CHILDREN'S WORK
Welcome to the Children’s Work page!
Children’s work happens throughout the week at St Andrew’s.
Open the Book has been operating in the local primary
schools since 2002. Members of local churches form a team of
volunteers to tell bible stories in Collective Worship once a week at each
of the schools.
Open the Book website
Wednesday lunchtimes from 11.00-1.00pm term time is BLT (Babies and Lunch Together), a time for mothers to meet over lunch while babies play.
Thursdays from 2.30 - 4.30pm is Play and Praise for babies and toddlers and their carers. This continues to operate over the long Summer break, when older siblings are also welcome.
There is free play and creativity for most of the session, with 20 minutes of structure when we celebrate birthdays, talk to Teddy, sing and enjoy a story.
Sundays there is a crèche for babies and there are groups for pre-school and primary age children every week except the second Sunday when there is All-Age Worship.
Crèche is overseen by Vicky (e-mail). Children can be left.
Little Fishes for 2-5 year olds is co-ordinated by Debbie. They enjoy a time of worship together, a story, some craft and a prayer.
SPLASH! for children in Years One to Three of primary school use Scripture Union Light material with their leaders Jackie and Debbie.
Alison is an accredited Godly Play teacher. Her group for children in Years Four to Six of primary school follow a Godly Play curriculum Godly Play website
What is Godly Play?
To quote the Center for the Theology of Childhood, the parent organization
of Godly Play, “The goal of Godly Play is to teach children the art of using
religious language to help them become more fully aware of the mystery of
God's presence and direction in their lives.”
(www.godlyplay.org) It has been developed by Jerome Berryman,
Episcopalian priest, author and teacher from Montessori roots. It has been
tested in classrooms since 1972 but is still relatively new to the UK.
The programme embodies values that we share:
> It believes that each child faces the same major existential issues
that adults do – issues of aloneness, use of freedom and the search for
meaning.
> It affirms the power of God’s Word to define meaning and direction
in our lives
> It recognises and values the presence of the Holy Spirit in the
lives of children
> It affirms the basic goodness of our children
> It creates an environment for children that clearly demonstrates
our love for them
These values are communicated in the organization of the setting and the use of time. Children are welcomed to the circle, hear a story, “wonder” in an open-ended way about its meaning for them and respond to that story in their own way using a variety of creative materials. They gather again to pray and chat together and share a “feast”.
Stories are told in a meditative way using beautiful, hand-crafted materials which communicate their value to us.
Children are welcome in the choir and in the Family Band where a number of instruments are played to different standards.
We have an annual Summer Church Family Camp at Viney Hill Christian Adventure Centre and a biennial House Party, usually over one of the February Half-Term weekends.