Christmas

The Edward chapel - decorated and ready for Christmas storytelling sessions. The added sparkle made the sense of wonder even stronger as the children heard the story of Jesus coming to earth.

Storytelling props - many thanks to the Mothers Union. 

More ideas for Remembrance

At our lunchtime collective worship club we talked about Remembrance in preparation for the actual collective worship next week.

We made large poppies from tissue paper to put on our collective worship board.

Cut out 4 large heart shaped pieces

 Hold the petals together in a rough poppy shape by scrunching the bases

Secure the base of each petal together using a green pipe cleaner to make a stalk

Stick a black dot or button in the centre or draw on with black marker pen.

I cut out red petal shapes and each child took some from a bowl as they arrived and sat down.

We listened to Emilie Sandie’s version of Abide With Me from the Olympics Opening Ceremony and I invited them to place their petals on the card to make a cross.

We then lit a candle to represent our prayers for peace. The children decided we should put the poppy petal cross on our reflective area.

I think that this would work with any age group.

More Remembrance ideas can be found here:

http://www.pinterest.com/barbarameardon/remembrance-with-children-and-families/

Submitted by Barbara Meardon

Remembrance

Thoughts about Remembrance for school, Messy church, Sunday groups or church

Cut out 4 large red petal shapes from card and a black circle for the centre hold or pin up the shapes to show that they make a poppy

Cut out individual letters P-O-P-P-Y

Place P-O-P-Y at the centre of each petal and replace the centre black spot with the O

·         

P for Praise: we offer praise to God who loves us and cares for us, even in difficult times.

O for Offering: we are thankful for those soldiers who bravely offered their lives, fighting in wars to try and make others safe.

P for Prayer: we pray for the safety of those still serving in wars, we pray for those who have lost friends and loved ones, and we pray for those who have been injured.

P for Peace: Remembrance Day does not celebrate or glorify war, but remembers it and the importance of us continuing to pray for peace.

Y for You:  You can make the choice to bring peace to your own life and the life of those around you. You can pray for God’s peace to guide and comfort you. We all play a part in keeping the memory of war, of bravery and suffering. We also need to remember to play a part in caring for those who are bereaved or injured. Our lives, and our actions may also hold the key to a more peaceful future. We, together are offering praise and prayer to God and hoping for peace.


Submitted by Barbara Meardon

Joint school/church project

You could make these for school or church, I worked with primary school children to learn about church altar frontals and the church seasons. We talked about symbolism and colour and they then came up with designs that they would place on a frontal for the school hall.

I then took these designs to the church embroidery group and they created designs inspired by the ideas of the children and made them up. One is done with rag-rugging, one patchwork and one by padding layers of different material (see photo). 

The children were thrilled that their ideas could be made into such beautiful things and were able to share with the whole school how the process had worked.

Lent or Advent pathway

Lent and Advent are at times when the seasons are changing and in the church they are a time when we try to change/do things differently, we try to work at something or give something up and they lead up to our two most important festivals.

Mark out a simple pathway on large pieces of cardboard. Make hills and valleys along the way to make it look interesting and leave space for children or young people to add their ideas, pictures or models.

Choose activities for each part of the pathway that represent something you would like them to think about e.g. for Lent I had one that represented God’s love is our shelter and the children made tents and placed them on the pathway. For Advent you could have one for each of the themes of Advent Sundays.

Pentecost Kites

At the beginning of a service or in the middle during the adult sermon or out in Sunday groups take three kite shapes, add a ribbon on the bottom, make tails from card.

Each shape has a symbol for Pentecost, a dove, a flame, the wind,. Talk to the children/young people about what the different symbols tell us about the Holy Spirit. Then encourage them to decorate the kites. Finally ask them to write prayers onto the tail ribbons and add to the tails/streamers. Here are two of the prayers  the children wrote.

Heavenly Father, Help us feel your Holy Spirit move and shape our lives....Amen

Fill the leaders of all the countries of the world with a spirit of peace and brotherhood. Amen

You could then take these and place them at the altar.

Who? What? Why? When? Where? How?

If you are anything like me, when you have told your children a bible story you really want them to remember it and hopefully also remember what it has to do with them. An obvious way that most of us do this is by asking the children questions to reinforce the teaching. This is a very small idea to bring a different dimension to asking questions. A die with a question word on each side; Who? What? Why? When? Where? How? The children take turns at rolling the die and either you ask a question using the word they roll or they have to think up the question and ask someone else. Another way is to write the question words on a piece of paper and flick tiddlywinks to chose the question - this can get silly!
Dice available from amazon - link below.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Question-Dice-Pack-Five-Where/dp/B007ZQH8XE/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1382007323&sr=8-2&keywords=question+dice

Heart Bucket Brigade

This book and the others in the series have some great ideas for getting kids listening to God, enjoying being in His presence an expecting to hear from Him. Doesn't need to be limited to kids either. Books are by Mike Seth, children's pastor at Bethel church in California. 

   http://store.ibethel.org/p850/the-heart-bucket-brigade

Grandparents and Grandchildren Holiday Club Studland Village HallFebruary 2013

A brilliant morning written and led by Barbara Meardon (Adviser for Work with Children and Families) & Joanne Triffett (PDO Mother’s Union) and run by volunteers from the Mother’s Union, Clergy and Parishes in the Swanage area.

