Churches in Aylesbury hope their experience of running community festivals will encourage others to do the same this year.
The Revd Andrew Blyth, Vicar of Holy Trinity Aylesbury said: “We have found it a great way to engage with our community in an urban setting but it really could be done anywhere and on different scales. In many ways it’s just a big village fete but with the one key difference - everything is free!”
In 2009 church leaders became aware that the council were looking for ways to make the annual Parklife event more family friendly. Andrew said: “At first there was concern about resources but in the end we realised that this was a wonderful opportunity for churches to use our experience, gifts and resources to serve the wider community.”

Using a model for ‘open crowd festivals’ pioneered in Australia by the organisation Fusion Youth & Community, local churches contributed volunteers and activities to create a free ‘family zone’ in the park. Inflatable games were hired in but the main draws were a free barbecue, simple fairground games, children’s crafts, face-painting and lots of audience participation events including a traditional all-comers tug-of-war match and not-so-traditional sumo suit wrestling.

More than 500 people attended that first year and since then numbers have kept on growing. Andrew said: “People love the fact that they can come and have simple family fun without having to worry about putting their hands in their pockets all the time. We don’t have anyone standing up to preach but the message is very eloquent for everyone who attends – in God’s love we are here to serve you. And the knock on effect has been enormous with the local council positively seeking the churches’ involvement in a range of projects and initiatives.”

The 2012 Games offers a special opportunity to run festivals in partnership with others in your community. This could include a big screen showing of the Games as no special licence is needed, providing the content is broadcast without editing and without charge. Events could also be timed to coincide with key points in the Games – for example, the Torch Relay, opening ceremony, a final of a high profile event or the closing event.

The scale of events can vary from place to place. They can be a one-day event to a full week with a variety of events. More Than Gold offers support for two distinct approaches - A community festival with a variety of events celebrating the Christian message through the arts, sport and debate - with support and help from Share Jesus International.

An open crowd festival that gives a taste of authentic community - activities and games that bring celebration and fun where the participants are the stars. Support from Fusion is available.

The festivals may include fun activities for children including face painting, clowns and competitions, sport based games, avfree barbecue and tea and coffee, live music and arts and theatre performances.
 

Historic celebration for the Jubilee Churches Festival.

THE connection between the church and the community in Swallowfield, near Wokingham will be highlighted during the Jubilee Churches Festival in May.
The idea came after volunteers from the National Association of the Fine Arts spent two years making a detailed record of the interior of All Saints Church. The church now has a comprehensive two-volume record of its history.

Terry Pitt, church warden, said: “They are beautifully done and fascinating on many levels. It is well worth giving our local community the chance to see them and realise what a wealth of history and community life is represented within All Saints.”
Initially the church thought it would have an open day, with the documents on display along with its first edition King James Bible and the Foxe’s Book of Martyrs, an account by John Foxe of Christian history and martyrs, particularly emphasizing the sufferings of English Protestants from the 14th Century until the reign of Mary 1.

Mrs Pitt explained that the plans quickly developed into a festival with the church open continuously for four days. She said: “We are planning a historical theme but the most important aspect of this is to include studies on all sorts of aspects which highlight the connection between Church and community.   

“We hope we will find enough of interest to keep people coming to the church for four days (Thursday to Sunday) and we will of course aim to make some much needed funds towards a new church roof, by producing the very best in local cream teas.”
The church is also hoping to have a choral or musical event, possibly with performances of the original Swallowfield Mummers play, a flower show, a display of historical memorabilia found in Church records, and other contributions from church members.
 

“One contributor has prepared an account of how Lt Col Sir Charles Russell VC won the Victoria Cross which is on one of the stained glass windows of the church.  Another study ­— a detailed background to the names on our war Memorial has also been completed.”
 

The Jubilee Churches Festival follows last year’s Cotswold Churches Festival, when 110 churches from five dioceses were involved with a celebration of church life across the Cotswold region. It encourages churches to join in the celebrations of the Queen’s 60 year reign with activities and festivals from 25 May to 5 June. For more information and ideas see www.jubileechurchesfestival.org.

A time to shine

A time to shine is More Than Gold’s year long prayer initiative - a call to pray for our communities and nations.
Every church is invited to explore creative ways to pray in the months before, during and after the games. The Oxford Diocese’s day is 14 April when the area around Dorney Lake will be filled with prayer stations. Churches are encouraged to think of creative, sporty ways of getting to Eton that day. The event will culminate in a service at Eton College Chapel. for more seethe Race Before Us website or call the Revd Janet Binns on 01753 831277.

For more information see www.jubileechurchesfestival.org;

www.racebeforeus.org.uk;

www.morethangold.org.uk

www.london2012.com