Wednesday 7th December 2016

We believe that the Faithfull Generation concept makes it easier for us all to take stock of what we doing well, where there may be gaps in our ministries and how we may find support and resources to fill those gaps. As an extension of the February conference, over the next few newsletters we want to help you assess your ministries and point you in the direction of some resources that may help. In our last newsletter we invited you to audit your work to Support families as a key place where faith is nurtured. We are excited that Care for the Family is developing a new initiative that tackles this head on. Their project is just starting out, but they have spent a year researching this topic in order to find out how they can best help resource this arena and their findings will be publicised for the first time at the conference.  Statistics suggest that only 50% of children raised by Christian parents will continue in faith as adults. That’s huge.  And we really want to see that change so that we see our children grow to be passionate followers of Jesus.  The new initiative from Care for the Family will look at raising awareness of the impact parents can have on their children’s faith and offer opportunities for both parents and church leaders to invest in faith in the home.  Join us in February to find out more!

Due to redevelopment work at our venue, there will be a cap of 500 delegates, so I’d encourage you to book early. The ticket price will include a FREE book addressing forming a Faithfull Generation. Because we think all of our speakers will make great contributions to the weekend, we want to make sure that as many delegates as possible can attend sessions on Friday and Sunday as well as Saturday. For this reason only full weekend tickets are available until the end of 2016. If there are still places free in January, we add the option of Friday/Saturday, Saturday/Sunday and Saturday only tickets (and I will notify everyone signed up to receive these newsletters in advance of that happening).

This time we invite you to audit your work in the area of Ensuring children understand and engage with the big story of the Bible. We also give you resource ideas for the Creating spaces where children can encounter God for themselves aspect of Faithfull Generation.

Thursday 20th October 2016

How successful are you at ensuring children understand and engage with the big story of the Bible?

• Do you put teaching of individual Bible stories into the context of the big story of the Bible by using Bible time lines or similar?
• Do you have teaching that goes beyond individual Bible stories, helping children connect with the big story of the Bible and their place in it?
• Do you share personal stories of faith (historic and contemporary)?
• Do you reach out (schools work, holiday clubs etc), introducing children to the Bible story?

Sessions that will address ensuring children understand and engage with the big story of the Bible at next February’s conference:

• Developing a Jesus-centred ministry
• Engaging with the big Bible story (A Families Welcome session)
• Helping 11-14s engage with the big Bible story

The full programme for Hand in Hand is now on the website. More detailed descriptions for the sessions will be added gradually as the information is received from speakers.

Wednesday 7th December 2016

The church and boys

Making the connection

by Nick Harding (published by BRF)

Why are men and boys so under-represented in churches? Why do churches find it so difficult to cater for boys? What would help boys in church grow into mature men of faith? Nick has long been aware that church isn’t always an easy place for boys. It may feel irrelevant and boring and a potential lack of good role models may hinder a sense of belonging. This book looks at reasons behind this and suggests a way forward. A recognition of how boys may engage differently can build a broader approach, encouraging a greater gender balance in groups and ultimately in the wider church. Contents include: What boys are like; How this affects their view of church; Prayer, worship, the Bible and activities with boys; Mentoring and support; Mission to boys; Continuing (as boys become men).

Sue says: This helpful book matches research and information with practical ideas and resource suggestions. It is not just for children’s workers but for everyone in church leadership.

Wednesday 7th December 2016

Diary of a disciple: Luke’s story

by Gemma Willis, illustrated by Emma Randall (published by Scripture Union)

This is a contemporary retelling of Luke’s Gospel. Written in a quirky, contemporary, accessible style, it offers a way into the Bible for the next generation. Fresh from the fizzling imagination of Gemma Willis comes a whole new way of seeing the story of Luke; part doctor, part detective, all disciple. Every page of this book bursts with doodles, drawings, and discovery – booming angels, swirling baptisms in great rivers, storms and seeds and stories of miracles. Starting with an impossible birth, and ending with the stunning twist of a dead man coming back to life, Luke’s diary needs to be read to be believed. Aimed at 8-11 year olds.

Sue says: Any resource that encourages children to engage with the Bible is good. This bite-sized, illustrated format may help children who find it difficult to focus on long Bible passages to connect with Luke’s Gospel and also discover how it links in with other parts of the Bible – both Old and New Testaments.

Wednesday 7th December 2016

Prayers and Answered prayers

illustrated by Sarah Vince (published by Authentic)

Inside a beautiful vinyl jacket are two glittery postcard-sized books. Each book contains related content: one designed to record prayers and the other to record blessings. Filled with questions and creative prompts and Bible references to look up, this is a perfect book for children to store their prayers and record things they are thankful for, becoming a gorgeous keepsake. Aimed at 8-12 year olds.

Sue says: In addition to giving this book to individual children, you could use it in your children’s work either to provide ideas for creative prayer or to give to small groups to work through together.

Wednesday 7th December 2016

Seasonal specials for children’s ministry

(published by BRF)

Ideas for sessions related to ten key calendar events throughout the year – New Year’s Day, Valentine’s Day, Mothering Sunday, Palm Sunday, Easter, Father’s Day, Harvest, Halloween, Remembrance Day and Christmas – all from a Christian perspective. Each event has ideas for a Bible focus, craft, game, snack activity, sketch, song and an outreach idea: some have extra ideas more appropriate for younger or older children.

Sue says: Lots of active and engaging ideas – but don’t think you can pick it up on Saturday to prepare for Sunday as there are often long lists of craft and food materials that you’ll need to collect and they won’t all be in your cupboards however well stocked you think you are!

Wednesday 7th December 2016

Christmas family time

by Lucy Moore (published by BRF)

An affirming Christmas gift designed for Messy Churches to give to their families to use at home over the Christmas holiday period. This mini-book aims to transfer the core values of Messy Church to the home and family context, encouraging families to talk together, be creative, be hospitable, be Christ-centred and celebratory, and including activities for all ages.

Sue says: A small booklet that could be given to any families you connect with – not just if you run a Messy Church.

Also available: Easter Family Time

Significant savings if you buy in bulk though the BRF website www.brfonline.org.uk

Wednesday 7th December 2016

Growing upwards

by Colin Bennett (published by Grove Books)

A new addition to the Grove Booklets series, this booklet investigates the joys and sorrows encountered by Christian young people in their spiritual journey and examines what youth workers and ministers, parents and church leaders can do to help their young people along the road to deeper maturity in faith.

Sue says: This is mostly theory and strategy rather than practical ideas but the reflection questions at the end of each chapter will help you root the concepts into your own situation.

Wednesday 7th December 2016

Passing it on 

by Richard N Blackaby (self-published)

The author shares his experiences of working with children in schools and churches with a view to, as the titles suggests, passing it on. There is a wealth of information which will encourage and help equip those wanting to impact the future generation. Having learnt many of the lessons the hard way, this can be a short cut to best practice and excellence which our children definitely deserve. The content includes suggested programmes, ideas for activities, tips on leadership as well as being an account of a personal journey of faith and ministry.

Sue says: An alternative title could be Children’s Ministry 101. Covering Sunday school, all-age worship, schools work, clubs and camps this provides tips on best practice and lots of ideas for games and activities and is helpful for those new to the ministry or taking on a leadership role for the first time.

