Community festivals

Community Festivals are one of the best ways
for churches to engage with their wider community. And can also leave a legacy of more local churches working together to serve their community.

The 2012 Games offers a special opportunity to run festivals with a big screen showing of the Games. No special licence is needed, providing the content is broadcast without editing and without charge.

What happens at a Community Festival?
Community Festivals -

• Are timed for key points in the Games – the Torch Relay, opening ceremony, a major sports competition, the closing event etc.
• Can vary from place to place. They can be a one day event to wh full week with a variety of events.

More Than Gold offers support for two distinct approaches -

1. 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
2. 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 – with support from Fusion

The festivals may include

• Big screen showing the ceremonies or key events,
• Fun for children including face painting, clowns and competitions
• Sport based games
• Free barbecue and tea and coffee
• Live music
• Arts and theatre performances

Support for your Festival
Helping to resource the Festivals is a collaboration of Fusion Youth and Community and Share Jesus International. Together they have a vast range of experience and expertise to share. And offer two alternative modles of festival.

It is also possible for churches to host an international mission team to help them with all aspects of a festival. For more information click here.

Training for your Festival

For full details of the programme of training events click here

There are three kinds of training available - ,

• Intensive Training Days for Fusion Open Crowd Community Festivals and Share Jesus International Festivals with no festival at the end
• Fusion Open Crowd Community Festivals Training Days. These vary from 2 to 24 hours followed by taking part in an actual festival to put what you have learnt into practise
• Share Jesus Festival Training Day including experiencing a festival event

Download a pdf on Community Festivals here.

Download a pdf of Technical Advice for Big Screen and Large Events here.