Jim Currin: 2000 in Church at Coventry Mayday Spirituality Fair

It is estimated that 2000 people, of all ages and backgrounds, were in Coventry Cathedral on May 1st for a Spirituality Fair called ‘Spirit of Life’.

|PIC1|The key co-ordinator for the event, Rev Yvonne Richmond, said she expected that a large number of people would wish to attend because of the ‘significant’ interest in spirituality today. She was not disappointed, and neither were the visitors, who were able to experience a varied and diverse programme of interesting Christian spiritual activities from 70 contributors.

You wouldn’t normally expect to find massage in a chapel, but the Christians involved prayed for their patients and people found healing on the day. Queues of people, many of whom it appeared do not normally go to church, wanted words of prophecy and their halo discerned in a beautiful prayerful atmosphere that pervaded the unusual day.

Although rain showers affected some of the outdoor events, this did not dampen the enthusiasm of the organisers, who would love to see this kind of event replicated around the country. ‘Many people attend Mind, Body, Spirit fairs in hotels and Town Halls around the country’, said one, ‘so why shouldn’t we pray for people in Jesus name and offer the same in church?

|TOP|Certainly people had been praying in Jesus name for those who might come. The Christian prayer networks came together to pray, even those who had initially had questions about whether the event was ‘dangerous’ and ‘not Christian’ had become convinced and keenly prayed. In fact the event was found to bring together in unprecedented way Christians of every tradition and denomination across Warwickshire. A prayer room was in use all over the weekend, and the day began with a dawn service. Worship was also offered throughout the day from Taize and Iona to Gregorian Chant with incense and Spiritual songs with dance. Rev Richmond saw all of this as seminally important to ‘Spirit of Life’ – to its protection and anointing as much as its witness.

Some of the activities raised the eyebrows of certain Christians, especially the use of Jesus cards and crystals, but this was again found to be a beautiful and meaningful way of sharing the good news of Jesus which spiritual seekers found acceptable. Personally, I found myself asking ‘what would Jesus do? And have since found John Drane’s book ‘Beyond Prediction’ helpful in this regard.

The full programme for the day on www.spiritoflife.org.uk also details some of the follow up events being prepared, all of which are designed to help people explore more on their ongoing spiritual journey, whether they profess to be a Christian or not.

|PIC2|Having observed the spiritual interest of people outside church in her books, ‘Beyond the Fringe’ and Evangelism in a Spiritual Age , Rev Richmond is in a good position to be confident that this kind of event is an appropriate and effective form of Christian outreach. This was echoed by visitors who said ‘it is about time the church did something like this as we like the Jesus guy’, and the druid priestess who wrote on the day, ‘I am looking to get back to Christ’.

As you might expect on May Day, not only was there Maypole dancing, but there were seminars on the Christian view of the Goddess and Green man. In fact there were all kinds of seminars provided for spiritual seekers who wanted to find out more, from Wisdom and Purpose of Life to Rosaries and Saints and Mystics, with recordings available from ReelLife Recordings .

The seminar on Angels drew the interest of about 80 people. The Abbot of Worth also spoke about his new book on finding your spirituality in the ordinary things of life. The interest of young people in spiritual things was well illustrated in the Channel 4 series ‘The Monastery’ in which he featured, where 5 young men lived with the monks of Worth Abbey in silence accompanied by Christian teaching. To meet the enormous interest since, the Abbot has written ‘Finding Sanctuary – Monastic Steps for Everyday Life‘ which was launched at ‘Spirit of Life’.

|AD|In complete contrast, another visitor to the day was a modern day Lady Godiva. May 1st was the day the Lady reputedly rode through Coventry naked on a horse in protest at unfair rent being levied on the poor. Miss February from the famous WI Calendar, opened ‘Spirit of Life’ on the basis that she too took her clothes off to raise awareness and money for a good cause. The theme of social action was also picked up in the day’s programme as various stalls looked at trade justice, the environment and ‘eco-spirituality’.

The number of people attending the day was all the more remarkable as the advertising had deliberately not gone out to the churches, on the basis that this was an outreach event and the organisers did not want it to be full of Christians. Flyers had gone to Health Shops and hotels, beauticians and Medical practices rather than church porches and notice sheets. Perhaps 2/3rds of the people who came to ‘Spirit of Life’ would call themselves Christians, but many of those would not normally attend church.

The Churches Together in England ‘Group for Evangelisation’ think that this event is unique in holding a ‘Mind, Body Spirit Fair’ on Christian soil, and certainly on this scale. It will be keen to see how other groups get on with trying to share the good news of Jesus in other places too. It’s own book, Equipping your church in a Spiritual Age’ and website www.churchinaspiritualage.org.uk, illustrates how Christian groups have offered prayer and healing at similar events organised by people who would not call themselves Christian, and often with great interest. Perhaps ‘Spirit of Life’ can now demonstrate that such events are an appropriate and effective means of meeting people the church would not otherwise reach in this ‘spiritual age’.

Some critics might have the picture of lots of people wandering around a church looking at market stalls, especially if they have to do with aromatherapy and reflexology, and think, ‘wouldn’t Jesus be overturning the tables?’ I had the same question. However, the ‘Spirit of Life’ was run by committed Christians supported by various grants, so entry was free. In addition resources were deliberately not sold in the church, but bookshop outside, so it did not seem a market place. On the contrary it was a place of peace where the presence of Christ was abundantly clear for spiritual seekers to find and feel at home.

Sacred spaces, seminars, prophecy and prayer have there place in church: ‘Spirit of Life’ showed that massage in a chapel can stand alongside these in bringing the healing power of Christ.



Jim Currin





[Jim Currin is currently the Executive Secretary of the Group for Evangelisation of Churches Together in England. He has been a commissioned Church Army Evangelist since 1979 and served in Manchester, Milton Keynes, London, Cumbria and Wakefield in many different roles including teaching and management, leading Missions and projects to help churches develop a strategy for evangelism.]