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Friends & Heroes - A good news story from Wilsden Trinity Church

Following on from our Year of Celebration last year, we were anxious to try to maintain the contacts we had made with the village children. In response we started a group for primary school aged children called Friends & Heroes. We now have a regular group of around a dozen very lively children who meet each week during term time.

The format of the evening is usually a mixture of games and craft activities linked to a DVD which tells the ongoing adventures of a group of Jewish exiles in Roman occupied Alexandria and illustrated by a bible story. Discussion follows and a short prayer time. The favourite time for the children is Tuck Shop. The adults like that too as we have a well earned cup of tea. We end with Show and Tell when the children share what they have been doing over the week.

The four of us who regularly run Friends & Heroes have to admit that we face each session with a degree of weary trepidation amidst a long and busy week but are always surprisingly blessed. most of the children are not from church backgrounds but they never cease to amaze us with their understanding and insight into the stories and life lessons we are introduced to each week, especially considering their age. We have built real relationships with these children over the months we have been running and feel privileged and very blessed to have  come to know them.

We invited the Friends & Heroes children and their families to a games evening and supper. This was an opportunity to introduce them to the rest of our church family and went very well, despite our last minute misgivings. We were blessed with excellent weather and were able to enjoy a barbecue and outdoor games including Splat a Rat and Stand up Bible Bingo (don't event ask). None of the children wanted to leave at the end and some of the parents have asked when we can do it again so we obviously didn't frighten them too much.

We are most grateful for all the help we have received from Sharon and would welcome any more help and advice the Circuit can offer. Most of all we ask for your prayerful support.

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