What do the 2012 Games have to do with the UK’s churches?
For churches in the UK, the 2012 Games are a once-in-a lifetime opportunity. And they’ll be here soon, ‘ready or not’.
The 2012 London Olympics and Paralympics present the UK with its greatest logistical challenge since the last war. They also present churches in the UK with one of their greatest opportunities ever.
“What the churches of the UK seem to be best at,” says Rev Canon Duncan Green, the CofE’s top man for the Games, “is being where people are not. And the 2012 Games offers churches a great way to be where people are. To join in the party and do those things the church does best.“
And this is what has been happening around the world at Summer and Winter games for almost two decades. For example …
- In Atlanta, churches gave out more than 3 million cups of cold water to visitors on the streets.
- In Sydney, churches ran over 100 sports clinics for disadvantaged young people
- In Beijing, 30+ teams of creative artists performed in pubs, clubs, malls, coffee houses and orphanages
- In Salt Lake, the churches provided the largest number of homes to host the families of athletes
Now the baton has been passed to the UK. Which gives churches a great opportunity to use acts of outreach, service and hospitality to engage with their communities and visitors.
Daunting though this may sound, help is at hand. The main denominations have established More Than Gold, a temporary agency to help every church make the most of the Games.
This is because the Games will impact the whole of the UK and not just London. Wherever churches are, their communities will experience ‘Olympic fever’ as the result of the media, schools, advertising and the live screen events taking place in more than 20 centres.
The route of the Torch Relay – an hour-long cavalcade – will come in easy reach of almost the whole of the UK during the 70 days leading up to the opening of the Games..
The CEO of More Than Gold is David Willson. He’s spent almost 20 years coordinating the Christian response to more than 40 major sporting events around the world – including the Olympics.
David says, “There is something appropriate that every church can do in the context of the Games to engage with their communities. And we are coordinating the skills and experience of over 60 Christian agencies to provide the resources and training that will help them.”
Among a vast range of resources in preparation are children’s holiday club materials with a sports theme. And on tap is a pub-style sports quiz for church members to invite their friends.
More Than Gold is asking every church to appoint their own ‘Gold Champion’ – someone to receive a steady but not overwhelming supply of information to help them pick what will work the best for them during the coming year as well as the weeks of the Games. Logo.jpg)
Get on board at www.morethangold.org.uk
For a great range of resources go to: www.morethangoldresources.org.uk
And to help church leaders prepare for Olympic involvement, More Than Gold have prepared a DVD of ideas and resources