We have been given a roadmap by the Government to help us see the expected way out of lockdown provided the conditions are met at each stage. Many of us are very relieved to have some fixed points to focus on, others are weary and worn out with the constant demands upon them and have concerns about what the implications of this plan are. Psalm 34:8-10 says: Taste and see that the Lord is good.
Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him!
Fear the Lord, you his godly people,
for those who fear him will have all they need.
Even strong young lions sometimes go hungry,
but those who trust in the Lord will lack no good thing.
This reminds us to seek refuge in the goodness of God. The psalmist says that even the strongest in the animal kingdom have times where their appetite is not sated but 'those who trust in the Lord lack no good thing.' I hope that these words are an encouragement to you however you are feeling as you receive this. Thank you for your determination to work with children, young people and their families, even with the challenges of lockdown.
Mothering Sunday Sunday 14 March
Although some churches may be meeting in person, many will not be back face to face until a bit later in the Spring. Included below are some ideas that you may be able to use or adapt depending on your context. Mothering Sunday is a lovely joyful celebration for many but can be very difficult for those who have experienced miscarriages, still births or the inability to have a child, along with those who have had a challenging relationship with their own Mother or who are bereaved. So, will there be a space for them in your services? How will people know that they will be accommodated and included? The Church Support Hub have some good ideas to explore Love and Loss.
Training Opportunities:
There are some excellent training opportunities coming up-Talking Toddlers, Thy Kingdom Come and How to support Mental Health and Well Being. See the section:Continuing professional Development.
Grief & Bereavement
Many of us have experienced grief and bereavement in the last year. Bereavement in Children and Young People offers a variety of approaches to help support them through grief and bereavement and a list of organisations and further resources are here: Resources for Bereavement
PS: Resources below are denoted in green if they have been offered previously-new resources are in white.
Please regularly check, read and follow the recommended guidance from the Church of England when working with children and families. The latest version is 3.0 but we are expecting this to be updated shortly in the light of the new roadmap from the Government. This can be found on the Church of England Coronavirus page The overarching principle must be one of safety for everyone.
If you are online with children and their families, please make sure you have put a thorough risk assessment in place with parental/guardian permission forms completed. Templates can be found at Safer Working online
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.
Safeguarding... If you hold any position of responsibility in the church it is imperative that you have 'due regard' to safeguarding guidance. Booking open online for all courses(including C3 Responding to Domestic Abuse) Safeguarding Courses. New dates are being added regularly so please keep checking if the course you want is full. Are you aware of the dangers of all the different social media platforms? INEQE has a series of helpful advice articles to keep your child safe online.
!Instagram Live Rooms-a new feature. Read about the implications of this for children
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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