Bubble Church
What is Bubble Church?
The need to socially distance means we are not yet able to do Junior Church the way we did it before. So, we have devised a new 9.30 service on Sundays, specially designed for families which is participative, creative, spiritually focussed and fun. Families sit in bubbles in alternate pews. They can wave to each other but importantly children can be with their friends, even if it is at a distance.
Father Jeremy at a suitable distance, plays his guitar and sings and there is always an opportunity to follow me with actions in time to the music. There are a range of percussion instruments which children can choose on their way in. The service also includes a short sermon or talk on the theme or story followed by prayers.
Children and families take it in turn to do the reading and the prayers. This includes families participating on Zoom.
Each week there is a craft activity which all the family can join in. Activity packs are prepared beforehand and place on the seats in each family bubble.
For the last 3 weeks we have been focussing on the story of Creation. The first was how God created the world and everything in it. The following week we talked about the need to take care of the world and the importance of recycling and what we can do. It was also a chance to talk about the pandemic and how much quieter it was during lockdown and being able to walk around with less pollution. Children were given a variety of recycled containers to decorate and take home to plant something in. Some children were given packets of seeds and encouraged to take them home to plant in their recycled containers. I gave them a few examples (see the photo).
Finally, we celebrated harvest. Some children came dressed up as animals. They wrote their prayers on paper apples which we hung on the chancel rails and they put their donations of food for the Chalk Farm Foodbank in a specially decorated wheelbarrow.
Through Bubble Church children continue to develop their faith, engage with music, and have a chance to do a fun activity.
Finally, before they leave there is the big wind up ‘Amen’ with the actions!