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Faith Primary Schools: better schools or better pupils?

Link: Faith Primary Schools:

Pupil background and ability, rather than teaching standards, account for higher attainment levels at faith primary schools finds new research by academics at LSE's Centre for Economic Performance.

Faith Primary Schools: better schools or better pupils? investigates whether faith schools really raise pupil attainments more than other schools, or whether they simply enrol pupils with characteristics conducive to faster educational progress. Authors Dr Steve Gibbons and Dr Olmo Silva also attempt to understand whether any beneficial impact of attending a faith school comes from its religious affiliation, or from specific governance and admission arrangements.

To answer these questions, the researchers considered pupils at the end of their primary schooling in England (age-11), making use of a large census that includes information on pupils’ past and current achievements, school type and characteristics, place of residence (postcode) and schools attended.

Click the link above for the whole story. The weakness of the story relates to its belief that parents interest in faith schools relates solely to exam results. Many will be thinking of general ethos, discipline and academic breadth as well as test results

Is the Bible more real than Harry Potter?

Link: ChildrensMinistry.com:.

Demythologizing the Bible for today's kids who are inundated with so many cultural myths.

I know Jesus said he had all the power, but is that the same power that Pokemon and Digimon characters have?”

“Moses parted the Red Sea, but have you seen what Harry Potter’s done lately to Voldemort?”

“And, of course, it wasn’t a big deal for the big fish to spit out Jonah. He also did it for Pinocchio and Gepetto.”

••• Ever feel as if you’re having to wade through a cultural morass of mythology to help children understand that God’s Word is no myth? And that while God’s truth is truth, all the things children are exposed to in their culture aren’t God’s truth?

Click the link above for more

Celebrating Children - 5 day Residential Course

Moorlands College have a special 5 day course designed to equip children, family and community workers in the local church that will be of interest to those looking to deepen their knowledge and expand their biblical framework with respect to working with children. Click the link below for more information.

Download Celebrating Children 2007 Brochure

Sport builds bridges in Iraq

What follows is a report from a Christian childrens worker in Iraq. We've not included the inspiring pictures for security reasons but we would commend our friends in Iraq to your prayers. We met the head of the team in Lebanon 2 years ago and can vouch for this report.

Please I wanna take ten minute of your time today because this sport day happened in the midst of the bombs , kidnapping , killing , war , fighting , fanaticism , suicide bombers…… yes happened in spite of all the circumstances and I know the sport day was in the north and north of Iraq is better than Baghdad but half of sport team from Baghdad,

Praise God we did the sport day and I would like to share with you how the day look like in the school . Please read it very well because there are many miracles in it and benefit for you all..

When we started the training as a team before (10 days before the sport day) we met three times and God prepare to me to meet the rest of the team in Karkuk that’s far away 4-5 hours driving from

Baghdad

that was a miracle and this meeting make many things easy , yes that’s our God.

Then I came back to Baghdad to determine the forth meeting but we surprised when the government announced before the fourth meeting there is curfew and the curfew continues for three days and was three more days to the sport day (30 November) and the circumstances get bad and bad in Iraq. Finally the curfew finish and we decide to travel the next day because we do not have enough time but all the people in Baghdad told us you are crazy , you are going to die and told us there is no one will driving you there and also there some people said sorry the family did not accept to us to go with the team because they are afraid and all the doors started to close in our face and we felt by fear.

Now I asked God what do you want me to do , there is a big responsibility if any thing bad happen I will not forgive my self please God told me what do you want me to do and then I told God I will read bible and I want you to give me a verses from my daily reading.

I start to read and almost finish the chapter until the last verse in 1Co 15:58 So then, my dear friends, stand firm and steady. Keep busy always in your work for the Lord, since you know that nothing you do in the Lord's service is ever useless.

I told God I need more I continue my reading until the next chapter and God told me 1Co 16:9 There is a real opportunity here for great and worthwhile work, even though there are many opponents.

