Good morning!
As we ease our way cautiously out of lockdown, your local church may be looking a bit different to when lockdown started in March 2020. Some people have taken the opportunity to lay down responsibilities they have been carrying and there may be some 'gaps' in the way you want to offer ministry in your church. Something I often notice in churches is the responsibility for Children and Families' ministry seems to rest on the shoulders of just one or two people who work so hard...and yet we are called to be the body of Christ and each person should be part of a team working together. Ephesians 4:11-12 (NIV) says: So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers,to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up.
Effective ministry to children and their families is a team (whole church) effort. If you are struggling in ministry and feel on your own, why not try talking to someone? It might be your vicar or member of your PCC. If you would like to talk to someone 'outside' of your situation, my contact details are at the end of this mailing, I'm always delighted to listen and talk things over during my working hours, Monday -Thursday 9-5pm. Governor training One of the valuable ways in which you or someone you know might choose to exercise your ministry is by volunteering to be a school governor, thus strengthening the relationship between the church and school in your local area. We are offering a training session-becoming a school governor-an introduction-see below for more information. Confirmation resource As Pentecost is coming, your thoughts may be turning towards Confirmation. The Dioceses of Bristol and Gloucester have put together a resource of 10 sessions (7 to prepare, 3 to continue after the service) to prepare young people for Confirmation. Live Life: Confirmation Youth Resource The Big Ask Closing date 17 May.
The new Children's Commissioner, Rachel De Souza has commissioned a national survey of children and young people entitled The Big Ask. asking them to articulate what is important for them and what their priorities are as we come out of lockdown. For children aged 4-17(there are age appropriate survey questions and easy to read versions to increase access to ALL children and young people) and an additional adult survey. It only takes 5-10 minutes to complete. Resources for Ascension Day(Thursday 13 May) and Pentecost (Sunday 23 May) This mailing contains resources for Ascension Day and Pentecost detailed below. 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
An excellent resource book I would recommend for all churches (regardless of whether they assume the Messy Church title or not) is Seriously Messy: Making Space for Families to Talk Together about Death and Life Apart from emphasising the need for us to be prepared to talk about death in our churches, it follows five main themes with a theological reflection and session material suitable for intergenerational engagement for each. The themes are Remembering; Saying Goodbye and Hello; Sleeping Tight; Being Loved; and Finding Safe Spaces.
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. There is a helpful guide laying out the four step plan in line with the Government's roadmap to exit lockdown. Various templates including a risk assessment outdoor worship can be found on the Coronavirus page of the Church of England Website. An alternative useful detailed source of what is permitted for children's and youth activities is the NYA guidance. The overarching principle must be one of safety for everyone. If you are remaining online with children and their families for the time being, 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
Becoming a Governor - An Introduction Tuesday 18 May 7-8pm Are you interested in becoming a school governor but would like to find out just what is required before making the commitment to stand for election? Being a Governor is a wonderful way of supporting your local school and strengthening the link between the church and the school in your local area. This training from Caroline Vinall, Senior Officer for Governance, will help you understand exactly what is involved and how you can bring your skills to bear in your local school…be it a community school or Church school or academy. There will be an opportunity to ask questions. Booking
Advance Notice!
Ely cathedral are holding a Family Open Day on Saturday 26 June. More details to follow
Baptisms... If you missed the Recovering Christenings webinar I have written a short summary Recovering Christenings; connecting with families again Baptism Toolkit
The Baptism toolkit is full of ideas to help your church engage well with baptismal families from the first point of contact to continuing the onward journey. It is available as a download from the Ely Diocese website.
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... A Mind of their Own Helping children establish a healthy well being- 11/12/13 May Care for the Family Inspire A resource to use with families(online) to discuss how to build faith in young children Roots At Home Free trial of how to grow faith at home
For Pentecost... The focus for this year's event is two fold-firstly for those churches have lost contact with during the pandemic and secondly, for those who are participating in churches but who are lost and lonely within them.
Resources for Thy Kingdom Come are now becoming available. In particular there are two resources for children; Cheeky Pandas and a digital Adventure Prayer Map for families which can also be made available in hard copy, supported by Family Prayer Adventure podcaststo help families pray together.
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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Facebook: Hope from Home
We pray to be a visible and generous people of God
Our mailing address is:
Ely Diocesan Board of Finance
Ely Diocesan Office
Barton Road
Ely, Cambridge CB7 4DX
United Kingdom
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