Scriptures, images and ideas that particularly inform and nurture our content and direction are:

• The notions of spiritual development for children where we hope to provide the following:
o A sense of belonging – being welcomed, included and having their own space
o A sense of participation – involvement in worship and community activities
o Modelling of adult lives
o Teaching – on and from the Bible and on suitable faith practices
o Memorable experiences

• Jonathan Green image plus Psalm 78:

God gave his law
to Jacob’s descendents
the people of Israel
and he told our ancestors
to teach their children
so each new generation
would know his law
and tell it to the next.
Then they would trust God
and obey his teachings
without forgetting anything
God had done.

• Psalm 90’s  God you have been our dwelling place in all generations plus image

We have discovered  tools such as Godly Play to be particularly accessible, flexible and amenable to the children.  Godly Play is a creative and imaginative approach to story, using symbols and objects as well as words. It values openness and discovery and encourages personal connection between a biblical story and their own story (personal experience) through wondering questions and open-ended response times.

We have 4 children’s groups:

Thunderkids (3-5 year olds)
Kids Allowed (6-8 year olds)
Bonkers Conquererors (9-12 year olds)

And from Autumn 2009 a S1/S2 group whose name they have still to come up with.  Lord help us!

Our annual events are the

• Christmas play
2006 The three trees based on XXX.  Images drawn by the children were attached to rough wood for handing on Christmas trees or for key rings.

2008 Using a script created by one of the leaders Becky Symes

• Hallelujah/(Halloween/Saint’s party

• Summer holiday club This is often with St Peter’s Episcopal Church in Lutton Place.

2008’s theme was Time Travellers

2009 is to be Jungle

• Fundraising activities have raised funds for

The Africa Fund, to buy Goats in Kenya through selling Christmas Cards of oil and chalk pastels of the 3 gifts the Magi gave to Jesus, Gold, Frankincense, Myrrh these provided the stage backdrop for the play.

Red Nose Day.

Caroline Tyler (overseas worker in Chad) for windup MP3 players.  Sponsored run.

Recycling

• Away days
2007 Camping in Dunbar

2008 Melrose, staying at the Youth Hostel for a weekend.

2009 Dunbar to swim, play rounders, visist John Muir museum and play rounders.

In 2009 we aim to cover…
Last year we used Godly Play to tell stories of creation, the flood, Abraham and Sarah, Exodus, the Ten Best Ways (the 10 commandments) and a number of  parables.

We looked at the life of Jesus in three lessons!  His early ministry, People Jesus met and his Last journey to Jerusalem, in which we created  a map of Jerusalem using the whole  of the small hall.

After Easter we looked at the Holy Spirit and stories from Acts.

Resources
And to support this we have a team of willing volunteers (teachers and assistants) and a team leader who is a part-time (1 day a week) children’s worker