Then we went to rent bus to fetch us but most of them refused because they were afraid and there was a person accept but he ask a lot of money and actually we do not have any dollar to that day as every one know but we accept to pay and I told God you will pay I know

But the next issues was the families of the team they totally not allowed to any one of them to travel but all the team keeping fighting because they believed there is special things will happen in that day. Now we decide to go but in the night of the same day traveling we received a call phone frome some one warning us there is a big danger in the road and he said please do not go in that time because you will gonna die and again we scared.

We started praying , please God do not let us move any step if you do not want or there is some thing bad and make any thing in the morning to prevent us but we launched in the morning we were 15 person from Baghdad and God protected us in a such great way and we get the north of Iraq and now we have to make training for the whole team ( Baghdad , Katkuk  and Arbil) we were 35 person .

Then we visit the school to see the spaces to make the games and also to train the group to that day . The next day also we visit the school to put all the tools for games and lining out the field and gardens and determine the stations and we finished every thing like ( gifts , and lunch and certificates ) also we did no have any money for that. But our God is very rich .

Then we have to be ready the next day at 6:00 am but there was big issues with students like language and they do not speak Arabic , just English and Kurdish and also they do not know any thing about God and they are from different age ( 13 – 17) and they are 350 students and girls with boys and different culture .

We prayed a lot , we got the school , we start speaking , we were scared but the surprise they were  interactively and big responding We start the games and you can not imagine how much they had fun when we decide to end the day , all the student shout in one time no we want play again any way we distributed gifts and certificates and end the day.

The students start to ask our signature and photo and ask us to come always to make this day and they said in all our life we did not see any thing like this and we did not learned about God like this we have now new principles .

As a team we know that just our Lord Jesus Christ and we put in the heard of the students all the concepts .Also when we finished we received many invitation from other school and university to do sport day for them .

Yes Glory to God. I wanna add the sport team work very hard and they were doing great and they get tired. Please pray for all the team and for what they need

We planning now to make sport day with the churches in 

Baghdad

And also another day for the churches in Arbil and Karkuk

Please pray for that

 

Many blessings

Christingle Guide

Link: Diocesan Children's Work Advisers' Resource Site Home.

Find out more about Dave Walker cartoons at www.weblogcartoons.com

Archbishop of Canterbury speaks eloquently of the place of children in society and church

Link: Archbishop of Canterbury | Sermons and Speeches.

This a key paragraph - you can find the whole article at the link above

The Children’s Society is committed to seeing children whole, and to enabling all of us to share this seeing. It is in that sense simply taking its lead from Christ, who, we read, ‘took a little child and had him stand among them’ – had him stand where he could be seen. In the still stronger words of the old translation, ‘he set him in the midst of them’. One of the unwelcome truths that Jesus obliges us to face for the sake of our healing and salvation is thus, apparently, our unwillingness to attend to children and to learn from them – to value them for who they are, not simply as imperfect adults. We should not overlook just how distinctive this is as part of the Christian world picture; no other faith or philosophy gives such prominence in its central story to children, and it is a tragedy that Christians have a history often marked by suspicion and repression of children – not to mention abuse of one sort or another. But the image of Jesus putting the child ‘in the midst’ will not go away. What sharper contrast could there be to our ignorance or collusion about ‘children on the edge’?

Catholic Schools in Scotland Fuel Sectarianism Debate

Link: Christian Today

     Catholic schools fuel sectarianism and should be phased out, said Lord Steel as he intervened in the row over denominational education in Scotland.

The Liberal Democrat peer and former presiding officer of the Scottish parliament said there was “stark evidence” that separate schools for Catholics and Protestants were perpetuating the religious divide.

Writing in The Sunday Times, Steel accused the Catholic Church of “burying its head in the sand” by refusing to acknowledge that faith schools were divisive.

While Steel welcomed religious and moral education, he said it was most effective in a non-denominational setting.

His intervention has drawn an angry response from the Catholic Church, which has insisted that the future of Catholic schools is not a matter of pressing public concern and that to debate the issue risks “fanning the flames of religious hatred”.

