Click image to download the PDF – to access the links the newsletter needs to be read online.

Click on the Hedgehog to download the black PDF

Embrace the beauty of this season with all the colours and gifts it drops for us. This super-easy craft comes with a wonderful promise for all ages. Collect fallen autumn leaves or those that have transformed into stunning hues, and glue them together to create this charming Hedgehog of promise.

]]> https://cfm.ireland.anglican.org/light-party-escape-room/ Mon, 07 Oct 2024 12:37:04 +0000 https://cfm.ireland.anglican.org/?p=2753     

Click the first image above to download the Escape Room pack with instructions

Halloween can be a tricky time to navigate in the Church, but we believe that it is a prime opportunity to speak light and life into the lives of our Children and Families. Holding a Light Party gives your church family the opportunity to stand out from the rest of the community and provide an alternative to the horror and fear that will dominate most of the other parties and events at the end of October.

To help you, we have created a Light Party Escape Room – a set of challenges for your children/families to complete before ending with party food and fun as the prize. The challenges are pitched for children aged 7-12, but you could have family groups competing – as long as you explain to adults that they are only allowed to give support and guidance when children are stuck, they are not to give the answers away!

The message of this escape room is that we are called to shine the light of God’s love in this dark world.

The aim is to get participants to read Bible verses that focus on Jesus being the Light of the World, trusting in God and victory over darkness.

Practically the aim is to light up a darkened room gradually. This happens each time a team completes a challenge – once each challenge is solved they should be instructed to turn on a light source of some description for example a battery-powered candle. What you choose to bring the light will depend on your location and budget.

We would love to see any images of the escape room in action, so if you do use this resource please do send photos to cfm@ireland.anglican.org

Click the image to download our Autumn Newsletter 2024

Click the image above to try the trail yourself, or click the poster to download the explainer pdf and QR code to give to the families you work with

It is an inescapable fact that we live on a very wet island! But sure, it is part of our charm, and without it we could never have held on to the beautiful title of “The Emerald Isle”

However, as beautiful as the green fields are, when you are stuck inside with even just one young child it can seem as though the rain is some kind of sploshy prison guard keeping you from the outside world!

So, to help restore the balance, and reclaim the fun when there is no sun, we have created an interactive virtual rain trail which you can share with your families. It is aimed at adults with children aged 2-8. It could also be used on the whiteboard in school if the teacher looks at the challenges ahead of time to prepare enough resources for the whole class.

After the opening page viewers can choose to explore one of three rainy options: Puddles, Rain or Rainbows.

Each section begins with a fun fact, then viewers can choose either an indoor challenge or an outdoor challenge.

These challenges are simple activities grown ups and children can do together. They use items commonly found around the house and help children to explore and use different skills.

Once they have read the challenge there is a brief Bible verse and thought which connects with the chosen element.

Viewers are then taken back to the choice page where they can choose a new option to read.

Download the full pack by clicking any image above. 

If you are based in a rural parish, chances are you have some fantastic farming families in your congregation. Whilst we celebrate their hard work in our Harvest Festivals we wanted to find a way to engage all our children and help them see God in the farm’s everyday life no matter the time of year.

Whether it’s tractors, sheep, beef or tillage each session brings God’s word to life through games, discussions, crafts and food.

These sessions can be used in Sunday Clubs, Intergenerational Church Services, School lessons or Holiday Clubs – however you wish!

There’s Stock Judging, Machine Making and even Bull Building!

Hold up a leaf and tell the story of it’s life cycle. If possible bring different colours and sizes.

(this life cycle outline is adapted from harryhelmet.com)

The leaf is “born” when it begins growing on a branch of a tree in springtime. Every leaf acts as a food manufacturing machine for the tree, drinking in water, sunlight, and air to give nourishment to its host. In return, the tree produces chlorophyll, which gives most leaves their greenish colour.

But with the arrival of autumn comes shorter days, which cuts down on the amount of sunlight needed by the leaves to make food. In response, the tree begins conserving its resources in order to make it through the cold winter ahead. As the tree “seals” itself against the elements by cutting off nutrients to its leaves, the leaves revert to their natural orange, brown, and yellow hues before eventually detaching from the tree entirely.

Here is where humans can come in to the life cycle of a leaf – by gathering them up and putting them into a compost bin and adding fresh food scraps and other biodegradable substances. To aid the composting process, the leaves should be turned and sifted periodically and if they become dry, the leaves should be sprayed with water.

Naturally-occurring bacteria create compost.  Over a few months, the leaves are transformed into a mulch that is rich in nutrients. When added to regular soil, mulch supports the growth of new plants, shrubs, and trees.

But what would happen if the leaves decided they weren’t budging?  They didn’t like change, they liked the view from up there in the tree.  They would be clinging to a life source that could no longer sustain them.  And they would be missing out on the opportunity to have a new meaning and purpose to their lives.

Change is hard.  Letting go of the familiar is difficult.  But when we believe in a God of infinite love we can let go knowing that He will catch us.  In fact the main difference between us and the leaf, is that we never need let go of God no matter the season – he is a life source who can always sustain us. ‘The grass withers, the flower fades;  but the word of our God will stand for ever.’

If we think about it in relation to our own lives, when we let go of things that don’t bring joy or of things that move us further from God – maybe gossip or resentment or shame or unforgiveness towards ourselves or another – it’s a wonderful thing, but it also means that there is a new space in our lives to be filled.  What will we fill it with?  The truth is, we often fill empty spaces with old bad habits or with useless hoarded stuff.  So when we let go, let’s notice the space the letting go has left and intentionally leave it open to be filled by God’s grace.

As we move towards Christmas, that is a question we can ask ourselves again and again, everytime there is a gap in our schedule – what will I do with this space?  And I invite you to offer it to God to fill, so you are open to seasons of change and possibility instead of clinging to what is comfortable and familiar.

They explore the wonder of God’s Creation and are suitable for all ages.

You can access the complete resource here:

Great Big Muddy World Pack (Complete Resource)

QR Codes connecting the trails to the wondering and activity sheets can be found here:

Great Big Muddy World QR Codes