Connecting communities

Summer can be a quieter time for churches without big festivals to celebrate and fewer meetings taking place. Historically the church was a natural gathering place, offering social interaction as well as worship. This is not the case now, but with a poor economy and people struggling to afford holidays, is there an opportunity for the church to become the hub of social activity again, even if it’s only for the summer? Are there people in your community who only ever see the same environment and would value a change?

Go and join in

Find out what is happening in your area over the summer and look for ways to join in as a Christian presence.

Have you got a summer fair or music festival nearby? Ask to set up:

• a prayer and listening stall/tent (see www.leedsfestivalangels.org.uk)

or

• a ‘Community concerns’ stall/tent where people can tell you what would make their community a better place for them. The church could present some of these to a local councillor.

Come and see

Invite as many different church groups and local organisations as possible to come and display information about what they do in your church or hall. This gives them a chance to promote their group ready for the new school year. It doesn’t need special equipment – a table for each organisation will suffice. If you have room, set up a café space to offer refreshments.

Holiday at home

(© Parish of Wisley with Pyrford Holiday at Home)

Create holiday spaces for the elderly, families or children. You might set up something for a day, or offer several days over the summer. Be sure to cover all relevant aspects of transport, health and safety, catering, child protection, etc. Here are some suggestions to get you started:

A day at the beach

• Create a beach using play sand on a large tarpaulin and fill a child’s paddling pool.
• Invite people to dress for the beach and play age-appropriate beach games; make a mini-crazy golf; have a puppet show; do beach crafts.
• Organise a fish and chip lunch; if you have a local chip shop, ask if they will provide a discount for a large order placed in advance.
• Close with a short time together reflecting on having spent time as a community, and offering praise and thanksgiving to God.

A day in the country

Ideally, hold this outside, but make sure you have a wet weather plan.

• Decorate the space as a country fair with bunting and stalls such as tombola, hook-a-duck, cake stall, etc.
• Provide games like quoits or indoor bowls.
• Make a target game using recycled food cans to knock down with a sponge ball or bean bag.
• Set up glass jars on a table in a honeycomb pattern with a score marked on each one and see who can score the most by throwing five table tennis balls into the jars from a set distance.
• Offer ploughman’s lunches or cream teas at a modest charge.
• Close with a short time together reflecting on having spent time as a community, and offering praise and thanksgiving to God.

A city break

• Choose a city and show a short film about it or ask someone who has visited a city recently to conduct a virtual tour with photos. Alternatively go online and do a museum or gallery tour together.
• If you have a drama or music group, they could put on a variety show and include some community singing.
• Or create a pop-up cinema and show a film. Ensure you have the appropriate licence. Have an interval with ice creams and drinks, or provide a restaurant-style two-course meal at a modest charge.
• Close with a short time together reflecting on having spent time as a community, and offering praise and thanksgiving to God.

Lunch club

Families on low incomes can find it very challenging to feed their children well during the long summer holiday. Could you organise a lunch club, perhaps working together with other churches in the area? Your local authority may be able to give advice, and even offer some funding, or you could contact the charity Make Lunch.