#8 s#n #nnw - edinburgh.anglican.org · and nhs advice. most importantly, encourage your young...
TRANSCRIPT
IN THIS ISSUE
Children young people andCoronavirus
Sleeping Out for the World
Learning through Play
Youth work and Mission
From the Diocese of Edinburgh
March 2019 Contact Claire Benton-Evans youthandchildrendioceseofedinburghorg
CORONAVIRUS
HELP AND SUPPORT
YoungScot have gathered some excellent age-appropriate resources for children here These include tipson staying safe understanding jargon finding reliable news and managing anxiety
The current situation is changing daily and weare all concerned for the most vulnerable in oursociety How can churches help the children andyoung people they work with
Follow official guidance
Share age-appropriate information
Pray
Safeguard mental health ABC
Share helpful online resourcesNow that church services have been discontinued until further notice we will increasingly be exploring ouronline potential The Provincial Youth Committee Facebook page will continue to share prayers support andlinks to reliable information - like this page for regular updates
The Scottish Episcopal Church has published itsguidance here which will be updated regularlyThis will be informed by the latest Governmentand NHS advice
Most importantly encourage your young people to pray For example they can say Morning and EveningPrayer together online as Glenalmond delegates do during youth week The Taizeacute community will be live-streaming evening prayer each day at 1930 GMT like their page for links to beautiful contemplativeworship The Provincial Youth Facebook page will be sharing further prayers over the coming weeks
Connect While we are socially distanced its important to stay connected Encourage young people to talkon the phone or video chat with loved ones they are already expert at this with their friends but this maybe the perfect occasion for them to teach their grandparents how to video call from their tablets Sharingmusic or organising a Watch Party online with friends can help too Your youth group may already have agroup chat but you might like to consider connecting the parents of your toddler group children via aclosed Facebook group WhatsApp group or similar
Avoid hysteria Limit time spent following coronavirus news on social media Encourage young people topick a couple of trusted sources of information (see YoungScot resources above) and check them a coupleof times a day rather than constantly reading the latest speculations online
Breathe To help with stress and anxiety encourage young people to take 15 minutes out of their day torelax and breathe They can use helpful mindfulness apps such as Headspace If they can get outside whilstmaintaining social distance even 15 minutes in a green or sunny spot can help reduce anxiety
For younger children there are great resources for nurturing faith at home on the Godventure Facebookpage and in Wild Lent available from Kevin Mayhew - a treasure trove of outdoor activities to helpchildren get closer to God at home
Our young people also received a Special RecognitionAward (below) from Social Bite for their efforts inhelping to plan the Wee Sleep Out and for theimaginative way in which they engaged with theplight of homeless peopleChrist Church Morningside also led their own WeeSleep Out raising over pound1000Thank you to everyone who took part who helpedlead who generously donated and who helped makethese worthwhile events possible
Hands up who slept rough in St Maryrsquos Cathedral inDecember This was part of Social Bites Wee SleepOut and our Edinburgh Ecumenical Youth Team(young people and leaders from St MaryrsquosCathedral Edinburgh Diocese and Palmerston PlaceChurch) raised an amazing pound413625 which put usin the top ten Wee Sleep Out fundraisers We wereencouraged on the night by visits from Bishop Johnand Social Bite Co-founder Alice Thompson(pictured front left)
PLAY CHURCHPlay Church continues its pilgrimage around the diocese It stayed at Old St Paulrsquos from Advent toCandlemas in this picture you can see the rapt attention on these childrenrsquos faces as they learnedabout baptism Play Church is now at Holy Trinity Haddington If your church would like to host playchurch please get in touch with me Thanks to Paul Lugton for the photo
Messy Church
outreach
Heres a great idea from RevRosie Addis at St John s PrincesSt if you are involved with aMessy Church why not have amessy card-making activity anduse the cards for pastoral visitsIn a lovely example of inter-generational outreach thesehand-made cards make theirway to the homes of oftenisolated older people as acolourful sign that the wholechurch - young and old - ispraying for them
HARBOUR LIGHTS
At St Annes Dunbar
I asked Rev Diana Hall to describe the things thatmatter most about St Annes relationship withHarbour LightsThe church is building relationships withunchurched families none of the Harbour Lightschildren or their families come to normal churchbut we are building goodwill and friendshipwith them Harbour Lights children regard StAnnes as their church Church becomes seen aswelcoming open and for the whole communityThe congregation feel good that they are able toshare the space they love with others Therelationship with Harbour Lights is broadeningchurch we host events to bring church and youthclub together such as a Crib Service Pancake
ldquoThis youth workforms a
significantpart of how
