Key Elements of Healthy Festivals
Socially, Open Crowd Festivals demonstrate that the Gospel produces authentic community. Educationally, the Festivals bring awareness of how self-interest undermines community, and how longing for purpose and belonging is deep within us...
Most people tend to belong before they believe, as seen in this quote from the Sydney Olympic Outreach:
“At a Festival, a man seemed fascinated as he watched us painting children's faces. He said, “This is a Christian thing, isn’t it?” "Yes," I said, "it is." Then he asked, "Which church do you go to?" I told him, and then he said, "What time do they meet?" I told him. He said, ‘I’ll be there tomorrow,'...and he was there.”
Key Elements of Open Crowd Festivals:
Building the "Open Crowd" atmosphere – Every activity and all that is said at the Festival is to help people relax, engage, connect and become free to be who God has made them to be.
Constantly Expanding – The team grows as the Festival develops. We invite participants to become part of the team on the day and into
the future.
Hospitality and Generosity – These values invite a reciprocal response.
Free of Charge & Inclusive – The relationships are not based on trade, where experiences are exchanged for money, but rather on grace and trust.
Emphasis on Community Celebration and Re flection – The participants are the stars, not those up front who are running the festival. It’s not about entertainment, which may distract. The attraction are authentic community and experiencing the Kingdom of God.
Recurring Frequency – It is not a one-off event, but part of an annual rhythm of community engagement at least 3 times a year. Consider running Festivals over 3 consecutive days as an ideal model to build stronger, more lasting community.
Meaningful Pretext - Festivals need a reason that makes sense to the community and invites trust, e.g. Easter, Advent, major sporting events. A good pretext builds event legitimacy in the eyes of the participants.
It’s Done Together - We invite all local Churches to work as one to demonstrate God’s Kingdom.
Clear Next Steps in Place – After the Festival, there is an invitation to attend another program. See our website (www.fusionyac.org) for more ideas.
