Tuesday 21st January

We had a great start to the new term at Bible Club in Crocodile class with 11 new children from Reception classes. We learned the actions to the song, "Only a boy called David" which you can find on youtube if you want to sing it at home. And then we used our courage value as we got all brave and bold to talk to children we didn't know who were at Bible Club. We drew smiley faces and tried to meet and talk to 10 new children, exchanging names on our smiley face cards. Then we prayed for everyone at Bible Club to have a great term as we learn Bible stories about courage. It was so lovely to see the children making friends and welcoming the new younger children into our group. They were very brave in joining in with older children & in a room they were unfamiliar with too. Everyone in Bible club gets to go to eat lunch first on Tuesdays, so they have time to come to club.

Tuesday 5th November 2019

At Bible club this week we read the story of the Good Samaritan, and how the Samaritans were not a very popular group of people and yet Jesus made the hero of his story a person from this unloved group of people. Jesus showed how it is important to love your neighbour, whoever they are, and the best way to help them is to show them love and compassion, to see when they need help and to offer the help you can. That's just what the Good Samaritan did when he saw someone who had been robbed and beaten up. I think it’s brilliant that one of the school values is compassion. We then practised the Lord's Prayer with actions ready for the school service. A big thank you to all the children in Bible club who stood at the front of the Church to lead the whole School in the Lord's Prayer actions on Wednesday too. If you want to practise the actions at home or show your family how it goes, I've uploaded a mini film of the actions to the Christ Church youtube Channel, you can find it here: https://youtu.be/D_YGHmvfsKo The picture is of the children and the The Lord’s Prayer which they decorated and took home. Hope you have a lovely weekend, love Helen, Children's Worker at Christ Church Downend

Tuesday 12th November 2019

At Bible Club this week we learnt about Brother Andrew, a man who had compassion for Christians in other countries where they don't allow Bibles. We watched the mini cartoon film for children about how Brother Andrew smuggled Bibles into these countries in his blue VW Beetle car and we looked at a world map and tried to find the ten countries in the world where Christians find it hardest to live. If you want to watch the mini film at home with your families you can find it here Secret Smuggler We also tried to hide Bibles in my coat pockets, so we really understood what smuggling Bibles meant. Next week we will be colouring flags for these 10 countries in the Open Doors World Watch list. Open Doors is a charity which was set up to help Christians all over the world who find it difficult to share their faith because of the laws in their countries. Helen Buick Children's Leader at Christ Church. PS it’s Messy Church next Wednesday, 4.30-6.30pm in the Parish Hall. We have a lovely bunch of teenagers who are helping to plan and lead Messy Church, and it’s a really great place to be. If you've never tried it, do pop along to see us.

Tuesday 19th November 2019

At Bible Club this week we shared the story of a man who was born blind and a Jesus healed him. He spat on the ground and made a paste with the dust & spit and put it on the blind man’s eyes. Then Jesus told the man to go and wash the mud off. At that moment his eyes were healed and he could see! We shared this story because we have been learning about Brother Andrew who had compassion on Christians who didn’t have Bibles in certain countries. Brother Andrew had prayed for border guards to become blind (for a few moments) so that they wouldn’t see the Bibles he was smuggling into countries and we coloured flags for North Korea, Afghanistan & Somalia. We prayer for Christians in these countries as it’s really hard to be a Christian there. Helen Buick 

Tuesday 2nd December 2019

At Bible Club this week, we just read one verse of the Bible: Revelation 3 v 20 which says, "Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me." We coloured in doors and added lots of stickers. We talked about how God has compassion on us and wants to know us, but He doesn't come barging into our lives, he waits for us to open the door of our hearts, when and if we are ready to open our hearts to him. As ever, I am amazed at the way our children in Bible club are able to understand some really big concepts of faith in the Bible, as well as the stories and the parables we learn. Looking forward to seeing you next Tuesday in Church for the Infants Carols by Candlelight at 6pm. Helen Buick Children's Leader at Christ Church

Tuesday 24th September 2019

Bible club has started back and we are now meeting on Tuesday lunchtimes 12.30-1pm. Children who have signed up to Bible Club can go to lunch first on Tuesdays. This week we made a Friendship Tally so we can record with a tick every time we do something kind or show friendship, and we did actions and sound effects to the “Zacchaeus the taxman” story from our Lion Storyteller Bible. If you’ve been meaning to sign up to join Bible Club, Miss Evans has letters in the office. See you next week. Helen Buick, Children’s worker at Christ Church Downend.

Tuesday 1st October 2019

They didn’t have taps & kitchen sinks when Jesus was alive, they had wells ... as we continue to talk about friendship in the Bible, we heard the story of the “woman at the well” this week in Bible Club. She was a woman with no friends who had to go and fetch her water from the well in the middle of the day because she wasn’t welcome to do it with the others from her village in the cool morning hours. She had no friends. But Jesus met her and this encounter at the well changed her life forever. Jesus showed her He cared about her and could be her friend despite her lifestyle and her past. We drew this woman's face, on one side of our card she was very sad, and then we turned it over and she was transformed into a joyful, smiling, radiant woman. Sometimes we can be like Jesus and show friendship to those who don't have any friends. Helen Buick Children’s leader at Christ Church Downend

Tuesday 8th October 2019

In Bible Club this week we learnt about 2 sisters, Mary and Martha and how Martha was busy doing all the chores and the Mary was resting and talking and listening to Jesus. When Martha complained about how unfair it was, Jesus said something quite surprising. He called them both friends, he praised Martha for her hard work but he said Mary had chosen to do what was better. Sitting & talking to Jesus is the way to grow your friendship with him. We thanked Jesus that he wants to be friends with him.