Wednesday 7th December 2016

…to help create spaces where children can encounter God for themselves

Important in the faith formation process because there is a danger that, working with an entertainment driven, visually stimulated, “I’m bored” generation, we fill our spaces so full with activity, noise and busyness hoping to maintain attention and communicate something of value, there is no time for our children to hear the voice of God. It is important for us to create the spaces where children can encounter the living Jesus. It might be a prayer space. It might be a book we suggest. It might be a question we ask to provoke them to reflect. It might be a bible reading plan we suggest, a worship album we promote or a prayer habit we model.

Sessions that will address children encountering God at next February’s conference:

• Children, prayer and spirituality
• Encounters with the Holy Spirit
• Hands On ways to help children encounter God

Other helpful resources:

• Organisations and web sites: Powerpack Ministries: Godly Play; Prayer Spaces in Schools; Spiritual Child Network; Creative Children’s Ministry (flamecreativekids.blogspot.co.uk)
• Books: Children’s spirituality (Nye); Joining children in the spiritual journey (Stonehouse); Here comes heaven: a kid’s guide to supernatural power (Johnson & Seth); Slugs and snails and puppy dogs’ tails (Edwards)
• Resource books: Creative ideas for quiet corners (Chambers); Ignite (Thompson); Messy Prayer (Leadbetter); The Spy Kit (Goldenberg); Ultimate creative prayer (Merrell, SU)
• Books for children: My big prayer book; Massive prayer adventure; My God book; You and God (all published by SU)
• Hand in Hand conference downloads: The Holy Spirit in children’s ministry (Thompson, 2016); Hands On ways of making the Holy Spirit accessible to children (Jackson, 2016); The Holy Spirit and under 5s (Goldenberg, 2016); Get the message (Webster, 2016); Messy prayers (Leadbetter, 2016); Unwinding the wrong views of God (Turner, 2015); Hands On ways to stop prayer being boring (Beech & Swift, 2015); Engaging boys in worship (Squires, 2014); 10 Hands On ways to enhance children’s spirituality through play (Edwards, 2014); Helping young people and families grow in hearing God’s voice (Kennedy, 2014)

Wednesday 7th December 2016

FREE Download

For the next 2 weeks you can download Andy Kennedy’s 2014 conference session: Helping young people and families grow in hearing God’s voice for FREE. Children are called to be God-connected: help children establish a free, easy, and joyful two-way relationship with their Father, chatting with him and consistently and accurately catching his voice in return.

Download here

Thursday 20th October 2016

The aim of this newsletter is to keep you connected with Hand in Hand year round, updating you on news of fresh resources and other training opportunities from our supporting organisations and helping you to see the benefits (I hope) of joining us in Eastbourne for face to face resourcing, the opportunity to share with others and receive personal refreshment and a renewed vision for your work with families and children.

Our programme for 2017 has a broad agenda – addressing ministry to families, children and young people up to 14 years old, both those already in church and those we are reaching out to in our communities. Last year we launched Faithfull Generation. This is not a new programme, but a recognition that children that are growing in faith and most likely to remain committed to church in adulthood will have experienced a thriving, intergenerational church community AND a family where faith is nurtured AND had the opportunity to connect with the big story of the Bible AND encounter the living Jesus AND been able to talk about and live out their faith in peer groups AND been supported by mentors and the church family AND had the chance to have peak experiences AND celebrated key moments in their life and spiritual journey AND been given the chance to be active participants in mission AND respond to the world with compassion.

We believe that the Faithfull Generation concept makes it easier for us all to take stock of what we doing well, where there may be gaps in our ministries and how we may find support and resources to fill those gaps. As an extension of the February conference, over the next few newsletters we want to help you assess your ministries and point you in the direction of some resources that may help. This time we invite you to audit your work to Support families as a key place where faith is nurtured and give you resource ideas for the Dialogue in peer groups and supported by mentors and the church family aspects of Faithfull Generation.

The Additional Needs Alliance Forum will again be part of the optional programme on Saturday. They will be considering what lifelong faith formation means for children with additional needs and disabilities.

The full programme for Hand in Hand is now on the website. More detailed descriptions for the sessions will be added gradually as the information is received from speakers.

Due to redevelopment work at our venue, there will be a cap of 500 delegates, so I’d encourage you to book early. The ticket price will include a FREE book addressing forming a Faithfull Generation. Because we think all of our speakers will make great contributions to the weekend, we want to make sure that as many delegates as possible can attend sessions on Friday and Sunday as well as Saturday. For this reason only full weekend tickets are available until the end of 2016. If there are still places free in January, we add the option of Friday/Saturday, Saturday/Sunday and Saturday only tickets (and I will notify everyone signed up to receive these newsletters in advance of that happening).

Thursday 20th October 2016

How well does your church support the family as a key place of spiritual nurture?

Mark DeVries writes in his book Family-Based Youth Ministry, ‘Almost without exception, those young people who are growing in their faith as adults were teenagers who fit into one of two categories: they came from families where Christian growth was modelled in at least one of their parents, or they had developed significant connections with an extended family of adults within the church. How often they attended youth events (including Sunday School and discipleship groups) was not a good predictor of which teens would, and which would not, grow toward Christian adulthood.’

• Do you offer parenting courses or one-off events that help empower parents?
• Do you suggest faith in the home activity ideas, perhaps linked to themes in church services or children’s work?
• Do you recommend family or children’s Bibles, reading notes etc.?
• Do you help link families together, giving them a support network?
• Do you offer church based events where parents can spend time together with their children?
• Do you connect with families in your community that don’t attend church services regularly by organising regular or one off events?

Sessions that will address supporting families as a key place where faith is nurtured at next February’s conference:

• Talking to your children about Jesus, God and everything
• Dads in spiritual nurture (including the role of the church when dads aren’t present)
• Being salt in a world of bad taste – opportunities to connect with young families
• Families exploring their faith together (a Families Welcome session).

Thursday 20th October 2016

…to encourage dialogue in peer groups and supported by mentors and the church family

Encouraging Positive Peer Relationships: the more time we spend with our friends the more we will be influenced by their values and the actions that result. It is true that we cannot choose our children’s friends, but we can seek to create positive peer environments for them.

Mentoring and Support: imagine a young person reading about Ananias and Sapphira dropping dead because they were a little too liberal with the truth or a new adult Christian reading about God asking Abraham to sacrifice his son – we all need someone to talk with to help our understanding of God and his character in the light of these stories. One of the major reasons why young people choose to leave the church is because their questions about life and faith have not been answered.

Sessions that will address dialogue in peer groups and supported by mentors and the church family at next February’s conference:

• Investing in a peer community
• Hands On ways to provide support for young teens
• Mentoring in plain sight

Other helpful resources:

• Organisations to support peer groups: Girls’ Brigade, The Boys’ Brigade, Urban Saints
• Resources: Holiday club materials from BRF and Scripture Union; Halloween alternative party materials from Friends and Heroes; Live Life 1-2-3, Infusion and Influencers (Urban Saints); True story booklet (Scripture Union)
• Hand in Hand conference downloads: Mentoring – what’s the point (Crocker, 2015)

Thursday 20th October 2016

True story

by Pete Brown (published by Scripture Union)

When Warren ended up in the school pond it was hard to argue it had been an accident. But at least we’d cleared up one thing: people don’t walk on water. So… what are you going to do with a man who did? A man who also healed the sick, gave sight to the blind and came back to life after being dead for three days? Drawing upon funny moments during his own time at school, Pete Brown introduces us to the person who made the biggest impact on his life – not the school bully, but Jesus Christ.

