St Albans Diocese June 2016

Welcome to the June issue of Children’s Ministry News; the newsletter for all involved in children’s work in our parishes and communities. It is available online or by post but you will need to sign up for it by emailing: youthoffice@stalbans.anglican.org or tel: 01727 818160. You can also find it on the Children’s pages of the Diocesan website: www.stalbans.anglican.org/schools/children-s-work and via a link on our Facebook page: Children’s Ministry St Albans Diocese. Twitter: https://twitter.com/StAlbansCME

Many churches find it helpful to have a children’s corner (or “Pray and Play” area) in the worship space, or to give children worship bags to use in their pews. Particularly for babies and toddlers, this can be a great way of allowing children to move and play. Toddlers confined to a pew for an hour, with nothing to play with, will probably get very fussy, and end up needing to be taken out – so their parents miss the service, and the child misses the chance to be a part of worship. But the children’s corner can be about more than just keeping the child busy and occupied. With a little thought and effort, it can be a chance to provide a space for imaginative spiritual play. A few tips: 1. If possible, the area should have a clear sight line to the altar. But it should not be right in

the front of the church, or new/visiting parents may feel conspicuous and avoid the area. 2. Your welcome team should be made aware of the space, and point it out to parents as

they arrive, while making it clear that it’s not mandatory! 3. A small table, with toy bread and a wine cup and plate made from unbreakable materials,

gives children a chance to “play church.” You can also add flameless candles, silk flowers, anything you like! If you have keen sew-ers in your congregation, get them to make some child-sized vestments.

4. Baskets or bags with specific themes. If you have a knitter or two in your congregation, they might like to make a Knitted Nativity1 for a Christmas box. You can also add star-shaped Christmas tree ornaments, sheep and/or donkey puppets, a wooden Nativity set, and some books of the Christmas story. Other ideas for themes include Pentecost (flame-coloured ribbons on rings to wave around, dove ornaments, books with Bible stories in different languages), Easter (the Jesus doll from Articles of Faith2, some palm crosses, caterpillar/butterfly toys to show resurrection, toy bread for the Last Supper), prayer (an icon, the Lord’s Prayer cube from Church House Publishing3, some books of prayers, prayer beads), or items related to the saint your church is named after. If you’re really keen, you can rotate what’s available based on the season of the church year.

1 http://www.jeangreenhowe.com/christmastext.html 2 http://www.articlesoffaith.co.uk 3 https://www.chpublishing.co.uk

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5. Toys and puzzles of Bible stories, rather than secular themes. Conflict of interest alert! – my company, Mustard Seed Kids4, has some of these as well as many items that can be used for themed baskets.

6. A toy church. Articles of Faith makes one, available both in fabric and wood. It’s a bit problematic, as the fabric one tends to fall down, and in both cases, the ONLY people available are a White heterosexual couple with a baby – and in the wooden version, the baby is literally GLUED to mum, so dad can’t even have a cuddle, let alone be the primary caregiver! The Playmobil toy church is good, but probably best for older children, as there are a lot of small pieces, and it falls apart easily. If I find a better one, I’ll let you know!

7. Soft flooring and seating. IKEA has some lovely rugs at affordable prices, as well as cushions shaped like hearts with hands (if your church uses the Beulah Land felt board resource, this echoes the imagery used there of God the Father). Beanbags are also good.

8. Seating available for parents. You can place the children’s corner next to a pew, or set some chairs around it.

9. Try and make sure the toys available don’t make huge amounts of noise. For example, use a stuffed fabric Noah’s Ark instead of a wooden one.

Over the next few months, we’ll be starting a small grant programme for parishes to help them resource new areas of children’s work, so if this sounds like something you’d like to do, but you can’t afford it, do get in touch and we’ll see what we can do to help. You can see some examples of children’s corners on my blog at https://stalbanscme.com – and if you have one, or set one up, do send me photos!

