Bright Sparks
Kindling the Flame of Faith in Under 5's

Bright Sparks 2007 took place on April 21st. This was my second training event specifically for those who work with under fives in the church. 84 workers representing 34 different churches and 6 denominations came together and this year we made our way to Swanwick Hall School. We began the day by focussing on God in worship and then the key-note speaker Peter Leech the Children’s Minister from Christ The King Church, Kettering, reminded us of the value God places on children and the importance of the welcome and inclusion of all children especially the very young within our churches.

We then had the difficult job of choosing a workshop from a choice of five, there was something for everyone from the people just beginning in this ministry to the experienced worker. Just before lunch we had an Open Forum where we heard a “Good News” story from a toddler group and were challenged to think about how we can bridge the gap between toddler groups and Sunday church. We enjoyed lunch and an opportunity to look at the various resources on offer, before attending a second workshop. The day closed with a time of worship and opportunity to recommit our work to God. I do hope that all those who attended were encouraged and reminded of the value of this work and that new skills learned will prove useful in their under fives situation.

Children’s ministry sent a good selection of song CD’s on a sale or return basis, I still have some left and if you would like to purchase a CD do pop into the office and have a look at what is available.

A great team of workshop leaders. Thank you for all the hard work.