Children are very important because they are special to God. Jesus said
“Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom
of heaven. And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name
welcomes me.”
Matthew 18:4-6.
On Sundays
One Sunday of each month (usually the first Sunday, see calendar)
we have “All Age Worship” at 10.00am in church. This service aims
to be accessible to people of all
ages and abilities and has a very special appeal for families
because they are invited to come, be, learn and worship together
(our Children's and Youth Church does not meet on this Sunday).
This service is less formal and the music is led by our worship
band. It sometimes includes baptisms.
On the other three Sundays each month during the 10.00 am service
we
offer Children's Church for children of primary school age (5-11
years). Children's
church meets in St Matthew's Centre and is led by a dedicated team
of experienced leaders. There your child will learn what the bible
teaches
about God, Jesus and living the Christian faith in a safe
and caring environment. We currently use material from Roots on
the Web (www.rootsontheweb.co.uk). Learning is done interactively
through games, crafts, quizzes, drama and role play - and the
emphasis is most definitely on FUN! For children aged 11+ we have
Youth Church led by Lee Norfolk our Youth Worker. For children up to the age of 5 we provide a supervised Creche
during the 10 am
service where there is a mix of play, singing, stories, colouring
and making . All of our leaders
are CRB cleared.
During the year there are a number of special services which
families particularly enjoy attending such as Mothering Sunday,
Palm Sunday, Easter Sunday, Harvest, and our Crib Service on
Christmas Eve.
During the
week
On Wednesdays between 9.30-11.30 am the St Matthew's Carers and Toddlers Group
meets in the St Matthew's Centre. Here parents, childminders, carers and
grandparents find a warm welcome and a chance to relax with a cup of coffee
whilst children are busy doing crafts, playing, listening to stories or
singing.
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Messy church
Messy Church was launched at St Matthew's in November 2010 with events taking place monthly. Slideshow
Messy Church is a 2 hour event (4-6pm) on Saturdays including celebration,
messy crafts and a meal together in St Matthew's Centre. We follow a bible
theme each time. Adults are encouraged to take part in celebration and
crafts with their children (actually we find that adults really like getting
messy!). Free entry but donations are welcome towards cost of food and
craft materials.
Messy Praise is a 1 hour event (5-6pm) on Saturdays in St Matthew's Church
including celebration and a messy craft with a bible theme. There is no
meal but stay for a hot drink and biscuits afterwards.
Holiday club and other activities
Our
Holiday Club in summer 2011 (themed "Have I Got News for You") was
led by a brilliant team from Pulse Ministries and was a fantastic success, with
over 70 children attending over 5 days.
Each day was bursting with activity including crafts, games, competitions,
songs, team time, custard pies so much more.
The highlight of each day was seeing one leader end up being splattered
with gunge in the gunge tank. There was no shortage of laughter and silliness -
even the Rector Reverend Colin was spotted several times playing his air
guitar. Through the week we learned how
the bible is packed with good news for us, and that God loves us and wants the
best for us. Photos. Our summer
holiday club in 2012 will take place starting Monday 13 August and finishing
Friday 17 August, 10,00am - 1.00pm each day.
Also in
2011 we had a Light Party in October half term, when we celebrated the
fantastic news that God is light and that His light shines brightly into our
world. Photos In 2012 we
are planning more holiday activities - a Great Hot Cross Bun Hunt at Easter, a
Praise Party in September, another Light Party in October, and so much more!
If you
would like email updates about events at St Matthews for families
and children please contact Liz Burley, St Matthew's Family and Children's
Worker.
We look forward to welcoming you and your family at St Matthew's very soon.
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