Written by youth pastor and evangelist Pete Brown, True Story invites teenagers to reflect upon six key interactions Jesus has with characters from the Gospels. The book explores some of the questions that occurred to Pete during an idle moment in a maths lesson: Is there a God? How can I know Jesus’ story is true? And what difference can he make to my life? It is ideal for any young person seeking answers to life’s bigger questions. Its chatty and interactive style is an engaging introduction to what Christians believe about the true meaning of life. Features include: Interactive components, including questions for reflection and space to write notes and an accessible format where the Bible text is presented in manageable sections within a specially designed internal booklet.

Thursday 20th October 2016

FREE Download

For the next 2 weeks you can download Rebi Crocker’s 2015 conference session: Mentoring – what’s the point? for FREE. Using biblical examples, this session explores how mentoring can revolutionise the lives of the children we minister to, as well as our own (includes specific application for young leaders).

Download here

Thursday 20th October 2016

We are pleased to be welcoming new Hand in Hand exhibitors:

Care for the Family works across the UK to strengthen family life and help those who face family difficulties, particularly in marriage, parenting and bereavement.

mainly music assists churches connect with young families in their community through the provision of quality, sustainable ministry initiatives to share the Good News of Jesus.

Parenting for Faith supports parents to bring up their children from an early age in the faith of Christ. Programmes to envision and resource parents and train church leaders to influence the next generation.

Rebecca’s Christian Pottery specialises in handmade pottery wall hanging crosses, hearts, jewellery and gifts designed and made by Rebecca in the Vale of Aylesbury.

Thursday 20th October 2016

Other dates for your diary

• Explore Together 2016 tour. Find out more about Scripture Union’s Explore Together and experience how it works. East London, 24 November. www.exploretogether.org/2016/03/04/explore-together-2016-tour-dates
• Mission Magic workshops. Musselburgh, 4 November; Wakefield, 9 November; Chester, 22 March 2017. www.missionmagic.co.uk/training-days
• No Limits. Addressing additional needs, disability and the church. London, 12 November. Information contact enabledchurch@gmail.com. Book: http://enablingchurch.eventbrite.co.uk

Wednesday 13th September 2016

Due to redevelopment work at the venue, there will be a cap of 500 delegates, so I’d encourage you to take advantage of the Early Bird price reduction and BOOK NOW. The ticket price will include a FREE book addressing forming a Faithfull Generation. Don’t forget that Early Bird bookings close on 30^th September.

Our seminar programme is now in place and covers a wide mix of the aspects we believe help deepen faith formation:

A thriving intergenerational church community: An overview of intergenerational church options; Togetherness – generations learning from each other; All-in celebration (a Families Welcome session); Messy Church (a Families Welcome session).

Support families as a key place where faith is nurtured: Talking to your children about Jesus, God and everything; Dads in spiritual nurture; Being salt in a world of bad taste – opportunities to connect with young families; Families exploring their faith together (a Families Welcome session).

Connect with the big story of the Bible: Developing a Jesus-centred ministry; Hands On ways to help under 5s engage with the big Bible story; Hands On ways to help 5-10s engage with the big Bible story; Helping 11-14s engage with the big Bible story.

Encounter the living Jesus: Children, prayer and spirituality; Children and the Holy Spirit; Hands On ways to help children encounter God.

Dialogue in peer groups and supported by mentors and the church family : Investing in a peer community; Hands On ways to provide support for young teens; Mentoring in plain sight.

Peak experiences and celebrating key moments: Coming down from the mountaintop – weekly church after festivals and camps; Hands On ways to celebrate.

Active participants in mission and responding with compassion: Preparing children to participate; Developing a heart for compassion; Hands On ways to be active in mission and service.

PLUS, on Saturday afternoon: Additional Needs Alliance Forum (included in delegate tickets) and Families Welcome tickets enabling local families to join us.

PLUS: four main stage sessions including Rachel Turner as a key note speaker; Ian White leading us in Bible studies considering how we can trust God; inspiring stories; creative ideas and time to worship together AND time and space to pray or encounter God on Saturday morning.

PLUS: Exhibition, Faithfull Generation resources displays and conference shop.

Wednesday 13th September 2016

Jesus, your baby and you

A guide to trusting God during your pregnancy

by Helen and Olly Goldenberg (published by Children Can)

Godly parents want to help their children to fulfil God’s eternal plans. Helen and Olly show us from the Bible that God is interested in the life of each person before they are born. With many real-life experiences and practical ideas they empower parents to prepare themselves, their babies and their whole family for a life together with God. Discover tools to fight fear, build faith and trust God through pregnancy and beyond.

Rachel Turner says: Finally someone wrote the book we’ve all been wanting! Helen and Olly empower families to see their babies as the powerful kingdom shapers that they are and will be, and equips parents to begin spiritual parenting at the very start of their children’s lives in utero. Encouraging, hopeful and insightful – I would recommend this for all pregnant women and partners!

Wednesday 13th September 2016

European Puppet and Creative Arts Ministry Festival

Join One Way UK as they celebrate 25 years of ministry! Their European Puppet and Creative Arts Festival is for everyone, adults and children, who want to learn how to share the Gospel of Christ using their creative skills. With over 70 exciting workshops, two and a half hours of spectacular main stage performances, six competitions, an enormous range of creative arts resources on display and so much more, it’s going to be an incredible two days…

When and where? 28-29 October 2016 at Rugby College, Rugby. For more information: www.onewayuk.com/event.php?id=33736

Wednesday 13th September 2016

Filling Stations

Christians dedicated to helping children grow up in the Christian faith and teaching children every Sunday may be in churches where the Holy Spirit is given little room to work and often miss out on meaningful fellowship as they seek to serve in their local church. We thought you’d like to know about the national movement of monthly gatherings called Filling Stations, which can provide a rich resource and oasis, with fellowship of like-minded believers.

A Filling Station is not a new church or denomination; it is a gathering of Christians who are celebrating their faith in an informal and authentic fashion with the aim of benefiting the local church. They provide an opportunity to strengthen unity, build relationships and to be ‘re-fuelled’ together. The Filling Station movement is supported by many denominations and includes endorsements from Nicky Gumble and J.John, among others.

You can search for a Filling Station near you: http://thefillingstation.org.uk/

Wednesday 13th September 2016

FREE Download

For the next 2 weeks you can download Kay Morgan-Gurr’s 2015 conference session: Supporting families that foster and adopt for FREE. Families who foster and adopt need support. Many of the children have additional needs including attachment disorder. Learn how to support them.

Download here

Wednesday 13th September 2016

Faithfull Generation: Action resources

• Organisations: Children Changing Nations, Urban Saints, YWAM
• Books: Josiah generation (Goldenberg, River), Parenting children for a life of purpose (Turner, BRF), Participate! Helping young people explore discipleship and vocation (BRF), Postmodern children’s ministry (Beckwith, Zondervan)
• Hand in Hand conference downloads: Children’s ministry and the Missio Dei (Prior, 2016), Activating children (Jackson, 2016), Getting kids excited about missions (Parkes, 2015), Helping children bring heaven to earth (Thompson, 2014), Missing link: empowering children’s purpose (Turner, 2014), Young leaders at Messy Church? (Messy Church team, 2014)

Wednesday 13th September 2016

Other dates for your diary

• Explore Together 2016 tour. Find out more about Scripture Union’s Explore Together and experience how it works. Canterbury, 10 October; East London, 24 November. www.exploretogether.org/2016/03/04/explore-together-2016-tour-dates
• Love Early Years conference. Broadmead Baptist Church, Northampton, 1 October. www.ci2eye.com

• Mission Magic workshops. Surrey, 19 October; Musselburgh, 4 November; Wakefield, 9 November; Chester, 22 March 2017. www.missionmagic.co.uk/training-days

• European Puppet and Creative Arts Ministry Festival. Rugby, 28-29 October. www.onewayuk.com/event.php?id=33736
• No Limits. Addressing additional needs, disability and the church. London, 12 November. Information contact enabledchurch@gmail.com. Book: http://enablingchurch.eventbrite.co.uk

Wednesday 20th July 2016

As the school holidays are upon us, some of you will be breathing a sigh of relief as you take a break from weekly ministry and others will be preparing for busy holiday clubs and camps.

