Winter 2023
Sunday Kidz continues to be an enthusiastic group of children. During advent crafting Snowman Tealights was a big hit (not just with the children!) and helped set the scene for Christmas services in the church sanctuary.
A significant highlight of the winter session was the Christmas Hat Stall. In the weeks running up to Christmas, SK was keen to raise awareness and some funds for the well-known charity Shelter. Volunteer knitters and crocheters were sought to craft woollen hats that would be exchanged for a donation or donated to charity. The response was astonishing, and yarn, patterns, hats and pom poms were the focus of numerous conversations amongst church members and, indeed, the local community during Advent. ‘Hats galore’ was certainly an apt description of the church sanctuary on Dec 10th and 17th, and at the SK stall after the Nativity Service.
The Hat Stall raised £321. This sum of money was donated to Shelter. The hats not ‘sold’ were donated to Johnstone Train Station, which supports a local social care charity. At Christmas, staff and customers provide care boxes for vulnerable people in the community. The team also supports Women’s Aid through their ‘Gift for Mum’ project, donating Christmas gifts for children to give to their mums on Christmas morning.
SK continues to be keen to recruit new members. If you know of any children of primary school age who would be interested in attending, then please do get in touch. (LindaAANicholl@aol.com).
Autumn 2023
Following the summer break, Sunday Kidz is once again up and running. Apart from the first Sunday of each month, children attending meet at the church steps OR at the SK Corner of the Extension Hall just before 1100 and proceed to the church sanctuary with the SK leaders, Linda / Janice / Laura. After Yvonne’s worship introduction the children exit to the Extension Hall to take part in SK activities. On the FIRST SUNDAY of the month children are welcome to meet in The Cornerstone at 0930 for the Early Bird Service.
At our first SK meeting Yvonne welcomed the children at the start of the service and talked about how the children in our congregation are, indeed, a treasure. In keeping with this theme, a treasure trail taking in the church building and its surroundings was organised. The children were tasked with using a map to locate certain points of interest and you may recognise those shown in the photos.
The weekly activities at SK are mostly based on an excellent resource, Spill the Beans. To date, we have used this to focus on the importance of forgiving others as Jesus forgives us. The children have discussed that by forgiving others, we can let go of the hurt that can hold us back. The activity to support the theme was making a model hot air balloon as a representation of ‘letting go’. I am sure you will agree that their efforts were impressive!
SK is a very important group within our church community. Currently, our numbers are low, however! So, if you know of any children of primary school age / younger who would be interested in attending, then please do get in touch. (LindaAANicholl@aol.com).
‘A hive of activity’, with creative skills very much in evidence, is certainly a good description of the Sunday Kidz this morning (February 20th) in the Cornerstone. Our helper, Eilidh, involved the children in some games to begin with and then we all got going on a new craft project. The aim of the latter is to create a piece of bunting focusing on the letters making up ‘Sunday Kidz’. Each child selected one letter and set about decorating this using fabric, beads, sequins etc. At a later stage the letters will be sewn onto triangular flags to produce the bunting. Watch out for the finished product!
Today (February 6th) at Sunday Kidz we were thinking about the fishermen that Jesus encountered at Lake Gennesaret. These men had been badly affected by the building of a new city, Tiberias, nearby. The men were forced to work more closely together and this would stand them in good stead when Jesus called them to be his disciples and become ‘fishers of men’. Today, living through the Covid pandemic has presented much difficulty for people. However, challenges have been met and here in Bishopton Parish Church church members have worked together to find imaginative ways to overcome any obstacles.
The origami boats Sunday Kidz made this morning remind us of Jesus recruiting the fishermen for their new work of catching people.
