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

Below is a sample commissioning service and an additional prayer you might like to use as a starting point, and adapt for your situation. If you use a data projector at church, use some photos from the previous year – maybe playgroup, maybe a camp or Sunday school event, and show them to the congregation. Interview a leader, showcase the work you are doing and take the opportunity to thank the congregation for their support. Sometimes people are unaware of what you are doing, so use this service to raise awareness.

Open-eyed prayer for a Children and Families’ Ministry Commissioning

Today let’s use our eyes to pray.

First, let us look up and around and out … and in silence give thanks to God for the things we see that God has given us, and the things which remind us of God.

Now take a look around us at the people in this place, and especially the children, and in silence give thanks for their special qualities and for the way they help us see God.

Let us now close our eyes and cover them with our hands. In silence let us confess to God the times when we choose not to see …

When we choose not to see injustice or suffering or needs around us. When we ignore children and families, young people, people with disabilities, the elderly, migrants, people begging in the street. Let us confess the times we choose not to notice the hurt we ourselves cause to others or when we choose not to look for the good in those around us… and when we choose to not see our own self-centredness.

Let us look at the darkness before our eyes and feel the isolation of blindness. (wait a few seconds)

Now let us open our eyes and rejoice in the light! God is light and in God there is no darkness!

When we walk in the light we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin. Let us be assured that through Christ our sins are forgiven!

Thanks be to God. Amen.

Download as a Word document.

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

Feel free to adapt this to your setting. I printed these words for people to read:

Christmas is when we joyfully celebrate the birth of a baby. But Jesus grew up … how do you imagine the face of Jesus?

Lots of artists have tried – which face do you prefer?

Look at that face and try to imagine what Jesus might say to you this Christmas.

Light a candle and say a prayer.

Jesus said “I am the light of the world”

I provided several different faces of Jesus to look at. These can be downloaded from rejesus.co.uk

Star Prayers

Another idea for reflection is ‘Star Prayers’. Hang a large cardboard star (available from dollar shops) with curling ribbon hanging down. Children and parents are invited to write a prayer on a sticky star notepad and stick it to the ribbon.

If this is used in Sunday school or a Messy Church, the prayer star can be taken in to the worship service and children can be invited to read out their prayers if they wish, or the prayers can be offered silently to God.

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

Over 300 people came and enjoyed the baby animals, the Knox Grammar bands, the story tent, the free gingerbread decorating, fruit and sausage sizzle, the Tooth Fairy who blew lots of bubbles, the singing, the face painting and the playdough.

This free event was organised by the Uniting Church in Australia, in particular the Berowra Uniting Church and St John’s Wahroonga, and was supported by the Baptist Union. To find out more contact Judyth Roberts.

Click to view the A Day in the Park 2011 photos

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