Share Jesus International is looking forward to holding its biggest Pentecost Festival yet from Friday 30 May to Sunday 8 June.
A celebration of the Church's birthday, the festival has been held in London every year since 2008. Churches are encouraged to come together and engage with their local communities to share the Gospel, holding events such as ethical fashion shows, theatre evenings and family fun days.
It's all about "creatively connect[ing] with society", and in the past, events have been held in venues such as the 02 arena and a boat on the Thames, as well as coffee shops, parks and night clubs.
"It's a celebration of the diverse communities in London and an opportunity for people to discover more about Jesus," Share Jesus says.
"It offers something for everyone and everyone is invited regardless of age, faith or cultural background...Pentecost Festival takes the Church out of its buildings and onto the streets of London."
"Pentecost has long been the forgotten Christian festival but it's time we re-discovered the celebration of Pentecost – the birthday of the church - and over the next few years, we want to see it celebrated across this nation!" says Andy Frost, Director of Share Jesus International.
The event now attracts tens of thousands of people each year, but in 2014 the vision is to go larger than ever. 'The Biggest Birthday Party Ever' will have four launch events right across the UK in Sheffield, Birmingham, London and the Wirral, featuring Ben Cantelon, Luke Hellebronth, Andy Frost, Rebirth Dance Network and more.
Deputy Director of Share Jesus International, Eunice Obianagha, says it's vital that the Church steps out of its walls and engages creatively with the local community: "Church is the people not the building, so we must go to where the people are.
"Jesus was a master at turning everyday situations that people could relate to into creative illustrations of faith. The Biggest Birthday Party Ever is a chance to do the same."
Christians are being encouraged to get involved with simple initiatives like live music evenings, raising money for a local charity, or street clean ups.
"All of this with the purpose of building relationships and creating opportunities to share some of Jesus' nature with our neighbours," Obianagha continued.
"2014 has been marked as a year of 'Hope' across the Christian community, so hopefully we can collectively spread hope during Pentecost.
"The Festival's mission during this week is to challenge the Church to reach out to its community, provide creative opportunities for people outside of the Church to explore the Christian message [and] celebrate the Church's birthday and highlight its heritage, diversity and positive contributions to society."
For more information on how to get involved, go to www.sharejesusinternational.com/tbbpe
