News and information for those working with children

Responding to tragedy, the spiritual life of children and the place of boredom all feature in June's Child in the Midst.

Friend on Facebook Follow on Twitter Forward to a Friend Our Father is a beautifully illustrated book which takes each line of the Lord's Prayer and explores what it might mean. It would make a great gift for a godchild. pub. SPCK £9.99 Don't read Messy Hospitality unless you are prepared to be challenged! Lucy Moore doesn't pull her punches about the way we often limit the welcome we offer, and urges us to reconsider God's outrageous generosity as we reach out to our communities. Practical help, rooted in reality, offers churches a way to move towards becoming more hospitable spaces for all. Whether you are part of a Messy Church or not, this is well worth reading. pub. BRF £9.99 'When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.' Mr (Fred) Rogers The killing of Jo Cox MP yesterday shocked our country. The shooting in Orlando this last weekend was the latest in a series of targeted attacks that shocked the world. Unprovoked violence, terrorism, natural disaters, plane crashes - they are no longer just reported in a newspaper or during a news broadcast. Social media, internet and 24 hour news channels mean that even young children are aware of the worst that the world has to offer. How can we approach the inevitable questions and conversations which children have as they try to make sense of what's happening? Here are some sites which give pointers: from The Washington Post Talking about tragedy Another tragedy Helping kids feel safe Gretchen Wolff-Pritchard in her seminal work Offering the Gospel to Children speaks of the importance of offering children a Gospel which doesn't gloss over the reality of the world but which offers them hope in the darkest times. May the Gospel of God's love be lived out in our lives wherever we see hatred, fear or despair. Children as ministers How are children involved in your church? What ministries are they taking part in? Praxis East recently held a conference on the place and role of children in ministry where theology and practice came together. Read all about it here and challenge your church to explore children's ministry in new ways. Bored and Playing With the school holidays just around the corner, 'I'm bored' will be a familiar phrase to many. But maybe boredom is a good thing - and maybe this is the time to rethink the place of play and creativity. Check out these articles: Sitting in boredom Process not product - rethinking crafts The decline of play Play and Mental Health Hide and Seek Rebecca Nye explores what we know about the spiritual life of children in this articlefirst published in Premier Childrenswork. Sometimes it's just not possible to get to Conferences - which is why I'm glad Faith Forward are making the talks from previous gatherings available as podcasts. Check them out here and listen to Brian McLaren, Marcia Bunge, Phyllis Tickle, Andrew Root and more.  Images of God 2 Corinthinians 3:18 talks about how we reflect the glory of the Lord. So what reflection of God do children see in your church community? One of love and welcome, or of fear and disapproval? Explore and Express shares the artistic reflection of one child.   Dates for your Diary 11th October BOOST: exploring the emotional and spiritual well-being of children 12th November Enabling Church 24/25th February The Conversation - save the date. Details to follow. Exploring news ways of ministry with children and young people

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Calais camp update

From: Phil Kerton / Ben Bano - 'Seeking Sanctuary' <migrantsupport@aol.com>
Date: 11 June 2016 at 23:03:21 BST
To: Undisclosed recipients:;
Subject: June update

Observations from several visits to Calais over the past 20 days have now been added to our website, including a number of new photographs help to convey the permanent changes that have taken place during 2016.  But some things do not change: major aid agencies remain absent (apart from MSF), there is insufficient support from governments, and the work of volunteers is essential in soliciting and distributing aid from a generous public.

The population of the Calais camp has again risen beyond 5000 and grows at the rate of some 30 new souls daily. Please do visit www.seekingsanctuary.weebly.com  to read fascinating and inspiring reports including those of Sarah Horton with BBC Local Radio on May 23 (resulting in broadcast items which are referenced immediately below this news item); Father Dominic Howarth, also on 23 May; and a group from Bangor, in the diocese of St Asaph in North Wales, who feel a particular bond of solidarity with the migrants in Northern France.

In addition to the above news updates, a number of new prayers have been added to our sister site, www.prayersformigrants.weebly.com

In peace,

Ben + Phil.

(Many have asked after Ben's health. The above report correctly implies that his leg is very much recovered from the complex break suffered in September 2015 and the consequent repairs to bones and flesh. His consultant released him to the care of his GP a couple of weeks ago, with the repair wounds almost healed following their most recent treatment with honey. There is still a need for attention, for care and for physiotherapy, but he is very much up and about and active on many projects.) 

About 'Seeking Sanctuary'. There are currently still over 5000 migrants in and around Calais (March 2016) and many more near Dunkirk .  'Seeking Sanctuary' aims to raise awareness about this situation and is organising basic humanitarian assistance  through Faith Communities and Community Organisations in partnership with experienced aid agencies.

For further information on how you or your organisation can help,  contact Ben Bano on 07887 651117 or Phil Kerton on 01474 873802.  To check the latest news, visit our website on www.seekingsanctuary.weebly.com.

