Children at St George's

Click on the small images to display a larger version. Images of children are reproduced with kind permission of parents.

Children are welcome at St. George's as full members of the Body of Christ. We have a full range of programmes for children from birth to age 18.

You can follow up-to-date news on the Children's Ministries at their very own blogspot. You'll find lots more photographs and information there!

Our programmes are run by Margaret Houston, the Families Pastor at St. George's. With experience in teaching and theatre, Margaret is passionate about children's spirituality and passing on the faith in ways that are meaningful and enriching. A team of dedicated volunteers assists with the Sunday School, leading lessons and helping with planning and clean-up.

Programmes for children aged 0-11 are during the service on Sunday morning - children leave at the Gloria and return for communion.

Prophets Group (age 0-4)

We believe that children's spirituality is present from birth, and our Prophets Group for babies and toddler allows children to hear the word of God in age-appropriate ways.

Each session begins by welcoming the children by name - we sing "He's Got the Whole World in His Hands," using the children's names, two by two, until all the children have been greeted. This means that their first experience of church is to hear God calling them, and be assured of his love and protection.

Then we have our story. This will sometimes be told with a story tray, using movable figures, or with our Beulah Land feltboard set or with a series of pictures hung on the feltboard.

Then the children have free play time. A variety of spiritually imaginative toys are on offer, including our themed boxes, our soft church toy, our Jesus doll, three different Noah's Arks, a child-sized altar with chalice, paten, cross, and an icon of the Virgin Mary and Jesus, and a book corner. We also have craft materials available, so children can respond to the story by making something, if they like.

At the close of our session, the children have a snack - just like in "big church," we finish by sharing food together. They may help the leader re-tell the story, or learn a new song, or do a physical activity, before receiving a blessing and going back to church.

Apostles Group (age 5-11)

Our Sunday School lessons are creative and enriching. They are not preachy, moralistic, or sentimental. Our goal is to nourish children's spirituality through imagination and storytelling. Each lesson begins with prayers and a story. Our stories are told in a hands-on way - we use the Beulah Land Bible Stories in Felt storytelling materials for many of our stories, and sometimes use dolls, puppets, collections of objects, or another storytelling method. Children are able to touch and play with the materials later in the lesson if they like.

After our story, we have "wondering" time, in which children are encouraged to think or talk about the story in an open-ended way, before we finish praying together for any concerns or thanksgivings the children have. Sometimes we do a drama activity instead of wondering, to help us explore the story - this is especially good for kinaesthetic learners.

When we finish praying, we sing! We learn a different hymn each half-term. These have included "Here I Am, Lord," "All Glory, Laud and Honour," "For All the Saints," "The Lord of the Dance" and "He Who Would Valiant Be." Sometimes we add movements to our singing.

Then the children have a creative activity that helps them engage meaningfully with the story. Our activities are never formulaic - no step-by-step instructions where the children end up creating exactly the same thing - rather, children are encouraged to use sculpture, paint, textiles, collage, drama, in a way that is useful to their needs and their spirituality.

There are several options available for children who don't want to participate in that week's activity. They can draw or make something else with the materials that are available, they can play with the feltboard, they can write prayers to go in the prayer box, or they can read a book.

Saints Group (age 11-18)

Our first meeting of this group will be on September 3rd, 2011, with a sleepover in the church. This will include late-night worship, a scavenger hunt, meditation in the Kyoto Garden in Holland Park on Sunday morning, games, a consultation on future programming, make-your-own-pizzas, and a disco.

Children in Church

While visiting children are welcome to join us for Sunday School, we understand that not all of them will feel comfortable leaving their parents. Our booklet, "Let Us Pray," a guide to the service for children, with markers, is available at the back of the church, to help your child understand what's happening. Please ask the serving team. We also have a "Pray and Play" area for young children on the lefthand side of the church. For more information, see our blog post about it!

Special Events

We have many special events for children and families throughout the year. Here's what's coming up:

Harvest Festival

A special Sunday School session designed to look at issues of ecology and Christianity.

Autumn Family Day

"For All The Saints" Our family days are held on Saturday afternoons, and they give parents and children a time to explore a festival together, using drama, art, music, worship, and table fellowship. This one follows the theme of God's saving works in history, and our invitation to join the communion of saints.

Christmas Pageant

This is held on the Third Sunday in Advent – in 2010, it was on December 12th. Rehearsals are held during Sunday School for several weeks before the pageant, with an additional rehearsal after church on the Sunday before the pageant, and one on the Saturday before the pageant. Children aged 4 and over are welcome in the pageant – the youngest children will be sheep, and a parent will be required to play the role of a shepherd in order to be present to assist their child. Other children play Adam and Eve, Mary and Joseph, shepherds, angels, sheep, and the ox and donkey. Some children will also be readers and soloists – and we can always use instrumentalists as well, if your child is musical!

Carols Around the Crib

A children's service on Christmas Eve, led by Father Michael and Margaret.

Spring Family Day

“The Grave and the Garden” : A special event on one of the Saturdays in Lent, to prepare children for Easter. This involves an interactive re-telling of the Passion, as well as art projects to explore the story, and time for singing and worship.

Stations of the Cross

Held on Good Friday and led by Father Michael and Margaret, this gives children a chance to walk through the story of Holy Week.

Summer Programme

Held in July or August, this week-long programme includes worship, storytelling, drama, music, outdoor play, and time for quiet relaxation. The 2010 theme was "Rivers of Living Water" and the 2011 theme was "To Be A Pilgrim."

Baby and Toddler Group

We have a baby and toddler group on Wednesdays from 9:30 to 11:00. There are toys available, tea and coffee for the adults, songs and stories. All are welcome – mums, dads, nannies, grandparents, and carers. The group is followed by a short Under-5’s worship service – you can stay for this if you like.

We also have an arts and crafts group for babies and toddlers, which meets every Tuesday from 10:00 to 11:15. Spend time with your child and get creative!

If you are interested in joining either group, phone Margaret on 07855 414 768 or email margaret@stgeorgescampdenhill.co.uk.

Baptism

Click here for more information about the baptism service.

this page last updated on July 23, 2011