CHILDREN'S CHURCH 2008
It's wonderful to see Children's Church continue to flourish. Many of our children have now undertaken the Welcome to the Lord's Table Communion Course and are regularly taking Holy Communion with us in the main church. These children are presenting themselves as role models to the others and there is now a momentum between them to partake in Communion.
Thanks to Jo and her husband Bruce there is now a regular also a regular Youth Club for our older children which has been missing for so many years.
Silvia has emerged as the main leader and co-ordinator since the departure of Peter and Smitha. Her natural ability, dedication and cheerfulness motivates us all.
We have such fantastic children with us and visiting children from Baptism Sundays bring fresh expressions.
Our ethos is to approach worship with fun and laughter and this creates a really warm and happy environment. I am constantly amazed at the depths of faith, love and understanding that the children have - most times I wonder who is leading who and who is teaching who! One thing is for sure, I always leave Children's Church on a high - our kids are so inspiring!! Kevin Gwinnell
CHILDREN'S CHURCH 2007
" I am about to do a new thing: now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? " (Isaiah 43 v19a )
This bible verse would have probably been suitable for a Sunday about 5 years ago.
Thomas and Megan, both toddlers at this time, had discovered that it wasn't too difficult to escape out of the children's corner and to approach Grandma (Thomas) and Daddy (Megan ).
After Patrice and I had spent a few Sundays trying to catch both children in time the Sunday came when during the service we just looked at each other, one of us asked "Choir vestry?"; and the other one nodded. That's where we took Megan and Thomas immediately and this is how children's church was born: two children in the choir vestry, three when Esther Prasadam arrived.
One of our worries was: "How and where do we get children from?" Five years later on we have got other questions to think about: "How and where do we get helpers from?"
About 8 children between two and eight years of age come to children's church every Sunday (sometimes more, sometimes less). This means that "Two people on duty" are not enough anymore. We need somebody to set up the room, somebody to welcome the children, somebody to go out into the church and invite new children into children's church.
We also want to make sure that the children in the choir vestry get the attention they deserve so we have now got one helper looking after the little ones whilst the older children have got the luxury of having two people looking after them: The person who is leading the service in Children's church and a helper who helps wherever help is needed.
We changed- as we are sure you have noticed- the stories and themes in Children's church. They are usually not linked with the readings in church any more. The reason for this is that we do not always find them suitable for the children. They were sometimes very difficult to explain and understand. We try to build up the knowledge of the children, rather than "jumping" from one story to another.
Last year the children learnt about Joseph and Moses. This year they are learning about Jesus, how he grew up, what he did and what he taught. We try to include the ideas and wishes of the children. For example they asked for the story "The lost sheep". We then added the stories of "The lost coin" and "The prodigal son" before moving on to the miracles Jesus did. We also try to be as practical as possible and offer activities going with the stories and themes which hopefully will help the children to remember them. You know by now: the children are very happy to take part in the main service as well: doing a reading, singing songs, playing a story, giving books and other material out... They know and feel that they are part of the congregation and it's lovely to see with how much joy they come out for a blessing (and grapes of course!), for baptisms or how happily they spent a whole service in church (like during "All Age services").
The children themselves seem to feel more and more as a group of friends. They play together, work together, help each other. It's so wonderful to see how things grow.
We still need volunteers and would be very thankful if some people would just be willing to be in the choir vestry from 9.45 till 10 am to welcome children when they arrive. Silvia Sermon