we aregrowing inmissionrdquo
Rev Diana Hall
At Diocesan Synod I shared a moving film about HarbourLights the community youth group in Dunbar which hasbeen given a place to meet in St Annes Church Theyoung people in the film who do not attend what theycall Sunday church spoke powerfully about what thechurch means to them and some of their comments areshared on the blackboard below
Party Easter and Advent eventsThe youth club fosters ecumenical links bringingtogether volunteers from across the towns churchesThere is spin-off work with young people thecongregation is involved in wider Youth Project workin schools (such as Seasons for Growth Mentoringand paired reading) and in the local ecumenicalholiday club I have become better known andaccepted in a Chaplain role in the primary schoolThe church is increasingly seen as Good News for thetowns children and for their parents This form ofyouth work is opening loads of doors to connectionsand relationships raising our profile and forms a verysignificant part of how we are growing in mission
GODLY PLAY CONFERENCE
There will be discussions over the coming days about this yearsYouth Week at Glenalmond check for updates here This weekis enormously important to delegates who look forward to itthroughout the year Please hold them in prayer at this timealong with all young people whose hopes are focused on theChristian summer camps that do so much to nurture their faithand sense of belonging The photo below shows young people from Edinburgh Dioceseand friends at the most recent Provincial Youth gatheringWelcomed by St Johns Aberdeen young people enjoyed asleepover event and then played a full part in Sundays worship
Godly Play Scotland is hosting its third conference from 13-14 November at Portobello and Joppa Parish Church inEdinburgh with guest speaker Dr Rebecca Nye Rebeccawill share about her own experience of childhoodspirituality in those early years as she explores with us theimportance of an adult culture that believes in childhoodspirituality Throughout the conference there will be marketstalls tea and coffee and time to chat with fellow GodlyPlayers Details and booking here
UPCOMING EVENTS
CORONAVIRUS
HELP AND SUPPORT
YoungScot have gathered some excellent age-appropriate resources for children here These include tipson staying safe understanding jargon finding reliable news and managing anxiety
The current situation is changing daily and weare all concerned for the most vulnerable in oursociety How can churches help the children andyoung people they work with
Follow official guidance
Share age-appropriate information
Pray
Safeguard mental health ABC
Share helpful online resourcesNow that church services have been discontinued until further notice we will increasingly be exploring ouronline potential The Provincial Youth Committee Facebook page will continue to share prayers support andlinks to reliable information - like this page for regular updates
The Scottish Episcopal Church has published itsguidance here which will be updated regularlyThis will be informed by the latest Governmentand NHS advice
Most importantly encourage your young people to pray For example they can say Morning and EveningPrayer together online as Glenalmond delegates do during youth week The Taizeacute community will be live-streaming evening prayer each day at 1930 GMT like their page for links to beautiful contemplativeworship The Provincial Youth Facebook page will be sharing further prayers over the coming weeks
Connect While we are socially distanced its important to stay connected Encourage young people to talkon the phone or video chat with loved ones they are already expert at this with their friends but this maybe the perfect occasion for them to teach their grandparents how to video call from their tablets Sharingmusic or organising a Watch Party online with friends can help too Your youth group may already have agroup chat but you might like to consider connecting the parents of your toddler group children via aclosed Facebook group WhatsApp group or similar
Avoid hysteria Limit time spent following coronavirus news on social media Encourage young people topick a couple of trusted sources of information (see YoungScot resources above) and check them a coupleof times a day rather than constantly reading the latest speculations online
Breathe To help with stress and anxiety encourage young people to take 15 minutes out of their day torelax and breathe They can use helpful mindfulness apps such as Headspace If they can get outside whilstmaintaining social distance even 15 minutes in a green or sunny spot can help reduce anxiety
For younger children there are great resources for nurturing faith at home on the Godventure Facebookpage and in Wild Lent available from Kevin Mayhew - a treasure trove of outdoor activities to helpchildren get closer to God at home
Our young people also received a Special RecognitionAward (below) from Social Bite for their efforts inhelping to plan the Wee Sleep Out and for theimaginative way in which they engaged with theplight of homeless peopleChrist Church Morningside also led their own WeeSleep Out raising over pound1000Thank you to everyone who took part who helpedlead who generously donated and who helped makethese worthwhile events possible
