It’s an exciting time for London as the Olympic flag has now been officially handed over from Beijing in preparation for the 2012 summer games – and there have been special celebrations for Alliance member organisation The Salvation Army, which will host the 2012 mountain biking event at one of its Essex sites. Christians in the UK are caught up in the enthusiasm and are anticipating opportunities for outreach when the world comes to London in four years.

Alliance member Christians in Sport has been active at the Olympic Games recently – in the 2000 Sydney Games they hosted athlete families and distributed sports outreach resources, among other things.  They are part of a consortium called More Than Gold, which is representing Churches in the UK for the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics games. More than Gold has big plans to mobilise volunteers from churches to minister to athletes and others during the major international sporting event.

Minister of Sport Tessa Jowell MP said about More than Gold: "I thank and congratulate the churches on coming together in support of Olympic and sporting values once more.”

About the London 2012 Olympics, the Christians in Sport website says: “We want to see a great celebration of sport because, as Christians, we believe that sport and our ability to participate and enjoy it is part of God's creation.”

Christians, the Olympics and Sport

London 2012 Olympic Handover Flag raised at The Salvation Army's Hadleigh Farm

Salvation Army site in Essex confirmed as London 2012 Olympic Games Mountain Biking venue

More than Gold

The emerging Christians in Sport 2012 dream

Christians in Sport: 2012 news

London 2012

The Observer: Britain's greatest Games promise glory for 2012

Telegraph: London poised as countdown to 2012 Olympic Games begins

Guardian: Capital puts on a very British handover party

Sunday Times: China's lessons for London

Sunday Times: Road to London 2012 paved with gold

Times: How Britain saved the Olympic idea

Times: New dawn for British sport as Olympic sun sets in the East

Guardian: What London can learn from Beijing