Buckets of Joy in Barry Ministry Area
Bishop Mary and Rev’d Emma enjoyed a fabulous morning in the Barry Ministry Area as they joined a Eucharist to mark the close of the much-loved Bucket Festival.
The service was filled with joy and laughter, not least when the servers proudly debuted their brand-new “Bishop Mary Fan Club” hoodies, which were warmly appreciated by all.
The Bucket Festival has become a creative celebration of church and community life in Barry. With no set theme, the festival allows imagination to flourish, with each bucket representing a different aspect of local life and ministry. Dreamed up by Rev’d Canon Zoe King as a way to bring people together, the festival has grown into a tradition.
This year’s buckets reflected the diversity and richness of the community. One bucket filled with cleaning materials highlighted how everyone’s contribution, no matter how practical and sometime unglamorous, helps keep the church and community thriving. Another offered a nostalgic celebration of fish and chips wrapped in newspaper on “Barrybados” beach, evoking fond memories of seaside fellowship. A particularly moving bucket celebrated the Porch Project, which began in 2020 as a way of getting essential supplies to nursing staff during the Covid pandemic. Since then, it has blossomed into a huge initiative supporting charities such as the Noah’s Ark Appeal and the Welsh Ambulance Trust.
Reflecting on the nursery rhyme “There’s a Hole in My Bucket” during her sermon, Bishop Mary encouraged those gathered not to become bogged down by life’s obstacles, but instead to focus on the things within our control. Her words were a reminder of Philippians 4:13: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
Rev’d Canon Zoe King, Ministry Area Leader, shared: “The Bucket Festival is about joy, creativity, and community. It’s a way of celebrating the many gifts God has given us and reminding ourselves that church life is vibrant, welcoming, and full of hope.
It’s wonderful to see the community coming together to celebrate their diversity and contributions, each bucket telling its own story of faith and local life.
I’m proud to be part of such a creative community, where imagination and fellowship flourish side by side, and I'm so grateful to everyone who supported my mad idea!”
The festival was a wonderful testament to the spirit of Barry Ministry Area, faithful, creative, and united in celebration.