Luton is a special place, a gathering of the nations. Roughly a third of the people in the town are Muslims, a third white British and a third from other nations. This means the church is very ethnically diverse in our town.
Historically, our Muslim neighbours have been more effective in showcasing their faith than we have as the church. They run open air events to celebrate Eid and invite others to various iftar events during Ramadan. As the church in Luton, we are looking at new ways we can showcase the vibrancy of our life together to the wider community.
One such way was Praise in the Park in the centre of town from 12 to 8 pm on Saturday, 27 June. We had a continual flow of praise activity from a stage, activities for children and youth, as well as stalls offering information and prayer. We even had local employees on hand advertising job and training opportunities. The mayor of Luton, a Muslim, gave a very positive address about the event and our work as Christians in the town. He was, in turn, presented with a Bible to mark the occasion. Hundreds of people, we think more than 600, attended.
We were able to show the people of Luton that the church is alive and healthy. It was also a great opportunity for the whole church to be involved, people from different traditions, denominations and ethnicities all proclaiming Christ together.
Find out more about Churches Together in Luton.
All photos credit: Churches Together in Luton.