Easter Activity Stations

Today children from Newbury Park Primary School came to St John's Seven Kings to learn more about Easter. They took part in seven Easter Activity Stations (see above) which enabled them to learn about the Easter story and reflect on what the story says to them. This year's Easter Activity Stations involve, among other activities, smelling perfume, tasting vinegar and chocolate, touching rocks and drawing gifts. The Easter Activity Stations teach, among other stories, about Jesus' trial, carrying the cross, mockery of Jesus, his death and resurrection. On Friday children from Downshall Primary School will come to take part in our Easter Activity Stations.

Both schools visited St John's last year for Easter Activity Stations as part of an initiative organised by the Redbridge Standing Committee on Religious Education (SACRE) and the experience went so well that all involved wanted to repeat it again this year.

 

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U2 - With A Shout (Jerusalem).

Good news for children and young people

During March, as well as continuing with our Lent Course Handing on the Torch: Sacred words for a secular world, our other activities at St John's Seven Kings during Lent will focus on children and young people.

On Sunday 18^th March our young people will lead our All-Age Mothering Sunday service. Our young people are currently planning the service themselves and are exploring ways of saying thank you as well as looking at the bible stories about Mary and Elizabeth. The service is likely to feature cards, poems and puzzles, as well as the bunches of daffodils which are given out to all the women present.

Then on 26^th and 30^th March schoolchildren from Newbury Park Primary School and Downshall Primary School will be visiting St John’s to learn more about Easter through a series of Easter Activity Stations.

Last year, at the invitation of the Standing Advisory Council on Religious Education (SACRE) in Redbridge, we ran Easter Activity Stations for both schools and they proved so popular that both are bringing their children to St John’s again this year. For the pupils coming, this will be an opportunity to understand more about the narrative of Easter, reflect on the meaning of Easter for Christians, and take time to think on what some of the Easter concepts mean to them.

Here is an example of one of last year's Easter activity stations:

Reflection - Can you think of somebody who has put themselves out for you like Jesus did for Christians? Who was that person and what did they do that was special?

Activity - Write a Thank you card.

Going for Growth is a Church of England report which challenges churches to try to become good news for children and young people instead of simply trying to teach good news to children and young people. To do, it suggests, the Church will need fresh eyes to see itself:

“Such a church would need the confidence to deal with questions rather than always having to find the answers. It would be prepared to surrender its life and lets its institutions be

transformed. The sadness is that churches rarely have the confidence which enables

them to face the questions theology may ask of them, especially in the devastating

directness such questions may take on in the mouth of a child (or young person).

Churches lack the humility to face the truth about the quality of their life and worship

and to set about addressing the needs which are then identified. A church which

welcomes children (and young people), accepts their gifts and ministries, meets their

needs, advocates justice, seeks new life, challenges evil with love and truth, and

continues to learn the values of the Kingdom by living them, is a Church which is good

news not only for its members but for the world.”

In a small way, through our activities this month and on an ongoing basis, we are seeking to be that kind of a church.

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Sister Act 2 - Joyful, Joyful.

Easter Activity Stations and Schools (2)

Four Year 5 classes from Newbury Park Primary School used the Easter Activity Stations at St John's Seven Kings. Here is Geoff Eze, our curate, with the station on Forgiveness.

After thinking about the way in which Jesus said, "Forgive them, Father, for they do not know what they are doing," this Station involved the children asked themselves the following questions:

1. Have you ever been hurt by anybody?
2. Do you need to forgive them?

They then wrote a list of who and what they needed to forgive and stuck this to felt boards by the cross on the altar.

We introduced the Stations with Jesus' analogy of his death and resurrection being like a buried seed bringing forth new life. Children, teachers and classroom assistants all seemed genuinely enthusiastic about the opportunity to learn about and from Easter in this way.

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Duke Special - No Cover Up.

Easter Activity Stations and Schools

St John’s Seven Kings will be providing seven Easter activity stations throughout the week commencing 4th April for children from Downshall and Newbury Park Primary Schools as part of their RE lessons.

The committee responsible for the Religious Education in all schools in each local authority, with the exception of schools with a religious character, is known as the SACRE (which is the Standing Advisory Council on Religious Education). The SACRE in Redbridge has been awarded a NATRE bursary to work with local churches of all denominations to strengthen links with schools.

As a result, the SACRE has been encouraging Redbridge churches to offer to set up either a Labyrinth or other reflective exercises on the theme of Easter and to invite local primary schools to visit the church with their year 5 and 6 classes before the Easter break. Training has been provided on the use of Labyrinth-style activities or reflective exercises in learning about and from the Christian Festival of Easter.

Rev. Geoff Eze, curate at St John's Seven Kings, has led the project at St John's to create a number of different activities for the pupils to take part in as they thoughtfully use the Easter activity stations. For the pupils, this will be an opportunity to understand more about the narrative of Easter, reflect on the meaning of Easter for Christians, and take time to reflect on what some of the Easter concepts mean to them.

Here is an example of one Easter activity station:

Reflection - Can you think of somebody who has put themselves out for you like Jesus did for Christians? Who was that person and what did they do that was special?

Activity - Write a Thank you card.

These Easter activity stations will also be available to people from St John's and the wider community on Wednesday 6th April between 9.00-10.00am and 7.00-8.00pm.

More information about the wonderful work which is done in our communities to help children learn about and from religion can be found through a website created for the National RE Celebration in March 2011, which aimed to raise the profile of Religious Education in the country.

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Adrian Snell - Gethsemane.

New Church Art Trail (6)

The Church Art Trail created for St Peter's Aldborough Hatch, St John's Seven Kings, St Paul's Goodmayes and All Saint's Goodmayes is featured in the current edition of 'The Month'.

Information about the Trail is being sent to schools in the London Borough of Redbridge via the Standing Committee of Religious Education (SACRE). It is likely that some educational materials for use by schools visiting the Art Trail will be created.

A sponsored walk, raising funds for local churches, around the Art Trail is being organised for Saturday 12th March. All four churches will be open on that day, with information available about the artworks at each church, for walkers who will be sponsored as they walk the Art Trail. Contact me on jonathan.evens@btinternet.com, if you are interested in taking part.

A more extensive Church Art Trail is currently being developed for the Barking Episcopal Area and will be launched later this year. For more information on this Trail, click here.

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The Blue Aeroplanes - A Map Below.