'She is an unashamed, committed Christian and her faith is worth celebrating'

As the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations fast approach, churches across the country are gearing up to mark the occasion

Churches are seizing the opportunity to reach out to their communities as the country celebrates the faithful life of service of our Queen.

HOPE Together, with a variety of partners, has developed a suite of resources for churches to use as they celebrate this national milestone.

Here’s a snapshot of how some church leaders are planning to use HOPE Together’s new gift book, Our Faithful Queen, which features rarely-seen prayers used by the Queen before her Coronation. The 64-page coffee table book is an opportunity to start a conversation with family members and friends about the Queen’s faith, prayer, and the Bible.
 

New Milton Baptist Church in Hampshire is planning an exhibition of royal memorabilia over the Platinum Jubilee bank holiday weekend, with a special Thanksgiving Service for the Queen on Sunday 5 June. The church plans to give copies of Our Faithful Queen to members of the congregation and visitors to the exhibition.

Minister the Revd James Gilbert said, 'We decided to celebrate the Queen's Platinum Jubilee because HM Queen Elizabeth has served this country faithfully and well, and the key to her sense of duty is her faith. She is an unashamed, committed Christian and her faith is worth celebrating.

'We are putting on an exhibition of unusual and interesting royal memorabilia going back over 200 years and are inviting the local community in to celebrate with us. As well as the exhibition, we will be serving period refreshments and holding a special Thanksgiving Service on the Sunday morning.

'At a time when many are focused on negative things, this is something supremely positive to celebrate.'


Spalding Baptist Church is also planning to distribute the book as a gift, not only to all the members of the church, but also to those on the periphery of the fellowship – for example, parents of Brigade children, toddler group attendees and youth group members. They’re also planning a church street party on 4 June, where they will invite passers-by to join them for refreshments around lunch time – and they’ll pass out copies of the book then, too.

Diane Clay, church secretary, said, 'We are engaging, as a church, with the Jubilee because Queen Elizabeth demonstrates a strong faith, and we hope to share some of that faith by distributing the beautiful book that celebrates her faith, and by engaging with our local community, inviting them to share food with us outside the church.'

These are just two examples of how churches are planning to make the most of this unique Platinum Jubilee year to reach people in their communities by giving away this hopeful souvenir book.

You can purchase the book for £5.00 a copy from the HOPE online shop or from £1 for bulk orders. 

If you’re yet to make plans for the Platinum Jubilee, it’s definitely not too late! HOPE Together, in conjunction with their network of partners, has pulled together a whole bank of resources to help you engage with your community:

• with children’s resources (for schools, church groups and uniformed organisations)

• ideas for acts of community service

• and even a specially-commissioned new anthem thanking God for the Queen and her faithful commitment to her role!