Midlands Children's Worship Celebration

'Reach - Sky's the Limit' Live in Concert

Join Destiny Kids as they bring 'Reach' live to you in a spectacular celebration of music to engage you and your children to reach out in praise and worship of our amazing God!

 

Saturday 10th March 2007 3-5pm

 

The Riverside Centre, Riverside Court, Pride Park, Derby

Cost £3 per person (before 12th feb) £3.50 thereafter (under 3s free)

 

This concert is aimed at children aged 3-12 years and their families but is open to all who will enjoy it!  For further information please reply to this email or call Phil / Sarah Crathorne or Janna Holder on 01332 239629 / 271747

Study Suggests Possible Link Between TV Viewing and Autism in Children - Health News | Current Health News | Medical News

Link: FOXNews.com

Over the past few decades, there's been an amazing increase in the number of children diagnosed with autism. Some experts think this is due to broader diagnostic criteria for autism. Some point to vastly increased services for autistic children. Others think that something in the environment is triggering an autism epidemic.

It occurred to Cornell University management professor Michael Waldman, PhD, that the increase in autism cases came at the same time as increased opportunities for very young children to watch TV. Could it be, he wondered, that the explosion in children's TV programming, DVDs, VCRs, and video/computer games is behind the explosion in autism diagnoses?

Waldman asked his colleagues in the medical world to look at the issue. Nobody would. So he assembled a research team and did the study himself -- using tools more often seen in economic studies than in medical studies. The results bolstered his suspicions.

"We are not claiming that we have definitive evidence. But we have evidence that is awfully suggestive of a link between TV watching and autism," Waldman tells WebMD. "Someone should nail this down one way or the other."

Don't be a bystander to bullying

Link: EducationGuardian.co.uk.

According to one study, published in the Canadian Journal of School Psychology, 85% of bullying takes place with bystanders present. The same study found that nearly 60% of the time bullying will stop in less than 10 seconds when peers intervene.

There is a consistent body of evidence to suggest that bullying may be fuelled by the behaviour of onlookers: not only children and young people who actively encourage bullying incidents, but those whose silence implies approval, or at least tolerance. There is also evidence to indicate that it may be easier to change the behaviour of bystanders than the behaviour of children who bully.

More athe link above

Supporting Parents, Strengthening communities

Link: Home Office

Parents across the country whose families are showing signs of anti-social behaviour will be given a helping hand after the Government today announced it will set up a network of parenting experts as part of a wider drive to promote respect in all our communities.

Dedicated parenting experts will be established in 77 areas across England, through a £4 million boost in Government funding, to ensure that those parents who are worried about their children’s behaviour can get the help they need to put an end to the bad behaviour and bring up happier, better behaved children.

Frontline staff tackling anti-social behaviour will call on these parenting experts to provide help to families in evidence based parenting classes or sometimes on a one to one basis.

This new package of support comes on the same day as research shows that the public think that parents not bringing up their children properly is one of the main causes of anti-social behaviour. The key findings of the survey are:

* 53 per cent say poor parenting is one of the key causes of anti-social behaviour;

* 55 per cent say better parenting would do most to reduce crime;

* four out of five people agree that parents should be held responsible for the bad behaviour of their children;

* 92 per cent would like to see all ten year olds indoors and off the streets at 8:30pm on school nights;

    * 95 per cent support police taking children under 16 home if they are being anti-social after 9pm; and

* one third of parents would look for help from their friends and family when dealing with difficult or troublesome behaviour and two thirds would find help from outside these useful.

More at the link above

Happy Feet - good in parts?

Link: Kidology - Idea.

Happy Feet is a lighthearted, fun CGI musical that drops a heavy political bomb toward the end, but manages to recover. It isn't free of adult innuendos and even some anti-Christian hints, but overall is an entertaining film.

Read the full review and application ideas at the link above

Are some Bible stories off-limits for preschoolers?

Link: ChildrensMinistry.com:.

Are some Bible stories off-limits for preschoolers?

"Don't teach preschoolers about sin. And don't teach them that Jesus died for them until they're much older," the instructor told her roomful of children's ministers and Christian education directors. "They just can't handle those concepts yet."

