Children's Church

Children's Church is held in Michaelhouse at 10am every Sunday during school term time. It is aimed at children from preschool age up to age 11, but younger ones are very welcome too: we always have a space for babies and young toddlers, with soft matting and suitable toys. The atmosphere at Children's Church is warm and relaxed; we seek to make it a place of joy, wonder, community and creativity.

Each week at Children's Church there are some activities laid out for the children to engage in when they arrive. The activities are connected to the Bible story for the day*, and planned to suit a range of ages and interests. Once everyone has arrived, we gather in a circle for a welcome song, then we listen to the story, told in the style of Godly Play - with objects for the children to focus on as the story unfolds. The idea is to let the story to come alive for the children, and to let it resonate with their individual characters and experiences, so that they meet God in the story in their own way.

After listening to the story, we wonder about it together, then we split into two groups for a time of creative response. The school-age children go to the cafe area where they can draw, paint, cut, stick, construct, write, read, think, discuss, imagine... (!), and the younger ones stay in the chapel. At the end of the creative-response time, the two groups come together again for a song, before sharing a sign of peace with each other. Then we walk over to Great St Mary's and join the service there in time for Communion.

Parents/carers of school-age children are welcome to stay with them in Children's Church, or the children can be dropped-off before the start of the 10 o'clock service, and then walked back to Great St. Mary's by volunteers. We ask parents/carers of children who are not yet school-age to stay with them in Children's Church.

*We follow the liturgical year and, except on a few Sundays, we explore one of the Bible stories also being read in the service at Great St. Mary's, so that parents/carers and children can have conversations about the same passages each week.

The Ark

The Ark is a service of Holy Communion for babies, toddlers, preschoolers and their parents/carers. It takes place in the Michaelhouse chapel, and the order of service is adapted to encourage the participation of little ones at every part of the liturgy: there are bells to ring, ribbons to wave, and crosses to hold; there are action songs, storytelling, and interactive prayers. Holy Communion is administered by a member of the clergy, and children of all ages who have been baptised are welcome to receive the sacrament. Healthy snacks, and tea and coffee, are served after the service, and toys are laid out for the children to play with. All are welcome!

Chat-Play-Sing

Chat-Play-Sing is a friendly, fun play group for young children, toddlers, babies and their parents/carers. We meet in the beautiful chapel space in Michaelhouse every Thursday from 10:00-11.30.

We start each week with free play. There are all sorts of toys laid out, including soft-play blocks and a play-dough table. We have a good collection of picture books too, and there are cushions on the (underfloor-heated!) floor so that so that parents/carers can sit comfortably beside the children as they play. The atmosphere is warm and welcoming, and parents/carers enjoy talking to one another and forming friendships. There are healthy snacks for the children, and tea and coffee for the adults, all free of charge.

At around 11:00, we gather for a story, and then have a lovely time singing songs together, with a pianist to accompany us. After that, there is usually a bit more time to chat and play, before we finish at 11:30.

There is no need to book in advance and there is no admission fee. All are welcome!