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| Winsham 6+ Group 6+ is a church run youth group for children of 6 - 12 yrs of age (although this does not mean that the children or their parents have to be church attendees to belong). Membership currently stands at 11. We meet on the first Wednesday of every month from 6.30 p.m. - 8.00 p.m. in the Jubilee Hall. In the summer months we play rounders, "Kwik Cricket" and other team games or use our other games equipment including a parachute, skittles & canes, balls, bean bags, hoops, ropes etc. During the winter months children can play board games or take part in other activities such as modelling (oven hardening material, air drying clay and plaster of Paris), bead weaving, cross stitch, monster making, quilling, wool weaving, bead pictures, junk modelling, cooking and many others, often finishing the evening with games such as musical chairs, "Oxford and Cambridge" etc. We also hold annual events:- the children put on a Christmas entertainment - usually a play, carols etc. (weekly rehearsals) and a barbecue and games evening for 6+ families and other villagers, and in conjunction with Junior Church organise a bonfire and firework evening open to anyone who wishes to attend. Money raised from these events is used to buy new equipment/offset the cost for members of our annual outing, which usually takes place around the 2nd weekend in September. Although this year we are arranging a joint trip with Winsham Junior Church on the "Santa Steam Train Special". Winsham 6+ Group also supports a charity called "Love Russia" which provides help for orphanages and orphans in the form of Food, Spectacles for those who need them, Medicine & Vitamins, Teachers, Cots and Equipment, Carers, Fuel for the cold winters, Sending clothes to the Ukraine, Toys etc. We were very pleased this year to welcome the Director of Love Russia, Alex Cooke, who gave an illustrated talk to the children and showed them slides demonstrating life for the orphans and the difficulties they face. Winsham Junior Church Junior Church meets every Sunday (apart from the first Sunday of each month and throughout August). There are currently 2 groups. Junior Church Times. Junior Church is held from 10.30 - 11.45 in the Jubilee Hall. This allows those parents who wish to attend church to do so and not have to worry should the service run over time. 2nd Sundays On the second Sunday of each month, we meet in the church, join in the first hymn and take the children to the altar rail to receive a blessing, before going across to the Jubilee Hall for Junior Church as normal. General Information on Junior Church All groups start off together singing modem hymns out of "Junior Praise" or their favourite action songs. This is followed by saying the Lord's Prayer in its traditional form and one or more other prayers. A collection is then taken (children take turns collecting and counting the money). The collection currently goes towards our sponsorship through ACTIONAID of a boy in Uganda. (Sponsorship costs £15 per month.) We get regular updates on his progress plus some drawings/writing by him and some information about some aspect of life for the people in the area where he lives. We in turn can send photographs, drawings etc. to him. If anyone has had a birthday in the preceding week we celebrate by the child telling us about their birthday, singing "Happy Birthday" to them and they have a 'dip in the bag' which contains items such as picture puzzles, key rings, magnets etc. The children record their attendance on a chart onto which they stick their chosen shape for the week. Along with attendance at Family Services and other services to which they have been specifically invited, this goes towards working out the annual prizes for regular attendance awarded at the Family service in December. We then split into groups . 3 - 5 yr olds Sessions may include the following :- A lead in sharing time e.g. if the theme for the week is "God Made Animals" we discuss favourite animals/where you might see them/any pets children may have at home and their care etc. We may review last weeks/story or theme if relevant to this week. Each week we have a bible story which may be accompanied by teaching aid resource materials such as pictures and puppets, making appropriate noises etc. and this is sometimes followed up by acting out the story or miming to a taped version. We also have a "Bible in Pelt" flannel board set to make the scenes etc. which the children can then recreate themselves. They fill in worksheets involving colouring, sticking, etc. They will also complete one or more art and craft projects which relate to the day's story/theme. We also play games relevant to the theme. 5-11 year olds As well as attendance at Junior Church and Family Service they also get points for attending other special services to which they have been specifically invited, (e.g. Good Friday, Christingle, Carol Service etc.) arriving on time, remembering to bring collection etc., which all go towards working out the annual prizes for regular attendance awarded at the Family service in December. Sessions may include the following:- Lead ins - this could be a follow up discussion on the previous week's story/theme. Did they remember to carry out what they agreed? Or a preliminary discussion relevant to the theme, or maybe a special resource based activity. The children each have their own work books and craft books which often includes the bible story for the week (This may sometimes be followed up with acting out/miming to a taped version) and follow up activities relating to the story or theme. These may include mazes, making puppets, cutting out and using cards for a memory game, filling in missing words and codes, making lists e.g. following earlier discussion on different ways to worship see how many they can now list, looking up references in the bible to complete verses, making something to remind them to put into practise something they have learned/ promised to do, completing a questionnaire with either a moral or belief theme, making a festival reminder e.g. Easter Card etc. We may sometimes play a game relevant to the story/theme. This could be in the form of a resource board game or a physical game. Family Service On the first Sunday of each month there is no Junior Church and instead children attend the regular Family Service which starts at 10.30. a.m. The children are encouraged to take part in the service by taking turns to hand out books, reading prayers/parts of lessons, demonstrating choruses, taking the collection etc. They will also receive attendance points and stamps as for Junior Church. All children who have completed full attendance for the previous month i.e. Family Service, all Junior Church Services and any special services, are presented with a sticker during the Family Service. Junior Church organises a Christmas Activity Day, open to all children between the ages of 3 and 13, they can come for the day and make cards, presents, decorations and play games, Summer Play Scheme and Bonfire/Fireworks & Barbecue Party (in conjunction with 6+) as well as organising occasional outings e.g. the Children's annual festival event at Wells etc. We also usually hold an Easter Coffee Morning and near Christmas a Junior Songs Of Praise Service with hymns chosen by the children. The Sunday after Christmas we have a Christingle service in the afternoon. The children play a large part in this and usually perform a Nativity play or other special item. This is sometimes followed by a Junior Church Christmas Party. |
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