Since Scripture Union's launch of LightLive four months ago, 6,000 children and youth church groups have been set up through the website with a total membership of 110,000 children.

LightLive is Scripture Union's free ministry which allows churches and other Christian organisations working with young people to set up and manage their groups and learning programmes online.

With access through the LightLive website to free downloadable Bible-based resources, leaders can use the Scripture Union Light syllabus or customise their own, and brief their groups online, making planning, collaboration and communication much easier.

Scripture Union Internet Manager, Ian Gooding, says: "Most churches have registered one or two groups of between six and 20 members, although there is a significant number of churches with more groups - as many as 10 groups and 35 leaders. The rate of growth in September was about 300 groups a week joining LightLive and, from these new groups, the total number of children reached by LightLive increased by approximately 3,000 children each week."

James Burden, Head of Publishing Operations who has been at the forefront of the development of Scripture Union's free online ministries, says: "The take-up of LightLive is very encouraging and we are delighted that so many leaders of children's groups have found LightLive a useful tool.

"Part of our goal for LightLive was to inspire and equip churches and groups to start a programme of children's work where there wasn't one in place before, either because of cost, or lack of time or resources.

"LightLive was designed to take these worries away by being free and with everything in place to make planning a group simple. We long for the growth of LightLive to continue so that more and more young people have the opportunity to meet with God and to grow in a meaningful relationship with him."

On the web: www.lightlive.org