Dear friends and families,
 
As I mentioned last week about the toddler group we run in our church and the support we have from the Manchester Diocese. I was thinking to shar, all the details I have received from Jo Haslam who works as a Growing Faith Early Years adviser in the Manchester Diocese.
 
Aim: To develop further the Church-run ‘Stay and Play' group.
In addition to providing a warm, safe place for families to meet and children to play, the plan would be:

• To become more missional in serving the children and parents.
• To grow some more leaders to support the group from within the church and the group itself.
• To introduce some intentionally Christian content while still being sensitive to the diverse community they serve.
• To buy some resources and toys to enhance what is already there.
• To set up the toys and equipment to encourage more focused play to support the children’s development.

 
Recommendations:
 
To become more missional in serving children and parents.
As part of the session, the children are already offered a variety of healthy snacks with a drink, which is well received.
 
A suggestion would be to extend this to the parents by also offering them a drink and a snack - tea/coffee and toast. A tray of toast would be put out just after the start of a session along with a self-service coffee/tea station using hot water flasks. By purchasing silicone lids (see below) for the mugs, the parents could then enjoy a well-deserved hot drink safely around the children.
 
During this time Kathreen and other leaders could catch up with parents and offer pastoral support if appropriate and be a listening ear.
 
To grow some more leaders to support the group from within the church and the group itself.
 
Ideally, the group needs one or two more leaders. This would allow Kathreen or other clergy to play a more pastoral role in supporting the parents.

From within the church – make an appeal to the Sunday congregation and any other groups for additional support. As an Early Years Adviser, I would be happy to come along and support this and talk about the reasons why this is so important.
 
From within the group – create a list of tasks that need to be done or supported each week. Ask parents to sign up for a task on arrival. Alternatively, approach key adults within the group who are there regularly to support running the group and generally overseeing the activities going on.

To introduce some intentionally Christian content while still being sensitive to the diverse community they serve.
 
This would be a gentle process. Each half term there will be a theme based on a book divided up into weeks or a set of short stories. The story may be a Christian-themed story or a story that has had a Christian adaptation e.g. The Lion Inside has a verse added each week – ‘If I feel weak, If I feel strong, God is with me all day long.’ An example has been attached.
 
Session Structure 

1. Play with a craft or activity offered linking to the theme.
2. Tidy-up
3. Snack time – starting with a prayer of thanks.
4. Storytime linked back to craft and Christian theme.
5. Short prayer linked to the theme.
6. Singing time – including a praise song.
7. Goodbye, song.

The craft would be part of the play provision. It would be set up as an activity that the children can choose to do, but don’t have to. The craft/activity would be linked to the story and referred back to at the storytime.

There is a grant of £200 available to support the group in becoming more missional and intentionally Christian. It can be used for new toys and equipment to enhance what we already have, as well as books and things such as cup lids.
I will provide an example of play zoning to support and encourage more focused play to support children’s development.

The Diocesan Early Years Adviser will support for a period of 6 to 10 weeks to help implement and embed these suggestions. And provide further support with half termly themes ideas and advice after that. A program of 2 years’ worth of plans will be provided.
 
Please pray for me, Jo, and other volunteers so this plan brings glory to our God and it will be more beneficial to our Brunswick community.   
 
Lots of love, thanks, and blessings.
 
Rev Kathreen Shabaz

Dear friends and families,
 
Hope you all are doing well, today I just want to update you and request for prayer regarding the toddler group we are running in our church building for many years. This toddler group runs every Wednesday from 10:30am to 12:30pm. In that group, multifaith children come every week with their parents, grandparents, and their childminders as well. We run this group by thinking to build good community relationships and to sow the seed of God’s love in their little hearts. Now we have support from the Manchester diocese as well through a lady called Jo. She introduces and offers us her experience and the long-term plan for how we can work in the toddler group with the mission of our Christian values.
 
I have discussed this with Simon and with our volunteers as well, it seems nice to have a change with a positive purpose and mission. All we need from you is prayers for wisdom and understanding so we can glorify our God.
Children are so special in our lives, and they are not just our future but our present as well. In Matthew 19:14 we read
 
“…Jesus said, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs.”
 
With this in mind, we need to bring children into this group, so they know that they are part of our church family and that they belong to God too.
​
Once again please pray for us. 
Lots of love and blessings.
 
Rev Kathreen Shabaz

Dear Friends 

I’m currently typing in a wood cabin, one of 3 identical ones that me and my extended family have taken up for a few days, enabling a much anticipated reunion of the Gatenby family since pre-Covid times. As they are identical, it can be slightly confusing, and easy to forget whether we are “at home” and thereby ‘hosting' other family members in our lounge, or whether we are ‘guests' in the lounge of others. Regardless, a good time is being held by all.

Over the last weekend members of our Christian family were also able to gather on a number of occasions. The first occasion was during our Passover meal, where over 50 folk came, ate and celebrated. One young man who had been invited by another only a few hours previously, confided in me: “I said a little prayer a couple of days that something nice would happen for me over Easter; joining in with you tonight with this meal… it just has!”

Indeed it was lovely to be able host such a special evening. On the other hand, when meeting for our Easter Sunday service, as a result of hosting 3 congregations (as a result of their own building being flooded) after our own service, at change over time it felt a bit like we guests in our own building! Thank you to all for your good grace and hospitality extended to those gathering in our midst – it was a truly special extended weekend, and one where our wonderful base was home to the blessings of God, both guest and host in our midst.

Keep safe
Keep in touch
Keep the faith.

Simon

Dear friends and families, 
  
We are in our very important days. Where we reflect on our lives, love, and our belief. Every year I see this time reflecting on how we live, and who we love and have faith in.
 
I see that our lives are around love and belief. When we love Jesus, we will automatically have faith in Him. Jesus loves His Father and with love for us and His Father, Jesus died with this faith that His Father will never leave Him alone. Therefore, it says in 2 Corinthians 5:15 
  
“And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again”. 
  
Here are some thoughts about today’s special day. Maundy Thursday, and Good Friday, usually with a vigil (or vigils) between. That’s why the Maundy Thursday series does not close with a blessing. We all must wait for the blessings till the end of the Good Friday service. In many churches, the altar is stripped as the service ends and a metrical version of Lamentations is read aloud. Traditionally, we leave the Maundy Thursday service in silence. In some churches, people remain in the Church for a vigil that lasts until Midnight—the time Jesus was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane. 
  
The English word Maundy comes from the Latin word mandatum. At the Last Supper Jesus washed his disciples’ feet and gave them his New Commandment. (‘A new commandment I give you …’), see John 13:34. John 13:34 
“I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another”. 
So ‘Maundy’ derives from the first word of the New Commandment and the new commandment is based on LOVE. Love one another as I have loved you. I always see love as equal to sacrifice.
 
Jesus loves us so much and he died on the cross and gave us new commandments. 
​
So, dear friends obey the new commandment, let us love one another and starched our arms for people who need our love and care around us.

Have a blessed Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Resurrection Day of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Jesus Loves you so much.
​
Kathreen Shabaz