A King Is comming

Maggi Dawn writes 

The first Sunday of Advent is the beginning of the Church year, the liturgical journey that explores not only the story but the meaning of salvation. Creation as the start of everything is a theme that is often highlighted at this time.

It is also the beginning of our preparations for Christmas—and, as Christmas celebrations are creeping further and further back into December, Advent is focused more on Christmas than it ever used to be. The preparation for Christmas, and the stories of the nativity, are a key part of the later weeks of Advent.  (Beginnings and Endings (and What Happens in Between): Daily Bible Readings from         Advent to Epiphany P11)

Today in churches around the world the first candle was lit, a candle of hope of promise a candle for the prophets who proclaimed the wonderful message Of what God was going to do. During our Family Eucharist today our first candle was lit.. And we reflected on Advent   and used the Godly Play material for Advent. Which we used last week for the story time at our monthly Kids club...


The opening words to today I love almost as much as the words from the Holy Family "wonderful in a Easter kinda way.

 A King is coming, but he is not the kind of king that people thought was coming. This King had no army, no great house, and no riches. This King was a baby who was born in a barn.

The King who was coming is still coming. This is full of mystery. You know, a mystery is hard to enter sometimes. That is why this time of Advent is so important. Sometimes people can walk right through a mystery and not even know it is there. This time of year you will see people hurrying in the malls buying things and doing this and that, but they will miss the Mystery. They don’t know how to get ready or maybe they just forgot.

Things were slightly bigger than I'm used too... we had the first tile on the big screen throughout most of the service... which was great to do but I do like sitting in a little circle on the carpet to tell the story.


As part of the service FrM shared this video 

It is so easy to miss the what advent is all about..This time of year you will see people hurrying in the malls buying things and doing this and that, but they will miss the Mystery. They don’t know how to get ready or maybe they just forgot. it's not just those who are rushing about in shops that my miss the mystery.  I wonder when was the last time you stopped and reflected on what Christmas is about. Maybe this advent take up the challenge for just five (5) mins a day to think about what is this mystery to me...


there are plenty for resources for advent like the one mentioned above (link)


shared briefly about letting the kids touching interacting with the materials and take on the story for themselves to often the nativity set is to be looked at but not touched..... 

when we were clearing up last week turning round to see the kids playing with the Holy family and the module of Bethlehem..


During advent each sunday morning the rest of the ADVENTure will unfold...  

Y@AS

Last night saw the launch of the youth club here in Scraptoft.  The idea is to have a very relaxed relationship building based group, provide a safe space. To start last night we had the Wii out table top games and a quiet area, a silly game that will run the next four weeks ( till christmas) and not forgetting a tuck shop. 


I had expected a very quiet start to the club, three youth were moving up from the monthly kids club. And a few interested from detached work over the last few weeks (Each wednesday morning- yep you read that right a youth worker talking about mornings :)) while the youth waited for the bus. So 6 or so youth were expected.


We wasn't I wasn't expecting to get 18... 


So a much busier night than any of us had expected. 

In proverbs 16 it says 

Commit to the LORD whatever you do,
   and he will establish your plans.

The danger is when you do this He could just blow your expectations out of the window. Taking them further than you think. 

The prayer now is for next week that they return and relationships are built at the club but also while doing detached in the mornings and We continue to give the plans to God and to listen to His plans and leading. And for more volunteers to come forward...

three months

That was this weekend, Its been three months since I began work in the parish here.  Since being here my one word answer to the Diocesan Youth Officer(DYO) when asked how it goes has been SLOW. Today things started to speed up as the meetings with schools finally happened. One a primary school the other a community college. So from next week I'll be in both at least twice a week doing reading, pastoral playground games, story time...

between the two meetings nipping into a chip shop and a great chat with the owner about the youth in the area and that they often hang out in the shop in a evening. Not doing anything just a warm welcoming place. 'there good kids just nothing to do' and not having the money to buy anything. From this is another place and contact to meet with the youth with a bag of chips in hand to chat.

it's these "chance" conversations that so much is learnt about place and people.

All Saints Kids

We were making the nativity today at Kids club we meet every third sunday last time we met I told the Godly play Story of the Holy family this week we did advent one ( which we will do again during family Eucharist next week) As we finished and we collected the characters together the conversation went like this

Kid: wheres baby Jesus... Me: being made over there... kid: but I thought He was born.... 

As the other leaders started laughing  it then a discussion with a 9yr old about the creed

the end of the conversation was followed by haha you were told by a 9yr old...

MA MA

I was watching repeats of  dr who (gridlock) and there this really cute bit with a basket of kittens the dr picks one up and it says Mama. 


My patches life is often a juggling act.. let me explain Two years ago my friend and mentor encouraged me to apply for a course that I was interested in. The course at cliff college was to be a PostGrad certificate in Wesleyan Theology And Spirituality. What came next totally surprised me but not so my mentor. I never expected to be completeling a Masters degree to be honest I never expected to complete any further study after leaving school. Two years into the part time course and this week attended a dissertation conference at cliff college. Three words really sum up the feelings about this next task exited, scared, overwhelmed. You see i have the same probem as pooh bear 

“My spelling is Wobbly. It's good spelling but it Wobbles,

 and the letters get in the wrong places.”

 -- Winnie the Pooh


This week I'm off upto Cliff college for a dissertation conference scary.. 

The other part of the juggling act is that I have a full time post as well.  Its just  over 2 months now since starting here in Leicester and things are about to get busy with  going into two schools and the new youth club starting in a couple of weeks and in between a week long course with the diocese so not much on then..

And a some point I need to write a 6000 word essay for the third unit of my course ...