April 2004 Report
Since Christmas (2003) we have studied a series in Daniel, St. Mark's Gospel, Acts, Ruth, an Easter series from Mark and, at the time of writing, we have been looking at a series to inspire our praise.
Jean and I lead the Junior department. We take it in turns week by week, helped along by our happy band of helpers. We have informal planning meetings with our helpers. For the last two years this has also included the leavers from the Young Peoples' Department, who, at the age of 17+, have advanced from membership of Junior Church to 'helper' status.
We always welcome new helpers, so, if anybody feels the calling to help in Juniors or any other department in the Young Church, it is a very fulfilling area of church life.
You learn far more about yourself, your bible and the children - what better way to keep a young outlook on life...
The material we use is published by Scripture Union and is linked to what is preached in Church. We learn about the subjects in many different ways through drama, quizzes, games, mimes, action rhymes, drawing, craft, prayer, singing, reading the bible, discussion and brain storming - all these, and others, but not in any particular order. It is like a selection box - we pick out what we would like to use from the pre-planned activities and either use them as they are or adapt them to suit our needs.
Very best wishes to you from the Juniors' Department. We meet in the large hall, and can usually be found putting tables away amidst flying footballs, and children tackling you while you wrestle the plug of the CD player out of the socket. We have just had an interesting Autumn-term learning about The Creation, and then a series on Jesus' miracles.
Each term we study from both Testaments of the Bible. We use Scripture Union material, although this has recently changed its format so we are in the "um and ahh" stage. The leaders of the Juniors are myself (Dawn), Sade, Jane, Marie, of whom Sade and I alternate each week with the help of either Jane or Marie. The third leader on each Sunday is one of the young people. We have made a rota and they alternate between Juniors, Primary and Beginners.
At the last Juniors' committee meeting some of the groups thought it would be a good idea to start a scrapbook to display some of the children's work - so look for the Juniors' scrapbook in the small hall during the coffee-time after the Service.
Some of the Juniors' children gave some quotes about what it is like in Juniors.
So if you get the chance, pop in and see what we have been doing - but do mind the footballs!