Helen Buick Children’s leader at Christ Church Downend

Friday 7th June 2019

At Bible club today we sang this new song, “Jesus wants to be my friend forever.” If you click on it you can enjoy it again at home. And we drew pictures of lots of cartoon children to remind us that Jesus let’s all children come to him (and grownups too!) The children were all brilliant at drawing, even some who thought they weren’t very good had a go - and we shared all the pictures in our prayer time too.

Helen Buick Children's Ministry Christ Church Downend 01173050948 07817077141 children@christchurchdownend.com www.christchurchdownend.com

Friday 14th June 2019

At Bible Club we practised the Lord's Prayer with actions again. We prayed it to remember that we can get close to God when we talk to Him. We also prayed with pens by making prayer spirals, all the time we prayed we drew doodles and shapes on our strips of paper. It was good to know that you can talk to God while you draw! If any children from Bible Club are coming to C in the Park, you are invited to join in with the actions to the Lord's Prayer during the C in the Park service on Sunday 23 June starting at 11am. Hope you all have a blessed weekend without too much rain!

Helen Buick

Friday 21st June 2019

At Bible Club we shared the story of Jesus healing Jairus' daughter. We learnt that Jesus was interested in healing grown-ups and healing children too. And He was always thinking about worried the parents were, so he said to Jairus, "Don't be afraid, just believe and she will be healed!" Luke 8v20. You can share the Bible story at home via this link: And as a special treat, to celebrate the fact that Jesus heals children, we made a girl in a biscuit bed, with an icing blanket and a flying saucer pillow! You may find yours in your book bag! Hope you all have a great weekend. If you are at C in the Park this Sunday, Its at King George V playing fields, the service starts at 11am and children can join in the Lord's Prayer actions during the service, and the inflatables and free tea & cakes are from 12- 4pm. Blessings to you all, Love Helen Buick, Children's leader at Christ Church Downend.

Friday 28th June 2019

At Bible Club we listened to the story of the miracle picnic. This was when Jesus saw how hungry the crowd of over 5000 people were and he shared one boy’s packed lunch of 5 small loaves and 2 fish 🐟 with the whole crowd. Jesus made this boy a really important part of the story with his little packed lunch. We made little packed lunches to take home with 5 loaves and 2 fish in them so we could remember that God can even use little children and their packed lunches to show His power 💥 We are starting filming next Friday at Bible Club as we are making a special film for Education Sunday (for those who have given permission). If you want to be in the film make sure you come along to Bible Club next Friday. Thank you. Helen

Friday 5th July 2019

I'm sure many of you have had that feeling of panic, when you can't see your child & you fear you have lost them? Well it even happened to Mary & Joseph, yes that's right, they lost Jesus. They had been on a family trip to Jerusalem, and on the way home they suddenly realised that he wasn't there among the group of family & friends, walking home. They went on a worried hunt for him, retraced their steps and found him (3 days later) in the Temple, he had been asking the priests all kinds of questions. At Bible Club today we shared this story from Luke 2:41-52. We read it in the Lion Storyteller Bible, which is a great way to read Bible stories aloud. For a craft activity we made little name labels, a bit like the label Paddington Bear wore, with our names, and a space for a grown up's phone number, in case we ever get lost.

We are having a ‘bring and share’ banquet (@12.15pm) this Sunday after the 10.30am service, we would love any CCI families to join us, all you need to do is turn up and bring something yummy to share. There’s always a lovely friendly atmosphere & plenty of families.

Friday 12th July 2019

Thank you so much to all the teachers, lunchtime staff, office staff & all the pupils for the amazing welcome I receive each & every time I come into your amazing school. I pray that you will all be super blessed by God as you are refreshed over the summer break. To our year 2 leavers : I pray you will know God’s peace as you leave the Infants & that you will know God walking along with you when you start at the Juniors in September. (There is a Monday Bible Club at lunchtime organised by Louise Branch which you might like to join.) It’s our last Messy Church next Wednesday 17 July, 4.30-6.30pm if anyone wants to come. Over the summer, every Sunday morning there are children’s activities at Church. There’s a free Summer Bounce at the Staple Hill Community Hub on Tuesday 6 August 2-4pm (with the Tuesday Move it Club) and there’s a Family Cream Tea in the Church with children’s crafts on Friday 30 August 2-4pm. Come and say hi if you make it to any of these events over the summer ! Love Helen Buick, Children’s Leader at Christ Church

Our photo this week is some of the Bible Club feet - we prayed for these feet and for these children, as they go to all sorts of places over the summer, and for those feet and these children who will move up to the Juniors too.