Today marks the start of the 100-day countdown to the Olympics as the nation prepares to welcome the world to The Games.

Some 70,000 volunteers from across the country – many of them Christians – are already a significant way through the million hours of training in preparation for the Olympic & Paralympic Games.

An estimated eight million people have said they are getting ready to cheer on the community heroes as they carry the Olympic Flame around the country.

More Than Gold is rallying churches to make sure they don’t miss the opportunities to engage with the community that The Games provide.

Churches are organising Olympic-themed events, parties and also being encouraged to host athletes’ families who are travelling to the UK to watch their relatives compete.

One Methodist church in Cornwall is co-ordinating a nationwide Praise Bus which will travel ahead of the official Olympic procession, with musicians on deck. It will set off from Land’s End to the Olympic Stadium on 19 May.

Christine Bonfield from Escalls Methodist Chapel in Cornwall said: “This is a wonderful opportunity for people to sing their faith. We still need musicians from across the country to get involved. People can find out more from our website.”

Ish Lennox, Olympic and Paralympic co-ordinator for the Methodist Church, said: “Today is a really exciting day. The 2012 Games coming to our nation is a great opportunity for the Church to move beyond its walls and engage with the local community.

“Every church can do something. The Methodist Church is working with More Than Gold to make sure that churches are resourced and equipped for this historic moment.”

For more on how you and your church can get involved in the Olympics, visit the More Than Gold website.