Shine Your Light – the annual evangelistic campaign equipping UK churches to take carol services and Christmas celebrations into public spaces will receive major national exposure on Songs of Praise on Sunday 14 December at 1.15pm on BBC One.
Airing on the final day of this year’s campaign weekend (12–14 DEC), this special episode will showcase powerful testimonies of God at work in Bedford.
Pastor Jonathan will also be sharing about this year’s campaign with presenter, Laura Wright, focusing on reaching young people, utilising social media, empowering Christians to witness in the workplace, and broadcasting a dedicated carol service to 56,000 UK prisoners over Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
Last month, BBC cameras joined Shine Your Light partner churches in Bedford as they took place in a special flash-mob style event in the Harpur Centre.
Stephen Elphick, who leads Hope Bedfordshire said: “Hope in Bedfordshire is an organisation that seeks to bring Christians together regardless of denomination.
“We organise various events such as the Good Friday witness in Harpur Square, have a monthly gazebo in Bedford Market, a weekly prayer meeting on Castle Mound and celebration services from time to time. We are also part of Shine Your Light and through them the BBC wanted to make a Songs of Praise around our story. It was great fun but quite tiring. They were thrilled at the response they received in Bedford, and we await see the programme.”
Pastor Jonathan Oloyede, Founder of Shine Your Light, said: “Last Christmas, more than 112,000 Christians from over 1,500 churches stepped beyond their walls to bring the light of Christ to the streets through Shine Your Light. It was a moving picture of unity – denominations, ministries, and networks lifting one voice for Jesus. Even leaders from sport, arts, politics, and Buckingham Palace encouraged the effort. God truly breathed on it.
“In January, we had only a vision: 200,000 Christians reaching 2 million people. Now, with the Songs of Praise broadcast, new prison, and homeless ministry opportunities, and over a thousand churches and groups already registered, we are confident that goal will be exceeded.
“I was privileged to be in Bedford for this recording, and I believe it demonstrates the power of unity, prayer and the message of the Gospel. We continue to marvel at how God has used such a simple idea – taking carols and Christmas hope beyond church buildings to the places where people gather. Our prayer is that everyone who hears a carol, listens to the Christmas story, or encounters a testimony this month will meet Emmanuel, God with us.”
Churches can still register and access free resources at www.shineyourlight.org.uk/registration
Two short inspirational videos for congregations are available on the Shine Your Light YouTube channel. [1]