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Dear Friends
As I write this letter our Toddler Group is about to reconvene after the summer break. Some children will have left to start nursery or school and we will, I’m sure, be welcoming new faces as well as familiar ones. The children come in with such excitement and the parents/carers with enthusiasm. (The bacon sandwiches may have something to do with this!) We do feel we are meeting a need in the community, not only for the children but for the adults too, who can meet, chat and have an enjoyable time with the children.
Reading Shirley’s comments in an earlier Messenger on children’s art and the need to let children’s voices be heard reminded me of a couple of incidents at Toddlers. I was telling Isabelle, my 3 year old grand-daughter, that we would be singing Hickory Dickory Dock at our next Toddlers. She then taught me 3 more verses - what happens when the clock strikes 2, 3 and 4! I told the children that Isabelle had taught me those verses and Jill, one of our childminders told me how a 6 year old was teaching her Makaton (signing). Jill commented how wonderful it is that children can teach us too.
Some years ago I visited Reggio Emilia in Northern Italy as part of my work as an Early Years Lecturer at Sheffield University. We went for a conference but also to visit their preschools which are based on the philosophy of Loris Malaguzzi, one of the founders. He was passionate about young children being heard and valued for what they could offer and wrote a wonderful poem ‘The Hundred Languages of Children’. Here are a few lines that reflect his beliefs:
The child has a hundred languages,
a hundred hands,
a hundred thoughts,
a hundred ways of thinking,
a hundred ways of speaking,
a hundred ways of listening,
of marvelling, of loving,
a hundred worlds to discover,
to invent, to dream.
The child has a hundred languages
(and a hundred, hundred more)
but school and culture steal ninety-nine.
They tell the child:
to think without hands,
to do without head,
to listen and not to speak,
to love and to marvel only at Easter and Christmas.
They tell the child:
that work and play,
reality and fantasy,
reason and dream
are things that do not belong together
and so of the hundred they steal ninety-nine.
They say the hundred is not there.
The child says:
No way. The hundred is there.
In Toddlers we are in a position to respect young children’s thinking, and to observe and listen, giving them time and patience and that is a great privilege.
‘Jesus said, Let the children come to me and do not stop them, because the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these.’ Luke 19 v16.
God bless you all, Kath Hirst
-o-o-o-o-o-o--o-o-o-o-o-o--o-o-o-o-o-o-o-
Church Notes - October
It is now almost a year since we moved into our new church. Our first service was held on Sunday October 17th and our minister, The Rev Shirley Knibbs, will be leading a sort period of reflective worship on Sunday evening October 23rd at 6.00pm.
One of big success in this time has been the Toddler Group which now attracts 30 or more toddlers each week and has resulted in a number of children being brought to church for baptism.
During the last year we have continued to adapt to our new premises adding a sound system for instance, creating extra space in the store rooms and buying new chairs. Having initially bought 100 chairs, we have now taken delivery of another 25 meaning that none of the old black plastic chairs are now in regular use.
Many churches benefit from gifts from members of the congregation and Meersbrook Park is no exception. We have been very fortunate over the years to have benefited from the generosity of church members and for this we have been very grateful.
As we are all well aware, we are now in a smaller building with more limited storage facilities. Our two store rooms are filled with our new chairs, tables, toys etc for the Toddler Group and numerous other items.
Could we therefore ask please that before anyone donates anything to church they have a word with their Elder to make sure that we have somewhere to keep it and that we will be able to put it to good use. Many thanks.
If you are a church member you will receive a voting paper with this month’s Messenger and you need to vote for two new Elders to serve for a four year term to replace Julie Bee and Val Bridgens who step down at the end of this year when their current term of office ends. A ballot box will be available in church for your completed voting forms on three Sundays in October (Oct 9th, 16th, and 23rd) and the results will be announced at the November Church Meeting.
We have another big birthday this month when Les Marshall celebrates his 75th birthday on October 1st.and we send him our congratulations and best wishes for the best of days.
Finally, in a few weeks’ time on October 30th we put the clocks back again and that is when we will start to feel that winter is almost upon us.
Chris
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