Hands up who slept rough in St Maryrsquos Cathedral inDecember This was part of Social Bites Wee SleepOut and our Edinburgh Ecumenical Youth Team(young people and leaders from St MaryrsquosCathedral Edinburgh Diocese and Palmerston PlaceChurch) raised an amazing pound413625 which put usin the top ten Wee Sleep Out fundraisers We wereencouraged on the night by visits from Bishop Johnand Social Bite Co-founder Alice Thompson(pictured front left)
PLAY CHURCHPlay Church continues its pilgrimage around the diocese It stayed at Old St Paulrsquos from Advent toCandlemas in this picture you can see the rapt attention on these childrenrsquos faces as they learnedabout baptism Play Church is now at Holy Trinity Haddington If your church would like to host playchurch please get in touch with me Thanks to Paul Lugton for the photo
Messy Church
outreach
Heres a great idea from RevRosie Addis at St John s PrincesSt if you are involved with aMessy Church why not have amessy card-making activity anduse the cards for pastoral visitsIn a lovely example of inter-generational outreach thesehand-made cards make theirway to the homes of oftenisolated older people as acolourful sign that the wholechurch - young and old - ispraying for them
HARBOUR LIGHTS
At St Annes Dunbar
I asked Rev Diana Hall to describe the things thatmatter most about St Annes relationship withHarbour LightsThe church is building relationships withunchurched families none of the Harbour Lightschildren or their families come to normal churchbut we are building goodwill and friendshipwith them Harbour Lights children regard StAnnes as their church Church becomes seen aswelcoming open and for the whole communityThe congregation feel good that they are able toshare the space they love with others Therelationship with Harbour Lights is broadeningchurch we host events to bring church and youthclub together such as a Crib Service Pancake
ldquoThis youth workforms a
significantpart of how
we aregrowing inmissionrdquo
Rev Diana Hall
At Diocesan Synod I shared a moving film about HarbourLights the community youth group in Dunbar which hasbeen given a place to meet in St Annes Church Theyoung people in the film who do not attend what theycall Sunday church spoke powerfully about what thechurch means to them and some of their comments areshared on the blackboard below
Party Easter and Advent eventsThe youth club fosters ecumenical links bringingtogether volunteers from across the towns churchesThere is spin-off work with young people thecongregation is involved in wider Youth Project workin schools (such as Seasons for Growth Mentoringand paired reading) and in the local ecumenicalholiday club I have become better known andaccepted in a Chaplain role in the primary schoolThe church is increasingly seen as Good News for thetowns children and for their parents This form ofyouth work is opening loads of doors to connectionsand relationships raising our profile and forms a verysignificant part of how we are growing in mission
GODLY PLAY CONFERENCE
There will be discussions over the coming days about this yearsYouth Week at Glenalmond check for updates here This weekis enormously important to delegates who look forward to itthroughout the year Please hold them in prayer at this timealong with all young people whose hopes are focused on theChristian summer camps that do so much to nurture their faithand sense of belonging The photo below shows young people from Edinburgh Dioceseand friends at the most recent Provincial Youth gatheringWelcomed by St Johns Aberdeen young people enjoyed asleepover event and then played a full part in Sundays worship
Godly Play Scotland is hosting its third conference from 13-14 November at Portobello and Joppa Parish Church inEdinburgh with guest speaker Dr Rebecca Nye Rebeccawill share about her own experience of childhoodspirituality in those early years as she explores with us theimportance of an adult culture that believes in childhoodspirituality Throughout the conference there will be marketstalls tea and coffee and time to chat with fellow GodlyPlayers Details and booking here
UPCOMING EVENTS
Our young people also received a Special RecognitionAward (below) from Social Bite for their efforts inhelping to plan the Wee Sleep Out and for theimaginative way in which they engaged with theplight of homeless peopleChrist Church Morningside also led their own WeeSleep Out raising over pound1000Thank you to everyone who took part who helpedlead who generously donated and who helped makethese worthwhile events possible
Hands up who slept rough in St Maryrsquos Cathedral inDecember This was part of Social Bites Wee SleepOut and our Edinburgh Ecumenical Youth Team(young people and leaders from St MaryrsquosCathedral Edinburgh Diocese and Palmerston PlaceChurch) raised an amazing pound413625 which put usin the top ten Wee Sleep Out fundraisers We wereencouraged on the night by visits from Bishop Johnand Social Bite Co-founder Alice Thompson(pictured front left)
PLAY CHURCHPlay Church continues its pilgrimage around the diocese It stayed at Old St Paulrsquos from Advent toCandlemas in this picture you can see the rapt attention on these childrenrsquos faces as they learnedabout baptism Play Church is now at Holy Trinity Haddington If your church would like to host playchurch please get in touch with me Thanks to Paul Lugton for the photo
Messy Church
outreach
