Barnabas E-News Feburary 2010 |
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February is a month of feasts and fasts, with Chinese New Year celebrations running into Mardi Gras and then Lent! In addition, the same few days in the middle of the month also apparently include 'Random Acts of Kindness' day - there must be a whole all-age talk wrapped up in there somewhere! So here goes with this month's Barnabas 'fast-food' offerings for your work with children and families. We hope you find something here to your taste! All-Age Worship'Feasting' together with the whole church family has always been a passion for us at Barnabas. We lose so much by separating off the children from our worship. Homogenous services for the like-minded, like-aged and even like-opinioned sectors of the congregation may be easier, but is it really the way to demonstrate the inclusiveness of the kingdom of God to today's increasingly fragmented society - let alone learn together effectively across the generations?
This is not just a handbook of more 'off-the peg' ideas for all-age services (though there are great ideas inside!) but rather a robust and honest argument for the theological importance of worship all together. It will make you think! Read what Lucy says about why she wrote the book in this month's feature and then get the book! New to the menuThis month sees three new additions to our larder of ideas for you to use sometime. With Lent looming, why not take a look at Lucy's idea for a spiritual health check-up worked out as a visit to a health spa! This is an activity she used with a church on a parish weekend and is for all ages.
Also with Lent in mind, Martyn has put together another session outline from the Psalms with prayer as its theme.
And finally, with feasting in mind, there is a high-energy session exploring the feeding of the 5000 that was used by the team last summer at a holiday club. Ideal if yours is a hyperactive group!
Faith at HomeAs promised, we have set up a new tab on our home page devoted to the whole area of Faith at Home. We have included a number of links to related websites and useful publications as well as articles and some ideas. Results from the survey conducted during the autumn term can also be found here. It is work in progress, of course, and we are keen to hear from you about this developing area of interest for all churches. From the freezerFor those planning ahead, don't forget the very many ideas already in stock for Lent and Easter. You can find these under 'Christian Year' in the Ideas section of our website. Here are a few tasters:
And there are lots more! Food for the journeyIf you haven't already done so, then this Lent why not sign in to Foundations 21? This unique online discipleship course is free from BRF. There is such a wealth of material to be discovered here along its various pathways that enable you to go deeper with God on your spiritual journey. With literally hundreds of links to web articles, video footage and interactive material you will find this invaluable not only for yourself but also for the children and families you work with. Keep snackingWe hope you have found something useful from Barnabas this month to chew on. It was great to meet new friends and old in Eastbourne last month. Thanks for stopping by to say hi! Please be in touch if we can be of help to you at your church in any way. Don't forget our 'sister sites' of www.barnabasinschools.org.uk and of course www.messychurch.org.uk. And finally...
With Lent just a couple of weeks away, now is the time to start thinking about Lent reading. Find out more about the BRF book this year, Giving it up, or look at the range of other Lent books at www.brfonline.org.uk/lent/. In the meantime, happy year of the tiger... happy sword-swallowing day (!), and of course happy groundhog day... happy groundhog day... happy groundhog day... happy groundhog day... and so on! From the Barnabas Team If you have received this email in error or wish to unsubscribe, please reply to this email with 'unsubscribe' as the subject. |
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Hot from the publishing oven! Local church, local school
Amongst many churches there is a growing awareness of the role that the local church can have with its neighbouring primary schools. Schools provide a means of contact and service, and good relationships between church and school need to be established. Margaret Withers' new book Local church, local school provides best practice for churches wanting to engage in positive ways with their local schools. This is a wealth of guidance and ideas from an author with many years of experience in schools and in raising the profile of children in the church. Churches and Schools TogetherBarnabas has several books that make a class visit to the local church a valuable learning experience - and one that is fun for the children too! Take a look at these two:
The Easter Journey gives churches all they need to present a walk-through exploration of the events leading up to Easter. Written to use with children in Year 5, the material gives all the tips your church will need for this presentation. Many children are first taken to church on a school visit. Living Church by Murray McBride gives churches all they need to make that visit into a memorable learning experience. Twelve key aspects of church life are explored through storytelling and dramatic re-enactments of familiar ceremonies.
The Gospels Unplugged by Lucy Moore gives 52 poems and stories for creative writing, RE, drama and collective worship. So if you are looking for stories that jump off the page, into the imagination and, from there, into daily life, this is the book for you! Teachers and Sunday group leaders will find this to be an excellent way to bring stories from the Gospels to life. And finally, if your church wants to explore the Easter story, the book for you is Walking with Jesus through Lent and Easter. Murray McBride has written this for churches, or for families to enjoy together, as a range of ideas lead you on a 'visual pilgrimage'. Daily thought-provoking reflections invite adults and children to share the journey at their own level and make a special time to think about Lent and Easter. Each daily reflection is accompanied by a photocopiable illustration, which builds up into a storyboard frieze, unfolding into a memorable visual drama. |
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