A New Worshipping Community at St Lazarus has opened its doors this week, with an unusual meeting space: a bouncy castle.
Inspired by the success of their recent Jumpy Church programme for 18s-30s, the bouncy castle was made an official fixture at a launch service on Sunday. It blended seamlessly with the church’s traditional Palm Sunday service, as church warden Harry Owen Peterson noted, “We’re seeking to become more like Christ, so we ‘borrowed’ some donkeys from the beach. Attendance went through the roof, though I think some may have got it confused with the village fete.”
Parts have been repurposed from other community groups who use the church’s hall; crash mats have been loaned from the U3A’s Jiu-Jitsu class, and pews have been salvaged from the wooden remnants of the Boys’ Brigade’s Bi-Monthly Bonfire Bash.
“We had some issues initially getting it off the ground,” explains the Revd Bob Salter, Associate Minister at St Lazarus. “Finding the correct Faculty category for the Fan Blower (needed to power the structure) on the new Building Management Portal was a struggle. Although this significantly delayed progress, the Church Buildings team at the diocese helped us to bounce back.”
Area Dean the Revd Jayne Spring is keen to encourage innovative new worshipping communities, noting “We’re really proud of what St Lazarus has done here, especially with their current financial situation. Churches are continually facing the pressures of rising inflation, and we are looking for cost-effective ways of growing churches of missionary disciples.”
