With the London Olympics less than two years away, in Southwark Diocese work has begun to engage with the mission opportunities presented by the games.
A Diocesan Olympic coordinating group was formed in 2009, with local clergy from each of the four Olympic sites (Greenwich Peninsula, Greenwich Park, Woolwich and Wimbledon), plus representatives from the Board of Education, Youth & Children's Group, Mission Department, Southwark Cathedral, Communication and Resources - and two former Olympic athletes, Lorna Boothe from Mitcham and Shaun Lightman from Selsdon.
The group has met quarterly in 2010, served by Nigel Stone, the Diocesan Olympic Adviser, who began this three year half- time post on 1 January. Nigel has worked in Southwark for 25 years as a Parish Priest and Diocesan support roles and was part of the multinational Chaplaincy Team at the 2009 World Athletics Championships in Berlin.
Nigel will be visiting deanery synods and other groups in the coming months to outline the opportunities for 'Olympic ministry' in 2012. These might include; holding an 'olympic' children's holiday club, hosting a cultural olympiad event in your church, running a community sports festival perhaps in partnership with others, showing significant Olympic events on a big screen in your church/hall, offering hospitality to overseas visitors, and using educational resources from the 2012 website in work with young people.
He says "We are working collaboratively with 'More than Gold', the umbrella body made up of the main church denominations and organisations like Scripture Union, the Bible Society and Christians in Sport.
"More than Gold began at the Atlanta Olympics in 1996 and has continued through Sydney, Athens and Beijing. This autumn they are holding a series of nationwide briefing events for representatives from local churches to hear about resources and programmes for 2012. Locally, there are events at Esher (on 1 Nov.), Central London (3 Nov) and Leyton (4 Nov.). Further details are on www.morethangold.org.uk For more information or to register an interest in Olympic ministry in Southwark, email: nigel.stone@southwark.anglican.org