Category: children’s ministry

A hymn about safeguarding, of all things

children's ministry, church resources, hymns, love, music, worship

I wrote this for someone who was planning a service to pray for all those who work as safeguarding officers.  One sets out to write a hymn about this subject with a certain degree of fear and trembling.  But here it is. As always, it’s free for anyone to use – you don’t have to ask.   Feedback is always welcome, too.

The tune is Corvedale (that’s the triple time tune that’s often used for There’s a Wideness in God’s Mercy).

May this place be one of nurture
where we all may come to know
how your endless love sustains us
as we live and move and grow.
May we work to build your kingdom
full of truth and light and grace,
living life in all its fullness
held in one divine embrace.

For our negligence and failures
you have called us to repent,
drawing energy for action
from the voices of lament.
As the secret hurts long hidden
may at last be brought to light,
may the truth unlock the freedom
that is every person’s right.

When the smallest child is valued,
and the strong empower the weak,
and each human life is hallowed
and the unheard voices speak:
then your justice stands like mountains
and your mercy falls like rain,
and you hold the brokenhearted
till they learn to live again.

So in gratitude we praise you,
and we lift to you in prayer,
all the people you are calling
to this ministry of care.
Give us wisdom, grace and courage,
holding fast to all that’s good,
seeing Christ in one another
we will love and serve our Lord.

It’s beginning to look a lot like Advent

advent, all age, children's ministry, christmas, hymns, worship

Actually it isn’t. But I wrote this on the train the other day, as a very belated response to someone’s request for a song to go with the lighting of the Advent wreath, and I thought I might forget about if it I waited till November. 

Advent Wreath Song
to the tune ‘Father we place into your hands’

Mothers and fathers of the faith, who lived in time of old,
Leaders and judges, kings and queens were faithful, true and bold,
Travelers, heroes, shepherds, all with stories to be told:
Still they show us how to follow you.

Prophets and seers who spoke the truth in answer to your call,
finding new ways to bring your word to people great and small,
living their lives to show your love was meant for one and all,
still they show us how to follow you.

John, in the desert calling out, ‘The Kingdom has come near.’
‘Come and repent, and be baptised, there’s nothing then to fear.’
‘Jesus is coming now, the One you’re waiting for is here.’
Still he shows us how to follow you.

Mother of Jesus, angels called her favoured, full of grace,
Holding the Son of God, the Prince of Peace, in her embrace,
She is the one whose ‘yes’ helped God to save the human race,
still she shows us how to follow you.

And this last verse, for Christmas day, is by my friend and colleague Gill Robertson:

Jesus our Saviour, born a king, we welcome you today,
Lord of all time, Immanuel, with joyful hearts we say:
You are the Christ who came to earth for us; and now we pray,
Help us all to daily follow you.

Who really matters?

children's ministry, random thoughts

I can’t believe I’m actually going to write a blog post about someone else’s blog post about someone else’s article. It’s just daft. But it’s only short, so here we go:

This morning my facebook feed presented me with this piece, slating (in a nice way) the even more bizarre list produced by Tatler, of “People Who Really Matter”.

My first thought was simply that a list of people who really matter would be an unranked list of about seven billion names, and that it would be quite a task to produce it and keep updating as new little humans are born.

My second thought was that the list would just get longer and longer, as people don’t stop mattering just because they die.

My third thought came at some point in the third paragraph of the blog post, when I realised that the problem with the list was framed around the fact that number one on it was a baby.  It’s princess Charlotte, by the way.

My fourth thought was that, while the baby princess is ranked #1 because she is a princess, it is actually wonderful, rather than silly, that a baby is considered someone who “really matters”.  Charlotte is a delight, and the light of her parents’ lives, I have no doubt, but really she hasn’t done anything much yet – most of her major life achievements are still ahead of her. She matters (in real life, that is, not in Tatler) because she exists, because she is beloved of God just as we all are.

If a person cannot “really matter” from the moment they exist, then we are left with the conclusion that our significance is dependant on things we learn to do only later in our lives, if at all, or worse still, on our contribution to the economy, and so on. So, Tatler, while I am baffled by your bizarre and strangely pointless ranking of people’s significance, I applaud you for placing a young child first, and reminding us that we are significant simply because we exist, for to exist is to be beloved of God.

 

 

Making the most of your child’s baptism

baptism, children's ministry, church resources, worship

baptismbook.jpgI’m delighted to say that the second edition of my booklet, Making the Most of your Child’s Baptism – a gift for all the family, will be published by SPCK on 21st January 2016.

The new edition is in a slightly larger format, with a slightly larger typeface – it’s an easy read for families, with lots of lovely pictures (the design work by SPCK’s Sarah Smith is beautiful, by the way). As in the first edition, there are excerpts from the liturgy, explanations and explorations of the words and actions, things to think about and practical ideas to try at home to help the whole family grow in faith.

This second edition is also fully revised to include the new ‘accessible language’ liturgical material published a few months ago, as well as still containing all the Common Worship ‘default’ settings.

You will be able to buy copies direct from SPCK, or from Eden, Amazon etc. Enjoy!

Christmas song for children

advent, children's ministry, christmas, church resources, hymns, Other cool stuff, worship

Here’s an easy Christmas song for children to sing – I must have written it last year and forgotten about it. I’m posting it here in case it’s useful. The tune is ‘Here we go round the mulberry bush’.

Sing of the time the angel came, the angel came, the angel came,
Sing of the time the angel came to bring the news to Mary.

Sing of the birth at Bethlehem, at Bethlehem, at Bethlehem,
Sing of the birth at Bethlehem, the baby in the manger.

Sing of shepherds from the hills, from the hills, from the hills,
Sing of the shepherds from the hills, who came to worship Jesus.

Sing of the brightly shining star, the shining star, the shining star,
Sing of the brightly shining star, that led the kings to Jesus.

Sing of the love of God on earth, God on earth, God on earth,
Sing of the love of God on earth, that brings us close to heaven.