www.methodistchildren.org.uk
 

Welcome to the April 2007 Children's Workers' newsletter.


MethodistChildren would like to take this opportunity to wish you a truly blessed and joyful Easter!


Peacebuilders

Peacebuilder logoMethodistChildren is at the final stages of developing our most exciting project ever! Working through JMA in partnership with Pilots, the non-uniformed organisation for children and young people( www.pilots.org.uk), the new Peacebuilders material will soon be available.

The launch of Peacebuilders on Saturday 7 April in Delhi will be attended by street children, UN organisations, NGOs, church leaders and children from local schools. It will feature songs, drama and stories from local children and a preview of the Peacebuilders DVD.

Sudipta Singh, Director of Programmes for the Church of North India, has warmly welcomed the opportunity of this unique co-operation, “Children are central to our Church, peace is central to our faith so we are delighted to be working together in this way with our British colleagues.”

Ruby Beech, Vice-President Designate of the Methodist Conference, is among the visiting party. She says: “Peace is everyone’s responsibility and children have a huge role to play, in fact it’s the children who often push us to work harder for peace. We’re not telling children what to do to create peace in their communities – we are here to listen and let them teach us.”

During their stay in India, Stephen Orchard, Moderator Designate of the United Reformed Church, Steve Pearce, Methodist Children’s Secretary and Ruby will visit projects such as the Sultan Shahi School, which provides schooling for children, men and women from local Muslim and Hindu communities. It aims to make community peace-building central to all its activities. They will also visit schools, an outreach to slum children and an inter faith community centre at Bankura. They will celebrate Easter day in local churches.

Stephen says: “In today’s society, it is so clear that our communities – and the whole world – need peace. Peacebuilders is about taking small, and perhaps some larger, steps for peace. We believe that by working together and using our enthusiasm and experience we can make more peace, day by day.”

Groups are encouraged to make their own ‘Peace Boxes’ featuring the Peacebuilders logo in which they can put ideas for making peace a reality in their communities. The box will move round other groups in the community so that people can share and add to the suggestions, hopes and prayers. Ruby and Stephen will present two Peace Boxes made by children in Britain to the children in Hyderabad and Delhi.

The new Peacebuilders website is now up and running, visit it on www.peacebuilders.info .The site will be added to in the months to come and will soon be packed with downloads!

JMA logoTo help get you all thinking about India and Peacebuilders we have devoted lots of space in the April editions of Rainbow and FUN to this exciting area of work! You can download a copy of them through the website, or get in touch with us if you would like to order them!

Download April Rainbow here and April FUN here!
 

Are you involved with children in worship?

Always in Rehersal book coverDr James Ritchie is the author of 'Always in Rehearsal' an exciting book about how authentic Christian worship happens when the whole community gathers. The book's subtitle, 'The practice of worship and the presence of children', reveals the worth of the book - it is visionary and down to earth at the same time.

Dr Ritchie has been invited to Britain by MethodistChildren and will lead a day for all those who lead or plan worship, ministers, preachers, readers, children's and youth leaders, worship leaders and members of congregations - Friday 11th May 10am-3pm at Wesley's Chapel, 49 City Road, London EC1Y 1AU.

Details from children@methodistchurch.org.uk
Download a booking form here

 

5 Bites at the Apple/Design & Deliver
CORE Skills weekend, Swanick, 15-17 June 2007

You can't get too much of a good thing, and as good things go in the world of training for children's work you cannot beat CORE Skills! There are many courses available across the country but, in case you cannot get to your local course, those clever people at CGMC thought they would offer a residential in June this year that will enable you to complete 5 modules of CORE Skills for Children's Work. And, as if this was not enough, they thought it would also be an excellent opportunity for those who want to be trained as trainers in CORE Skills to work together with the workers and learn professional training skills. Those who wish to become trainers can register for up to 18 credits with the Open College Networks at level 3. The cost for the weekend in subsidised from the Westhill Endowment and the full weekend is £70 in standard rooms and £95 in en-suite. Bursaries are available by contacting secretary@cgmcontheweb.com

Download the flyer for 5 Bites at the Apple/Design and Deliver here(pdf).
CGMC logo

For further details on the CORE weekend for workers contact jenny.lambourne@sheffield.anglican.org and for the trainers part of the weekend contact martinlambourne@btinternet.com

Visit the CORE skills website for more details on CORE www.coreskillsforchurches.com
 
Request for Resources on Slavery

Slavery has been much in the news as we marked the 200th anniversary of the Abolition of Slavery Act.We have been asked if we know any good resources on this for children's work.

Here's a few resources we found:

The education guide to 'Amazing Grace' is aimed at Years 8-11 http://www.amazinggracemovie.com/_pdf/AG_EdGuide_UK.pdf

The Bible Society study, 'Unchaining Word' is great, but for adults http://www.biblesociety.org.uk/unchainingword.pdf

We all know we have much further to go before slavery is finally removed from our world and if you want to read a bit more current news on child slavery, then follow this link to the latest issue of the Child Rights Information Network newsletter
http://www.crin.org/email/crinmail_detail.asp?crinmailID=1989

You could also explore modern day slavery and child labour with Christian Aid http://www.christianaid.org.uk/indepth/0109chil/childlab.htm or

Also have a look at the resource from the Set all Free campaign
 

Heart of Worship

Heart of worship logoThis conference is relevant to children’s workers! It offers a chance to network, share fellowship and learn together about the latest initiatives in all-age worship.  Be inspired and take away tangible and practical ideas; methods you can use in your own local situation as well as ideas for you to use with your groups on Sundays, at holiday clubs and midweek groups.