Heres a great idea from RevRosie Addis at St John s PrincesSt if you are involved with aMessy Church why not have amessy card-making activity anduse the cards for pastoral visitsIn a lovely example of inter-generational outreach thesehand-made cards make theirway to the homes of oftenisolated older people as acolourful sign that the wholechurch - young and old - ispraying for them
HARBOUR LIGHTS
At St Annes Dunbar
I asked Rev Diana Hall to describe the things thatmatter most about St Annes relationship withHarbour LightsThe church is building relationships withunchurched families none of the Harbour Lightschildren or their families come to normal churchbut we are building goodwill and friendshipwith them Harbour Lights children regard StAnnes as their church Church becomes seen aswelcoming open and for the whole communityThe congregation feel good that they are able toshare the space they love with others Therelationship with Harbour Lights is broadeningchurch we host events to bring church and youthclub together such as a Crib Service Pancake
ldquoThis youth workforms a
significantpart of how
we aregrowing inmissionrdquo
Rev Diana Hall
At Diocesan Synod I shared a moving film about HarbourLights the community youth group in Dunbar which hasbeen given a place to meet in St Annes Church Theyoung people in the film who do not attend what theycall Sunday church spoke powerfully about what thechurch means to them and some of their comments areshared on the blackboard below
Party Easter and Advent eventsThe youth club fosters ecumenical links bringingtogether volunteers from across the towns churchesThere is spin-off work with young people thecongregation is involved in wider Youth Project workin schools (such as Seasons for Growth Mentoringand paired reading) and in the local ecumenicalholiday club I have become better known andaccepted in a Chaplain role in the primary schoolThe church is increasingly seen as Good News for thetowns children and for their parents This form ofyouth work is opening loads of doors to connectionsand relationships raising our profile and forms a verysignificant part of how we are growing in mission
GODLY PLAY CONFERENCE
There will be discussions over the coming days about this yearsYouth Week at Glenalmond check for updates here This weekis enormously important to delegates who look forward to itthroughout the year Please hold them in prayer at this timealong with all young people whose hopes are focused on theChristian summer camps that do so much to nurture their faithand sense of belonging The photo below shows young people from Edinburgh Dioceseand friends at the most recent Provincial Youth gatheringWelcomed by St Johns Aberdeen young people enjoyed asleepover event and then played a full part in Sundays worship
Godly Play Scotland is hosting its third conference from 13-14 November at Portobello and Joppa Parish Church inEdinburgh with guest speaker Dr Rebecca Nye Rebeccawill share about her own experience of childhoodspirituality in those early years as she explores with us theimportance of an adult culture that believes in childhoodspirituality Throughout the conference there will be marketstalls tea and coffee and time to chat with fellow GodlyPlayers Details and booking here
UPCOMING EVENTS
PLAY CHURCHPlay Church continues its pilgrimage around the diocese It stayed at Old St Paulrsquos from Advent toCandlemas in this picture you can see the rapt attention on these childrenrsquos faces as they learnedabout baptism Play Church is now at Holy Trinity Haddington If your church would like to host playchurch please get in touch with me Thanks to Paul Lugton for the photo
Messy Church
outreach
Heres a great idea from RevRosie Addis at St John s PrincesSt if you are involved with aMessy Church why not have amessy card-making activity anduse the cards for pastoral visitsIn a lovely example of inter-generational outreach thesehand-made cards make theirway to the homes of oftenisolated older people as acolourful sign that the wholechurch - young and old - ispraying for them
HARBOUR LIGHTS
At St Annes Dunbar
I asked Rev Diana Hall to describe the things thatmatter most about St Annes relationship withHarbour LightsThe church is building relationships withunchurched families none of the Harbour Lightschildren or their families come to normal churchbut we are building goodwill and friendshipwith them Harbour Lights children regard StAnnes as their church Church becomes seen aswelcoming open and for the whole communityThe congregation feel good that they are able toshare the space they love with others Therelationship with Harbour Lights is broadeningchurch we host events to bring church and youthclub together such as a Crib Service Pancake
ldquoThis youth workforms a
significantpart of how
we aregrowing inmissionrdquo
Rev Diana Hall
At Diocesan Synod I shared a moving film about HarbourLights the community youth group in Dunbar which hasbeen given a place to meet in St Annes Church Theyoung people in the film who do not attend what theycall Sunday church spoke powerfully about what thechurch means to them and some of their comments areshared on the blackboard below
Party Easter and Advent eventsThe youth club fosters ecumenical links bringingtogether volunteers from across the towns churchesThere is spin-off work with young people thecongregation is involved in wider Youth Project workin schools (such as Seasons for Growth Mentoringand paired reading) and in the local ecumenicalholiday club I have become better known andaccepted in a Chaplain role in the primary schoolThe church is increasingly seen as Good News for thetowns children and for their parents This form ofyouth work is opening loads of doors to connectionsand relationships raising our profile and forms a verysignificant part of how we are growing in mission