Many Christians will tell you that youth camps were pivotal in their journey of faith – the excitement of being away from home with lots of others of their own age who don’t think it’s weird to go to church; and the time that leaders (often closer to their own age than the leaders back at church) have to sit, chat and answer questions. The ‘peak’ experience of camps and events can be important in faith formation but the week in, week out, ministry in your local church is also key. As we make ‘Forming a Faithfull Generation’ the focus of our next conference, we want to help churches realise that, alongside the roles of prayer and the Holy Spirit, an on-going, deepening faith formation is most likely to happen when there is a good mix of the following:

• a thriving intergenerational faith community
• support for the family as a key place of spiritual nurture
• opportunities to connect with the big story of the Bible
• space where children can pray and encounter the living Jesus for themselves
• encouragement to talk about and live out faith within peer relationships
• support from mentors and the wider church family
• opportunities for peak experiences through camps and events
• celebration of key moments in the lives and spiritual journey of children and the church family
• active participation in mission
• opportunities to respond with compassion to the world around us

Maybe you will have time, sitting or a beach or reviewing a great camp, to think and pray about this list – what you already do well and where you may have gaps or need support. Our next Hand in Hand conference will offer help with ideas to fill those gaps and more information about resources and organisations that can assist will also be added to our web site throughout the coming months.

Wednesday 20th July 2016

I am delighted that Rachel Turner will be joining us again as one of our main stage speakers. At past conferences delegates have commented: ‘The most awesome speaker I have heard.’ ‘ Excellent and inspiring.’ Rachel has recently joined the BRF team to further develop the ‘Parenting for Faith’ vision that she has long held (see more below).

All our sessions will address the key aspects for lifelong faith formation for children, covering all ages from toddlers to mid-teens and looking at how these themes impact both outreach and discipleship. Plus time for worship, Bible reflection and personal refreshment.

25 organisations and ministries have already booked in as exhibitors. In addition to our exhibition and bookshop there will be a large display area of resources and organisations specific to helping you deliver each of these aspects.

The ticket price will include a FREE book addressing forming a Faithfull Generation.

Due to redevelopment work at the venue, there will be a cap of 500 delegates, so I’d encourage you to take advantage of the Early Bird price reduction and BOOK NOW.

Wednesday 20th July 2016

The Big Book of Bible Crafts

(published by BRF)

110 of the best craft ideas from Children’s Ministry Magazine – all contributed by people working with children in churches.

Sue says: Almost 20 years ago, at our first Children’s Ministry conference, I offered an optional workshop on Bible crafts. I expected 50-100 delegates but almost 400 packed the hall and the workshop had to become a demonstration! Back then there were no books to recommend to those delegates and the many more wanting easy ideas that I met at other training events, so I wrote 100 Simple Bible Craft Ideas for Children – a book now out of print. Since then, a plethora of craft ideas books and web resources have been produced but it is good to see a new collection of simple ideas cross-referenced by Bible passage and season and including some extension ideas on how to incorporate them into a session.

Tuesday 31st May 2016

God’s daughters:

loved, held, accepted, enough

(Hannah Fytche, published by BRF)

This is a book particularly aimed at Christian teenage girls and written by Hannah, who has only just moved on to university herself. It addresses six issues – school, image, friends, family, church and our personal relationship with God. Sharing her own stories and those of others, and drawing on Bible passages, Hannah gives points for reflection and prayer and encouraging words for each issue.

I asked Amy, a 16 year old in my church, to read the book.

Amy says: Hannah’s aim is for teenage girls to realise that there is nothing that we can do to be ‘good enough’ and that we need to put our faith and trust in God, to strengthen, encourage and guide us through our lives, despite the pressures around us. It is encouraging to know that she has recently been through the things we are going through – she is relevant and easy to relate to and this is reflected in the easy going and conversational nature of the book.

The book contains a wide range of examples, some of which are not easy to make directly personal to oneself, but this encourages the reader to empathise with others and to better understand what they are going through. It is useful getting Hannah’s perspective on the issues, but I felt that too much consideration was put into the problems and society’s views on them, and not enough was given to God’s views and the biblical answers. This and the fact that the problems and God’s views were looked at separately, meant that it was harder to see how exactly God’s Word should be applied in our day to day lives.

Overall I think that God’s Daughters provides a necessary and encouraging perspective, serving as a continual reminder of God’s love and grace to his children: a book that I’m sure will be helpful to revisit throughout my teenage years.

Wednesday 20th July 2016

BRF grows with ‘Parenting for Faith’ programme

The Bible Reading Fellowship (BRF) is delighted to announce that Rachel Turner has joined its staff team and that ‘Parenting for Faith’ is now part of BRF. Rachel will continue to grow and develop the Parenting for Faith vision that she has pioneered in recent years.

Parenting for Faith’s focus will be to inspire and support parents to bring up their children from an early age in the faith of Christ. Its planned programme of activity will help address the challenges facing Christian parents as they spiritually parent their children today through resources, community support and training opportunities. Rachel will be investing in a network of local church champions to help engage churches and harness momentum at a local level. She will also be maintaining and building engagement with a broad range of denominational, church and parachurch networks to ensure Parenting for Faith’s potential is realised.

Rachel says: ‘BRF has a wonderful heart for serving individuals and families to connect with God deeply and walk their whole journey of life with him. Parenting for Faith looks to equip and support Christian parents of all ages in their wonderful role of coaching their children in a life full of faith both now and in the future. Together we hope to become a key factor in cheering on and providing tools for parents and grandparent s to see every child, teen and young adult loving God and knowing his love in this complex world.’

Find out more and join the conversation about Parenting for Faith at www.parentingforfaith.org

Wednesday 20th July 2016

Children Can announce EXPECTANT conference:

the first conference designed for pregnant Christians

What is EXPECTANT? It is a conference with Olly and Helen Goldenberg for expectant parents who desire to see God’s kingdom come in their family right from the foundations of life, whilst pregnant with child.

What will I find? EXPECTANT is a safe place where you will receive teaching, ministry, prayer and practical support, equipping you as the primary spiritual discipler of your children. Expect a warm welcome, an understanding team and an encounter with God for you and your child. As a team we will be available to listen, pray and share with you on the day.

We are EXPECTANT that God will meet with you and your baby on this day to confirm destinies, reverse problems and release blessing.

When and where? Saturday 17^th September in Milton Keynes. For all details or to book a place go to www.childrencan.co.uk/expectant-2016/

Wednesday 20th July 2016

No Limits conference:

an Enabling Church conference from Churches for All

Addressing additional needs, disability and the church this will be an event full of ideas and inspiration for all who work with or support children, families and youth, plus anyone with a passion to see the abilities of everyone recognised. Guest speakers: Matt Summerfield, Malcolm Duncan and Mary Beth Walsh.

When and where? Saturday 12^th November 10.00-16.30 at the Friends Meeting House, Euston Road, London.

