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A Week of Telling Tales

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Wilsden Methodist & United Reformed Church - A Week of Telling Tales

You've probably all been there, you're planning an event to showcase your church to the wider community; you know more or less what you want, but what on earth do you call it?  Thankfully Sharon, our circuit children's worker, came up with 'Telling Tales - come and help us tell our story'.  

We decided to start our week off with a 'Family Party Day'.  We wanted it to be for everyone, completely free with proper party food and a bouncy castle.  We chose games for outside (hook-a-duck anyone?) and made plans for inclement weather.  Sharon provided 'children in the bible' themed crafts and we borrowed a badge-making machine from school.

Alongside this we planned an exhibition in our church, 'past-present-future' which would run all week.  Arms were twisted for stewarding duties, refreshment provision and general help.  We sent out flyers through school and the uniformed organisations.  We attached posters to telegraph poles and put adverts in the local free magazines.  And then we prayed.  A lot.

Would people come?  Would the awful weather abate?
They would and it did.

Naysayers who had been prophets of doom had smiles on their faces; it was amazing and we finished the day with light and happy hearts.

During the following week, Wilsden Walkers had a history-themed walk ending with refreshments at the church.  Willots and Linedancers held their usual classes amongst the exhibits.  Ten classes of children from the primary school visited.  Beavers, Rainbows, Cubs, Brownies and Guids came and Sharon weaved her magic with them all.

Tales were told from the Bible, the reasons we go to church were discussed.  Items which form part of our worship were labelled and commented upon (it was pointed out that the chief steward hadn't been labelled but that was only because she hadn't kept still for long enough) and we worked out that there were in the region of 500 visits by children during the whole week, plus a pleasing number of interested villagers.

Included in our exhibition was a series of anonymous replies to the question "What does my church mean to me?"  Some were several hundred word essays, some were a single paragraph like this one:

"My church is my extended family, I always feel welcome and loved.  It gives me spiritual guidance."

You can't get more succinct and to the point than that, can you  This is the message that we hope people took away with them.

There were times when all the preparations seemed endless, when we seemed to agree on nothing and we felt we had bitten off more than we could chew.  And we hope we don't have to do it all again in a hurry!  The answer is in the fridge magnets made by the children, which said "I am a friend of Jesus".

What a friend we have in Jesus,
All our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
Everything to God in prayer ...
Are we weak and heavy-laden,
Cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Saviour still our refuge
Take it to the Lord in prayer.

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