The theme for the work with the children and grandparents together was to explore aspects of Lent and Easter in a creative way with a reflective story of how Jesus called the disciples and still calls us today. The grandparents had some time on their own to discuss issues they have experienced being grandparents and how they can share their Christian faith and the children made glass painted lanterns and boats.

Note it is never too young to teach stewardship and community when you can persuade the smallest person to sweep up!!

if anyone would like the practical ideas do get in touch barbara.meardon@salisbury.anglican.org

Top tips: 
• a great welcome and top class hospitality are crucial 
• having everything ready 
• have a theme - The theme for the work with the children and grandparents together was to explore aspects of Lent and Easter in a creative way 
 • use reflective storytelling and wondering questions so that everyone present is engaged whatever age they are - we had the story of how Jesus called the disciples and still calls us today from Margaret Coooling's Book Bible Storybags. 
 • The grandparents had some time on their own to discuss issues they have experienced as grandparents and how they can share their Christian faith while the children had fun making glass painted lanterns and boats to remind them of the themes in the story. Note it is never too young to teach stewardship and community when you can persuade the smallest person to sweep up!!

Prayer Bear

Have you ever been one of those people who hates praying out loud with other people? You want to join in really but you’re not sure how to do it?

Kids are just the same.

One way I use to encourage them to speak out their own prayers is to use my prayer bear. First we decide on a particular theme for our prayers, or a starter phrase like “Dear God, thank you for.......” then we pass the prayer bear around the circle. One at a time the person holding the prayer bear takes their turn to pray. Anyone who doesn’t want to speak can pass the bear on to the next person.

I have used this idea with several different groups and everyone will now pray out loud at least some of the time, and if we do prayers a different way they all ask where prayer bear is!

submitted by Hilary Bond

Where did I leave my sheep?

Sheep have also been spotted in Wareham! During Advent, 20 shops in town played host to a small wooly friend. The sheep had been knitted by the Mothers Union and came in a variety of styles and sizes.

The shop keepers chose a sheep, gave it a name, labelled it, and found it a suitable place in their shop window. Then the hunt was on. Children from all around the area were challenged to find the sometimes rather hidden sheep and list their names. On Christmas Eve the sheep were collected by a local shepherd and taken to the crib service in Lady St Mary’s church. Good fun was had by all. The shopkeepers seemed to enjoy it as much as the children.

Hilary Bond

Nativity Trail at West Lulworth

All through December, a Nativity Set visited houses in West Lulworth.

Wherever it went a sheep was left behind so that people could follow a trail of sheep to the church for Christmas Day service.

This is what Lotte Wilde thought about its visit to their home:

‘When the Nativity set arrived, we had to arrange it. My brother, Finn and I put the manger in the middle of the stable, Mary and Joseph either side, the wise men on the right and the shepherds on the left and the angels on the top. We chose 'George' the sheep and hung it on our Christmas tree. For the next few days we had people and other children looking through our window to see what our sheep was called! It was a great Christmassy thing to do!

submitted by Janet Hall

Hand in Hand

Please send in your good ideas, photos and experiences to share with others in Purbeck about what went well or not so well over Christmas.

Feel you need a lift for the New Year? Here are some ideas:

A couple of years ago I went to the children's and family ministries Hand-in-Hand Conference in Eastbourne. It was a brilliant weekend with something for everyone in children's, family and young people's ministry. I saw some great talks and found excellent resources and it is great to meet up with so many people who feel passionate about what we do.

There are basic sessions for those starting out; sessions for junior leaders; diving deeper sessions for those who've been involved in children's ministry for a while; sessions exploring all age worship and family friendly church; sessions focused on children with additional needs and their families and more. Also specific sessions and half price for young people. Plus time for worship, prayer and Bible study. Barnabas are exhibiting and being joined by over 50 other ministries and organisations that serve this area of church life. There will be a conference shop where half price deals on hundreds of resources can be found.

Find out more at www.familyministry.co.uk/conferences

If you can’t get to Eastbourne how about a day conference at Exeter on Saturday March 2nd 2013 at Belmont Chapel, Western Way, Exeter? Saturday 2nd March. 9:30-18:30. At Belmont Chapel, Exeter.

A day event for anyone involved in Children and Youth Ministry in the South West. Come and bring your team of volunteers to get inspired, challenged and equipped. This year fully embracing Children and Families Ministry from age 5 upwards.

More information can be found at: http://www.ycwsw.org.uk/

You can also find the event on facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/events/119039858256714/

Or book a place on the Children’s and Youth Workers Retreat at Ivy House in Warminster March 4^th-5^th with myself and Joanne Triffett, Project Development Officer from the Mother’s Union, leading. Do email me for more details: barbara.meardon@salisbury.anglican.org