For more information contact enabledchurch@gmail.com. To book: http://enablingchurch.eventbrite.co.uk

Wednesday 20th July 2016

FREE Download

For the next 2 weeks you can download Rachel Turner’s 2015 conference session: Unwinding wrong views of God for FREE. How can we remove the inexplicable barriers that children often have when thinking about really connecting with God heart-to-heart? A practical and honest view of how children view God.

Download here

Wednesday 20th July 2016

(from Sue Price)

1. Jericho – make horns using shiny card and stack large cardboard boxes to make walls.
2. Paul’s journeys – use a large sheet of paper to draw and board game with advantage and forfeit squares that reflect the ups and downs of the journeys found in Acts. Play with counters and dice.
3. Go fishing – cut out fish shapes and attach a paperclip to the mouth. Make a fishing rod with a magnet on the end. You could write Bible references for different stories relating to fish that need to be retold each time a fish is caught.
4. Happy and sad faces – draw a happy face on one side of a paper plate and a sad face on the other. Attach a craft stick to the bottom of the plate. For stories such as that of Naaman, where characters turn from sad to happy, everyone can turn their faces to the appropriate side.
5. Puppets – use socks for people and gloves for animals (two outer fingers can form ears and the thumb a tail) plus scraps of material, wool and buttons. Involve everyone in telling the story.

Wednesday 20th July 2016

Other dates for your diary

• Expectant. Children Can’s conference for pregnant Christians. Milton Keynes, 17 September. www.childrencan.co.uk/expectant-2016/

• Explore Together 2016 tour. Find out more about Scripture Union’s Explore Together and experience how it works. East Midlands, 27 September; Canterbury, 10 October; East London, 24 November. www.exploretogether.org/2016/03/04/explore-together-2016-tour-dates

• Mission Magic workshops. Surrey, 19 October; Musselburgh, 4 November; Wakefield, 9 November; Chester, 22 March 2017. www.missionmagic.co.uk/training-days

• No Limits. Addressing additional needs, disability and the church. London, 12 November. Information contact enabledchurch@gmail.com. Book: http://enablingchurch.eventbrite.co.uk

Tuesday 31st May 2016

With well over 20,000 churches estimated to be running toddler groups in the UK, they are one of the most frequent ways in which churches engage with their communities but they are often seen as peripheral to the main ministries of a church and their leaders are overlooked when it comes to support from the rest of the church.

Last year Jubilee+ published results of research on the impact of church-based parent and toddler groups. Their findings include:

• Enjoyment – almost everyone derives enjoyment from their participation although absence of church leadership support or prayer may affect team member enjoyment.

• Faith – some parents / carers are finding faith and becoming Christians with most groups reporting that their church has grown numerically at least ‘a little’ as a result of the group.

• Life skills – child development is enhanced by engaging in the activities provided.

• Personal well-being – there is a positive impact upon stress for parents / carers and group members gain long term satisfaction from being involved.

• Community – long-lasting friendships are built amongst group helpers and parents / carers that would not have happened otherwise.

It is so important for churches to take this ministry seriously and for the toddler group leaders, children and families to be backed in prayer by everyone.

The approximate number of days that a child in the UK has between birth and starting ‘nursery’ is just 1,277. And it was from a desire to make each of those days count, that the group 1277 was formed in 2009. It is an ecumenical group that is passionate about resourcing and supporting church-based toddler groups, the under-fives, and the families with whom they work. They are promoting a National Month of Prayer for toddler group ministries, taking place in June. The aim is to encourage you to pray … and to get your church praying! ‘Living life to the full’ is the theme this year and John 10:10 is the keynote scripture: ‘I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.’

‘Keep praying…new families came along this morning including one who saw an article in the local paper, also a new church member offered to join the team, and a couple of mums offered to help set up. I like this month of prayer.’ These were the words shared by a toddler group leader during last year’s month of prayer. Some of the activities that took place in June 2015 included a prayer tent, services led by toddler group teams, prayer bubbles blown, and prayer activity bags prepared and taken home by every family in the toddler group. 1277 have put together some more ideas, activities and articles that you can dip into during this June. Find them on their website and Facebook page.

Tuesday 31st May 2016

Messy Togetherness:

being intergenerational in Messy Church

(Martyn Payne, published by Messy Church)

Why do more and more people advocate the idea that generations should explore faith together, and what does the Bible have to say about this? How does this fit with our inherited model of age-related groups for learning and discipleship? And is it really practical and possible to have an experience of church where the youngest to the oldest share the same meeting space, service theme and time to worship? Messy Church is claiming that this can and does happen! In this book Martyn discusses Messy Church as an intergenerational expression of church and the benefits of this to the church community. He explores current thinking about faith development and gives a biblical rationale for the all-age approach, offering practical advice and sharing stories and ideas.

Sue says: As with other recent titles from the Messy Church stable, I’d recommend this book regardless of whether you are involved in a Messy Church. I can’t put it better than Nick Harding (Children’s Ministry Advisor for the Diocese of Southwell and Nottingham), who says in the book’s Foreword: ‘This book is a great resource for the whole church. It is an invaluable tool for those who are committed to Messy Church or are considering it. It is essential reading for those who lead worship in any church. It is also ideal for everyone, across our denominations, who has as inner sense that, when the children and young people leave, there is a gap, and we need to bring change.’

Tuesday 31st May 2016

Hand in Hand 2017: 3rd – 5th February in Eastbourne

Forming a Faithfull Generation

The main focus for the weekend will be the five key areas for lifelong faith formation for children:

• Community: helping the church to thrive as a growing, intergenerational faith community whilst supporting the family as a key place of spiritual nurture.

• Encounter: creating opportunities for children to connect with the big story of the Bible and space where they can encounter the living Jesus for themselves.

• Dialogue: encouraging faith to be both talked out and lived out, within peer relationships and supported by mentors and the wider church family.

• Milestones: enabling peak experiences in the lives of children and celebrating key moments and anchor points in their life and spiritual journey.

• Action: allowing children to contribute as active participants in mission and giving them the opportunity to respond with compassion to the world around them.

Sessions will cover all ages from toddlers to mid-teens and how these themes impact both outreach and discipleship. In addition to our exhibition and bookshop there will be a large display area of resources and organisations specific to helping you deliver in each of the five key areas.

Plus time for worship, Bible reflection and personal refreshment.

The ticket price will include a FREE book addressing forming a Faithfull Generation.

Due to redevelopment work at the venue, there will be a cap of 500 delegates, so I’d encourage you to take advantage of the Early Bird price reduction and BOOK NOW.

Tuesday 31st May 2016

FREE Download

For the next 2 weeks you can download Carolyn Edward’s 2015 conference session: Defending the dragonfly – nurturing boy’s spirituality for FREE. If boy’s spirituality can be likened to a dragonfly: ethereal, capricious, muscular and slightly alien, what can we do to protect, nurture and celebrate that spirituality?

Download here

Tuesday 31st May 2016

(courtesy of Barbara Van Valkenberg, BCMI)

1. Put in the right order – have sets of cards, each with the name of a book of the Bible. Individually or in teams, sort them into OT and NT and then into the correct order.

2. Leave out the vowels – work out the names of the books from a list with vowels missing, eg D-N- -L. Make it harder by leaving out consonants instead.

3. What comes before? – can you remember, or look up, the book before the one given (or the one after)?

4. In which book do we read about? – give key character names.

5. Half and half – make up cards with all the names split across 2 cards. Spread them around and then search for matching pairs.