Margaret

4 http://mustardseedkids.co.uk

In this edition of Children’s Ministry News:

Pocket Money Praise National Month of Prayer for Toddler Groups Exploring the landscape of children and faith Storytelling workshop 11 June Father’s Day resources St Albans Wildfire Weekend 1 – 3 July Messy News – including Talking Messy Church & Messy Church Craft Boxes Building Emotional Resilience and Spiritual Wellbeing in Children, Young People &

Leaders Resources Events, Conferences and Training.

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An easy and cheap way of creating a 3-d prayer space for £20. You will need:

o A large plant pot (£5) o Sand (£3) o Thin tree branches, approximately 3-4 feet long

(hopefully free) o Spray paint (£2) (optional) o Paper, markers, stapler

(£10 – or £5 if you already have a stapler). Fill the plant pot with sand. Spray-paint the tree branches – white, or metallics, work well – and let them dry, then stick them as far into the sand as they will go, to stabilise them. Cut the paper into strips and provide markers for children to write or draw their prayers. Once they’ve done this, they can staple the strip so it’s a circle and hang it on the tree. You can have this as a seasonal activity, or as part of All-Age Worship, or you can leave it up as a permanent part of your space (the one in the picture, right, is 6 years old).

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The National Month of Prayer for toddler group ministries will take place in June. The aim is to encourage you to pray… and to get your church praying! ‘Living life to the full’ is the theme this year and John 10 v10 is the keynote scripture ‘I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full’. With over 20,000 churches estimated to be running toddler groups in the UK, it is so important for groups, the leaders, the children and their families to be supported in prayer. For further information, and a wide range of resources for the June 2016 Month of Prayer (craft activities, games, reflections, simple songs and prayers) visit the 1277 website. The 1277 Group is an alliance of churches and other organisations who support the work of church-based toddler groups.

http://www.1277.org.uk

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EExxpplloorriinngg tthhee llaannddssccaappee ooff cchhiillddrreenn aanndd ffaaiitthh Are you a Christian parent, grandparent or primary carer with young children? Do you influence and nurture the faith of a child close to you? Premier Childrenswork has always aimed to equip and inspire Christian children’s workers with the tools needed to develop the faith of children in the Church – but

now we’re interested in looking beyond the Church and exploring how we can support those nurturing the faith of children in any context. Complete one of the surveys and be entered to win one of two £100 John Lewis gift cards!

http://www.premierchildrenswork.com/Exploring-the-landscape-of-children-and-faith

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We’re running a free storytelling training morning at St Luke’s Church in Watford on Saturday 11 June, from 10am – 1pm. The workshops are:

Godly Play Taster Session led by John Fellows (Godly Play Teacher and retired Methodist Minister)

Multi-Sensory Storytelling led by Jenny Stromberg (Children's Worker, St. Luke's, Watford)

Whose Story Is it? - Intergenerational Storytelling led by Ruth Harley (Children's & Families' Minister, All Saints, High Wycombe)

Beulah Land and the Visual Vocabulary of Faith led by Margaret Pritchard Houston (Children's Mission Enabler, Diocese of St Albans)

Attendees will be able to go to two of the above workshops, and there will be an opening address on the topic of "What Stories Are We Telling?" Booking is essential, so get in touch with Julie asap, email: youthoffice@stalbans.anglican.org or tel: 01727 818160.

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Father's Day gives us a great opportunity to explore and celebrate fatherhood and have some fun together. Roots on the Web have some fun ideas for an activity session for children, families and young people. You can use these ideas to organise an event for children and their dads, step-dads or grandads, or for whole families. They include games and craft activities for children, and reflections and prayers for young people. These brand new resources are part of Roots’ journey through the secular year, helping churches to bring a Christian voice to secular festivals.

http://www.rootsontheweb.com/seasons-and-festivals/other/Other_special_Sundays_commemorations_themes/Fathers_Day/Fathers_Day_2016_children_families http://www.rootsontheweb.com/seasons-and-festivals/other/Other_special_Sundays_commemorations_themes/Fathers_Day/Fathers_Day_2016_for_Young_People

