Y is the second last letter of the alphabet…
but it is also a very interesting question, and the truth of the matter is that most people don't know Y
MONTHLY
CHILDREN & FAMILIES MINISTRY UPDATE – MARCH
1. Living WatersFamily Camp (March 12-14) and Boost (May 14)
Organised by the Uniting Church, the Pilgrimage to Living Waters Family Camp March 12-14 is an opportunity to enjoy a flexible program and have a holiday together. Meet other families from all over Victoria, explore your faith and create an opportunity for your children to share the experience of Christian community with lots of other kids. Each day of the camp will be like a pilgrimage as we become a community spending time together and having fun. Call Merryn on 9340.8815 for more information
The “Boost”Children & Families ministry training events will be taking place again this year in Greensborough and Frankston on Saturday May 14. Especially suitable for anyone – including CRE teachers, church leaders, children & families program leaders, Sunday School teachers, Playgroup leaders and After-school/Holiday Program leaders – involved in ministry with children and families, information will be made available on the Training & Events section of the Children & families website as it comes to hand.
2. Messy Church – The Growth Continues
Many churches around the world are experiencing growth through Messy Church – in fact, the first group has just commenced in Poland! If you are already running MessyChurch activities, let me strongly encourage you to add your details to the Messy Church contact list. This will enable you to receive encouragement and support from others engaged in MessyChurch – as well as making it easier for local people interested in MessyChurch to find your congregation.
Whether you’re familiar already with Messy Church or not, you might like to check out…
Messy Church International Forum
Messy Crafts, Messy Cooks andMessy Readings
…and don’t forget to register forMessy Church and More taking place in Melbourne July 29, 30
3. Easter/Lent Resources
Here are some Lent/Easter resources to explore…
From Beth Barnett – Go to Children & Families Resources and scroll down to Easter Resources
From the Ideas Section of the Barnabas site – Lent – Countdown to Easter, Fast forward – a reflective story for the start of Lent, The Ash Wednesday Cross
4. Some More Great Resources
What’s in the Bible? From the creators of Veggie Tales
Splinks A free weekly resource for encouraging faith at home (please let me know if you would like to see a sample)
Minute to Win It Some ideas for games that might engage all-ages (including the sometimes hard to connect with teenagers!)
Mosaic An on-line resource for churches express where a small number of children meet together across a broad age range
Lectionary Live An on-line resource for all-age service outlines and material linked to the services to then use with your different age groups
2fish5bread Resources prepared for ministry with children and families around the world (originally distributed at the Lausanne Conference in Cape Town)
5. Some Interesting Reading
From the Cory Centre Motivating and equipping volunteers
Where are those leaders? Finding leaders
Children and Conversion? Some thinking
The Spiritual Child Network A collection of resources
Sex, Booze, Bookers and Blogsters What more could I say to entice you to read?
6. Reminder re Major 2011 Training Events
As you and your team your training for the year, please take note of these fantastic opportunities taking place around Australia…
Leaders To Go Queensland May Tuesday 17 to Friday 20
Playgroup/Pre-school Conference Victoria May Saturday 28
Godly Play Conference Sydney July Wednesday 13 to Sunday 17
Messy Church Victoria July Friday 29
Overflow Victoria July Saturday 30