Diamond Jubliee
last updated on: 15th Mar 2012
Celebrating the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee over the weekend of Saturday 2 – Tuesday 5 June 2012 (with its two extra Bank Holidays) is a great opportunity for the church to engage with the local community in celebrating the Queen’s 60 year reign. You may well have your own event planned, but sometimes these occasions are missed by the church as they are organised at the last-minute when committees realise that it is just around the corner. There’s an opportunity to start organising this now whilst there is plenty of time to put together a good quality event, invite lots of people and be at the centre of a celebration that people will remember. Just in case you’re looking for ideas, here are a few possibilities:
A celebration service, combined with a BIG Lunch, Sunday 3 June
The BIG Lunch has been providing support for community lunches and street parties on the first weekend in June for the last three years. A BIG Lunch can be anything from a few neighbours getting together in the garden or on the street, to a full blown party with food, music and decoration that literally stops the traffic … The aim is to get as many people as possible across the UK to have lunch with their neighbours in a simple act of community, friendship and fun. The BIG Lunch website provides excellent information on every aspect of holding an event, and you can register your event with them. Get a pack from www.thebiglunch.com Many churches are planning a five minute worship service to start lunch with (and then hosting lunch in the church grounds). The Queen has approved a special grace for use at the lunches. Download the grace, plus an eight page how to booklet for hosting lunches, plus a range of other resources here.
Sharing Sunday lunch with neighbours and friends with the church coordinating this – and perhaps signposting other events and activities the church is providing too – sounds like a good idea! To watch a short video from the Church of England’s Mission and Evangelism Advisor on how to get involved with The Big Lunch, plus, for churches in the city, details of potential funding.
If you haven't been involved with the Big Lunch before, here's how one church found it:
"All Souls Church - a local parish church west of London near Twickenham - first got involved with the Big Lunch launch event in 2009, since when we've helped host the street party alongside our local residents' association (NSMRA) each year. The roads that meet at the corner of our church building are closed and we fill the space with tables and chairs, set up a 'bandstand' on the corner - for live, locally 'sourced' music - and provide a bouncy castle, free face-painting and hot drinks in the church garden. It helps, of course, that the Big Lunch date is always a Sunday, so the congregation spilling out of the morning service join with other local residents, young and old, each bringing food to eat and share. Our experience has been that it's a fantastic way to engage with our neighbours, bless the community and open up the doors of church to those who'd never usually make it, even into church the garden. Next year (2012) the Big Lunch is one of the official events helping celebrate the Queen's Jubilee. We'd enthusiastically recommend it for any local church in a residential area." Revd Richard Frank - Vicar, All Souls Church, Twickenham
A range of 'God save the Queen' posters, beer mats (with a Bible verse on the reverse), bunting and a Diamond Jubilee souvenir magazine are available from: http://www.cpo.org.uk/jubilee
Diamond Jubilee Beacons, Monday 4 June: The lighting of beacons nationally on Monday 4 June gives many churches the opportunity to engage with the community with a “Beacon Party” or “Beacon Celebration Service”. The lighting of beacons is one of the celebrations coordinated by Buckingham Palace and The Queen herself will be lighting the National Beacon on Monday 4 June following a concert at Buckingham Palace. For more information and to register your beacon visit www.diamondjubileebeacons.co.uk (for advice on the safety aspects of church beacons, please see the website of church insurers, Ecclesiastical,). Jubilee Beacons Advice pdf To read the guidance from the Archdeacons of Leicester and Loughborough on Jubiliee Beacons click here.
Fun Stuff
Ideas abound here – an afternoon tea and sing-along; tea party, jubilee themed variety show, street party, parish sports day concluding with fireworks, barn dance, a flower festival, a “this is how the church was in 1952”, or indeed the parish. Challenge the congregation/parish to have all the ages 0-60 together for a photograph on Sunday 3rd June. And many more ideas….
Arty possibilities
Some artists have already been commissioned to produce stained glass windows to commemorate the Jubilee. Might there be an artistic possibility in your context, and a sponsor for such a project?
Go Eco!
How about planting (60 of something?!), recycling or in other ways relate this to ongoing environmental concerns?
The Woodland Trust is planning to create a 460 acre Diamond Wood in the heart of The National Forest in Leicestershire to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee, and is also, with the Queen’s support, looking for landowners to consider offering to provide 60 acres of land for one of 60 Diamond Woods. If you’re a landowner or think you might interest one in this, Call 0845 293 5689 or email jubileewoods@woodlandtrust.org.uk for further information
There are plenty of other good ideas out there – you might want to consult with ecumenical partners or other groups in your community about what may be possible in your parishes as some have already begun to do. Some basic suggestions may be found at: http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Nl1/Newsroom/DG_197517
With the 2012 Games following closely on the Jubilee’s heels and Back to Church Sunday following those in Septemver, it’s a great summer of opportuities to serve the local community and build on that relationship as the year continues. Don’t miss the opportunity!
Much of this article, written by Mike Harrison, originally appeared in the Winter 2011 edition of the diocesan magazine, In Shape. For more information on ideas and resources to mark the Diamond Jubilee contact Diocesan Mission Enabler, Barry Hill here.