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Wildfire Weekend is happening from Friday 1 – Sunday 3 July in St Albans. Wildfire Weekends give the opportunity for whole families to come together, receive from Jesus and then share Him with the local community. During the weekend there will be times of teaching, worship and fellowship alongside the opportunity for team members to get stuck into all kinds of service in the community to share the love of Jesus. The Vision of Wildfire is about all generations living the kingdom of God together. Under 10s need to be accompanied by a parent, but we encourage the whole family to come and join in together, whatever their ages! This is a great opportunity for children from smaller churches to be part of something bigger. Booking is open until 12 June via: www.stpauls-stalbans.org/wildfire

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Talking Messy Church 6 June Have you started down the Messy road, or thinking of beginning the journey?

Talking Messy Church is a chance to talk about Messy Church (your hopes, plans, joys and frustrations) over coffee – to chat about how it can start, how it might develop as church where you are, and ways in which it can nurture disciples of Christ. This will be an informal opportunity to discuss your experiences and plans whilst learning from others about this exciting aspect of church growth amongst children and families. ‘Talking Messy Church’ will take place on Monday 6 June, 5.30pm at Costa Coffee, 57 Darkes Lane, Potters Bar, EN6 1BJ. Car parking on the street is limited, but there’s a Sainsbury’s opposite. Please let us know if you are planning to come along by emailing Julie on: youthoffice@stalbans.anglican.org or tel: 01727 818160.

Baker Ross Messy Church Craft Boxes Baker Ross have put together two Messy Craft boxes. They also offer a 10% discount on all orders placed (excl. delivery) on behalf of Messy Church - quote ‘BRF10’ to get your 10% discount. www.messychurch.org.uk/resource/baker-ross-messy-church-craft-boxes

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Boost is a one-day conference for those working with, or supervising those who work with, under 18's either part-time/full-time or as a volunteer. The conference is being held on Tuesday 11th October at Emmanuel Centre, London SW1P 3DW. Programme:

o Worship o Keynote: Mental Wellbeing o Choice of Seminars: Stress/anxiety

Knowing your limits (i.e. when to go for professional advice) Discipleship/spirituality

o Lunch o Do Christians laugh? Rediscovering the spiritual discipline of giggling o Choice of Seminars: Contemplative practices

Identity and well-being Online Health

o Worship o Keynote: Spiritual Wellbeing

There’s an earlybird offer of £25 for the whole day, lunch included (available until 9 September, when the cost will go up to £30) and booking is essential. Margaret is going, and would like it if others from the Diocese could join her – if cost is an issue it may be possible for us to subsidize, please call the office to discuss.

http://www.separtnership.org.uk/boost

RReessoouurrcceess Starting out in Children’s Ministry, by Alison Mitchell “I’m going to be a brilliant children’s leader. God is lucky to have me!” Is this you? If so, this isn’t the book for you. But maybe you’re the opposite? You’re a bit nervous about getting involved with children, you've had no formal training and you’re not sure that God can use you to do anything much. If so, this book will encourage you, give you some essential (and simple) skills, and thrill you with the joy and privilege of sharing the good news about Jesus with the next generation, whether you've been doing it for a long time or are just starting out. If you are a children's worker, why not suggest this book to your team of volunteers, many of whom may not have had any formal training? Price is £4.99 ISBN: 9781784980153 https://www.thegoodbook.co.uk/starting-out-in-childrens-ministry

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The Big Book of Bible Crafts If only you knew that every craft you planned for your children's ministry would be a winner... Now you can be certain of success

with over 100 tried-and-tested crafts, submitted by children's workers like you, and used with real kids in real churches. Structured into three sections of crafts for younger and older primary ages and for all ages together, The Big Book of Bible Crafts is a lifesaver for Sunday School, midweek groups and holiday clubs. Price: £11.99. Due to be published 17 June, available to pre-order from BRF Online. ISBN: 9780857464958 http://www.brfonline.org.uk/9780857464958

