The London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games offer outstanding opportunities for Christian mission, community engagement and pastoral care The Diocese of Oxford has established the The Race Before Us group to encourage churches to engage with community mission opportunities, in line with Bishop John’s Living Faith vision. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime challenge to work together and embrace the opportunity to engage with and serve local communities. It aims for a legacy of greater church unity, community engagement and making more disciples of Jesus Christ in every part of the Diocese.

The project is inspired by Hebrews 12v 1 which states: ‘Let us run the race that is before us and never give up.’
Bishop of Buckingham, the Rt Revd Alan Wilson, is also on the group. He said: “The Olympic Games are the greatest show on earth and offer churches all sorts of possibilities to raise our game as communities.”

The Diocese is partnering with More Than Gold, which was formed in 1996 for the Atlanta games. The Revd Janet Binns, our own Olympic Chaplain, is working with More than Gold and heading up The Race Before Us. Janet says: “I am a keen sportsperson and athlete, having competed in numerous races including the London Marathon over many years. My role as the Diocesan Olympic and Paralympic Games Coordinator is a wonderful challenge, and a great opportunity for me to combine my passion for sport with spreading and sharing the Christian message to as many people as possible.”

Some of the group’s suggestions for church activities over the next 12 months include:
Holiday clubs, Sports clinics.
Join with local community events,
hold a More Than Gold Sunday,
or a Sports Thanksgiving Service.

Don’t forget the Torch relay taking place between May and July. It’ll be passing through Oxford on 9 July and Reading on 10 July. It’s a great opportunity to serve the crowds with hospitality and outreach and to focus on prayer for the games and everyone involved.
And on 9 June to 1 July the European Football championships provide the opportunity to host big screen community festivals and sports quizzes in your churches.

For more on the diocesan project seeRace Before Us.  For more on the Olympic Torch and the run up to the games seeLondon 2012 andMore Than Gold. 

Tickets still available for the Paralympics

Don’t forget that even if you are basking in the disappointment of missing out on tickets for the Olympics, you could still be in with the chance of becoming a spectator at the Paralympics.

The games originated at Stoke Mandeville Hospital, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire in 1948 when Sir Ludwig Guttman organised a sports competition involving World War Two veterans with spinal cord injuries. They grew from there until the first official Paralympics took place in Rome in 1960. Today the games feature elite athletes with disabilities, but focus on their athletic abilities rather than disabilities.

Applications for tickets can be made between 9 September and 30 September. To apply go toLondon 2012. 

Rowing at Dorney

With the Olympic rowing events taking place at Dorney Lake, local churches have already started gearing up to get involved.

On Your Marks was a colourful launch that took place across Eton Wick and Dorney, with puppets and games for children. “That went down really well with the community, said the Revd Lucy Holt, the Vicar. The benefice is thinking through what it will do for the Olympics themselves, possibly joining forces with churches in the Windsor and Maiden-
head Deanery for a celebration.

“One idea was to do an event between the Olympics and Paralympics, or after the Paralympics, like a Songs of Praise at Dorney Lake.
“A deanery celebration of mission is to be held on 10 July in the Eton College Chapel.  I feel we have got to have our eyes on our local community but also with people coming in as well, trying to put the two together.”
 

Artistic Celebration of the Games

Children from Church of England schools produced Olympic themed art work for the Windows Walls and Wishes Exhibition in Burnham, Berkshire. The work was inspired by the 2012 Olympic rowing at Dorney and is part of an exhibition at the new home of Mona Lisa Arts and Media. Pupils from Dropmore Infants School, St

Peter’s CE Combined School and Lent Rise Combined School worked with professional artists Rhonda Fenwick, Gina Martin and Dawn Carroll to produce sculptures and a short film. St Nicolas’ CE Combined School, Dorney Primary School, St Mary’s Farnham Royal CE Primary School, Burnham Upper School and Burnham Grammar School have also been involved with the group’s Olympic work.

Artist and group director Rhonda Fenwick said: “It is a really good way of involving the children in an historical event, and great to see their ideas being put together by professional artists.” Mona Lisa Arts and Media has received a grant for its work from the Bucking- hamshire County Foundation. Rhonda added: “This is going to help towards the cost of making banners to decorate the villages of Burnham, Taplow and Dorney, up to and during the Olympic games. Our Transformers youth group will also be producing a Burnham Olympic flag to commemorate the games.” The Windows Walls and Wishes 2012 Visual Arts Project started last year and will conclude after the 2012 games.
 

Finding our own Olympic 'Champions' 

Steve Ward is the regional co-ordinator for More Than Gold and is watching as plans for churches to engage with the Olympics are starting to take hold.
Steve is a licensed lay minister in Chilton and Harwell, Oxfordshire. His work for More than Gold takes in the Oxford Diocese as well as Hampshire, the Isle of Wight, Dorset and Wiltshire. His work involves helping churches implement the festivals and events. He used to be the head of park sport and recreation at Reading Borough Council and he uses his local government knowledge to help churches apply for licences for events.

“What I used to do at work I now do for God instead,” says Steve. “I speak at Churches Together meetings, deanery meetings and, occasionally, more regional meetings. They can be meetings of four or five people or more than 100 depending on what the interest is,” he says. “Then I support the Olympic Champions in each church. If there is something a lot of people are asking for then I take that back to More Than Gold and see if we need to find a partner that can deliver that.

“It’s about taking the church out of its walls. I see that as one of the big nice things that churches can do. We are trying to equip churches along the torch relay route to come out of its walls, maybe by having a cream tea party in their area. It’s about the church going outside and meeting people.”
Closer to home, Steve, who used to play volleyball, water polo and still swims three times a week, has enlisted an Olympic champion for Chilon and Harwell and spoken to Churches Together in Didcot about the games.

He added: “From May next year the Olympics will be on the television morning, noon and night. Churches need to be able to say come to this festival or opening ceremony party. We are not always confident about doing evangelism but this is more about the church serving, being hospitable and demonstrating the light of Christ in the community.”