Advent is the beginning of the Church year and it starts with the theme of Hope, of the opportunity for light to break into darkness, to bring life where there is decay and death. But what does this mean to those around us, at this time of rising inflation, with people struggling to make ends meet, and long waiting lists for healthcare? What can the church offer?
President Obama speaking to the United Nations General Assembly, September 24, 2014
"We choose hope over fear. We see the future not as something out of our control, but as something we can shape for the better through concerted and collective effort. We reject fatalism or cynicism when it comes to human affairs; we choose to work for the world as it should be, as our children deserve it to be."
How can we choose and offer hope in such difficult times? How can we help shape the future? What hope can we offer to those who are struggling? As churches are we able to work together for the good of those around us who may not actually be sitting in our pews on a Sunday? How can we point the way to our God who is able to meet people in any situation and bring them safely through?
I wait patiently for God to save me. Only he gives me hope. He is my rock, who saves me. He protects me like a strong, walled city. I will not be defeated.
Psalm 62:5-6 International Children's Bible
The work we do with children and their families is so valuable; we can't change everything but we can commit to working together for the families we have contact with through our toddler groups, children's groups and schools. In the busy-ness of the Advent/Christmas season, lets make sure we don't miss those who really need to hear this message of Hope.
This mailing has information on Authorised Chaplaincy Assistant training, Children & Families' Authorised Lay Ministry training, online All Inclusive training, as well as resources for Remembrance Day, Advent and Christmas which I will be adding to in the next mailing.
If you are a new children and families leader in your church you might like to join our next monthly Children and Families Leaders' meeting, Evolve, on Monday 9 November on Zoom. The aim of Evolve is to meet other leaders from across the Diocese and to share our experiences and ideas. If you'd like to join in, email me directly and I'll send you a Zoom invite.
We will be having our second session ( postponed from September) looking at Intergenerational Worship, led by Ruth New, Children & Families' Missioner from St Mary's Ely. This session will offer an opportunity to hear the journeys of two churches, one in a market town and one in a village, with a discussion around what the challenges of an intergenerational approach are and how we might approach these.
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.
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