Lent is more than giving up some food or activity, it is a time of reflection and repentance, a time to study God’s word, live simply and explore Lent traditions that have helped Christians in the past come closer to God.

Download the Fridge Faith for Families 2012 Lent calendar

You might also like: The Grace Cube

The Grace Cube can be cut out, folded up and glued into a cube, each side providing you with a different way to say grace at the meal table, take it in turns to throw the dice before you eat and say the prayer on the cube.

A Grace is a prayer said before meals as a simple way to thank God for our lives and for providing us with the food we eat.

Download the Grace Cube

It is a shame that so many do not come to the conference, or if they come they do not bring their whole team! This is especially sad when I hear from so many in kids ministry just do not feel encouraged, or resourced.

Here are just a few of the top reasons for going to Kidsreach:

1. Networking opportunities – get to meet hundreds of others kids ministry workers.
2. Always lots of new, cool stuff to look at and examine in the resource centre.
3. Great speakers, presenters and workshop leaders. Have a look at the workshop subjects alone. There is something there for everyone.
4. It is only for one day – and such a good price.

Download the brochure

Freshwater Uniting Church

Saturday Nov 19 5 – 7pm Advent theme ‘Getting ready to come close to the mystery of Christmas’

Umima Uniting Church

A family fun Christmas event on Saturday December 17th at 5pm

Oatley Uniting Church

Sunday 4 Dec 4 – 6pm

Gordon Uniting Church

Saturday 3 Dec 4.30 – 6.30pm see their website for details

Cromer Uniting Church

Friday 2nd and Saturday 3rd December 2011 from 6:30 to 9pm. Come and explore the Christmas Story. Start the festive season out in tune with the Christmas Spirit. Play with light and make your own light masterpieces. Or just take some space to reconnect with the beaty and hope of Christmas.

Balmain Messy Church

Sunday 27th November, 4-6pm. Balmain Uniting Church @ The Circle Cafe, 344 Darling St, Balmain. Contact: Nicole 0438639258 or nfleming74@gmail.com

Through the online story books/videos, games and downloadable youtube videos you can learn more about fast-changing world. Young people (and adults!) are not only connected by computers and laptops with internet, but the explosion of social media and mobile phone online access anytime, virtually anywhere!  Particularly young people can be oblivious to the dangers and just how public what they are ‘posting’ even to friends can be.

This website and resources have been developed by the Australian Communications and Media Authority. Cybersmart is part of the Australian Government’s cybersafety program.

To check out Cybersmart, follow the link below or cut and paste into your browser:
http://www.cybersmart.gov.au/

My alert systems went berserk to say the least – PLAY is not just enjoyable waste of time, to a child PLAY is their business, PLAY is their way of exploring; PLAY is how children learn. If I had to label all the things that happen at playgroup to inform parents how their child is learning, I would run out of labels.

Take playdough for instance: do they realise…

• how many muscles are developing in those little hands while they are manipulating playdough?
• how using playdough prepares a child to be able to hold a pencil and to begin to write?
• how they are developing hand/eye co-ordination and fine motor skills while using playdough?
• how the five senses are developing from the colours and shapes, feel and texture, smell, taste (yuk!) and even
• the squish, pound and thump of manipulating playdough?

And that’s not to mention all the other things that they are learning and exploring at playgroup. If parents could see those labels, perhaps they wouldn?t look at playgroup as just an enjoyable waste of time. It also makes me wonder, if parents go for “educational” activities, what are their children missing out on? Are they really preparing their child for an educational future or has their child missed an important step in life? Play also stimulates the imagination and creativity, and lays the foundations for lateral thinking capabilities.

TO ALL THOSE PEOPLE WHO RUN PLAYGROUPS AND ORGANISE OPPORTUNITIES FOR CHILDREN TO LEARN THROUGH PLAY, THANKYOU

by Kathy Blazewicz

Communities for Children Initiative Funded by the Australian Government
UnitingCare Wesley Pt Adelaide at Seaton Central

Family Facilitator – Woodville Uniting Church
Featured in KUCA News Winter 200

About this time of year schools are already planning for the next intake of kindergarten children, and most schools will have parent information evenings and one or more “orientation” days for the new kindergarten children to have a taste of “big school”. These may already be taking place, but will certainly be taking place soon after the holidays.

This is a most opportune time for SRE coordinators and advocates to speak to school principals or staff SRE coordinators about informing the new parents about SRE. Many new parents still refer to it as “Scripture” or do not know it even exists.

ICCOREIS has produced a Kinder Orientation Pack which could be used in a number of different ways. 

