LONDON, ENGLAND (ANS) -- Following the successful launch of CROSSING LONDON - Mission 2013 to over 1,000 Christian leaders from across the UK at last month’s National Day of Prayer and Worship at Wembley Stadium, the initiative has since quickly gathered pace seeing over 11,000 individuals representing thousands of multi-denominational churches receive email and postcard updates today.

Crossing London - Mission 2013 Logo

According to a Crossing London press release in the past year the capital has seen a surge of optimism, community spirit and celebration within the city following the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, the Olympics and Paralympics, however a recent statistic revealed that seven of the 10 schools with the highest number of crimes within three quarters of a mile of their gates were in London. In response the CROSSING LONDON mission focuses in part on strengthening, empowering and encouraging Christians, leaders and churches to play a leading part in loving their city in a real and relevant way.

Bishop of Willesden and Deputy Bishop of London, Peter Broadbent says, “...we are now in a place where the Church works better than it ever has done in the past, we’ve got HTB and Alpha, the huge black majority churches, we’ve got all the other denominations and the Church of England. This is just another chance for us to work together for the sake of finding ways of sharing faith, committing people to Jesus Christ, discipling them and sending them out to win the world for Christ.”

The press release went on to say the mission, which is unique in that it doesn’t represent just one denomination, age group or ethnicity, unites churches from the Anglicans to the Black Majority Pentecostals and the Methodists to the Baptists - crossing London boroughs from as far apart as Lewisham to Harrow.  It has four key strands which a focus on Encouraging Leaders, Equipping Christians, Engaging Communities and Encountering Jesus. Churches working together to share the powerful and life changing message of the Gospel and be the hands and feet of Jesus to the lonely and the broken within their London communities.

As more and more churches are signing up to be part of this key initiative, which culminates in a three-day large scale event at ExCeL London next October, the CROSSING LONDON team are currently hosting multiple Borough Briefings. These are where Pastors and church leaders are given a personal and inspiring 90 minute overview, explaining in more detail what the Mission is about, how they can get involved over the next year, develop their core team and what they can pray for.

Throughout the next 12 months CROSSING LONDON will equip, empower, resource, inspire and gather Christians and churches together at an exciting series of large and smaller events. The first of the larger Encouraging Leaders events, ‘INSPIRE’ takes place on Saturday 26th January 2013 at the Methodist Central Hall in Westminster.

Special guest and keynote speaker will be Franklin Graham, President and CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelical Association and Samaritan’s Purse, who are the global partners of CROSSING LONDON.  He'll be joining a number of well known UK Christian leaders presenting at the event, including author and Chairman of CROSSING LONDON Stephen Gaukroger and Hugh Osgood, Chairman of the National Day of Prayer and Worship.

Reverend Nims Obunge MBE DL says, “At the dawn of a very exciting year with the Jubilee and Games behind us, London is still in need of a lasting fire that ignites hearts and minds while also refreshing and reinvigorating its citizens. CROSSING LONDON - Mission 2013 is one unique way that Christians from all walks of life will together give true meaning to neighbourliness as they seek change the landscape of our city and local communities with the principles of the "Good Samaritan". 

For more details go to: www.crossinglondon.co.uk

Peter Wooding is an award-winning TV, radio and print journalist and media consultant under the name of Peter Wooding Productions (www.peterwoodingproductions.com). Having previously spent 10 years as news editor with UCB Radio in the UK, he has travelled extensively reporting from countries including Russia, Serbia, Ukraine, Dubai, South Korea, Zambia, Gambia, Mozambique, Croatia, Israel and India. He now reports regularly for CBN News, ASSIST News Service, GDOP London, Russian Ministries, Whispering Word and Sorted Magazine. Peter and wife Sharon live in North Wales, UK with their three children. Passionate to see God’s Justice and Mercy impact lives, Peter is director of a new UK ministry Mercy Projects International (www.mercyproject.org.uk) to help at-risk young people in Ukraine, Russia, Armenia, Kosovo, the Middle East and beyond. Contact Peter for consultation at: peter@peterwoodingproductions.com or tel. +44 1244 549167/+44 7500 903067