The Jays
Sunday school is about to change. We have been very carefully considering the needs of young people within the Parish. A new book ‘Children in the Way’ produced by the Diocese coincides with our feelings that the time is now right for the Sunday School to become more of a place to worship, a place to pass on our faith to our children - for they are all our children: they are the church of the future, the Christians of the future. The Sunday School has a place which is not inferior or secondary to that which takes place in church on a Sunday. it is different and is of equal value. Our worry is that the children, whose parents often have little if any connection with the church, all too often outgrow Sunday School and disappear, losing any connection with the church themselves.

it is time to change our approach - the Diocese’s book talks about the importance of children, the importance of teaching, the crossing of parish boundaries and of cooperation across the board for the passing on of our faith.

In October we plan to re-open the Sunday School under the title of ‘The Jays’ - J for Jesus and J for St. James. We are not a school in the sense of direct teaching. We hope to be place of worship, of joy, of fun - a place where children want to be. A place of welcome; a place to discover the joy and good news of Christianity and its power to change people’s lives.

We pray that it will become a place of witness to both the children and their parents to show them that worship is an everyday thing, that the home has a special place in the passing on of faith to children - around a family table, eating and breaking bread together, praying together, reading and exploring the Bible, bringing the true meaning of Easter, Christmas and Pentecost into our family lives.

What is more, we wish to involve all members of the Parish in this venture and would humbly remind you and ourselves of our responsibility to help pass on our faith to the children. It also means many other things will need to change. We will need people from our church and from other churches, parents, families, young people, older people, servers, lay readers and priests to join us periodically to explain what Christianity means to them and why they believe. We also want the children to play a bigger part within the worship of St. James’s. We will want to challenge people throughout the Parish to become leaders, teachers, helpers for children of all ages - so they will be unable to outgrow the place we make for them.

Captain Noah and his Floating Zoo
This summer’s workshops for children aged 5+ will be starting on Monday 1st August. This is part of an initiative across parish boundaries within the Diocese. We are combining at St. James’s with S.S. Michael and George and S.S. Peter and Paul to produce ‘Captain Noah and his Floating Zoo’. Last year we had over 70 children participating - so we will need lots of help - your help - to make music, scenery or costumes, to sing or help with the children, to work the lights, to help with the mysteries of the PA. system.

The Rebels
Once again crossing Parish boundaries and recognising the need for a place to be created for our young people, we have opened a Youth Fellowship. This is for children aged 10- 14 years and is held temporarily at the Vicarage of SS. Michael and George on Tuesdays during term time between 6.30 and 7.3Opm. Already comprising children from St. James’s and S.S. Michael and George though open to all corners, we have had a barbeque with over 20 children and a visit to the Hampton Pool.

The children have named themselves ‘The Rebels’ - rebels against the conventions of the world, a little like the first disciples. They want to know the why’s of Christianity, the why’s of the Liturgy, and what it means to be a Christian in the modern world. We need your help. We also want more and more children to discover for themselves the joys of Christianity - so please make sure that all children, whether they are connected with the church or not, are made aware of the warm welcome that awaits them.

Help!
Can you find it within yourselves to help Children 88. These three works - ‘The Jays’, ‘Noah’ and ‘The Rebels’ are all works of the Spirit. The challenge is to you to respond.

Source: Pam Atkinson, The Spire Magazine - 1988 August