• There is a brochure which can be customized with information about your school to be given out to parents. 
• There is a PowerPoint which could be used at a parent information session.
• There are sample letters to be given to parents and to the classroom teacher.

These resources can be downloaded from the links below.  Read the Orientation Pack Overview first as it outlines what is contained in the pack and how it can best be used.   

These resources are editable so they can be customised for your particular school and with the appropriate local details. If you would liek any more information please feel free to contact Emma Parr (02 8267 4290; emmap@nsw.uca.org.au )

SRE Kindergarten Orientation Pack Overview - Advice on how to use the resources below

SRE Orientation – Powerpoint Presentation - a slide show for use on computer or data projector

Sample letter for Class Teacher - template for a letter from the SRE teacher to the classroom teacher.

Sample Letter for Parents – template for a letter from the SRE teacher to the parents/carers of children in their class.

SRE and your Child - a tri-panel brochure for parents outlining what available at your school

Dad’s Survival Kit

A fun surprise for a father or grandfather needing a lift!

How?

Take a clear plastic or cellophane bag and put in:

• a packet of Smarties
• a Time Out bar
• a sherbet lolly or packet
• a red, green or chocolate frog
• a banana lolly
• a Mintie

Print out the Survival Kit instructions on bright paper and attach it to bag.

Survival Kit

Rations to help you in times of stress

Mintie – for one of those ‘moments’
Sherbet – for when you lose your fizz
Banana – for when you’re going around the bend
Frog – to keep one jump ahead
Time Out – for when you need it
Smarties – for when you need to be extra smart!

Father’s Day Star Biscuit

How?

Make some large star shaped plain biscuits, at least one for each child. I usually make some smaller ones for children to practice on, and then they can make the larger one as a gift for Dad.

Provide children with paper plates and a pop stick. Let each child decorate their biscuits. You can provide icing mixture and sprinkles or use the icing tubes from the supermarket that minimise mess. There are a variety of toppings including rainbow choc chips, silver cachous, mini-marshmallows to allow children to create their own masterpiece.

When the biscuits have dried, place them in a cellophane bag and tie with a curling ribbon. Attach a card saying “You’re a star Dad!”

A Tie for Dad or Grandpa

Cut out a large cardboard tie (or bowtie) and punch small holes at the top. Decorate with collage or stickers or paint. Thread thin elastic through holes so it can be worn.

Father’s Day Hug

Get long strips of paper (from a brown paper roll or cash register roll tape) and measure each child’s arms stretched out.

Then get each child to trace around their hand on a double folded sheet of coloured paper. Cut out hand shapes and attach to ends of strip of paper with tape.

On the strip of paper write “Hugs for Father’s Day, love from …” These can be folded in an envelope which can be decorated with star stickers and given (or posted) to someone special.

 Other Ideas

Father’s Day Coupons

These were the sort of questions we wrestled with:

• As a dad, what would I learn about the reign of God from playgroup?
• Why do people come to Playgroup… and why do they come back?
• Where is God at Playgroup? How can you tell?

After a superb lunch (thanks to the amazing catering efforts of Yvette and her mum), people had the opportunity to choose two workshops, with titles like Music at Playgroup, Grant Writing and Fundraising, Managing Challenging Behaviours, Baby Playgroup, Craft at Playgroup and Evangelism Unpacked it was a hard choice.

Kathy Blazewicz had travelled from Adelaide to share her expertise in music playgroups and baby playgroups. Lots of playgroups had sent a couple of people and so could spread their options. The feedback from participants was encouraging – “Great”, “Wonderful”, “Brilliant”, “Inspirational”, “Practical”, “Thought-Provoking” – and another Playtime Conference is already being planned for 2012.

Download Workshop Notes

Grants and Fundraising – Judyth Roberts

Christian Crafts – Judyth Roberts

Baby Playgroups – Kathryn Blazewicz

Music and Preschoolers – Kathryn Blazewicz

Older members can remember the momentous event when three separate denominations joined together to form the Uniting Church in 1977. But it is worth taking the time to tell the story to younger generations or new members, so that the joy of that occasion and all that has been achieved is not lost.

Here are few suggestions for telling that story using the UCA logo and a variety of materials:

Story in felt

I used this recently in a church worship service and not only the children but adults too were fascinated to see the logo emerge…

I have a story in this box (Hold up box, but leave lid on) – I wonder if the colours of the box are a clue? What are the colours? Mmm, three colours in one box. Let’s see what is inside.

(Place black felt circle on the floor and smooth it out slowly) What does this look like?  (Usually someone will say “it is a black circle”) Yes, well the person who first told this story said this is like a darkened earth … (Move your hand over the felt in a slow circle) Have you ever seen photos of planet earth in the dark?

