We held a children’s Fun Day from 10am – 3pm on the theme: Building for God. We enjoyed fun activities such as crafts, games, cooking and had delicious snacks and lunch.

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We shared the story of Nehemiah, an Old Testament character who inspired and organised the rebuilding of the walls and gates of Jerusalem following the return of Jewish exiles from captivity in Persia. The city had been destroyed by the Babylonian army over 100 years earlier and the people taken into exile. Lessons we learn from Nehemiah’s story include:

• God responds to prayer
• Through great leaders God empowers people to accomplish great things
• No-one can oppose God’s will
• Working together we can do far more than going it alone
• We should pray hard, work hard and celebrate often

We also considered Jesus’ parable of the wise and foolish builders. Two men built houses, the wise man built his house on the rock and the foolish man on the sand. When the storm came the house built on the rock was safe because it had a firm foundation, but the house on the sand collapsed. To be wise we should make sure we are building our lives on the rock (Jesus) and then we will weather any storm we face in life.

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Jesus said: “Everyone who hears my words and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.”

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We were joined each morning by 14 children aged between 5 and 11 to enjoy a variety of fun activities : crafts, cooking, games and Bible stories around the theme of the ‘I am’ sayings of Jesus found in the Gospel of John. We considered the following statements:

• I am the Bread of Life
• I am the True Vine
• I am the Light of the World

Jesus helps us to understand who he is through these statements and that only through him comes our salvation, for he also said:

I am the way the truth and the life. No-one comes to the Father except through me.       John 14 v 6

We have just held our half term Fun Day for children aged 5-11 on Saturday 24th October, the theme was ‘Autumn and Harvest’. We saw how God has always looked after His people by providing them with the blessings of Autumn – our food especially the Harvest, beautiful nature; trees, leaves and the Autumnal weather (rain, wind and those sunny days that we enjoy once Summer is over). We thought about the feast of Tabernacles – a joyful celebration of the harvest which God instituted to His people in the Old Testament, and what our own Harvest festivals are based upon.

The children enjoyed lots of Autumn craft activities (leaf pictures, glass painting, vegetable people, canvas forest paintings, pasta jewellery and leaf rubbing), cooking (bonfire muffins and leaf biscuits), den building & singing.

We enjoyed snacks and a lunch of pizza, fruit and cake.

Let us remember to:

Love the LORD your God and serve him with all your heart. If you do, he will send rain on your land in the autumn and in the spring, there will be grain, wine, and olive oil for you. You will have all the food you want.

Deuteronomy 11:13-15

Our next Fun Day is planned for Saturday 13th February 2016 (God willing).

On Saturday 28th March we held our first Easter Craft and Coffee Morning. Parents/carers and their children were invited to come and make a selection of Easter crafts and enjoy a coffee and a choice of delicious cakes! We also had stalls for books and cakes to take home and games for the children.

All this raised £216.25 for Bluebell Wood Children’s Hospice. Thank you to all who supported this valuable fund raising event.

We have just completed our half term Holiday Club on the theme of ‘Jonah and the big fish’. This well-known Bible story teaches us lessons of obedience, repentance, forgiveness and above all, that we cannot run away from God because he is everywhere! Here is part of Jonah’s prayer to God from inside the fish that can give us hope in our own lives.

“When I was in danger, I called to the LORD, and he answered me. I was about to die, so I cried to you, and you heard my voice. I will praise and thank you while I give sacrifices to you, and I will keep my promises to you. Salvation comes from the LORD.”
Jonah ch2 v 2&9 (New Century Version)

The children enjoyed lots of ‘fishy’ craft activities, cooking, drama & singing.

Everybody’s busy!

Some of the ‘fishy’ crafts.

Our next Holiday Club is planned for Mon 9th & Tues 10th February 2015 (God willing)

We enjoyed our regular February half term Holiday Club this time on the theme of ‘Esther – the girl who became Queen’.

We learned the inspiring story of Esther – a Jewish girl who against the odds became the Queen of Persia and was instrumental in saving her nation from destruction. It is an exciting story of pantomime proportions involving love, political intrigue, attempted murder and public execution! Read it for yourself in the Old Testament Book of Esther. (Just before Job in the Bible)

We also explored the Jewish celebration of Purim, which remembers Esther and how she foiled the plans of evil Haman. This is a joyful holiday involving parties, dressing up, telling the story of Esther, giving gifts and special food.

The children aged 5-11 were busy with lots of art and craft activities, cooking, super snacks, singing and even a fashion design show!

Our next Holiday Club is due to take place from 28th – 31st July 2014 all children aged 5-11 are welcome.

A very successful Craft Fair was held on the afternoon of Saturday, November 16th 2013 at the Christadelphian Church. Many visitors took the opportunity to buy Christmas gifts and all sorts of homemade cakes and buns.

Thanks to everyone’s generosity £585 was raised for Weston Park Hospital Cancer Charity.

Sarah Cross is seen here receiving the cheque for Weston Park from Gene Brothwell and Peter Salmon.