More than 100 Christian leaders from over 60 denominations and networks have gathered at Portcullis House, Westminster to celebrate a nationwide evangelistic movement.
The Parliamentary Reception celebrated Shine Your Light, a nationwide evangelistic movement taking the gospel onto streets and marketplaces across the UK. It was hosted by Jim Shannon MP, Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for the International Freedom of Religion and Belief and organised by the National Day of Prayer and Worship (NDOPW).
Leaders from all four nations celebrated a doubling in participating churches from 738 in 2023 to over 1,500 last December. They were also told of plans for Shine Your Light 2025, starting with a 72-Hour Prayer focus over Pentecost weekend, 6-8 June, and a weekend of Christmas evangelistic events from 12-14 December.
Stories from the floor were shared from Shine Your Light Christmas events which took part in Bedford, Birmingham, and Canterbury as well as from Wales and Scotland.
Reclaiming Christian festivals
Dr Jonathan Oloyede, Convenor and Founder of NDOPW spoke of how Shine Your Light was an opportunity for the Church to ensure that the Christian Festivals were “reclaimed”, and of the need for prayer, unity and mission “to work intentionally closer if we’re to continue to see God's Kingdom grow in these isles”.
After the gathering, he said: "Seeing over 100 Leaders in Parliament this week speaks of how much the Lord's hand is on this call for mission, unity, and prayer to come together. We can no longer separate the three - but bring them together as one. Shine Your Light has grown since 2023, but there is more that we need to do as the Church to reclaim our confidence in the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.
“Praying at the heart of Westminster is a symbolic sign of the ripples needing to go out. As we prepare for Pentecost in a few weeks’ time, let us start praying for our communities that they would be open to the move of the same Holy Spirit which fell at Pentecost.”
