Hucknall ran three days in the three team churches with around 200 children from 5 local primary schools attending. They looked at the story of the Last Supper, heard about Mary and made a treasure box, talked about prayer through C.H.A.T. to God, used a story box to dress up and act out the story of Moses in the Bulrushes, looked at symbols and banners, making their own individual banner and learnt about baptism using the baptistery at St Peter and St Paul’s Church. The schools thoroughly enjoyed their day and certainly raised the roof singing God Goes With Us and Our God is a Great Big God.

Time Travelling Parishes - Spring and Summer Term 2008

Since the beginning of this year we have been very busy planning and helping to run new parish events. It is always exciting to see a new project develop and run as they all have their own distinct characteristics. Here are some of the events which have taken place around the Diocese this year.

Keyworth Churches Together ran a successful first event for Key stage 1 children hosted by members of the Anglican, Methodist, Catholic, URC and Baptist churches in the village.

At Scrooby, Scripture Union have headed up an event called Lifepath. This is a national project which looks at well known Christians in a locality and at Scrooby the focus was the Pilgrim Fathers. Southwell and Nottingham Diocese are one of the local organisations supporting this event along with Sheffield Diocese and Doncaster Schools Work Trust. Emma went along to volunteer at Lifepath for two days.

Langar staged a one day event for 2 schools and around 100 children. The day included activities on communion and The Last Supper, prayer using prayer stations, The Bible and cross stitching a bookmark, thinking about the church history through drama, sampling Fair Trade bananas and chocolate and a tour of the building.

Arnold St. Mary have organised two mornings for 3 local schools and just over 100 children. The children went on a tour of the outside looking at the building and some of the gravestones followed by an opportunity to sketch the church or take a rubbing from one of the stones. Inside they listened to the organ and played percussion instruments, discovered something about prayer and communion. At the baptism activity some children were even able to see their name in the baptism register. The story of Jesus was told through the stained glass in the east window.

St.Helens, Stapleford

Parish events complement the two annual Minster Time Travelling events by providing a smaller local experience for children in their own parish churches. The strength of this being that the children might have had contact with their church through weddings or baptisms and might also recognise the clergy and church members from school assembly visits.

 Each church can draw upon the tried and tested format of Time Travelling including songs, activities and volunteer training to plan their event whilst building in what is important to them as a church community.

Well done to all the teams in those parishes who have organised a Time Travelling event. I’m sure you will agree that all the effort is worthwhile when you see the enjoyment the children get from their visit.

The Time Travelling team, funded by Southwell and Nottingham Diocese Mission Development Fund, are here to help you plan, resource and run your own parish event.

If you are interested in your parish church being involved in Time Travelling then please contact Emma at Southwell Minster.

Emma Anderton
Time Travelling Manager
Minster Centre
Church Street
Southwell
NG25 0HD

01636 819027
tt@southwellminster.org.uk