The obvious bible verse to counterbalance this news is Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called children of God. Matthew 5 :9 Yet there is a danger when we read this familiar words that because they are so well known that they lose their impact. There is also a danger that we might imagine peacemaking to mean we are called to be passive or inactive (ie: not acting aggressively). As I reflect on this verse I have some questions. How can we help our children and families to see that peacemaking is about our actions and our decisions to build bridges and promote harmony? That it is not just about 'over there' in Ukraine but it requires action in our homes, schools, churches and communities. How might we support our children and their families to act purposefully to be different in their own lives? To forgive those who have hurt or damaged us? How can we help families to grapple with the fact that sometimes our attempts to make peace may be rejected or fail, even though we might be praying and asking God for help?
If you are a children and families leader in your church you might like to join our next Children and Families Leaders' meeting, Evolve, on Monday 28 March 7.30-9pm on Zoom. We will be discussing Intergenerational Worship and will be joined by Revd. Madeleine Albert. 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.
Thy Kingdom Come-For those of you who plan well ahead, Thy Kingdom Come have made a video to outline resources that are available for this year's wave of prayer, starting on May 26th. If you are only looking for resources for children and young people, join the video 11 minutes in for about 10 minutes of information. Alternatively, you can visit the website. although not all the resources mentioned in the video are available yet!
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.
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. Forty Finds for Lent Muddy Church 40 things for children to spot in the natural world. A nice activity for the Easter holidays?
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 Slenderman, Replika, Roblox and Poppy Playtime, All of these 'games' are harmful to children and young people in different ways and it it important that parents are informed or know where to find information(via the INEQE website).
Debbie Hill
Development Officer for Children & Families Diocese of Ely
Working hours 9-5pm Monday to Thursday debbie.hill@elydiocese.org 07837 699016
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Facebook: Hope from Home
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