The Book of Revelation directs us to the vision of a “holy city, the new Jerusalem” built on the foundation of faith and hope and love. It is central to our conviction in the Diocese of London that the Spirit of Jesus Christ is speaking through the promise and the peril of our time in London’s story. We must renew our determination to listen to his voice and play our full part in building the community he intends and in promoting the values of His Kingdom.
While we have a clear sense of the distinctiveness of our Christian faith, the confidence we have been given is non exclusive. So we seek to work with members of the great world faith communities and with all other people of good will in the interests of social cohesion and in those aspects of London life where the poor and vulnerable are pointing to some uncomfortable truths about the quality of our life together.
In the Book of Revelation, letters are sent to the Seven Churches of Asia commenting on their spiritual state and describing some of the particular opportunities and dangers they face. Working from a similar prayerful assessment of the state of the church in the Diocese, the London Challenge has identified areas in which the Church has to grow if we are to be faithful disciples and active partners in building the Kingdom of God.
Since the launch of its first phase in January 2002, the London Challenge has helped us to see what we are already doing together as a Church serving eighteen boroughs north of the Thames. We made specific commitments to ensure the Church’s growth and it is now time to build on the success of the London Challenge by turning the attention of our Church resolutely outwards.
London Challenge 2012 is a kind of Diocesan Mission Action Plan. The intention is not to impose an add on programme on parishes, chaplaincies, schools and the other communities in the Diocese but rather to invite them to reflect on how to relate their own plans for mission to this overview of the period 2007-2012. We aim to add up our common wisdom and our efforts to be Christ’s faithful witnesses and servants in 21st century London and to play our part in building the Holy City.
Each of the specific intentions assembled under our seven commitments is linked to a bulletin board. You are invited to post details of your own initiatives on these notice boards so that our prayers can be better informed. At the same time we will all be encouraged by the breadth and the quality of the work that is being undertaken and to resist the temptation to keep the good news to ourselves.
With thanks for our continued partnership in the gospel,
