Methodists Challenge the Church - Face 2 Faith

Young followers of Methodism challenged the Methodist Church last year to dedicate a month to prayer for improved relationships between people of different faiths. Now that month is about to begin and the Church is gearing up for non-stop prayer throughout February.

Inter-faith action has been a hugely important way of bolstering inter-faith relations, and they decided that the first step had to be prayer.

The result is Face 2 Faith, a month of non-stop prayer, slated to take place across the Church in February 2007.

Churches are encouraged to take part in three ways: by praying for better inter-faith relations in Britain and the world, by doing something to encourage inter-faith understanding in their community and by entering the Face 2 Faith photo competition, which will be launched during February.

Dr Elizabeth Harris, Methodist Secretary for Inter Faith Relations, said: "This is a great opportunity for churches to pray and act for something that is incredibly important - trust and respect between people of different faiths. In today's society, religious groups can often become stereotyped and polarised, and this month is about breaking down those boundaries so that we can move forward with people of other faiths, learning and working together.

"Churches are already responding with enthusiasm and we're looking forward to hearing the many exciting stories that will come out of Face 2 Faith."

Each church or circuit is encouraged to respond in its own way, looking at what's appropriate for each community. Newham Methodist Circuit has decided to use February as a month of education, helping their congregations to understand why these issues are so important, and Chris Cornell, a past President of the Methodist Youth Conference, plans to organise a church visit to his local mosque or temple.

For more more information, go to www.face2faith.org.uk.