Riding Lights Summer Theatre School

Riding Lights Summer Theatre School - 30^th July to 6^th August - have two free places to give away for their 2016 Summer theatre school.  Applications are welcome from people who are not in full-time education or employment and who have never previously attended a Riding Lights Summer School, for ages 14 upwards.  It’s a great way for someone to build up their social and creative confidence within a supportive environment.  They also have some paying places left.    The venue is Queen Margaret’s School, Escrick, near York.

For more information contact Riding Lights on 01904 655317 or email bernadette@rltc.org

Folk concert at St Lawrence Seal

June news from Churches Together in Kent

Very different things are being said about our membership of the European Union, even from within Christian circles. As the referrendum draws closer, here are a couple of Christian sites with oposing insights. Christians for Europe & Christians for Britain. Here is also some helpful information from the Joint Public Issues Team (an ecumenical group made up of several denominations). It is a really great resource called "Think, Pray, Vote".

I do hope all the celebrations around the official birthday of Her Majesty the Queen go well. Do send me photos and stories of your celebrations. We pray for fine weather... Pilgrimage for refugees A pilgrimage this year is being held on Saturday 16 July in Hartley, North West Kent DA3 8DW. It is to raise awareness of the plight of refugees. The liturgy is inspired by Pope Francis visit to Lampedusa as we make our own journey through the beautiful Kent countryside.This event is supported by the Kent based refugee action group, 'Seeking Sanctuary'. For more info about the pilgrimage contact the folk at CAFOD.  Focus on Refugees. Thought this one was worth mentioning for a second month... Focus on Refugees is a web-based one-stop source of information covering news, policy, practical action and resources for those in the faith community interested in refugee and asylum issues.  Read more  Our prayers are also with the Canterbury Diocese as their new Refugee Officer, Domenica Pecoraro, starts work.   The Methodist Church in Gravesend is looking to employ a part time youth worker for the Sanctuary Project. Open to folk from any denomination, the post foresees a predominantly chaplaincy role with opportunities at the Night Shelter, Bluewater shopping centre & with Street Pastors. Email simoncurry@fastmail.fm for more info. You'll have to get your skates on though... closing date is 10th June. Next year is the 500th anniversary of the Reformation. Will you mark this in your community? Some ideas on how to mark this momentous occassion; The 5 Rs of: Rejoice, Remember, Reforming, Repenting, and Reconciliation. Click here to download the reflection by David Cornick, chair of Churches Together in England.   Churches Together in England has a working group on rural mission. While half of Kent is very urban, the other half is very rural. July 17th is recommended as a Rural Mission Sunday. Click here for more info. Last Friday of April saw 40,000 people gathered for prayer at London’s Excel Centre. The Festival of Life brings together members of Britain’s Redeemed Christian Church of God and is hosted by RCCG’s General Overseer Pastor Adeboye (right). To mark the Queen’s 90th birthday, Pastor Adeboye was presented with a copy of The Servant Queen by the Anglican Bishop of London, Rt Rev Dr Richard Chartres, pictured with Roy Crowne, Rev Yemi Adedeji and Dr Rachel Jordan-Wolf (Church of England Advisor for Mission and Evangelism) from the HOPE Leadership Team and Pastor Agu Irukwu of RCCG’s Jesus House. Pastor Agu told delegates at the 12-hour night of prayer how Jesus House is using the book and encouraged them to do the same in their churches.      Climate Week of Action.  Join us from 8th-16th October in a Week of Action to celebrate the people, places and things we want to protect from climate change. People all over the UK will be organizing events in their local areas to engage their MPs, and we’d love you to be involved.  Sign up to let us know if you’re interested in attending or organising an event. It's all change at the Salvation Army. Do pray for our brothers and sisters as they undergo a major restructuring at regional and national level at the end of June. Pray also for Mark Herbert, the new Divisional Commander, who takes up post at the same time. Our thanks and prayers go to Ray and Angela Irving who stepped into the breach a couple of years ago. We wish a very blessed retirment to them both. A New Framework for Local Unity in Mission. This is an exciting, significant, practical, ecumenical document. It seeks to map what is happening as churches and Christians work ever more closely together at a local level. Vital for Local Churches Together Groups, Single Congregation LEPs, and other creative missional ecumenism. Read it here.

The Church of England has released a prayer for the EU referendum campaign. The prayer is for use by churches and individuals ahead of the vote on June 23. God of truth, give us grace to debate the issues in this referendum with honesty and openness. Give generosity to those who seek to form opinion and discernment to those who vote, that our nation may prosper and that with all the peoples of Europe we may work for peace and the common good; for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Chris Ruddle County Ecumenical Officer. 07808 728670 Copyright © 2016 Churches Together in Kent, All rights reserved.

Open Air Service June 5th