(Get the next piece out of the box, a white felt u-shape, and place it on) This makes a difference. What does it look like now? (Usually someone will say “a smiley face”) It certainly looks brighter now.  What could it mean?  I wonder if this is a bowl … or a letter ‘u’…?

(Get the next piece which is a long white strip of felt) I wonder what this means? (Someone usually says it is like an anchor or boat) It could be those things, but what happens when we add this? (Place the other strip of felt to form the cross)

(At this point it looks strikingly like an anchor and you can agree with that suggestion, and perhaps point out that it also looks like a boat without a sail. Sit back and pause, looking puzzled) Hmmm, this is good, but it needs something more.

(Get the red felt dove out and place it in the middle) Ahh, this makes all the difference! This brings it to life! What do you think it is? Yes, it is a bird, but not just any bird. This is a dove, a sign of the Spirit, and it is red, like Pentecost. The red dove is flying not resting. Do you think it looks like a red flame too?

(By now people realise it is a familiar logo and they are intrigued) The three colours represent the three churches that formed the Uniting Church – Methodist, Presbyterian and Congregational. The darkened earth has received the light of the cross, the u-shape stands for the Uniting Church but also helps form an anchor or a boat, both early symbols of the church. But the red dove expresses the movement of the Spirit, and just like it brings this logo to life, it brings the church to life.

(Get out some small red feathers) In the box there are also some red feathers, from the red dove, so take one and remember the red dove and what it means, and when you see this logo on a building, it might be a school or a church or an aged care centre or a shop, you will know what it means.

The story in a biscuit (sweet)

Take a plain dark chocolate biscuit like a wheaten.

Using white icing, either roll it between your hands to form shapes, or roll it out on a board and cut it out in shapes, form a u-shape on the biscuit.

Next add the cross the same way.

Then add the red dove, either cut out of fruit strap or using red icing in a squeeze tube.

See the felt story above for the meaning of the logo. Tell the story as you decorate the biscuit, then let children make their own.

The same technique can be used to decorate a cupcake. If desired a large round cake can be iced with dark chocolate and decorated with whipped cream in a can and fresh strawberries or frozen berries to form the UCA logo. This makes a spectacular morning tea after a church service.

The story in a Jatz/vegemite/cheese style (savoury)

Take a plain Jatz biscuit or something similar, like a round water cracker.

Spread with Vegemite.

Add the u-shape cut out of cheese or bent with string cheese. Add the cross in cheese.

The red dove can be cut from tomato or red capsicum or even a squeeze of tomato sauce.

See the felt story above for the meaning of the logo. Tell the story as you decorate the biscuit, then let the children make their own. They might like to make lots for morning tea for everyone!

Colour-in Uniting Church Logo

Download a colouring in version of the Uniting Church logo

Uniting Church wrist band

The three colours represent the three churches that came together to form the Uniting Church – the Methodist, Presbyterian and Congregational churches.

Children can plait together three colours of ribbon or dyed leather straps to form a wrist band.

Black and white and red beads can also be used to remember the three denominations that formed the Uniting Church.

You might also be interested in Pentecost ideas

Messy Ministry!

A residential in-service for those who work in children, family, youth ministry, also rural ministry and pastors, lay preachers and resource ministers.

Monday August 15 – Friday August 19 2011 at the Centre for Ministry, 16 Masons Drive North Parramatta.

Keynote speakers Lucy Moore and Duncan Macleod.  Ph: 02 8838 8910

Costs

$300 for 5-day program (includes 5 lunches, 3 dinners, but not including Accom)
$200 for 3-day program (includes 3 lunches, 2 dinners, not Accom)
$80 per single day (includes 3 sessions and lunch)
$40 per single evening (includes dinner)

The live page for Registrations is at:
http://www.elm.org.au/lay-ministry-is-2010/

Messy Church at North Parramatta

Sunday 14th August Kaos Church are hosting an open Messy Church event from 4 – 6pm at the Chapel, Centre for Ministry, 16 Masons Drive, North Parramatta

Come and share as Lucy and Paul Moore lead a Messy Church experience, including gathering and creative time, worship and a light meal. Details contact www.elm.org.au Ph: 02 8838 8910

Messy Master Class

Monday 15th 7.30 -9.30pm come and hear Lucy Moore talk about the history and evolution of Messy Church and share insights for Messy church leaders.

Cost $20 (unless registered for residential in-service) Centre for Ministry 16 Masons Drive, North Parramatta.  Details contact www.elm.org.au Ph: 02 8838 8910