Latest News
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LATEST: Alex, our Children and Youth Minister, has produced some fun stuff for our younger members of St Mark's but they are for everyone!
CELEBRATING LIGHT AT 'HALLOWEEN'
To celebrate 'Halloween', we celebrated that Jesus is the Light of the World. Over a dozen homes around the Parish were decorated with a light display and a trail map was given to different family groups to go around and visit them. A big thank you to Alex, our Children and Youth Minister, for her wonderfully creative idea and for organising the event.
Here are some photos:
HARVEST CELEBRATIONS
Toddlers Restarted - with a difference
St Mark's Toddlers has restarted and has temporarily changed how it operates due to the present restrictions. 'Families' book in and then have fun doing outdoor activities in groups of 6 (under a gazebo if wet). This has included a scavenger hunt and outdoor games. Also the Toddler toys are used with the mandatory cleaning put in place.
Here are some photos (with parents permission)
WEDDING BELLS FOR KELLY AND JOHN
CHURCH FAMILY PICNICS
(PHOTOS USED WITH PARENTAL PERMISSION)
There continue to be many restrictions in place due to the virus really limiting what we can and cannot do in the Youth, Children and Families Ministry - things change at the drop of a hat making it difficult to plan, presenting many challenges but also great opportunities which need to be celebrated. In particular we have had to continue to be creative with how we connect with our families and young people.
As lockdown measures eased over the summer we have been delighted to welcome back to church some of our young families and even had a picnic with them after the service on the main church lawn.
Due to Government restrictions we are only allowed 30 at each picnic gathering (whilst also sticking to family/ school bubble groups and maintaining social distancing) so we have organised 3 picnics and the first was held on Sunday 30th August with the sun shining, a family kite making competition, fish and butterfly wands to make and chalk drawing fun.
Here are some photos:
Our next round of families will meet for a picnic on Sunday 20th September and then again on Sunday 27th September - weather permitting and based on the current Government guidance at the time of gathering.
We are blessed to have some really beautiful young families as part of our church family - please be praying for them.
SUMMER CHALLENGE
Over August the children were set a challenge to do a series of activities each week including: Joining in with the New Wine festival, which this year was online, buying a bag of jelly beans and using each colour to pray for something different, reading a new story from the Bible, taking a photo outside of church, finding the Vicarage and taking a photo there, taking food to the local foodbank, choosing a Bible verse and putting actions to it.
Here are some photos from those who got involved - they did BRILLIANTLY, well done:
(PHOTOS USED WITH PARENTAL PERMISSION)
Joining in with New Wine Kids Club Online Praying
Learning to pray with the different colours of Jelly Baby sweets
Photo taken outside Church Photo taken outside the Vicarage
Discovering a new Bible Story & taking some goodies to the local foodbank drop off point
Can you find the cheeky puppets?
Outside the church and at the Vicarage
All children involved were suitably rewarded for their fantastic efforts!
For fab photos of the Youth Weekend Away Click Here
Photos from our Summer Fete June 22nd 2019