Olympic flame is on the way!

The first details of the route of the Olympic Flame have been released. It arrives in the UK on 18 May 2012 at the start of a 70 day journey, before arriving at the Olympic Stadium in London on 27 July 2012. The Olympic Flame will travel to within an hour of 95% of the population, from the Channel Islands to the Shetlands. Representing peace, unity and friendship, the flame will be carried by 8,000 inspirational torchbearers during the Olympic Torch Relay.

Each day of the relay will see the torch parade its way through the streets of three different locations. The closest it passes to our church is Blackpool on 22nd June 2012 coming from Bowness-on-Windermere and then travelling to Manchester.(visit: http://www.london2012.com/olympic-torch-relay for more details.)

Chinese church’s bid for freedom

Pastors from unregistered churches ("house churches") in China have lodged an unprecedented petition with the Chinese parliament calling for religious freedom and a peaceful resolution to the ongoing conflict involving one of Beijing's largest house churches. The bold move - the first of its kind in 60 years of repressive Communist rule in China - follows the detention and house arrest of hundreds of members of Shouwang Church, which has attempted to stage outdoor worship services over five consecutive Sundays.

Cathedral congregations continue to grow

Attendance levels at regular weekly services in Church of England cathedrals have increased significantly again this year, by seven per cent, say the latest statistics from the Archbishops’ Council’s Research and Statistics Unit.

Since the turn of the millennium, they have steadily grown by a total of 37%, which is about four per cent on average each year. At Sunday services alone, 15,800 adults and 3,100 children and young people are usually present while over the whole week the figures rise (by 73%) to 27,400 and 7,600 respectively. Westminster Abbey adds, on average, 1,800 people each week to these numbers.