Tuesday 31st May 2016

Other dates for your diary

• Explore Together 2016 tour. Find out more about Scripture Union’s Explore Together and experience how it works. North East England, 13 June; West Yorkshire, 14 June; East Midlands, 27 September; Canterbury, 10 October; East London, 24 November. www.exploretogether.org/2016/03/04/explore-together-2016-tour-dates

• Mission Magic workshops. Surrey, 19 October; Musselburgh, 4 November; Wakefield, 9 November; Chester, 22 March 2017. www.missionmagic.co.uk/training-days

Tuesday 26th April 2016

Church needs to change – Hospitality is the key 

by Lucy Moore (founder of Messy Church)

As I opened up my computer, a sad email was waiting, announcing the end of a particularly thriving and successful Messy Church. Nobody can be found to run it, now that the current leaders’ circumstances have changed and they no longer have the time. ‘There is no one to take on this role,’ it says on the church’s website. What an outcry there would have been if the same church had suggested closing down their Sunday morning gathering! How many more words would have been written on the web site, explaining and justifying such an enormous step!

What does this have to do with hospitality? I think it (scarily) highlights a challenge to the established church to consider its priorities. Of course we want to welcome outsiders, but do we really want to welcome the stranger, the sojourner and the spiritual traveller? Or are we actually, when it comes to the crunch, only interested in running a church gathering for people who are already part of the family? People who have signed up to the rules and paid the membership fee?

I dream of a church that is inside out, whose discipleship is marked by its members’ growing generosity. It learns by doing and reflecting; it receives through giving. Its open doors are so wide that the walls hardly exist, except to hold up a sheltering roof. Its mindset is shaped and its very furniture designed with the least able, those with the least voice, the oldest and the youngest, always to the fore. Its leaders wash feet and dishes more often than they preach or play guitars or organs. Its members fight to put the needs of others before their own – not just once in a while, at special outreach events, but time after time after time, until it’s such a habit that it becomes a way of life that rubs off on the generations who are older and younger than they are.

In this church, the kitchen is as important as the chapel, and the dining table doubles as the table that holds the bread and wine. Guest and host sit and feast together in laughter and tears, babies and great-grandads sitting with teenagers and the middle-aged. Single people and people in relationships of all kinds are made mind-blowingly, wholesomely, awesomely welcome, accepted just as they are, because what matters to this church is not ‘Who’s in and who’s out?’ but ‘Who wants to know Christ?’ Dialogue over the table, among people who are no longer enemies but guests, brings greater understanding on both sides. The community around each church member is being transformed into a tiny mirror of the home we look forward to, after we have gone through the wide door of death.

I dream of a church with hospitality in the heart and on the face of every member.

(extract from Messy Hospitality)

Tuesday 26th April 2016

Messy Hospitality:

changing communities through fun, food, friendship and faith

(Lucy Moore, published by Messy Church)

In the latest book from the Messy Church team, Lucy demonstrates how hospitality can be practiced in Messy Church and other church contexts to promote mission and faith formation, addressing the theology of hospitality and how it can be expressed at the welcome table, the activity table, the Lord’s Table, the meal table and in the home. It also includes insights from the secular hospitality industry, how to train teams, audit-style questions and 5 complete session outlines for Messy Churches.

Sue says: Even if you are not involved in a Messy Church, I’d recommend this book. Amongst other helpful insights, it will challenge you consider these questions, as posed in the book:

‘Hospitality is hopeful; it is confident, thoughtful, optimistic, generous and openhearted.’ (A quote from Setting the Table by Danny Meyer.)

God is hopeful; he is confident, thoughtful, optimistic, generous and openhearted.

Can you also say the following?

My team is hopeful; we are confident, thoughtful, optimistic, generous and openhearted.

My church is…

My home is…

I am…

Outdoor church

20 sessions to take church outside the building for children and families

(Sally Welch, published by Barnabas for children)

In the introduction to her book Sally says, ‘Outdoor Church explores the relationship of groups and individuals with each other and with the natural world in ways that are most appropriate for them. It offers freedom and space to discover aspects of God revealed in and through his creation. There is scope to evolve and develop a style and pace of worship that is appropriate for the community and individuals within it, while holding the aims of spending time in the natural world, being at one with creation and participating in the endless cycle of praise to the creator.’ After a short section setting out the ‘whys’ and ‘hows’ of Outdoor Church, there are 20 outline sessions covering all the seasons.

Sue says: At first glance this seems a bit of a minority interest book, but it contains activities and craft ideas you could incorporate into any children’s or family sessions if you have access to outdoor space. It may also inspire you to plan a church away-day to the country, seaside or even the local park, that needn’t be reliant on hot, sunny weather to be judged ‘a success’. As we look for ways that churches can encourage a Faithfull Generation, Outdoor Church may give you some good ideas for creating lasting memories and ‘peak experiences’.

Tuesday 26th April 2016

Hand in Hand 2017: 3rd – 5th February in Eastbourne

Our 2017 conference will be in Eastbourne. As some of you know, they are beginning to redevelop the venue, but we have taken the decision to go ahead with the space available to us. This will mean a cap of 500 delegates, so I’d encourage you to think about booking early.

Following on from the introduction to Faithfull Generation last February and the excited response to Terry William’s sessions, Forming a Faithfull Generation will be the key theme for our weekend.

More news on the programme and the opportunity to book from next month.

Eastbourne will not be available as a venue for us in 2018 and so we are looking for an alternative in the Midlands or further north. If you can recommend a venue that could be available from Friday – Sunday; accommodating 500+ in main sessions; with another large space for exhibition and seating to eat etc; with a further 3 or more seminar rooms accommodating 100+; and with budget accommodation close by please email me.

Tuesday 26th April 2016

FREE Download

For the next 2 weeks you can download Olly and Helen Goldenberg’s 2015 conference session: Empowering parents for FREE. Parents are called to be the primary disciplers of their children. With a few subtle changes we can empower our parents in their God-given role.

Download here

Tuesday 26th April 2016

(Victoria Beech and Phil Moore, at the 2014 conference)

1. Pillowcases – pray for someone ill in bed, write the prayer or a message on a pillowcase and send it to them.

2. Paper flowering – write a name and prayer in a square of paper. Fold corners in, float on water and watch it open.

3. Gifts sheets – write or draw your gifts on sheets of wrapping paper. List how you can use them to serve others before praying.

4. Use your body to express your spirit– knead dough, run, play the piano or the drums.

5. Moody post-it notes – all pick a facial post-it note. Pray for the next person and their mood.

Tuesday 26th April 2016

Other dates for your diary

• Ministry to Fathers teaching weekend, 13-15 May 2016, hosted by Who Let The Dads Out? at Cliff College, Sheffield.

• Messy Church Conference 2016, celebrating and learning with the worldwide family of Messy Church. 16-18 May 2016, High Leigh Conference Centre, Hertfordshire. www.messychurch.org.uk/event/messy-church-conference

• Explore Together 2016 tour. Find out more about Scripture Union’s Explore Together and experience how it works. Southampton, 12 May; North East England, 13 June; West Yorkshire, 14 June; East Midlands, 27 September; Canterbury, 10 October; East London, 24 November. www.exploretogether.org/2016/03/04/explore-together-2016-tour-dates

• Mission Magic workshops. Surrey, 19 October; Musselburgh, 4 November; Wakefield, 9 November; Chester, 22 March 2017. www.missionmagic.co.uk/training-days

Mon 29th Feb 2016

Conference reflection

Including a selection of delegate comments from the assessment forms.

