(Photo: Shine Your Light)
A beloved classic hymn is getting a fresh twist this holiday season as part of an expansive initiative aimed at spreading the gospel message. Originally penned by Graham Kendrick in 1987, “Shine, Jesus, Shine” has been reimagined with a new recording set to be released this month.
This updated version of the song has been created by Romford teacher Nicole Hobday, in collaboration with Steve Thompson, Kendrick’s longtime musical director. Hobday shared her inspiration for the project, noting, “Last year, God gave me a vision of a nationwide worship movement where thousands of voices – across cities, churches, schools, and denominations – unite in song. This project isn’t just about reimagining a classic; it’s about proclaiming God’s light, love, and hope over our nation in a powerful moment of unified worship.”
The release is tied to the Shine Your Light initiative, which aims to encourage churches and Christians across the UK to use the Christmas season as an opportunity to engage with their communities. The organizers are hopeful that the campaign will bring the gospel message to two million people this Christmas.
Dr. Jonathan Oloyede, Convenor of the National Day Of Prayer and Worship, is actively involved in the initiative. He urges churches to participate, emphasizing, “This year, we want to help churches embrace some of what we believe is our mission field, reaching young people, using social media effectively, and supporting Christians in witnessing at work.”
For the first time, in collaboration with Spring Harvest, the Shine Your Light Christmas program will be broadcast into UK prisons, reaching 58,000 inmates, as well as to numerous homeless shelters and community centers. Oloyede adds, “I urge every church that has partnered with us before – plus hundreds of new churches – to register as soon as possible so that we can help them make the most of this year’s campaign.”
The Shine Your Light initiative has been expanding since its inception. In 2023, it included 750 churches, which doubled to 1,500 last year, with expectations to reach around 2,000 participating churches nationwide this year.
This article was originally written by www.christiantoday.com