I couldn't believe my ears!

Was this instructor right? Should we shield preschoolers from some Bible stories? Are we representing the truth accurately if we mince the facts and fail to tell children the "unsightly" aspects of Bible stories?

More at the link above

Eragon...What do you think?

Link: Kidology Network Forum: Movie Q: Eragon...What do you think?.

I read Eragon and Eldest because so many kids were and I wanted to know what it was about.  Does anybody have any opinions concerning this sure-to-be hit movie?

PastorEric
I also read the books and I am concerned about the religious/moral implications found therin. The religious system of the dwarves is elaborated on quite a bit (vaugely resemblinging Hinduism) and is then rather abruptly dismissed. The religious system of the elves is held in fairly high esteem but it rather Buddhist in nature. The humans appear to have only a vauge ethical system in which revenge is a perfectly acceptable motivation.

Click the link above to find a nuanced discussion about this highly promoted film

17 Child Friendly Compassion Projects

Link: ChildrensMinistry.com:.

Need a quick list to brainstorm about how your children can reach out to others? Get kids involved in ministry with these ideas:

    * Clean and organize give-away clothing closets.
    * Sort through and organize donations given to agencies.
    * Help prepare and serve the food at a soup kitchen or hospice.
    * Clean up, set-up, or tear down at a soup kitchen.
    * Help move small furniture for shelters.

Click link above for more

Ten Children's Ministry Trends

Link: Kidology.org - Equipping and Encouraging Those Who Minister to Children.

Discuss the Top 10 Trends Have you taken the time to read the latest Kidology Report, Looking Ahead - Trends in Children's Ministry? If so, perhaps you want to share your thoughts on each of the trends highlighted. Join these conversations in the Kidology Network Forums:

1. The Rise of the Children's Pastor
   2. Growing Focus on Family Ministry
   3. Media-Driven Ministry
   4. Growing Emphasis on Relational Ministry
   5. Kids Being Trained to Serve
   6. Increased Attention to "Tween" Ministry
   7. Kids Evangelizing Kids
8. Prioritization of Children's Ministry
9. Ministry to Children with Special Needs
10. Increased Attention to Child Security

Click the link above to find out more about these forums

Community—The Other Key Ingredient of Children's Ministry

Link: Community—The Other Key Ingredient - Children's Ministry.

During a recent toy repair project at home, I shared the recipe of two-part epoxy glue with my eight-year-old son. "When both clear gels are mixed together, they become super strong." At the time, though, I didn't realize that I had accidentally glued a screwdriver to the table.

Children's ministry also has two key ingredients that, when mixed together, make it "super strong": creative, relevant Bible teaching and community. Teaching tools, techniques and creative curriculum seem to receive more than their measure of attention. So for now, let's stick with the other key ingredient—community.

"Miss Jamie lets me say stuff without interrupting me. I wish my brother was like that," is why 4-year-old Erin loves the Yellow Team, her Sunday morning small group.

What is community for kids? The simplest formula is to divide your children by age into groups of six or eight, assign a leader, and call it a small group. That's a starting point. But the recipe for real community involves much more.

The world today is a tough place to grow up. The obvious emotional pain of divorce or parental absence, the quiet dilemma of watching hurricanes destroy lives and livelihoods, and persistent peer pressures all mix and stick to kids more than ever. For many kids, safety in life seems non-existent. That is our opportunity.

Children’s Ministry - The last 10 years

Link: Kidology Network Forum: Children’s Ministry - The last 10 years.

I've been a Chidren's Pastor for 10 years now.  On Monday I will be a guest speaker for a Christian Education class at the college where I graduated from.  I was thinking about sharing with them how CM has changed in the 10 years that I have been in ministry.  Here are some of the shifts that I have seen in my own minsitry....

    * From Teaching focused to creating relational and learning experiences.
    * From segregated ministry to integrated ministries.
    * From the church being internally focused to community/externally focues.
    * From the broad CP/Director (birth thru) to specialized directors/coordinators.
    * From finding warm bodies to recruiting on giftedness.
    * From focusing on kids to "say the prayer" to getting kids to begin and take "a journey" with Christ.