The Lion Picture Puzzle Bible by Peter Martin & Len Epstein A fabulously fun picture puzzle book with ingeniously

detailed scenes from favourite Bible stories. There is a huge amount to look at, but there are also special items and events picked out in the margin of the page - and it's your job to find them in the picture! Watch out for funny little extras on every page, but the tableau overall tells the main points of each Bible story. Illustrator Len Epstein has brought this book to life with his own unique style. Price: £7.99 ISBN: 9780745965451 http://www.lionhudson.com/display.asp?k=9780745965451

What do you believe? ‘What do you believe?’ is a 20 page missional booklet

targeted at children aged 5-8 who attend outreach/mission events. Developed to support numerous mission events, the narrative of ‘What do you believe?’ centres around presenting what Christians believe in a series of simple steps. Illustrated by Lisa Maltby, this booklet has a friendly and colourful design, helping young children to explore the Christian faith, and consider their own response. ISBN: 9781785064685 Price: £9.99 for a pack of ten. http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/3713195 What is Being a Christian All About? ‘What is Being a Christian All About?’ is a 24 page missional booklet targeted at children aged 8-11 who attend outreach/mission events. Developed to support numerous mission events, the narrative of ‘What is Being a Christian All About?’ centres around presenting what Christians believe in a series of simple steps. Illustrated by Catalina Echeverri, this booklet has a contemporary and compelling design, helping children to explore the Christian faith, and consider their own response. ISBN: 9781785064678 Price: £9.99 for pack of 10. http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/3713198

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June Thursday 2 June: Cathedral Family Discovering morning ‘Special Journeys’ St Albans Cathedral 10am - 12.30pm Learn all about the history of pilgrimage and other journeys, including the history of the Alban Pilgrimage, with a fun trail to follow and activities to do! Cathedral Family Discovery Mornings are always free of charge and you can drop in any time from 10am – we advise arriving before 11.30am so you can complete all of the fun activities on offer. Suitable for ages 3-11. https://www.stalbanscathedral.org/whatson/family/family-discovery-morning-half-term Monday 6 June: Talking Messy Church Potters Bar 5.30pm Have you started down the Messy road, or thinking of beginning the journey? Talking Messy Church is a chance to talk about Messy Church (your hopes, plans, joys and frustrations) over coffee – to chat about how it can start, how it might develop as church where you are, and ways in which it can nurture disciples of Christ. This will be an informal opportunity to discuss your experiences and plans whilst learning from others about this exciting aspect of church growth amongst children and families. The venue is Costa Coffee, 57 Darkes Lane, Potters Bar, EN6 1BJ. Car parking on the street is limited, but there’s a Sainsbury’s opposite. Please let us know if you are planning to be there - email Julie on: youthoffice@stalbans.anglican.org Saturday 11 June: I Love to Tell the Story St Luke’s Church, Watford 10am – 1pm What is the story we're telling? During this half-day training event there’ll be workshops on using Godly Play, Beulah Land feltboard, Multi-Sensory and Intergenerational storytelling. If you're involved in Children's ministry and/or All-Age Worship, then this event is for you. The event is free but places are limited and booking is essential - email: youthoffice@stalbans.anglican.org or tel: 01727 818160. Saturday 18 June: I Love to Tell the Story St Albans Cathedral Join the crowds in St Albans as the city comes together to celebrate Britain's first saint, Alban. Enjoy a wonderful spectacle as giant carnival puppets tell the story of the remarkable man who gave the city its name. Roman chariots, centurions, lions and roses all take their place in the dramatic procession from St Peter's Church, through the historic streets to St Albans Cathedral. There will be children’s worship and activities, but children must be registered to participate in advance. https://www.stalbanscathedral.org/whatson/the-alban-pilgrimage/registration

