Tottenham Quaker Meeting a meeting of the Religious Society of Friends in Tottenham

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Tottenham Children's Meeting Programme for 2001 developed by Kim Smith and Augene Nanning Overview Throughout the year, we hope to provide opportunities for the children and young people to consider for themselves some of the aspects of what it means to be a Quaker. What is silence? What is ministry? How does being a Quaker effect our lives? We hope that the children and young people will feel able to continue to share their views and experiences of these issues through out the year. We plan to explore how we can share our experiences with others by recording them, in writing, in art, on tape, etc. Adult Friends will come into the meeting some times to talk about the Quaker testimonies help shape their faith and life. January: George Fox, on the importance of journals During Meeting for Worship: we will consider how Quakers throughout history wrote down their spiritual experiences and ideas in journals that can inspire us even today. As an activity, each person will make and decorate a booklet that can serve as a journal for writing or drawing. February: Margaret Fell, on becoming a Quaker [Bring and Share Lunch] During Meeting we will consider what is a Quaker, what are the characteristics or attributes that contribute to being a Quaker. As an activity, each person will contribute to one collage focusing on attributes of what it is to be a Quaker. This is a collage that children and young people may add to through out the year. Contributions may be drawings, colours, fabric, pieces, symbols, poetry, cut outs from magazines, etc. We hope to have a tape recorder, so children can tape the story and explain their contribution to the collage. March: Robert Barclay (see QF&P 19.21) on Going to Meeting/Silence During Meeting for Worship: we will consider what is going to Meeting about, what is our experience of this. As an activity, children and young people will work together to produce a story about their experience of going to Meeting. If time allows, they will make simple …. puppets which can be used to tell the story. April: Stephen Grellet on Silence [Bring and Share lunch] During Meeting for Worship: we will consider what happens in silence, how do we each perceive the silence of worship. As an activity, children and young people create a colour sculpture by filling small bottles with different coloured salt/sand. If time allows, children/young people will have an opportunity to share what their colours mean, if they wish, by adding something to the collage from February, drawing/writing in their journal or through audio taping. May: Jane Fenn on Travelling Ministry (see F&P 2.56) During Meeting for Worship: we will consider what ministry is, ideas about how we live our life: what we say, what we do, sharing the spirit with in each of us with others. As an activity, children and young people will create ….. puppets so they can tell their own stories about ministry. If time allows, children/young people will have an opportunity to share feelings, views and experiences of Ministry by adding something to the collage from February, drawing/writing in their journal or through audio taping. June and July: Visiting Friend on Quaker Testimonies During Meeting for Worship we hope to have an adult from the Meeting visit and share a skill, trade, hobby with the children which relates to how they live their life as a Quaker. Note: June – Bring and Share lunch August: summer break, no Children's Meeting September and October: Visiting Friend on Quaker Testimonies (see June and July details) Note: September is the annual garden party, bring and share lunch and fellowship in the garden November 4th: Elizabeth Fry on helping others to help themselves During Meeting for Worship: we will consider how one way Quakers 'let their life speak' is by going out into the community, sharing with others. As an activity, each person can make and decorate Christmas cards for selling at the Winchmore Hill fair to raise money for the Tottenham new Meeting House building fund or some specific need in the present Meeting House or to buy paper and coloured pencils for gift boxes to be made in December. (Note: we do not need more greetings cards but pretty ribbon or other bits that can be used to make cards would be welcome.) December 2nd: Alfred Salter on sharing During Meeting for Worship: we will consider how one way Quakers 'live their life' is by sharing with others. As an activity each person will decorate a shoe box. The shoe boxes will be given to a local church charity or Quaker charity working with people who are homeless for distribution to children. In the boxes we hope to put some simple gifts. All in the Meeting (including children and young people) will be asked to provide simple, small gifts (made or perhaps something of their own they want to give away). Money from the card sale from November may be used to purchase some paper and coloured pencils for the gift boxes. Note: we will need shoe boxes, bits to decorate the boxes (wrapping paper, ribbons, etc.) and small gifts. Please start collecting now!! Note also, bring and share and seasonal celebrations following Meeting for Worship.