Welcome to the August 2006 Children's Workers' newsletter.

In the middle of summer it can be hard to turn our minds to the preparation for the new session so we thought we would offer some interesting ideas that could assist you in thinking ahead.
Rainbow and Fun will be out at the start of September, if you do not receive Rainbow for the children in your church and you would like them to receive this free resource then please contact us at children@methodistchurch.org.uk

Israel and Palestine

The distressing news coming out of Lebanon is of concern to us all. You can read The Methodist Church's official statement calling for an immediate ceasefire here.
UNICEF estimates that at least one third of all the people injured or killed are children and it seems outrageous that adults are prepared to tolerate this rather than find a non-violent solution. Latest figures suggest 750 Lebanese are dead, mostly civilians, and 51 Israelis dead, 18 of them civilians.
One of the most important responses we can make, and the only way we can really cope with the situation, is to pray. MethodistChildren is inviting children's groups to find opportunities to create prayers for peace, especially for the children who are frightened and hurt, and to lead their churches in silent and spoken prayer. Here is a suggestion of prayer you could use -

Banish war

God of Mercy
Maker of love and peace
Banish war from our world
and wipe away our tears.

Protect us from terror and violence
and keep us safe from weapons of hate
Help us to establish love, justice and peace
and so live truly as your holy people

We pray in the Spirit
and in the name of Jesus the Lord
Amen

You may feel moved to further action such as writing letters or joining demonstrations like the one in London this Saturday 5 August, 12 noon at Speaker's Corner www.stopwar.org.uk

CURBS is about a different way of working with children, one which starts in the child's world, is about earning the right to be heard, and is about building relationships.
CURBS Resources have also been successfully applied and used in rural settings.

CURBS has two main aims:
To provide Christian resources specifically geared to the needs of inner city children and those on outer urban estates.
To provide support, training and encouragement for children's workers in such areas by means of networking, training and resource days and partnerships.
Underlying CURBS is a philosophy which challenges traditional approaches to working with children.
We do not see children as 'jugs to be filled' but as 'flames to be fanned'. The Project is about building bridges into the children's world.
To this end, the philosophy underlying CURBS marries up three important strands of thought and practice:
Children's spirituality: CURBS takes seriously and works with the belief that children are made in the image of God and therefore have an innate spirituality.
Understanding children: CURBS values the insights to be gained from the processes involved in child development, and believes that we need to integrate these insights into the way we work with children.
Urban context: CURBS seeks to understand and work with the pressures faced by children living in inner cities and on outer urban estates.The building of quality relationships and the discovery of creative approaches which value the non-book world of the children are at the heart of what CURBS is about.
Resources
The CURBS resource material is made up of a number of packs called CURBStone Kits. These are primarily issues-based, starting in the child's own world using themes such as unfairness, self-esteem, friendship and so on, to enable the children to make links between their world and God's story. Each Kit contains biblical material related to the theme.

The material explores different approaches to learning such as discovering ways of touching the child's spirituality through the use of games, imagination and creativity.

The material explores different approaches to learning such as discovering ways of touching the child's spirituality through the use of games, imagination and creativity. From the Group Up Cover

For further information www.curbsproject.org.uk

From the Ground Up. Kathryn Copsey
Understanding the spiritual world of the child.
The insights in this book come out of the experience of working with children in the inner city. In other words, they have started in the world of the child and been developed 'from the ground up'. In a broader sense, however, it is about the spirituality of every child whatever the context. Buy it from www.brf.org.uk

MRDF

Photo from MRDF Harvest pack Looking for something different this Harvest festival? Methodist Relief and Development Fund's free Harvest Pack includes a school assembly outline, creative activities for children's and youth groups, colour posters and a delicious Fairtrade cake recipe. The materials focus on 'small miracles' - the power of small actions to have a life-changing impact - and on Harvest in Cameroon, Nepal and Ethiopia. Order your free pack from mrdf@methodistchurch.org.uk or download the material from www.mrdf.org.uk

Why not also check out the following sites -

http://www.christianaid.org.uk/worship/resources/index.htm
Christian Aid's Harvest Resources this year have the theme 'Change a broken world'.

http://www.tearfund.org/Extra/Glorious+food/
Learn about Bolivia with Tear Fund's Harvest resources.

http://www.wateraid.org.uk/uk/learn_zone/
Although not specifically Harvest focussed, Water Aid's materials will help your group appreciate the importance of clean water which is so often not available in poorer countries.

Romany Wood

Romany Wood is a 35 minute classical work for children's voices, narrator and orchestra and was designed to appeal to children aged 7-13. It has already helped raise tens of thousands of pounds for children's charities.
Our target is to raise £1m by the end of 2007.
Romany Wood can be performed by live Orchestra, or by using Orchestral backing tracks made by the Orchestra of Trinity College of Music, or by piano.

Participants agree to donate 50% of any profits made at their concert(s) to the Romany Wood Charitable Trust.
A recording of Romany Wood, made by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and the New London Children’s Choir will be available in the autumn. Participants can purchase these at discounted prices for sale at concerts and through their organisations.
Romany Wood will be a featured work in Arts & Kids Week, 2006. Arts & Kids Partners are Classic fm and Yamaha UK

Visit the site for full information http://www.romanywood.co.uk

New session suggestions

As the new session approaches it may be time for you to review the material you are using with your various children's groups throughout the week.

