Christmas Feature: Engaging with the Children of Hunts Cross this Christmas
Caption: St Columba URC Hunts Cross church members putting together the Christingle at Home bags
St Columba URC Hunts Cross have been strengthening their community links throughout the year, particularly with a local primary school, which has cumulated in three very exciting Christmas Christingle activities, using a Mersey Synod Mission Fund Grant
The £400 money was spent on:
Purchase of “It’s Nearly Time” and “Festive Fred finds the Greatest gift” books from the Bible Society.
Bags, oranges, ribbon, candles, cocktail sticks and sweets for the Christingle.
Printing of the information leaflet that explains the different parts of the Christingle.
Christingle at Home Bags
The church provided Christingle at Home bags for the 367 children who attend Hunts Cross Primary School.
The bags were delivered as part of a Christmas focused assembly for KS1 children.
Revd Catherine McFie, Minister at St Columba URC Hunts Cross, explained:
“Each bag contains all the items a child would need to make a Christingle, along with a booklet that explains what the different items that make up the Christingle mean. We also use this opportunity to include information about our Christmas Eve Christingle service. We feel that this is a good way of sharing the Christmas Story, not just with the children but with their wider family. Continuing to provide Christingle at Home bags to every child is a way for the church to say we really want to tell you the Christmas Story.
“Over the year we have continued to build our relationship with the school, and we are starting to see that relationship grow. This has included being invited to speak to year 4 and 5 as part of their RE lessons, leading assemblies, visiting Year 6 and giving them a copy of It’s Your Move. The school has also asked if their choir can come and sing at “Coffee Pot” on a Wednesday.”
St Columba URC Hunts Cross church members packing the Christingle at Home bags
Christmas Story Book for Toddlers
St Columba URC has two toddler groups that meet in its church hall and this year, with over 60 toddlers across the groups. They will be provided with Christmas Story Book for toddlers from the Bible Society. This will also include a booklet to advertise our Christingle Service.
Revd Catherine McFie said: “This is the first time we have tried to engage with the two groups, and we thought this would be a good initial step.”
Festive Fred Finds the Greatest Gift
Each family that attends the Christmas Eve Christingle Service will receive a copy of the Bible Society’s book Festive Fred Finds the Greatest Gift.
Revd Catherine McFie added: “Last year we had new people attend our Christingle Service, some came with friends, some came because of advertising. It is hoped that over the Christmas period they will read the book as a family and get to know more about the Christmas Story.”
St Columba URC also raised £2,000 at their Christmas Fair.
More Christmas events at St Columba URC are advertised here Saint Columba URC Liverpool