Light a candle around the world

This message comes from St John in the Wilderness, a small but beautiful 14th century church, in Exmouth, Devon in England. On Saturday 30th September and Sunday 1st October 2000 we are holding a millennium event called "2000 years in 2000 minutes". It starts at 8.00am GMT on the Saturday and finishes at 5.20pm GMT on the Sunday.

It will be a continuous religious event lasting 2000 minutes. It will involve a number of different services; a Remembrance Service for those departed, a Wedding Rededication Service and Thanksgiving, a Midnight Mass, a Sunday Eucharist, a Family Harvest Festival Service, an Animal Blessing and finishing with a Millennium Service of Hope.

We will have a bit of fun as well with a flower demonstration, an organ recital and a religious film, as well as a teddy bear parachute jump from the bell tower for the children.

But here is where you can help us; please. Throughout the 2000 minutes at regular intervals we will light 21 large "century" candles, one for each of the centuries since Christ. The first will be lit by the Bishop of Crediton and the last by two small children who are our hope for the future.

If you could help us to fan these small flames around the world by lighting a small candle or light during that weekend it would show that nowadays something very small can shine very brightly to every corner of the world. So if you can join us in our 2000 minutes we can prove together, particularly to the children, that Jesus' light burns very powerfully indeed.

If you could send an email message to us as well to show how far the flame has reached we would be very grateful. Father Stephen will receive all your messages at patrickbrooks@talk21.com. Sincere thanks and love to you all.