‘I am so happy I attended all the way from Uganda. I pray when I go back home I can talk to other people because many people serve the Lord but don’t know exactly what to do to help their children. This has been an exciting conference.’ Around 20% of delegates were from overseas, a third were from London and the SE and the rest were from across the UK.

A third of the delegates indicated they were in a full time or part time paid role. Two thirds said they are involved in just children’s ministry, with most of the rest being involved in both children’s and family ministry.

‘The house band was excellent. I appreciated the use of familiar worship songs beautifully led.’ ‘Lou Fellingham was excellent – a wonderful time of refreshment.’  The feedback on the house band was very positive and most delegates welcomed the opportunity for worship on Saturday evening although some would prefer our old-style, varied and fun Saturday evenings.

‘Paul is a wonderful speaker – fabulous, short, clear, and informative.’  ‘Terry was the best part of the weekend – met a need with sensible, plausible, practical answers.’ The main session speakers were both very well received.

‘The 3 streams focused on what is needed at this season of life of the church and children’s ministry.’

‘Felt the quality of speakers was very high this year – not just filling slots, but top of their field.’ ‘I really enjoyed the Holy Spirit stream – an aspect which has been under focused in the past.’ Five of the top 10 attended seminars were in the Holy Spirit stream. The mission stream sessions had average attendance and the family ministry sessions were less well attended on average than the other streams.

‘It’s important to receive personally as well as pick up lots of ideas to take home – appreciated being prayed for in Encounter God space’ On the assessment form I asked the question, ‘This year we made more time for personal refreshment and reflection. Was this a good idea?’ 95% of those who answered said, ‘yes’.

‘So pleased Additional Needs was included as part of main stream.’ For the previous 3 years the Additional Needs Alliance had put on a Forum on the Friday afternoon before the main conference started. Responding to feedback, this year we incorporated it into the general programme with one session on Friday evening and a double session on Saturday afternoon. Sadly, attendance at these sessions wasn’t high.

‘I really liked how many stands were in the exhibition.’ There were 37 exhibitors which was 11 less than last year. Lack of funding or volunteers to run a stand are often reasons for organisations not attending but some won’t come if they aren’t given seminar slots and the reduction in the number of optional sessions made that harder to accommodate this year.

‘I made particular use of the exhibition area (round tables) to network and meet with people – have conversations etc.’ Due to building works, the full Eastbourne venue won’t be available to us for 2017. As we consider whether we can make do with the remaining space or look for an alternative venue, we realise that the exhibition and seating space is a core element of Hand in Hand and important to accommodate.

Find information on speakers’ recommended products and links to downloads of their sessions, plus the exhibitor directory https://www.handinhandconference.com/conferences-training/

Mon 29th Feb 2016

Download offer

Throughout March you can download any conference sessions from the web site and get 10% OFF. Find talks via the speakers’ pages or in the resources section of the site. Use the discount code NF10MARCH.

Mon 29th Feb 2016

TOP 10

Best sellers from the conference shop

Explore Together: the journey

(Lianne Semans Smith & Lee Herdman, Scripture Union)

The authors write, ‘Whether we like it or not, whether we think it’s wrong or right, the reality for many churches in the UK is that we segregate more than we gather together… Togetherness is about intentionally cultivating a mind-set within our Christian communities that takes seriously its collective responsibility for faith formation and helps each member of that community recognise the part they have to play on that process.’ Explore Together is a fresh, new, exciting and creative way to enable groups of any and all ages to engage with the Bible.

The Easter Bible storybook

(Maggie Barfield, Scripture Union)

Meet Mary in a garden, Peter and John, friends out walking and, most of all, Jesus! A delightful retelling of the Easter story, especially for under 5s. It features full-colour photographic spreads of the much loved Bible Friends characters from the award winning Big Bible Storybook. It is perfectly sized for small hands, with short text for a parent or carer to read to the child.

Guardians of Ancora Easter Bible comic

(Scripture Union)

Find the story of Easter, together with fun facts, quizzes and codes to help you discover what it’s all about! With each part of the story you’ll find a Bible reference. The comic is based around the theme of Scripture Union’s groundbreaking tablet game, Guardians of Ancora.

I love Jesus CD

(Olly Goldenberg, Children Can)

Children can meet God at a very young age. The twelve songs on this album have been put together to help children enter God’s presence in worship and build their lives around him. Some of the songs give keys to living for Jesus, others will lead you into God’s presence and all of them have been written to help children love Jesus more. As our children discover more of God, they will want to say: ‘I love Jesus’.

Core Skills for Family Ministry:

developing key skills for church-based family ministry

(The Consultative Group on Ministry among Children, BRF)

This is a modular training course for children’s and family work practitioners developed on the same principles as the Core Skills for Children’s Ministry modules.

This foundational training book offers six stand-alone sessions on:

• Biblical, historical and contemporary understanding of family

• Family ministry today

• Seasons of family life

• Role of family relationships

• Family wellbeing and wholeness

• Faith in families

All the modules have been field-tested with participants from different denominations. Each module is creative, thought-provoking, interactive and designed to inspire and refresh children’s and family workers at all levels of expertise and experience.

The All-In Thing

(BIG Ministries, Elevation)

The idea of The All-In Thing is to help people create worship experiences that actually work for times when the whole church is ‘All-In’ together in a service. The whole premise for All-In Worship is to take into consideration the massive variety of people with such a variety of needs we have in our churches (regardless of age) and facilitate their worship by making things accessible and inclusive for all. The book includes the explanation of the vision of All-In Worship, 10 service outlines and all the details, scripts and resources you need to be able to pull this off!

Fascinate CD

(Lou Fellingham, Integrity)

With songs that inspire you to dance and reflect in equal measure this is an album that expresses the feeling of fascination and exaltation.

Give me 5

(Olly Goldenberg, Children Can)

Packed full of over 700 activity ideas that you can use to creatively teach and develop children and young people in five different areas: welcome; worship; Word; warfare; witness. This resource can either be used to supplement your regular teaching material or to create your own tailor made material. The next generation deserve the best that we can give and, with over 100 activity ideas in each section, this book will help you deliver quality teaching, full of variety, week after week.

Messy Prayer

(Jane Leadbetter, BRF)

Equipping your Messy team to pray and encourage others to do so, both within and outside the Messy Church context. Including:

• Communicating prayer as a concept

• Praying as a team in advance and on the day

• Prayer ideas for the activity time, celebration time, and at home as a family

• Ways of praying the Lord’s Prayer

• Ways to reimagine other traditional prayers

• Creating a prayer space

• A Messy Quiet Day outline

Sticky Faith

(Kara E Powell & Chapman Clark, Zondervan)

Nearly every Christian parent would give anything to find a viable resource for developing within their kids a deep, dynamic faith that “sticks” long term. Research shows that almost half of graduating high school seniors struggle deeply with their faith. Recognizing the ramifications of that statistic, the Fuller Youth Institute (FYI) conducted the “College Transition Project” in an effort to identify the relationships and best practices that can set young people on a trajectory of lifelong faith and service. Based on their findings, this book presents both a compelling rationale and a powerful strategy to show parents how to actively encourage their children’s spiritual growth so that it will stick to them into adulthood and empower them to develop a living, lasting faith.

The Josiah Generation

(Olly Goldenberg, River)

This book identifies the unique calling and characteristics of the rising generation. Olly Goldenberg points to a growing revolution in children’s ministry, where children are not seen merely as the potential leaders of the Church of tomorrow, but as a vital, relevant part of the church’s ministry now. Examining the life of Josiah – who became king of Judah while still a boy – and recounting powerful real life testimonies, this book aims to help prepare the Church to expect great things from this rising generation. They have a call on them to do amazing things for God and to shape the culture of revival.

