Carpe diem -
let's make the most of our Millennium openings

writes Wendy S. Robins

The Millennium Eye is upright at last; the Jubilee Line extension has begun to work, ready to get people to the Dome, and the new Millennium is now only a matter of a few short weeks away.

Some are getting increasingly frantic making sure that they have enough champagne and party poppers. Others are trying to pretend that nothing at all is happening and trying to get as far away as possible.

What are the churches doing? All over the Diocese churches will be planning special services and events to mark the start of the new Millennium. Whatever anyone may say, it is solely that one special birthday which we celebrate at Christmas which gives the date any meaning.

In September, all around the Diocese, our churches opened their doors to people many of whom would not normally have put a foot inside! From all that I have heard the Open Day was a great success.

Many churches are open daily and for them it will have been a chance to publicise this fact; others are open less frequently and for them it was an opportunity to invite the local community to come and see all that they do. The centrespread in this edition of the Bridge is made up of some images and stories from the Open Day, do have a look!

Bishop Tom is keen to encourage more people than ever to come to church over this very special Christmas. He says that 'Christmas 1999 gives us a wonderful opportunity to invite all our extended church family in the Diocese of Southwark to worship in their parish church and I hope that we can make a special effort to encourage everyone, occasional worshippers and newcomers alike to join us this Christmas'. He has even commissioned a special poster to encourage this.

We look back with pleasure on the Open Day and those who visited us. As we plan for those special moments just after Christmas, let's not forget to celebrate and encourage others to celebrate with us the birth of Jesus and all that means to us - and to them!