GODLY PLAY CONFERENCE
There will be discussions over the coming days about this yearsYouth Week at Glenalmond check for updates here This weekis enormously important to delegates who look forward to itthroughout the year Please hold them in prayer at this timealong with all young people whose hopes are focused on theChristian summer camps that do so much to nurture their faithand sense of belonging The photo below shows young people from Edinburgh Dioceseand friends at the most recent Provincial Youth gatheringWelcomed by St Johns Aberdeen young people enjoyed asleepover event and then played a full part in Sundays worship
Godly Play Scotland is hosting its third conference from 13-14 November at Portobello and Joppa Parish Church inEdinburgh with guest speaker Dr Rebecca Nye Rebeccawill share about her own experience of childhoodspirituality in those early years as she explores with us theimportance of an adult culture that believes in childhoodspirituality Throughout the conference there will be marketstalls tea and coffee and time to chat with fellow GodlyPlayers Details and booking here
UPCOMING EVENTS
HARBOUR LIGHTS
At St Annes Dunbar
I asked Rev Diana Hall to describe the things thatmatter most about St Annes relationship withHarbour LightsThe church is building relationships withunchurched families none of the Harbour Lightschildren or their families come to normal churchbut we are building goodwill and friendshipwith them Harbour Lights children regard StAnnes as their church Church becomes seen aswelcoming open and for the whole communityThe congregation feel good that they are able toshare the space they love with others Therelationship with Harbour Lights is broadeningchurch we host events to bring church and youthclub together such as a Crib Service Pancake
ldquoThis youth workforms a
significantpart of how
we aregrowing inmissionrdquo
Rev Diana Hall
At Diocesan Synod I shared a moving film about HarbourLights the community youth group in Dunbar which hasbeen given a place to meet in St Annes Church Theyoung people in the film who do not attend what theycall Sunday church spoke powerfully about what thechurch means to them and some of their comments areshared on the blackboard below
Party Easter and Advent eventsThe youth club fosters ecumenical links bringingtogether volunteers from across the towns churchesThere is spin-off work with young people thecongregation is involved in wider Youth Project workin schools (such as Seasons for Growth Mentoringand paired reading) and in the local ecumenicalholiday club I have become better known andaccepted in a Chaplain role in the primary schoolThe church is increasingly seen as Good News for thetowns children and for their parents This form ofyouth work is opening loads of doors to connectionsand relationships raising our profile and forms a verysignificant part of how we are growing in mission
GODLY PLAY CONFERENCE
There will be discussions over the coming days about this yearsYouth Week at Glenalmond check for updates here This weekis enormously important to delegates who look forward to itthroughout the year Please hold them in prayer at this timealong with all young people whose hopes are focused on theChristian summer camps that do so much to nurture their faithand sense of belonging The photo below shows young people from Edinburgh Dioceseand friends at the most recent Provincial Youth gatheringWelcomed by St Johns Aberdeen young people enjoyed asleepover event and then played a full part in Sundays worship
Godly Play Scotland is hosting its third conference from 13-14 November at Portobello and Joppa Parish Church inEdinburgh with guest speaker Dr Rebecca Nye Rebeccawill share about her own experience of childhoodspirituality in those early years as she explores with us theimportance of an adult culture that believes in childhoodspirituality Throughout the conference there will be marketstalls tea and coffee and time to chat with fellow GodlyPlayers Details and booking here
UPCOMING EVENTS
GODLY PLAY CONFERENCE
There will be discussions over the coming days about this yearsYouth Week at Glenalmond check for updates here This weekis enormously important to delegates who look forward to itthroughout the year Please hold them in prayer at this timealong with all young people whose hopes are focused on theChristian summer camps that do so much to nurture their faithand sense of belonging The photo below shows young people from Edinburgh Dioceseand friends at the most recent Provincial Youth gatheringWelcomed by St Johns Aberdeen young people enjoyed asleepover event and then played a full part in Sundays worship
Godly Play Scotland is hosting its third conference from 13-14 November at Portobello and Joppa Parish Church inEdinburgh with guest speaker Dr Rebecca Nye Rebeccawill share about her own experience of childhoodspirituality in those early years as she explores with us theimportance of an adult culture that believes in childhoodspirituality Throughout the conference there will be marketstalls tea and coffee and time to chat with fellow GodlyPlayers Details and booking here
UPCOMING EVENTS