Photo by Robert Thiemann on Unsplash
Happy New Year! 
Immediately after Christmas we celebrate Epiphany on Thursday 6 January, usually marked on the following Sunday. You can find some resources below to help you celebrate with children and families in your church.

Matthew 2:11 NIV
On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshipped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.
As I reflected on this verse, I noted that whilst in our time, 2021-2022, only a few days have elapsed since we have celebrated Jesus arriving as a baby, the astrologers arrive several months, possibly years later, when Jesus is a small child and now living with Mary and Joseph in a house. They faithfully follow the guiding star and when they arrive offer their precious gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh to the young child, trusting God for his provision of a little boy king. I wonder whether we have the same attitude as we give our time, thought and effort to working with children and their families in our churches? Do we listen to God's guiding and offer what is most precious and costly to us to be used for others?

Our next Children and Families Leaders' meeting, Evolve, will be on Monday 17 January at 1.30-3pm on Zoom. If you'd like to join in, email me directly and I'll send you a Zoom invite.

PS: As ever, resources below are denoted in green if they have been offered previously-new resources are in white. Inevitably there will be  some 'repeats' from previous years.
There is still time to join this course!
Are you working with children in a Church of England Church in Ely Diocese? Have you thought about Children's Authorised Lay Ministry Training? Starting on Wednesday 19 January 2022 7- 9pm on Zoom, you can develop and grow your ministry with others from across the Diocese. Here's what one Children's ALM from this years' course said:
It is brilliant to have the time and space to learn, grow and reflect upon your ministry to children. You will learn so much from some outstanding practitioners with experience in many different areas. You will delve into the theory behind nurturing children’s spirituality but you will also be given a treasure trove of practical tips to dip into! The supportive network of other trainees also provides the perfect environment for you to grow and develop your own practice. In essence, the Children and Families' ALM course is simply marvellous!

The training is delivered by me, Debbie Hill, along with a number of practitioners delivering sessions related to their specialist areas of work. Interested? Visit the website to find out more and then get in touch with me in order to register.
For churches...
Photo by James Coleman on Unsplash
Photo by Jonathan Meyer on Unsplash
Photo by Lewis Keegan on Unsplash
For Schools...
The meaning of Epiphany SPCK
What is Epiphany? SPCK
You are a Star! SPCK
Epiphany Collective Worship CAFOD

ISingPop have produced a new digital resource for classroom worship either in person or remotely if temporary closures happen again in the Spring term.. Find out more from the website including a free trial.
Mission and Ministry work closely with the Education department which supports church schools in the Diocese of Ely. There are resources for Collective Worship and Class Collective Worship which follow the Lectionary available to download. 
Photo by David Beale on Unsplash
For Homes...
The Lectio for Families app is now available to download. Designed for families with children aged 7-11, it helps generate conversation and prayer based on bible reading.
For Messy Churches ...
 Get Messy! 4 months of resources  January to April 2022
Messy Church International Conference in person 20-22 May 2022
Messy Church Pinterest
For Professional Development...
Online course Certificate in Parenting Cliff College  Starts Jan 2022
Unconscious Bias-Local children's experiences collated in a PowerPoint 
The first of two free training events designed for those who are supporting their local Church primary school. This event is for those being invited to lead Collective Worship. The session will look briefly at Growing Faith, building the the foundations for a good relationship with the Church School as well as how to lead Collective Worship effectively. It will be led by Linda Allison and Claire Coulson, two Ely Diocese Regional Advisers who were previously head teachers. Booking  required to gain Zoom link.
This second event is designed to help people from churches who are considering Being A School Governor.
Our Church Primary schools need and rely on the volunteer support from their local communities and being a School Governor is one way in which people from the local church can bring transferable skills from their professional work life to support the working of their local Church school. This session will be led by Caroline Vinall, Senior Officer for Governance. Booking  required to gain Zoom link. 
Photo by Nick Fewings on Unsplash
How safe is your Children and Families Work?
1 Recruit all new helpers and leaders safely and ensure that they are fully  checked by your Parish Safeguarding Officer (PSO). This includes having a written job role.
2. Make sure that existing leaders and helpers' safeguarding training and DBS are up to date (with PSO)
3 Follow the best practice guidance in the Parish Safeguarding Handbook (August 2019) and Safer Environment and Activities
4 Make sure risk assessments are in place for whatever form of worship you use ie: indoor or outdoor or online. A simple risk assessment based on the national Church of England's guidelines. Further templates can be found here:Safer Working online (scroll down on website page to find section). These need to be updated regularly in the light of changing COVID restrictions 
5 Make sure any activity you undertake is covered by your church's insurance policy (PCC)
6 Contact the Diocesan Safeguarding team if you are unsure, require help or support.
Safeguarding...
Did you know that if you hold any position of responsibility in the church it is imperative that you have 'due regard' to safeguarding guidance. You can now complete most safeguarding courses online, including Responding to Domestic Abuse. 
 Are you aware of the dangers of different social media platforms? INEQE has a series of  helpful advice articles to keep your child safe online. Read about Squid Games  Gacha Heat or Reaction Videos (TikTok) and  Deepfake technology and the dangers they pose to children and young people. The latest game to be aware of is Poppy Playtime, an online game which pairs frightening images and themes with more child friendly content.


Debbie Hill 
Development Officer for Children & Families Diocese of Ely
Working hours 9-5pm Monday to Thursday 
debbie.hill@elydiocese.org  07837 699016
Pinterest boards: Debbie Hill
Facebook: Hope from Home

We pray to be a visible and generous people of God
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