It is a lonely awesome feeling being at the centre of the Christian ministry for the next Olympic Games. I went back into the hall to pray again. Now we will have to initiate prayer requests. We will have to have people manning telephones from Christians overseas wanting to share with us.

Brothers and sisters, we need you very much. You may be in a large city or a country town, you may be in a large church or a small church in the suburbs or a town in the country. We appreciate your faith and your prayers. We have been planning but now we have to set up the infrastructure.

Please pray for:

• The many suburban churches in the suburbs surrounding Homebush Bay.
• The city churches where most tourists will stay and where there will be much activity at Darling Harbour.
• Bishop Brian King, the Quest 2000 Executive (chaired by Peter King), the Advisory Board and the Teams with the specific tasks.
• That negotiations between Quest 2000 and the Sydney Organising Committee for the Olympic Games will open many avenues of Christian Ministry.
• For the safety of our city and our visitors. - The love of God which casts out fear.
• Significant outreach to the city, our International visitors, and to the nations of the world as we use Communications to multiply the spreading of the gospel here, and in other cities

As we enjoy the freedom, peace and prosperity of metropolitan Sydney, we pray for: Christians suffering and starving in the Sudan, the suffering Church in China, who wanted the Games in their nation.

We give thanks for the faithfulness of Christians in Atlanta, who are a blessing to us all.

In my capacity as the Minister of the host Local Government Area of Auburn, I invite Christians in suburbs surrounding Homebush Bay to join this significant time of prayer for the Homebush Bay Basin and ask churches across the Sydney Metropolitan Region, around Australia and around the world to pray with us and for us. Pray especially on Monday afternoon and through the week as we absorb our awesome responsibility and prepare to apprehend the opportunities given to us".

However, this is only the beginning:

Please continue to pray for follow-up and strategies in post Olympic Atlanta - for church growth and outreach.

• Give thanks for the ministry of QUEST Atlanta, the International Sports Coalition, Youth With A Mission, local churches etc.
• Pray for the Planning Conference held in Atlanta by the International Sports Coalition.
• Pray for QUEST 2000 Planning and Finance
• Pray for the revitalisation of local suburban churches in Sydney, especially parishes surrounding Homebush Bay - Auburn, Lidcombe, Strathfield, Concord, Ryde, Ermington, Parramatta and Granville.