Week to week curricula include - Roots, Light, Seasons of the Spirit, Children's Ministry, Go Teach, and many more. Details of all these can be found in the Resources section of our website with links to their own sites. We are keen to hear from those of you who are using something different from the ones we have listed so that we can share the news! Contact us at children@methodistchurch.org.uk

Companions in Christ logo A new resource to the market in September will be Companions in Christ. Published by MPH this resource looks at the subject of children's spirituality and prayer skills in a new way. Watch for more news on Companions in next months e-news.

World Action - I Love the World

I Love the World image Copies of ‘’I Love the World’’ pamphlet with information and resources you could use with your group, will be included in our September mailing of Rainbow and Fun.
Ask your JMA Secretary to pass copies of Fun and I Love the World onto you for use with your group. Why not devise some sessions using the material and the resources listed below. Share with us what initiatives your group gets involved with.

The Whole Wide World
This is a great resource containing 42 interactive devotions on issues that impact the world and its people. Each imaginative session describes simple and effective ways in which children and families can make a real difference. Suitable for use at home or at church, themes covered include water, weather, food, clothes and school.
Who's it for? Families. Suitable for use with 4 - 11 year olds.
Cost: £6.99
To order your copy go to: http://www.tearfund.org.uk

A Different World
For use with 11-17yrs
Water, climate, HIV/AIDS, asylum, conflict, trade, aid, debt - A Different World takes a fresh look at the vital issues affecting humanity.
In these ready-to-use sessions, activities, games, Bible studies, a video and other resources on the CD-Rom help introduce each topic in a lively and imaginative way.
Published by Authentic Media, priced at £6.99, it is available from Tearfund by emailing resources@tearfund.org or vist the website http://www.tearfund.org.uk

Scripture Union National Training

SU's National training weekend aims to inspire and equip anyone working with children and young people. This year they have two weekends to choose from, and in different locations:

SOUTH: 3-5 November, High Leigh, Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire
NORTH: 24-26 November, The Hayes, Swanwick, Derbyshire

The plenary speaker for the SOUTH event is Sharon Prior, Head of Voluntary Ministry at Scripture Union. She oversees the work involving volunteers within the movement, developing strategies for recruiting more volunteers and identifying their training needs.

The plenary speaker for the NORTH event is Alan Charter, Head of Evangelism for Scripture Union. For one day a week he is directory of Children Matter!, a coalition of Christian organisations working together for children.

Each weekend runs from Friday evening until Sunday lunch time, and costs £117 (twin room) or Family Activity Cover £134 (single room) including full board.

For further details contact: trainman@scriptureunion.org.uk

New from SU in September is the 2007 Family Activity Organiser. This is a resource designed for families to be actively involved together in Church. It offers 7 activities a week, a bible passage, a Tearfund story, a prayer, quizzes and puzzles and is all presented as a calendar. Linked to their Light programme it offers another support to families with young children. Available from www.scriptureunion.org.uk from September 2006.

You can download sample pages here!

Bible Stories Between Children & Their Parents

The Bible has remained as the world's best selling book for a long time.It is available in many languages and in different translations as well as in electronic, audio, visual and even cartoon versions that amplify the simple written text.

Many Bible stories have occupied an important place in the lives of children but how many parents tell these to their children today? How do modern children respond to these stories? Many parents feel nervous about the meaning and presentation of Bible stories and do not know how to respond to their children's questions.

The Diocese of Southwell and Nottingham and the Queen's Foundation in Birmingham are sponsoring an enquiry into the use and meaning of Bible Stories in contemporary family life.

If you live in England in a family with at least one child and would like to find out more, please contact
Revd Dr Howard Worsley, Project Director for "Bible Stories Between Children & Their Parents"
Dunham House, 8 Westgate, Southwell, Notts, NG25 OJL
or e-mail sheilab@southwell.anglican.org

CORE Reminder

Time is really running out - with over 80 spaces gone already we are nearly filled to capacity. If you are involved in the training of children's workers then Core Skills in Training Conference should not be missed! Come and join us at the University of Nottingham from Friday 8th to Sunday 10th September. Starting on Friday night with a training marketplace followed by the official launch of CORE with keynote speakers. Over the weekend each of the six CORE skills areas (Child development, Leadership skills, Programme Planning, Children & Community, Pastoral Awareness, and Spirituality & the Bible) will be looked at from three different angles enabling you to get the most out of the material and the conference. That makes a total of eighteen workshops to choose from over the weekend. With great food, fabulous company, and the talents of Simeon Wood on offer on Saturday night, it is a real steal of a weekend at only £150 per person. Bursaries are available on request from CGMC. Visit www.cgmcontheweb.com for more details.

Visit the new Core Skills website http://www.coreskillsforchurches.com

Truth Hurts

'Self-harm among young people is a major public health issue in the UK. It affects at least one in 15....' So begins the report on the national inquiry into this difficult and distressing subject. It goes on to reveal that the average age to begin self-harming is 12 years. The report itself and the very helpful booklet for young people, their friends and families are available online or to order from www.selfharmuk.org

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

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