Mon 29th Feb 2016

Other dates for your diary

• Ministry to Fathers teaching weekend, 13-15 May 2016, hosted by Who Let The Dads Out? at Cliff College, Sheffield.

• Messy Church Conference 2016, celebrating and learning with the worldwide family of Messy Church. 16-18 May 2016, High Leigh Conference Centre, Hertfordshire. www.messychurch.org.uk/event/messy-church-conference

Five Habits of Sticky Churches 

by Dave Roberts on behalf of Children Matter!

How can we help children have a ‘sticky faith’ as one author helpfully put it? What are the strategies and practices of sticky churches? What do they do to help encourage a faithful generation?

Here we summarise 5 key insights to stretch your thinking about faith formation and children.

IT TAKES A WHOLE CHURCH TO NURTURE FAITH

Generational connections

We often isolate the generations within our churches from each other and the wisdom of those who have gone before them. We need new paradigms for ministry that will create community, allow for mentoring, and generate fellowship across generational lines.

Church support of the family as a place of spiritual nurture

Almost without exception, those young people who are growing in their faith as adults were teenagers who either came from families where Christian growth was modelled in at least one of their parents, or had developed significant connections with an extended family of adults within the church.

BIG STORIES AND PERSONAL DISCOVERY

The Big Story of the Bible

Today we are all looking for the “BIG” story of life and the Bible provides that story. Every part of the Bible must be understood in the context of one storyline. In many cases the approach to faith formation has been built around a series of disconnected Bible stories and memory verses.

Encountering Jesus

In an entertainment driven, visually stimulated, “I’m bored” generation there is a tendency to fill our programme time for children with lots of noise and busyness so as to maintain attention. There is a danger that we fill our spaces so full there is no time for our children to hear the voice of God.

CONVERSATIONAL FAITH

Positive Peer Relationships

As children grow in age the influence and importance of the peer group becomes more dominant, often at the expense of parental influence. This underlines the importance of creating positive peer environments for our children. “Three strands together are strong” – Ecclesiastes 4:12

Mentoring and Support

One of the major reasons why young people choose to leave the church is because their questions about life and faith have not been answered. Life is not meant to be journeyed alone but together in community.

MILESTONES AND CROSSROADS IN THE LIFE OF THE CHILD

Honouring milestones and ‘anchor points’

We need to be intentional about celebrating ‘transitions’ and ‘rites of passage’. Events or experiences can become anchor memories in a person’s life which can helpsthem to stay on track with God when times are tough.

Peak experiences

A peak experience is a vital complement to the regular activities within the faith community. It may be a residential camp, a special Saturday programme, a concert etc. Faith is deepened through being inspired by new leaders with fresh insights, the ‘wow’ factor and the sense that you are part of a wider community of faith.

FAITH IN ACTION – RELEASED FOR SERVICE

Serving in Mission

Children are not simply to be seen as jugs to be filled with information but rather as whole people of God who can actively contribute to the mission of God. When any person has to give an account of the hope that is within them this causes their faith to grow deeper roots. This is true for all ages.

Responding with compassion

Too often we provide our children with the adult solutions to some of the world’s problems rather than presenting them with the issue at hand and inviting their suggestions for what could be done.

It is time for some fresh, creative and risky thinking about how we can empower our children and give them a voice to be agents of change in our broken world.

Children Matter! are launching Faithfull Generation, a project to support churches develop these five habits, at the Hand in Hand conference.

Wed 20th Jan 2016

More programme  information

Faithfull Generation

As part of our optional sessions programme on Saturday afternoon Terry Williams (who has helped develop the project Here2Stay, which has inspired Faithfull Generation) will be joined by Alan Charter (from the Children Matter! executive) to consider Forming a Faithfull Generation – an exploration of key pillars that may be the basis of life-long faith formation for children in families, churches and communities.

In our Sunday main stage session Terry will address the question: Here to stay? Will the children coming to church activities today still be walking with the Lord in 20 years time?

Then he will again be joined by Alan for Faithfull Generation: join the conversation – a time for questions and to engage with the concept going forward.

Additional Needs Alliance Forum

What’s at the top of the ramp?

Getting the practicalities in place to welcome children with additional needs is only the first step. This year’s forum will also explore and celebrate ways to recognise and encourage spiritual development. Led by Mark Arnold (Chief Operating Officer for Urban Saints) & Kay Morgan-Gurr (National Director for Children Worldwide and Chair of Children Matter!)They are co-founders of the Additional Needs Alliance.

Friday 6.00-7.00pm: Come and Ask

It’s sometimes difficult to find answers to the more complicated questions about helping children with additional needs to belong – just because every child is so different. Come and ask those questions – have them written down and hand them over as you come in.

Saturday 3.15-5.45pm: Spirituality, worship and learning

One of the biggest questions asked about additional needs is about spirituality. Looking at the whole area of worship and learning, with some theology as well as practical ideas. Followed by the chance to ask specific questions about supporting children with additional needs to build a lifelong resilient faith.

Clinics

Some of our speakers are offering to chat with individuals or small groups from a church to offer advice. If you have specific questions that you’d like to discuss, you can request a 20 minute clinic. You can book a session in advance by emailing me (sue@handinhandconference.com) or at the information desk at the conference (if there are still free slots). Please send your question or area of concern, so we can match you with an appropriate expert.

More information about the conference, including programme, speaker and exhibitor details can be found on our website https://www.handinhandconference.com/conferences-training/

Wed 20th Jan 2016

The life you never expected: thriving while parenting special needs children (Andrew & Rachel Wilson, published by IVP)

Andrew and Rachel found out that one, and then both, of their children had severe autism. This book is built round the structure of Psalm 130 – weeping, worshipping, waiting, witnessing. It is about surviving, and thriving, when something goes horribly wrong and is a mixture of their story, God’s story and the way in which his has shaped theirs. With clarity and biblical insight, they share their experience of grief and worship, struggle and hope. As well as reflecting on the specific challenges of raising young children with special needs, they look at the problem of suffering, building a marriage under pressure, fighting for joy and trusting in God’s goodness.

‘I am the father of a 13 year old boy with autism and learning difficulties and have been hugely impacted by the book.’ Mark Arnold, COO, Urban Saints and co-founder of the Additional Needs Alliance

Wed 20th Jan 2016

FREE Download

For the next 2 weeks you can download Mark Arnold and Kay Morgan-Gurr’s 2014 conference session: It takes a child to train a church  for FREE. Resourcing the church to reach children with additional needs.

Mark and Kay will be hosting the Additional Needs forum at the 2016 conference.

Download here

Wed 20th Jan 2016

(Ed Jones and Kate Traynor, at the 2014 conference)

1. Start in their world. Connect with them, where they are at, beginning in their context.
2. Get alongside the children, value them, listen to them and accept them unconditionally.
3. Invite them to share. It is not about talking at or down to them, but working amongst them.
4. Ask open questions; don’t give them answers, helping them to discover the truth.
5. Get some style! Consider different learning and spiritual styles. Apply them in your ministry.

Wed 20th Jan 2016

Other dates for your diary

• Ministry to Fathers teaching weekend, 13-15 May 2016, hosted by Who Let The Dads Out? at Cliff College, Sheffield.

• Messy Church Conference 2016, celebrating and learning with the worldwide family of Messy Church. 16-18 May 2016, High Leigh Conference Centre, Hertfordshire. www.messychurch.org.uk/event/messy-church-conference

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