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July Saturday 9 July: X:site St Albans Forest Town Church, St Albans 5.30pm – 8pm A multi-media town-wide Bible based celebration for 7-11 year olds run by local churches supported by Scripture Union. Combining live music, video, creative prayer, craft, drama, games, Bible stories for children to have fun, invite their friends and learn more about Jesus - the concept is to provide a youth event for tweenagers on Saturday night. X:site St Albans will be held at Forest Town Church St Albans, from 5.30pm – 8pm. For more info and bookings call 07789 815516 or email: xsitestalbans@the267project.com. Saturday 23 July: Spirituality: Exploring ‘Godly Play’ Cambridge 10am – 4pm Experience ‘Godly Play’ – a counter-cultural and imaginative approach to Christian language, story and worship. Explore childhood’s spiritual nature. Learn about meaningful spiritual nurture for all ages. This will be a day with Dr Rebecca Nye (researcher, consultant and author on children’s spirituality, a child psychologist & national co-ordinator for Godly Play UK). Cost is £25 per person (£20 per person when 2 or more book from the same organisation/church). To book your place email: sheila.rogers@talktalk.net http://www.godlyplay.uk/courses

September

Tuesday 20 September: Getting Started event Christ Church, Ware 7.30pm – 9.30pm Is your church, or one near you, thinking of getting started in children's work? Come along to one of our informal "Getting Started" evenings in the autumn, meet others at similar points in ministry, hear what's worked for churches nearby, have a chat with Margaret, enjoy some cake. Let us know if you’re coming - email: youthoffice@stalbans.anglican.org or tel: 01727 818160. Saturday 24 September: Playtime National Conference Bristol Every toddler group is unique with its own style, personality and purpose – rather like a colourful tapestry that reflects their local community. Each creation reflects the unique ingredients of the group – fun, friendship, support, wisdom and community – a picture embroidered with love and care. Sometimes some subtle tweaking of threads behind the scenes can produce amazing results when the picture is revealed. At the 2016 Playtime Conference you’ll hear lots of helpful advice, gain new insights and have the opportunity to network and encourage each other. Early bird discount £20 per ticket if booked by 1 August, group discounts also available. http://www.careforthefamily.org.uk/faith-in-the-family/playtime/playtime-conference-2016

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October

Getting Started events in October Is your church, or one near you, thinking of getting started in children's work? Come along to one of our informal "Getting Started" evenings in the autumn, meet others at similar points in ministry, hear what's worked for churches nearby, have a chat with Margaret, and enjoy some cake. Email: youthoffice@stalbans.anglican.org or tel: 01727 818160.

Saturday 1 October, 10.30am – 12.30pm at St Peter’s Church, Mill End Tuesday 4 October, 7.30pm – 9.30pm at St Andrew’s Church, Bedford.

Saturday 8 October: Puppetry Workshop All Nations Church North, Bedford 10am – 4pm Led by One Way UK, this is a practical hands on day where there will be plenty of opportunities to develop your skills and be inspired with new ideas! This exciting puppet training day is designed to give you hands on experience within the following areas: basic and advanced puppet manipulation skills, solo and theatre style puppetry, how to start a puppet ministry (including finances, equipment, recruiting etc), props and scenery, choreography, putting a song together and much more! Cost: £15 per person if booked 10 days prior to event, or £20 thereafter. http://www.onewayuk.com/event.php?id=87654526

We pray for:

◊ all those being ordained at the end of June, that God will inspire them with a heart for children

◊ all children and young people who are waiting for exam results, that they will know God’s

love for, and acceptance of, them

◊ all who work with children who, coming to the end of the academic year, are tired or

burned out – that God will give them opportunities for rest and renewal.

St Albans Diocese Children’s Work, Holywell Lodge, 41 Holywell Hill, St Albans AL1 1HE Tel: 01727 818160

Margaret Pritchard Houston Diocesan Children’s Mission Enabler E: cme@stalbans.anglican.org Julie Cirillo Children’s & Youth Work Administrator E: youthoffice@stalbans.anglican.org

Chris Lees Diocesan Child Protection Adviser E: childprotection@stalbans.anglican.org Diocesan Resources Centre E: resources@stalbans.anglican.org

www.stalbans.anglican.org/schools/children-s-work www.stalbans.anglican.org/schools/safeguarding

https://twitter.com/StAlbansCME http://stalbanscme.com

https://uk.pinterest.com/margaret_pritch www.facebook.com/pages/Childrens-Ministry-St-Albans-Diocese/310836025679105