Advent Reflections

Advent reflections on the birth of Jesus

Running the race


More Than Gold UK
For a daily reflection during Advent - with a More Than Gold touch – check out the Evangelical Alliance’s Running the Race http://asso.in/url/5m5
(Hover over title for direct link)

The Christian life is like a race, and we are called to run it. The race will throw up various challenges; we will encounter hurdles along the way, but the Jesus whose birth we prepare for during Advent, is with us throughout the course. The coming few months will see the nation prepare to host the Olympic Games and Paralympics Games, and as a Church we must also prepare to take up the opportunity this presents to show God’s love in every situation we encounter.

The prayer guide has been written by the team at More Than Gold – the umbrella organization working to encourage and equip churches to make the most of the opportunity presented by the Olympic and Paralympics Games 2012.
For more information, please see www.morethangold.org.uk


Here is an example…
Tues 29
Matthew 5:14 – 16

Reflect: Each of us has a sphere of influence whether at work, college or with our neighbours. We have the potential to change the spiritual climate through what we say or do. You are today the light of the world, for Christ is in you, the hope of glory.

Pray & Act: Who can you encourage today? A smile can make all the difference. Pray for all with whom you will have contact.

Movers and Shakers!

Good at getting stuff done? Excited about the Games and want to celebrate? Then we want you to be a London 2012 Local Leader. www.london2012.com/localleaders
The summer of 2012 will be extraordinary. Across the whole of the UK, millions of people will be part of the celebrations. And at the heart of every celebration will be the person who makes it happen. If that’s you, we want you to sign up and become a London 2012 Local Leader.

Being a Local Leader is pretty simple: you just need to have an idea of how you want to celebrate the Games and then get organizing. You can create your own events or get involved with the some of the ideas communities across the UK have suggested to us: check them out below. We've also got some handy tips on how to plan your event. Get ready to celebrate in 2012 and help make the Games local!

Sign up now to be a London 2012 Local Leader and receive exclusive offers, ideas and planning packs as we get ever closer to the Games.

Watch a video about the Local Leaders programme

Hover over the title for a direct link

Sporty-themed Shoeboxes

Sports-themed shoeboxes

The 2012 London Olympics is only just around the corner, so we’ve decided to get into the Olympic spirit as part of this year’s Operation Christmas Child campaign.

How? Through sports-themed shoeboxes, of course!

As well as giving you the chance to do something a bit different with your shoeboxes, this is also your chance to send a few sporty items out to needy children in our world – children who might otherwise not have the chance to experience the joy of sport for themselves.

Make your shoebox sports-themed
There are several ways you can give your shoebox an Olympic twist this year…

GIFTS: Along with gifts you would usually send, you might want to include a tennis ball, skipping rope, baseball hat, small football, inflatable beach ball, stop watch, sweat bands, toy medals or some other sports-related gift that would bring a smile to a child!

BOX: You could even decorate your shoebox with Olympic stickers, drawings or try and get hold of special Olympics wrapping paper (if indeed such a thing exists!)

MESSAGE: You might want to add a message to your child, stating that the shoebox has come from the home of the next Olympics and that you hope they enjoy the sports items you’ve included in your box for them to play with.

Make your shoebox event sports-themed!

We're teaming up with More Than Gold www.morethangold.org.uk to encourage churches to host sports-themed shoebox events in the run-up to the 2012 London Olympics.
You might want to arrange some fun, Olympic-themed activities for participants – like a shoebox relay race, a shoebox long jump, or even shoebox throwing! (OK, some of these ideas may require empty shoeboxes…just in case!). It might just mean giving your celebration a sporty feel!

Schools, workplaces and community groups can also give your shoebox events an Olympic feel. You might want to take a picture of your shoeboxes arranged as the Olympics logo; or arrange your shoeboxes to appear as if they are taking part in an Olympic event themselves. We would love to see your pictures!

These are just a few ideas – but you’ll probably have even more! If you do, email them to marketing@samaritans-purse.org.uk along with any photos of your sports-themed shoeboxes or events.

More Than Gold Games Pastors

Message from Adam May, Director of Development for Christian Nightlife Initiatives and More than Gold Games Pastor Regional Coordinator:

I am delighted to inform you that the application process for Games Pastors has now opened online via the More than Gold website. I would like to apologies on behalf of the Games Pastors Delivery Group for the delay as we know there are people keen to apply.

I have the pleasure of attaching the Games Pastor information sheet which will hopefully set out the vision and need for volunteers to be operating in London and across the country during the Olympics and Para-Olympics next year in these important roles.

As a member of the Delivery group for this initiative, I am exciting about the opportunities that Games Pastors presents for the church as a whole to pick up the call for 'servant ministry' rooted and ground in the example of Jesus himself. Recently, I said of Games Pastors on the More than Gold Facebook page, I want to see.... a bold, sensible, creative and necessary response to the 2012 Games by churches and organisations at every level. I want to see the church working as 'team' rather than on our own. I pray for a breaking down of the walls that traditionally beset us. May this not be a priority for 2012 but a legacy for Christ's people in the years to come... Join me in that prayer!

Games Pastors is both an initiative for those in existing Street Angels and Street Pastor projects so do pass the message on to those you already know who are doing this. Nevertheless, Games Pastors is open to those who have never been on the street operating in such roles. For those not already invovled, we promise to offer a safe but rewarding experience and we hope through experiencing this act of service, people might volunteer for their own local expression.