There will also be a children’s programme run by local workers with some of the MethodistChildren’s team.

There are still places available on this amazing conference and a special £10 discount is available to you if you book online quoting ref howdisc.

To ‘wet your appetite’ here are some of the workshops available:

Worship with children
Led by Steve Pearce and Doug Swanney

Storytelling: Basic Skills
Led by Ken Luxon

Godly Play
Led by Revd John Fellows

How to equip young people to lead worship
Led by Leo Roberts

Vibrant and Innovative Youth Worship with Oneword
Led by Revd Andrew Stead, Andy Wright, Antony Curry, Heidi Curry

For more detailed information on workshops and to book on line view the website www.HoW2007.org.uk

Venue: North Wales Conference Centre, Llandudno
Dates: Friday 4 May - Monday 7 May 2007
Call this number to book 0870 94 94 300

   

Companions at CRE

Our new resourse Companions in Christ will be featured at the Christian Resources Exhibition at Sandown Park, Esher on 17 May 2007 in a workshop from 12.15 onwards. We would be delighted to see any of you who are attending the CRE on the Youth Day at this workshop!

Chaste- Churches Alert to Sex traffiking Across Europe

Not for Sale Sunday is an opportunity to say that women's, children's and men's bodies are not for sale and is part of a weekend of activities where you and your church can engage with the issue of sexual exploitation. Resources are available for you to use on Sunday 20 May 2007 by going to www.notforsale.org or www.chaste.org.uk

Children at Risk

A five day introductory residential course offering introductory training, Bible teaching and prayer on a range of children at risk ministry topics including:

The 'at risk' spectrum worldwide, particularly with HIV/Aids
Child development and children in crisis with HIV/Aids
Understanding the traumatized child
Setting up, monitoring and evaluating appropriate projects
Sharing Jesus with hurting children
Caring for the caregivers - you and your team

For further details contact International Christian College, Glasgow, www.icc.ac.uk
 

Association of Children's Spirituality

ACS logoThis is a new initiative which has been established following the success of the International Journal of Children’s Spirituality and the seven international conferences that have taken place in the UK and abroad since 2000.
The aims of the association are:

  • To promote research and practice in relation to children’s spirituality.
  • To promote effective communication and the distribution of information between those involved in the development of research and practice which focuses on children’s spirituality.
  • To promote the importance of children’s spirituality as an important educational focus within wider contexts.


The association is being set up to:

  • Bring together researchers and practitioners who are focusing on this area of educational thinking.
  • Promote the development of theory around children’s spirituality.
  • Encourage, support and connect research and practice.
  • Raise awareness of the need for attention be given to children’s voices, experiences and relationships.
  • Encourage holistic approaches to children’s spirituality and personal development.
  • Develop policy and practice across disciplines, professions, organisations and communitiesn, useful links and details of membership can found on the website http://www.childrenspirituality.org
  

Watch Your Language
 Afasic logo

Working with Young People with Speech, Language and Communication Impairments

  • Did you know that there are two or three children in an average classroom with speech, language and communication impairments, (SLCI)?
  • 50% of those will present with behavioural difficulties
  • 30% of young people with behavioural difficulties have SLCI
  • 10% of young offenders have significant SLCI
  • Early language difficulties is also a predictor of later difficulties e.g. mental health problems

Research suggests that young people with speech, language and communication impairments are some of the most socially excluded young people in society.  Their communication impairments often go unrecognised, or they may not be immediately obvious. They may have difficulties in social interaction and manifest odd behaviours. Some of these young people will suffer from mental health or addiction problems. Without appropriate support they may more easily be led into crime or suffer abuse.

Do you, in your work with young people, have sufficient knowledge of what speech, language and communication impairments are, the impact they can have, and what strategies you can use to work with young people more effectively?

Afasic, the national charity representing young people with these impairments, is running a series of free training seminars across England from November 2006, for organisations working with young people aged 11+ years.

Who should attend? All organisations that offer a recreational or leisure service to young people, and services supporting young people at risk.  In particular the training will be relevant for national training officers, disability co-ordinators, strategic and regional managers and managers of youth provision at local level. You will receive a free, clear and concise training pack to use with staff and volunteers within your own organisation.

This training is funded by the DfES, and will be delivered by Dr Amanda Kirby from the Dyscovery Centre, Cardiff, on behalf of Afasic. http://www.afasic.org.uk/

Download a leaflet here (pdf) and a booking form here (word)


If you require any further information please contact us on children@methodistchurch.org.uk 

If you wish to unsubscribe from this newsletter please click here: Unsubscribe me.

MethodistChildren is part of the Connexional Team of the

Penny Fuller, Steve Pearce, Mary Roseweir, Doug Swanney
MethodistChildren

The Methodist Church