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After Easter, I took over the organisation of Junior Church
from Felicity Randall who has been at the helm for several
years. We are very grateful to her for all her work and I am
very pleased that she has agreed to continue as a leader.
 We
meet each week in the Trinity Room during the service at
10.30am, as the service begins, and we join the congregation
about half way through the service as we prepare for
Communion. This allows parents or even grandparents to be
part of the congregation.
Junior Church is open to children from toddlers to those
preparing for confirmation. We follow the same readings as
the church to enable continuity for adults and children. We
have a story - usually the gospel reading for the day - and
talk about the story before starting a worksheet appropriate
for each age. These can be completed at home.
I would like to introduce a ‘sticker book’ for the
youngsters and am busy researching the best supplier. I can
remember how I enjoyed completing such a book back in the
1960s when I attended Sunday School.
Adrian, Chris and Elaine are going to help at Junior Church
occasionally so the children can get to know them. I will be
leading alongside Felicity and Marian Bell on a rota basis
and we are very grateful to those others who have offered to
be a helper but we can still do with more!
If you want to know more about Junior Church then please
contact me, Linda Frost, on 01328 862919 or ring the Parish
Office.
Here are some of the
comments received at the successful Good Friday Workshop
this year.
‘I learned about Jesus’ ‘I made a wooden cross because
Jesus died on a cross’
‘I enjoyed making the garden’ ‘the Last Supper was
good’ ‘I loved the singing’
‘the Last Supper felt special’ ‘I liked
everything’ ‘singing was good’
‘The Last Supper made the refreshments more real and
different’ ‘enjoyed the activities’
 We
had an interactive story
covering Palm Sunday to Easter
Day over several parts and the Last Supper turned into the
children’s drink and cakes. It was very moving and the
children ate and drank in virtual silence! Songs were
included during the story which moved around the church
ending at the Easter Garden which was made by the children
during the morning. A ‘bring-and-share’ lunch concluded the
morning.
I would like to eventually have more workshops spread
throughout the year, maybe just mornings. We could consider
Harvest, Pentecost, Summer holidays or All Saints. This has
to be in consultation with the ministry team and the other
Junior Church leaders and helpers as they will play an
active part in any plans we make.
Stepping Stones is growing and many of the children who have
attended Stepping Stones are now of an age to attend Junior
Church and the workshops. It is important to have people who
provide a link between the two. We are lucky in the fact
that Felicity, Elaine and myself provide such links.
I realise that Sunday is not always a good day for any youth
activity and it sometimes seems that we are providing Junior
Church for church families but then that is probably true in
many places.
Roger Daniel, the choir master and organist, is interested
in a Junior Choir for church. If you would like to join a
choir and perhaps have some games afterwards, please let us
know.
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Junior Church:
Linda Frost |
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Email:
linda@fakenhamparishchurch.org.uk
If you would like any more information on what we
do, or feel that you might like to join us and learn
more about who we are, I can be contacted through
the Parish Office, the above email address or on the
telephone number below.
Tel: 01328 862919 |
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