The growing reach of Bubble Church

Revd Marcus Gibbs from Ascension Balham tells the story of Bubble Church, a new Sunday gathering that has emerged from the pandemic as a popular space for young children and their families to discover faith while having fun together.

A church for young children and their families which began as a mid-pandemic experiment has seen amazing growth, attracting those who have not previously been to church before. That’s something to celebrate, says Revd Marcus Gibbs, vicar at Ascension Balham, as more churches prepare to replicate the model across the UK.

Bubble Church, named after the social bubbles which were a hallmark of pandemic lockdowns of 2020, launched under the strapline “A puppet-packed, Jesus-centred, socially distanced, coffee-and-croissant-fuelled, kids and families adventure every Sunday morning”.  Young children were welcomed with their families at 9.30am to sit on a socially distanced ‘bubble’ (a patch of blue circular carpet) and take part in song, puppets Bible story, prayer alongside a simple and fun liturgy.