Welcoming the Torch Relay

The 70 days leading up to the opening of the Games sees the Olympic flame run the length and breadth of the UK – in a massive cavalcade involving a team of 8,000 torchbearers.

This Torch Relay will stop overnight at 70 communities, weaving its way through a 1,000 more. As a result, almost every church can be involved. To see how close your church is to the route go to -

• An on-line map with street by street details and start times - link.
• A list of every street the Torch will visit broken down by region - link.

A list, in date order, of where the Torch will stop overnight can be found here.

Use the Torch as an inspiraton to pray

Every person and every church is urged to join in the 70-day Prayer Relay -  a cascade of prayer and praise tracking the same route as the Olympic Torch Relay. Follow the link for lots of ideas and resources for individuals and churches to join in.

Get ready to welcome the Torh

Each community where the Torch Relay stops is expected by the organising committee of London 2012 to give it a spectacular welcome. This could involve entertainment, shows and concerts with a local flavour.

Most authorities will welcome the help of churches including through –

• Creative and performing arts – using their own talent or bringing it in from outside the area
• Hospitality - including being part of the One Million Cups of Water programme
• Volunteers – from crowd control to specialist advice and help

Helping churches get ready

To help churches get ready for the Torch visiting or passing through their community, there is –

• A handbook of ideas as a free resource, in partnership with TraidCraft, showing what churches can do regardless of whether their village, town or city is a major stop or just on the route. Request it free at www.traidcraftshop.co.uk/churcheventpack
• A local task force in each town where the Torch is to stop to help run community events that support the official celebrations. Those interested should contact us at torch@morethangold.org.uk
• With an eye on the issue of social justice, a fair-trade Hospitality Kit will be available for churches to buy 

You can download a pdf with an overview of More Than Gold's response to the Torch Relay here.