Grasp an Olympic opportunity
The arrival of the Olympics in the UK is a once in a lifetime opportunity for the church to use initiative and reach out into our communities as we enjoy and celebrate the Games together.
In addition to the competition, the Olympic torch will travel across the country including a 4 day visit to Northern Ireland. There will be hundreds of festivals, street parties, concerts and twenty cities will have BBC live screens (Belfast City Hall is one).
Eph 5:15 says ‘make the most of every opportunity’ and the Olympics 2012 is a golden opportunity for Christians. But what will we do? What resources are available? What experience do we need?
Help is at hand through an organisation called ‘
More than Gold
‘. Founded in 1996 to facilitate churches for the Atlanta Olympics, they have built up a wealth of experience working in the:
• Commonwealth Games
• Pan American Games
• All–Africa Games
• Indian Ocean Games
• Olympic Games and Paralympics
More than Gold ishere to be a one–stop–shop that helps churches seize the moment.
Their mission is to enable the UK churches to engage with the 2012 Games
Their vision is that thousands of churches taste the excitement of reaching their community in fresh and ongoing ways in Jesus’ name
More than Gold is here to help you:
catch the vision for the impact that can be made and the role that each of you can play
resource you with material and skills
help you plan events
make connections between the many agencies and thousands of churches participating
coordinate the production of resources and action needed
plan for the arrival of the Olympic torch in your area
One very exciting initiative is called ‘A Time To Shine’ which is essentially a call to pray for our communities and the nations.
Under the theme A Time To Shine, we are inviting every church, group and organisation to explore creative ways to pray for all that will take place in the months leading up to, during and after the Games. The theme is drawn from Isaiah 60:1–5, which tells of God’s light shining through us for the good of others.
One very special opportunity for Northern Ireland to shine is as the Olympic Flame travels through Northern Ireland. The Olympic flame arrives in Belfast on June 3 2012 from the Isle of Man.
Torch–bearers will carry it to Holywood, Bangor, Newtownards, Comber, Dundonald, Stormont, Newtownabbey, Carrickfergus, Glynn, Larne, Drains Bay, Ballygalley, Glenarm, Carnlough, Glenariff, Cushendall, Ballycastle, Dervock, Bushmills and Portrush.
On 4 June, the torch will be taken across the River Bann and then on to Coleraine, Articlave, Castlerock, Downhill, Ballarena, Limavady, Ballykelly, Greysteel and Londonderry.
On June 5, it will be relayed to New Buildings, Magheramason, Bready, Ballymagorry, Strabane, Sion Mills, Omagh, Dromore, Irvinestown, Enniskillen, Fivemiletown, Clogher, Augher, Aughnacloy, Caledon, Armagh, Portadown, Gilford, Banbridge and Newry.
After leaving Newry on June 6, the flame will be taken to Lisburn and Belfast.
The final leg of the relay, on June 7, will take in Newcastle, Dundrum, Clough, Downpatrick, Crossgar, Saintfield, Ballynahinch, Templepatrick, Antrim, Ballyronan, Magherafelt, Ballymena and Moorfields.
Later that day, the torch will leave Northern Ireland for Cairnryan in Scotland.
We would like churches, especially in these areas to be a part of a 70 day cascade of prayer as the Olympic Torch Relay travels across the U.K.
Contact local rep. Mitch, at Crown Jesus Ministries. Email: mitch@crownjesus.orgFor more information on More than Gold, visit www.morethangold.org.uk