An Act of Joy is really simple - it’s something done to brighten someone’s day, with the added element of connecting it to your faith. This is easily done by saying it’s part of Joyfest.
So, you can think of it as a random act of kindness. It could be to a friend, colleague, neighbour… or a complete stranger.
There’s no catch, hidden agenda or expectation attached to the act. We just want to bring a small token of joy.
What is an Act of Joy and how do I do one?
The point of an Act of Joy is it should be unique to you and the person you’re blessing. It allows us to be creative and take a step of faith that is appropriate and realistic.
Perhaps there are people around you who you have relationship with and would love to add a spiritual dimension to your friendship. Perhaps there are people you regularly pass, but never have had an opportunity to connect with them.
Prayerfully consider what you could do over the week. Think about how you could take a step out of your comfort zone and see what God does.
We don’t want people to focus on us - as Jesus says, we want to praise to go to God.
It can be hard - or weird - to involve God after a small act of kindness, but Joyfest helps make the connection in a more understandable way.
Saying this is part of a church initiative helps join the dots. Perhaps this will provoke some curiosity or questions.
Perhaps it won’t, but we want people to see the church is alive and well in Exeter, and to have a personal experience that the church makes a positive difference (in however a small way) to their day.
There are lots of ideas about things you could do – you can adapt and combine to come up with Acts of Joy that fit your situations. Coming soon.
There are also tips for making an Act of Joy go smoothly and without awkwardness. Coming soon.