Would love to hear from others on how you've seen CM change in general or your own personal ministry in the last 5-10 years or so.....

Click the link above to add your thoughts

When your pastor is the problem

Link: ChildrensMinistry.com:.

Children's ministry was Ann's* life, and her first year at a new church was a honeymoon. All her requests were granted. Then, when her ministry started taking off, the honeymoon soured. Her senior pastor became a dictator, telling her who she could and couldn't talk to, demanding blow-by-blow descriptions of everything she did, and even criticizing the way she dressed.

"I couldn't reason with him," Ann says. "And his decisions weren't always in the best interests of the children and their parents."

As Ann's ministry grew, her jealous senior pastor felt like he was losing his authority. So he cut out some of Ann's flourishing programs and said she was too aggressive.

After Ann resigned, her male replacement-whom she had trained-did everything she had tried to do but the senior pastor had blocked.

AREAS OF CONFLICT

Unfortunately, Ann's situation isn't unique. If you've been in children's ministry awhile, you've probably had at least one tough experience with a senior pastor. And if you're a newcomer to the field, it's bound to happen to you eventually. Everyone's negative situations differ. But they all threaten your ministry to children.

More at the link above

When a storm hits your children's minsitry

Link: ChildrensMinistry.com:.

After spending months creating a quality summer ministry for your elementary kids, you’re very proud of your Wonderful Wednesdays program. How awesome! Five Wednesdays during the summer—a trip to an amusement park, a bicycle trip, a zoo trip, a movie, and a trip to a local hands-on science museum—all opening with singing time, devotions, and visits from local mission groups. While passing out the colorful booklets you spent hours preparing, a parent approaches you. She blurts out, “Just wanted to let you know I signed up to chaperone the zoo trip. I know you have that policy about not bringing babies, but I’ll have to bring baby Madison. I just can’t find a good sitter.” Unfortunately, your safety policy clearly states, “All children attending Wonderful Wednesdays must be of elementary school age; no one under or over this age is permitted on the outings.” In a very respectful, loving voice you explain the reason behind this rule and the importance of sticking to it. The mother quickly retorts, “Well, you can just count my Katie out of all the Wednesdays then! A mother should be allowed to bring her baby with her. What kind of children’s minister are you? That rule is crazy and there are several others who feel the same way!”

More on Ministry Storms at the link above

Size Zero Models and Pre Teen Girls

Link: ChildrensMinistry.com:.

Keep preteen girls’ emotional and physical health from vanishing.

Britney Spears has gained weight; Lindsay Lohan has lost it. Nicole Ritchie is way too thin, but Paris Hilton is perfect. The Olsen twins faced a personal, yet very public, dilemma when one of them was diagnosed with and hospitalized for an eating disorder. It’s undeniable that our culture bombards preteen girls with images and messages like these that looks matter.

“While many of the teenagers I work with have been exposed since childhood to commercials for sugary, fatty foods, popular culture is now bombarding them with size-0 models,” says Samantha Foxall of the youth group she leads. “That’s a very confusing set of messages for anyone, especially a young girl.”

More at the link above

Training days you might like

Link: Methodist Children - Training.

Evangelism among Children
Saturday 10th March 2007, 0930-1300, Portsmouth Grammar School, Fresh expressions of Church, Messy Church, and developing after school clubs. Contact education.kay@portsmouth.anglican.org , 023 9282 2053, £6.50 per person

Mosaic
Saturday 10th March 2007, 0900-1630, Nazerene Thelogical College, £10 per person, Workshop and Seminars on Children's and Youth ministry. Contact mosaicevent@yahoo.co.uk

Nurturing Children's Spirituality
Saturday 9th June 2007 , 0930-1300, Portsmouth Grammar School, Spiritual Development in Children, Learning from children in the Church, and practical ways to help children pray. Contact education.kay@portsmouth.anglican.org , 023 9282 2053, £6.50 per person

Scripture Union welcomes Christmas statement from Muslims

Link: Article - Scripture Union - light to live by.

