Bishop Rachel to attend inclusive Join Together Christmas service

Bishop Rachel will be at this weekend’s Join Together Christmas service at St Lawrence, Barnwood, on Sunday 14 December at 4pm, to which everyone is warmly invited.

This is a celebration designed particularly for children with additional needs, but equally loved by children who simply prefer to move around, join in, and explore worship in their own way. Some of the children who attend do not have additional needs at all, but simply enjoy the freedom to move around and get involved through interactive storytelling.

Join Together is held bi-monthly on every second Sunday of the month, offering 30 minutes of worship shaped around sensory storytelling, simplicity and flexibility. The service always follows the same structure, supported by an order of service using symbols for children who rely on them.

The liturgy is intentionally short and predictable, and for this special Christmas service Bishop Rachel will be leading the liturgy, as well as participating in the service.

The Revd Laine Lewis, a second year curate of St Laurence Barnwood and co-chair of the diocesan Inclusion and Access for All group, said: “Each service follows a familiar structure with speech, signing and symbols, including Makaton. This is a participatory, very sensory space, where children can worship exactly in the way they like.

“Children may move around freely, use ear defenders, sit quietly with a picture, cuddle a toy sheep, or join in enthusiastically at the front. Some may sit under a pew, while others might band a tambourine throughout. It’s a space for the child to engage at the level they can.”

For this special Christmas session, children are free to experience an interactive retelling of the Nativity: feeling the rustle of hay, stroking sheep’s wool, smelling incense, and taking part in hands-on activities that bring the story to life.

There will be Christmas carols, musical instruments to play with, and optional angel and Nativity costumes to try on.

“If you’ve ever felt that a traditional Christmas service isn’t manageable for your family, this one is for you,” Laine said.