'How far will you travel this Christmas?'

A small team of Baptists and Methodists in Southend-on-Sea have partnered with local artist Laura Keeble for their latest creative project to engage people with Christianity

In previous years the Icons-on-Sea team have taken over an empty shop in the town centre in Easter, organised a Christmas flashmob and created a Stations of the Cross trail. On Good Friday this year they left 500 specially designed crosses all over the town centre for people to find.

This Christmas they returned to the concept of using an empty shop to create Christmas Icons, a series of traditional nativity images in stained-glass with accompanying messages that tell the story.

Each nativity icon also provides an opportunity to walk in the footsteps of Mary and Joseph and asks visitors what kind of Christmas journey will they make this year, what will they bring and who will they meet.

'Christmas will always include a journey of some kind, even if just a journey across the street,' the website states.

'The first Christmas saw lots of journeys. Some were made because they found something to follow, others were forced and made without choice.

'At the heart of the story is a journey from heaven to earth, of God travelling to earth, born as a baby.

'I wonder how far will you travel this Christmas? I wonder for what reason? I wonder what or who you will find?'

It is open from 10 Dec -24 Dec in the Royals Shopping Centre in Southend.