Scripture Union welcomes the statement from the Christian-Muslim forum calling for a retention of public religious festivals and the resistance of a secular mindset which seeks to remove faith elements from festivals which are, at their heart celebrations of faith.

The movement’s response comes from a belief that faith is a matter of public debate and not merely one of personal conviction.

John Grayston, Director of Theology for Scripture Union, said: ‘In obedience to the biblical requirement to love our neighbours we endorse the right of all faiths to celebrate without fear of recrimination or intimidation.

‘In particular we affirm the need for Christmas to retain its historic emphasis on the person of Jesus.  It constitutes a unique opportunity for Christians to celebrate the love of God displayed in Jesus and to invite others to share in that celebration.  It is part not only of our Christian but also our national heritage and to cut it loose from its religious significance is to rob it of meaning and to deny our history.’

ends

See the original press release at www.christianmuslimforum.org/downloads/Religious_Festivals.pdf

Getting to grips with the big picture

Link: Getting to grips with the big picture.

Several of the articles in this series have stated how important it is that we teach young people the tools to understand the Bible correctly, in my opinion, enabling them to fit the ‘small parts’ into the ‘big picture’ is one of, if not the, most beneficial tool you can teach them.

Having an overview of the Biblical story not only helps you understand where individual parts fit into the whole, it also provides you with an outline of the Gospel message, it explains God’s plan for humanity, and it also provides an extremely useful theological framework. It’s a framework of Creation, Fall, Redemption and Consummation.

    * Creation: God created a perfect world out of nothing. Humans are the pinnacle of his creation and are God’s representatives on earth, made to live in relationship with God (and each other) and serve him.

* Fall: Humans disobeyed God. This had far reaching consequences on individuals, communities and the entire planet.

    * Redemption: Jesus Christ reconciled us with God when he died for our sins.

    * Consummation: The Holy Spirit enables transformation to take place and the church is meant to be establishing God’s Kingdom here on earth in part. Jesus will return to establish a new heaven and a new earth which will be perfect – God’s Kingdom in full.

Helping your children pray for the world

Link: ChildrensMinistry.com:.

Encourage a prayerful heart in your kids with this simple activity that walks kids through their own prayers for the world. All you need is a map, bandages and markers.

This activity is excerpted from it: Innovative Tools for Children's Ministry.

Age Level: Elementary

Kids can see a lot of pain and suffering around them, yet they often don't know how to process it, or what they can do to help. Guide kids in this simple activity that encourages a heart of prayer for the world.

Click the link above for more

When Wild Kids Show Up

Link: ChildrensMinistry.com:

How to avoid a showdown.

The best-made lesson plans of children’s ministers often go right out the window when certain children walk through the door. Yeah, you know the ones!

“Wild kids are the ones who show up to your class with their own agenda,” says Eric Wesley, children’s pastor at Mt. Hebron Missionary Baptist Church in Garland, Texas. “They have it set in their minds that they’re going to have things their way regardless of the consequences to them or anyone else around them.”

So how do you avoid a showdown with each wild child? Follow these tips from seasoned children’s ministers.

Click the link above for more

50 schools given RE Resource abiut Jesus

Link: Article - Scripture Union - light to live by.

More than fifty local primary schools have received free books thanks to Cambridgeshire schools worker Steve Whyatt.

Steve, who works for Scripture Union and lives in Cottenham, has been giving Hands Up books to schools all year after generous donations from Scripture Union supporters and the Deo Gloria schools trust enabled the books to be given to the schools for free.

Hands Up books are for use by teachers and assistants when reading with primary-school children in Key Stage 2 Literacy, RE and Citizenship studies. Each giant-sized book tells a story about Jesus from the gospels and is sensitively written to present Jesus in a manner that is understandable to those from a wide variety of cultural backgrounds.

Scripture Union started the project after recognising that cuts to education budgets had resulted in a lack of funds for schools to purchase resources.