups. As a self-proclaimed atheist, she made everyone aware she was in the wrong room. However, she decided to stay and listen, and she has continued to attend. “Then last week she showed up and she said, ‘You know, at Thanksgiving my grandma needed somebody to pray. I told her I'd accidentally gone into this Bible class, so I think I can pray,’” said Gallego. After only attending one club meeting at the school, the student volunteered to offer the Thanksgiving prayer in front of her family.
Gallego encourages anyone who is able to attend a public school Bible study to set aside time and visit one of the campus ministries. “I tell people to come see it because it's almost like you need to see it to know how amazing it is. We can't even believe it when we're there!” she added.
This powerful impact can happen at all public schools throughout the conference. If you are interested in learning more about how to start a Bible study group on your local public school campus or attend one of the on-campus groups, reach out to Mike Carter at (808) 393-5764.
