Monthly Magazine August 2010

Dear Friends

I trust that either you’ve already enjoyed a summer holiday or that you will do so.  I find that usually I don’t much enjoy the first few days because I’m tired and need to rest.  I need patience to allow myself to recover before more active fun is possible.  Then when I get back to work, I need to prevent myself from frittering away too quickly my newly restored energy!

Dates for your diary

Sunday 8 August, 1 pm at the Vicarage: Barbecue for Tearfund’s work in Zimbabwe.  We have a Zimbabwean member of  our church – Lucy Shobowale and she will give us some samples of her local food.  Otherwise there will be British burgers and sausages!  If coming, please sign the clipboard in St Thomas’ or let my wife, Biddy, know.  Bring bring a generous donation as we all know how tough life is in Zimbabwe.

Saturday, 11 September, 10 am – 4 pm St Thomas’ open to visitors: we are looking for hosts to our building in the national Heritage Weekend, and ‘Ride and Stride’, the local sponsored horse or bike ride or walk – our building will be one of many which will visited by riders and striders.  If you can answer a few questions about our building and/or provide cuppas, please be in touch with Jonathan Shaw (652 7580).

Jungle Jamboree Holiday Club

Until I joined you in St Thomas’, I had never experienced a Holiday Club.  But when D and M W proposed it for the summer of 2005, it seemed a very good plan, following the track record of D’s Dad, George, in running a Club for many years. It was heart-warming that many Muslim parents signed up their children, some of them very keen to do so because they had enjoyed  many clubs as children in George’s time.

When D and Mwere no longer able to lead the Club, I was delighted that Kathy and Graham Lees were pleased to take over.  And it was very encouraging that most of the team were members of our church, giving us a high average age!

So what happens?  Each year we have a theme from the Bible.  This year each day focussed on a parable of Jesus. Team members are asked to be in school for 8.50 am when one of us gives a thought based on the parable we will be thinking about with the children later on. The first day we thought about The Great Feast, Luke 14, verses 15 – 24.  Then for 25 minutes we complete last minute preparations for the programme, before the children arrive at 9.30.

3 of us check the children in, including an Urdu speaker and a Bangla speaker – this is more for the parents than for the children.  The children are given their name badge fastened round their neck on a piece of wool – we find this the safest way.  The 40+ children are put into 5 groups according to their age, each group named after an animal – Hippos, Tigers, Elephants, Toucans and Giraffes.  Their name badges includes a picture of the group animal.  Each group is led by 2 or 3 adults.

Then we start to learn the Jungle Jamboree theme song, followed by a jokes’ session – after the first day, the children bring in their own jokes – some of which are incomprehensible but we laugh just the same!  After that, we play some parachute games – that is, a purpose-made circle of parachute material which everyone raises and lowers by gripping its edge.  One game is to call the name of a group, eg, ‘Elephants!’, which is their cue for rushing under the parachute and back again.

Breaktime splits the morning. Groups take it in turns to queue for the toilet, or play games or go to the Jungle Jamboree Café, aka table with drinks and sweets for sale. Throughout the mornings the team notice if any child has been attentive, or kind to someone else, and give them tokens which they can spend aswell as their own money. One of the activities the children enjoy in the break is ‘Personal Best’.  Over 3 days they try to improve their skills, eg. in knocking over as many ten cans as they can with a ball.

After the break one of us gives the children a theme illustration.  For example, put a bar of chocolate in a jam jar and put that with some crockery in a washing-up bowl.  Ask team to volunteer with washing-up.  They all give excuses.  Ask a child to volunteer – who discovers the chocolate as a reward.  A simple interpretation of the parable but good fun.  Then, some team members perform a modern drama version of the parable – we don’t work very hard as we read our scripts which the children forgive as long as we make them laugh.

Holy Baptism

‘The promise is for you and children and for all who are far off – for all whom the Lord our God will call’, Acts 2, verse 39.

     Sunday 25 July              Sophie May Porter, aged 6,

                                            daughter of Daniel Porter and Amanda Dennis

Current priorities of St Thomas’- as agreed by Church Council, September  2004

1.  Evangelism/Church Growth out of love for people and because we need new members.

2.  Worship, including Sunday School, Healing, Prayer and Music.

3.  Witness to Asians through individual friendships and through shared work with the community.

4.  Presence, that is letting people know that C of E Christians live and/or worship on the Coppice.

5.  Working with St Paul’s, as we have been requested by the Diocese.