Families

          Harvest Festival Worship for All Ages October 13th 10.30am

Welcome

Do bring your family to join with us on Sunday mornings, or to our monthly Families Church on Saturdays aimed at babes to age 9 and their relatives, or to one of our social events for families. Many young families also attend our Baby Group and Toddler Group. Details of regular events below - we look forward to meeting you.      

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Saturday Families Church 

Our relaxed Saturday morning welcomes families  for playtime, activities and refreshments and includes a bible story, Christian songs and child-friendly ways of praying. We are meeting monthly from October 2024 on the 4th Saturday between 10:30am and 12:15 (except December) We have a broad age-range from babies and toddlers to age 9, parents and grandparents and enjoy using the garden in summertime. All children must be accompanied by an adult.

Sunday mornings – Young People's Church and monthly FamilyWorship@10

Our Young People's Church caters for ages 5 to 14 on the first Sunday each month, and sometimes on other Sundays too, and younger children may join in with parental support. Toddlers may play with their parents with toys in the church.

Young People's Church includes a bible story and discussion using material from Roots ecumenical resources, and craft, prayer, games or toys. We also join with the main congregation for some of the worship.There are usually between 3 and 8 young people with two leaders, and parents may stay with young children who are settling in. The age range of our group fluctuates depending on families' busy diaries, but over time all the youngsters make friends. It's a good contrast to school - a small group with older and younger ones who help each other to have fun! If your child has some particular needs, please have a chat with the leader on the day and we will try and accommodate.

We also welcome families to occasional All Age Worship with the whole congregation, in which some of our young people usually take part.

Each month from January to September we also enjoy FamilyWorship@10, a shorter 40 minutes service commencing at 10am with content geared for the children and activities on tables for those who like to be doing something as well. Everyone is welcome at FamilyWorship@10, and afterwards there are refreshments, and activities for families to continue socialising in the adjacent hall, whilst the church holds a traditional service from 11am. Often the garden will be open for play. FamilyWorship@10 is being held monthly on the 2nd Sunday each month - recommencing January 2025.  October 13th is our Harvest Festival and November 10th is Remembrance when our families join in the ecumenical service and Parade in Howardsgate. 

And we encourage children to join in special worship events such as Harvest, and Carols by Candlelight. Our Young Families Christmas Special is geared for babies to Age 7 with all members of the family welcome: December 23rd at 3.30pm.  

Friday evenings for Families

We often host an event for families on a Friday evening starting 6pm or 6.30pm, including Bible Heroes, Gamesnights and Filmnights. Bible Heroes is an opportunity for a small group of parents and children to engage with a Bible character, including bible reading, games and crafts and discussion in a fun atmosphere.  Gamesnights are outdoors when possible, else indoors with team challenges and traditional games like Jenga and Bingo and Wink Murder.   Coming up: Family Gamesnight Oct 25th & Nov 22nd from 6pm.  

Baby Group

We are open every Wednesday afternoon during term-time, and occasional weeks during school holidays for a drop-in for babies and parents from 1.15pm to 2.45pm.  Free parking in our adjacent carpark (ask for the code at your first visit).  This is a friendly multi-cultural group available to pregnant women and mums and dads with babies up until they are toddling. A few people manage to get along the third week after birth but for most it takes a few weeks to start getting out and about. Come for refreshments and a chat, playtime for your baby, and our short singing session.  If needed, you can bring an older child along too and we will find them some toys. It’s usual for people to feed their baby during the sessions – breast or bottle. There is no religious content in this session, which is open to people of all faiths and none. Donation suggested £2 per family. To check on dates, visit our facebook page WGC Baby Group.

https://www.facebook.com/wgcbabygroup

Chatter and Tots 

Our Toddler Group meets on Thursday mornings at 9.30 until 11.15 for children aged 0 to 3 with their carers - parents and grandparents and foster carers all welcome. ( We have a separate group for paid childminders - please call the chruch office to enquire).  We have no booking system* – just turn up, usual attendance is 12 to 15 families.  A chance for the toddlers to play followed by singing. Suggested donation of £2 per family.  There is a counter where you can make hot and cold drinks and biscuits are served to children at the end of the circle time. Our carpark usually has spaces and there is an access code we can give you on your first visit. Please park your buggy in the lobby on the way in. Open to people of all faiths and none, we tell the story of Christmas and Easter each year. This group is closed during school holidays, but we usually organise some summer playdates in the garden. Contact: Church office.

(*Why don’t we operate a booking system? Well partly because we would struggle to support the administration of it, and partly because we believe it would favour families with a predetermined schedule – and many families are needing to opt in at short notice as their circumstances change (shift working, illness etc). Fortunately we are right in WGC town centre by the gardens so in the unlikely event that you arrive to find the door already closed we hope you will find something else to do!)