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The Norfolk and Norwich Christian community website

Norwich club gets kids chatting about God

Chattabox1Scores of children were queuing up outside the door of St Andrew’s Church to get into a holiday club run by the Eaton parish in Norwich last week.

Rosalind Wright reports


 
‘Come and talk about Jesus’ in Eaton was the invitation to all children aged 5-11 in the Eaton parishes to attend the ‘Chattabox’ holiday club. The response was overwhelming with 68 children pre-booked. What a fantastic week it was!
 
From July 25-29, St. Andrew’s church was buzzing with the sound of chatter. An amazing team of over 30 people of all ages used their God given gifts and talents to serve in a variety of ways. I give thanks to God for each one of them.
 
The children were lined up at the door each day eager to get in. They were full of enthusiasm and expectation of the day ahead. Grandma Watt (played by the Vicar of Christchurch Eaton, Patrick Richmond) set the theme each day, which included making friends and finding out about Jesus.
 
Crafts included making bookmarks, bracelets, some very snazzy looking glasses, boomerangs, marble paintings as well as decorating biscuits. We also had some lively team games.
 
Each day we watched an animation about some of the people Jesus met and chatted with and how meeting Jesus changed their lives. These included: Andrew and Peter the first disciples, The Samaritan woman at the well, The Blind Man, Mary and Martha and Jesus re united with Peter after the resurrection.
 
Chattabox2In age appropriate groups children were able to join in with discussions and share their views on what it meant to be a really good friend and how they felt about Jesus wanting to be their friend.
 
We also learnt some new songs led by Phil Rodd (Vicar of St Andrew’s) on the guitar and Margaret Smith (Music Director, St Andrew’s) which the children sang with great enthusiasm.
 
On Friday we invited parents to attend a short service of thanksgiving and to stay for lunch which provided everyone with a great opportunity to chat and share what had been going on at holiday club. There was some very positive feedback.
 
Andrea Woods Holiday Club Leader and (Children, Young people and Families worker for St Andrew’s) said:
"It has been a really fantastic week. The children have been great fun and joined in with enthusiasm. There have been some amazing conversations."
 
My thanks go to everyone from both churches who helped to make Holiday Club a really happy and special time for so many children and we do pray that they will have taken away with them something of the love of Christ.
 
Look out for ‘Champions’ Holiday Club 23rd -27th July 2012.

 


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