Our Children’s Work rises to the lockdown challenge
Julie Currie is our tireless Children’s Development Officer. She describes below how with energy and creativity, the children’s work in the diocese has adapted and even flourished during lockdown.
“Throughout lockdown Down and Dromore Youth and Children (DDYC) has been incredibly busy encouraging, resourcing and facilitating our workers and volunteer leaders to continue to engage with their kids and young people.
We’ve made new material available each week via email and social media including videos, worksheets and craft ideas, all of which are being used. We’ve also adapted the JIGSAW Sunday School curriculum to become JIGSAW@HOME. Throughout lockdown it has become even more apparent that the whole family needs to be nurtured and encouraged to grow together in their faith.
We’ve been using YouTube, Facebook Live, Zoom, WhatsApp and all the technology available to us and our children’s leaders are doing the same. It’s so important for children and young people to see their teachers and leaders as that’s who they were connecting with pre–lockdown.
I have been online each Sunday catching up with some of the Sunday schools and seeing the fantastic Sunday programs they have been putting together. I’ve also been invited onto Zoom Sunday school to give the Bible teaching, to pray and to help with teaching the Makaton memory verse. The children have loved being included each week, displaying their pictures, the crafts they have made, reading the Bible passage or leading the prayers.
Encouragement
It’s such an encouragement that during lockdown some Sunday Schools have even grown in numbers as other families have heard about what’s happening and asked to join.
We have some very talented people in our churches, but we knew that already! Everyone has stepped up to the mark and we’ve been supporting each other on Zoom through our ‘Children’s Collective’. I’m so grateful for the many talented, God–filled, Spirit–led children’s leaders in the diocese enabling our churches to grow faith for now and in the future.
But throughout this season of uncertainty there is one thing bubbling up; they all want to get back to see each other again and to meet in person. This is an excitement that is growing not just for the kids, children and young people but for the leaders and adults too. Relationships have been strengthened and our families know that the Church, the Family of God is there for them.
As we wait for this moment to arrive, let’s continue to pray for continuing strength, energy and passion for the leaders, children and young people to share the good news of Jesus with each other.”
Julie