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In the beginning
Way back in 1999, Simon Lucas set up Crossring.com, a Christian discussion site that ended up attracting 250,000 visitors every month from across the world. This was a huge resource, and one that was without rival anywhere else on the web. There were hot debates, challenging discussions, insightful revelations and useful practical applications of scripture. It truly was a blessing to all who participated.
When Crossring shut down in 2005 it left a huge chasm, and one that has yet to be refilled. As far as we know, Simon has no current plans to resurrect Crossring, although anything is possible!
Out of the void Joe Byrne, an ex-Crossring moderator, decided to set up Open Song, which later turned into Open Word Ministries. The aim of OWM was to publish worship songs for free. Working on the same idea as open-source software, songs would be protected by copyright but churches would not have to pay subscriptions to be able to use them legally in services, as is the case with traditional music publishers. It was a fantastic idea, but sadly it never quite got off the ground properly; Joe had always envisioned it being part of a larger initiative, and none was there to support it.
Until FocusOnFaith. The brainchild of Matthew Dawkins, and inspired by a number of sources (Worship Central, Crossring, Open Word Ministries, and of course God), FocusOnFaith was set up to challenge and resource Christians across the UK and beyond through hard-hitting Christian articles, worship, and trendy web technologies.
The aims of FocusOnFaith
To encourage growth
There are plenty of sites out there dealing with the basics. We are not one of those sites. Rather than being evangelistic in nature, FoF aims to help those who are already Christians to grow in faith.
To resource
We have links with a good number of people whom God has gifted in a number of ways, and we encourage them to share their experience, their understanding, and their talent with others, for the building up of the Body of Christ. FoF provides worship resources in a number of different contexts: we hope our articles may inspire sermons, Bible studies, and personal quiet times; we hope our songs help you to praise God effectively and wholeheartedly; we hope our drama scripts can be used to challenge audiences and stir emotions; and we hope our podcasts will be useful for people on the move and/or sat at a computer.
To give
All of our resources are available for free. No catch. Read them, listen to them, download them, use them. They are our gift to you today.
To challenge
Our articles won’t always be middle-of-the-road. The truth is not always easy to hear. We hope you will take the time to read what we have to say, consider it prayerfully and refer back to the Bible at all times. If you think we’re wrong, do say so! None of us are perfect, and we are all learning more of God’s mysteries. And we hope you’ll join us as we explore some of the more difficult challenges in the Bible, and leave your own thoughts on each article we publish.