Whilst we appreciate that for some the commitment outlined might be demanding, we hope that it will be worth it.

We are also looking to appoint a leadership team of Regional and Area Coordinator to assist the Operations Manager lead this. There will be a session in November for those wishing to explore this, but this is specifically for those who already have leadership experience in existing projects. Attendance to either of these gatherings is by invitation only. Please contact me directly if you want to discuss this further as it is a specific and unique role that we would be inviting people to take up.

If you feel God is calling you to take on this exciting role, you can apply to be a Games Pastor online by visiting - http://www.morethangold.org.uk/service/games-pastors.html

Look forward to hearing from you soon,

With best wishes and prayers, Adam

Adam May
Director of Development, Christian Nightlife Initiatives and
More than Gold - Games Pastors Coordinator for outside of London

PUSH - Pray Until Something Happens

Join with thousands to pray in the New Year

COMING IN 2012 are some amazing opportunities relating to the Queens Diamond Jubilee, the Torch Relays and the Olympic and Paralympic Games. And they call for united prayer.

That's why MTG are launching A Time to Shine - a call to prayer for the Games and the nations, drawing the theme from Isaiah 60:1-5. And the first phase is to pray in the New Year.

Jon Burns, More Than Gold's UK Director says, 'We sense, like never before, that God is calling the whole church in the UK to welcome 2012 with prayer'.

That's why MTG are asking every church, including yours, to do something to start the next year with prayer. MTG suggest the focus should be during the week of Saturday 31st December to Sunday 8th January. With the theme 'Shine for Jesus', based on Isaiah 60:1-5.

MTG hope churches will simply do what works best for them - as groups of churches, in families, as home groups and so on. Perhaps holding a watch night service, or a day or week of special prayer.

There will be a set of resources on the MTG website from October.

But we can begin making our plans now - do keep us posted on anything you might be doing or ask if there is any help we might be able to give.

The 1st January is always a special time for me anyway - it was on the 1st January 1975 I made a New Years Resolution to become a Christian - so it is my 'spiritual birthday and I am more than happy to celebrate in praying that others'may taste and see that the Lord is good!'

www.morethangold.org.uk

When the church becomes a house of prayer the people will come running

Prior Roger of Taizé

The light of the world!

I had the privilege during a recent holiday to visit the Olympic site and did run a couple of lengths in the stadium, fully clothed I might add! The original games and site were all dedicated to the cult of Zeus and held one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, a 60 foot statue of Zeus made of ivory and gold.

This picture is taken at the very spot outside the temple of Hera, the wife (and sister) of Zeus, where according to custom 11 woman (Vestal Virgins) light the flame from a bowl catching the rays of the midday sun.

Lighting the Olympic flame was part of the ancient Games and reinstated in the modern Games in the 1928 Summer Games held at Amsterdam.

There is no ancient precedent for the transporting of the Olympic Flame and the carrying of the flame by torch, i.e. the modern Torch Relay bringing the Olympic Flame from Greece to the host nation. This was introduced by Carl Diem for the controversial 1936 Berlin Games.

We might then as Christians ask questions about participation in the Torch Relay, or indeed the Games with their pagan origins.

However surely that would be to deny the power of God to transform and redeem. To take the best however warped and twisted it may appear, and see it used to bring God glory. Could anything be more evil at any level than crucifixion?

For us in Sussex the Torch Relay will pass through Hastings and Brighton. Plans are already in hand through the two Local Authorities and thankfully this includes Church participation.

Most of the Olympic site was destroyed by a new rising ‘Christian’ empire; it was seen as pagan and of no value apart from bricks for building or gold and other precious artefacts to fund the building of God’s kingdom!

Thankfully we are more enlightened (at least I hope so!) and will work with the prevailing culture and not against it. Seeking to be both salt, bringing flavour, and light, being distinctive. In practical terms that means we will search out the people of peace in the Local Authorities and work with them on initiatives that brings the best out of people and enhance our communities.

Do let me know your own plans.

(Click the title above'The light of the world!' and it will take you direct to the Torch Relay Olympic site)

The Boat!

It may seem to you a bit of a daft idea when God asked Noah to build an ark - not so much a boat as a huge floating crate.

It also comes across as a rather strange idea to invite people to bring anything wooden they have that has some significance and then try and build all of that into a boat.

But this is exacty what is happening at Thornham Marina near Chichester.

It is all part of the Cultural Olympiad that runs alongside The 2012 Games.

The boat will have its maiden two-week voyage in 2012.

A part of that will include a visit to Brighton Marina from the 20th - 27th May.

The Brighton Marina is in the parish of St George's Kemp Town and they have held Sea Sunday Services there in 2009 and 2011. Plans are now being drawn up for a Sea Sunday Service to coincide with the boats departure on the 27th May. Bishop Mark has been invited to offer God's blessings as the boat sets sail.

Gordon Banks has been asked to draw up a sub-committee of the St George's Mission Committee to help oversee this initiative. He would like to hear from anyone who would like to join this sub-committee. gordon.banks@diochi.org.uk

Even if you are unable to commit to joining the sub-committee we would still welcome any ideas you have as the boat spends this week at Brighton Marina.

For more see www.theboatproject.com or click on the blog title The Boat!