St Andrew with St Alban welcomes children in the Parish of Mottingham
Diocese of Southwark - CYP Mission & Ministry
Holy Week - 5-12 April 2020
The closure of churches during the Coronavirus pandemic means that we are unable to celebrate Easter and Holy Week in the usual way. It's an important time for all of us and chilgren, especially. Recognising this, Revd Ian has video recorded the re-telling of Oscar Wilde's 'The Selfish Giant' for 'children of all ages'! See the video here
The Bishop of Woolwich, Bishop Karowei, has emphasised the importance of welcoming children into the church, saying that a church without children is a dying church.
At St Andrew's we have created a child-friendly space at the back of the church where pre-school children, accompanied by an adult, can play, draw and read during the service. There is easy access to a hall where there are toilet facilities.
At present, on an irregular basis, during the service, we run Bible-based craft and story-telling sessions for children aged 4 - 10. These are held in the adjacent Chris Mumbray Hall and the helpers bring the children back into the church to share the final stage of the Communion Service. It is our aim to be able to offer theses sessions regularly. Alongside the craft sessions, children sometimes rehearse short dramas which, if they wish, they can perform to the congregation. These activities are advertised in advance via this website and on the Sunday pew-sheets. Occasional family-friendly Eucharists include story-telling, maybe a drama, and a slightly modified order of service.
CYPM&M Resources
Alison Lawrie attended an event at Southwark Cathedral on 10 October which showcased the many resources available to parishes in the diocese to support Children and Young People's Mission and Ministry (CYPM&M) activities. Read her report below.
Children's Society
In 2019 we raised £587.54 in the collection boxes and the Christingle raised £109 for the Children's Society. Iris Miller thanks all those who donated to this worthy cause.
