As the Diocese of Niagara celebrates its 150th Anniversary of Anglican witness in the Anglican Church of Canada, we thank God for its inspiration, dedication, and accomplishments in the lives of thousands in this part of Southern Ontario. Moreover, as Niagara reviews its past, one significant achievement comes to the fore: Children’s Festivals in this diocese. Thirty Festivals (1983–2012) used the joy of the Lord to interpret bible stories in ways that inspired games, crafts, songs, and drama. Once acclaimed as the single event to gather the greatest number of Anglicans together at the same time, on the same day, celebrating God, the Children’s Festival certainly is a noteworthy chapter!
When the Children’s Festival began in June 1983, it arose from a vision of Sunday School teachers to gather children from different parishes to come together and celebrate as Anglicans having fun together. This great chapter in the history of Children’s Ministry in Niagara began initially in Hamilton, and in the late 1980s spread to five locations – Hamilton, St. Catharines, Niagara Falls, Burlington/Oakville, and Guelph/Elora. Focusing on one scriptural theme but developed individually in each location, hundreds of children had fun together: they played games, made crafts, participated in drama and storytelling, and sang lively songs, all exploring the common theme in their own way.
Every year, volunteers from each area of the diocese gathered together in the late fall to select a ‘rich’ theme, one which could spawn crafts, songs, and games on a scriptural theme. These volunteers, usually Sunday School teachers, returned to their own area churches and collected others to develop, as well as run, the activities for the day itself. Then they enlisted even more volunteers to take the children to this day-long event. Children’s Festival attracted lots of people! Bus loads of kids converged on places like Elora for many years, collecting children from smaller parishes along the way. Similarly, a Waterdown church used a school bus to take their kids and adults to the day’s activities. Some places even created their own t-shirts and mugs!
Wherever they gathered, children learned about God in a lively, child-centred environment. And kids were amazed that so many other kids their age went to church! While some locations of Children’s Festivals didn’t last as long as others, we give thanks for this period of Children’s Ministry in our diocese. Some who attended the festival as children later returned to attend with their own children! Some who planned the first festivals later saw their own grown-up children leading activities. Amazingly, some of the original planners experienced the joy of seeing their own grandchildren participate! Several planners have developed life-long friendships that continue to this day. Thanks be to God!
To celebrate the festival’s contributions to Christian formation in this diocese, we are gathering on the last Saturday in April—after all that’s always when they happened—to share food and conversations and give thanks! If you are one of those people who helped make these events happen or someone who simply attended these events, you’re invited to meet on Saturday, April 26th, at the Church of St. John the Evangelist, Hamilton (where so many of the festivals took place) for a potluck supper, gathering at 4 p.m. and concluding by 7 p.m.
Please bring along any souvenirs and especially your memories. Better still, contact someone you know from the Children’s Festival and invite them to join you.
Let us know you’re coming! Contact the original coordinators:
Susanne Adams — [email protected] (905-531-3733)
or
Susan Little — [email protected] (905-912-4686).
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