What kind of activities do you do with your church??

[AlwaysTheMummy]

I joined church last week and so far have signed up for our lunch this Sunday and also a trip to the local theatre to watch a pantomine.

I was just wondering what activities everyone else did?

I have 2 young children and would like them to get involved with the church, like volunteering or trips away.

It's early days for me too Always - so far I have signed up on the rota to clean the church once per month, my husband helps with the youth group when they have evenings out and he also helps with the grounds clearance a couple of times a year. We also take part in the 'social' events around Christmas, Harvest, Easter and the annual camp week. Haven't been to New Wine yet, athou quite a few from church do go. Have also offered my services to the music director - flute, just for the major celebration services as I'm v rusty .

I cashier witih a friend every couple of months and help out at the Sumer and Xmas fete.

I do specific "catholic" duties too like read and minister Communion to the sick.

I teach Sunday School and we do pantomine for them.

I help run the youth group and we do an activity every month such as ice skating, bowling, horse riding etc.

I go to the Woman's group and we do a National Trust property/garden or a museum/gallery once every 2 months.

All the families from the 9.30 family service go out for Christmas lunch a couple of weeks before Christmas which I've just booked in at the local pub.

Then there is the Christmas shopping trip and the trip to see a Christian play at another church nearby.

Can I warn you not to do too much in these early weeks (not including social activities, which are absolutely great). This is the time for you to be fed, not to be flogged.

You should be taking it slow and steady.

Oh absolutely MmeBlueberry, I was just wondering what types of activities everyone else done x

Read lessons, teach/lead in Sunday-school, run a monthly Junior Club; piano accompianist for the church youth choir; member of small church "think-tank" group; bible study leader; church toddler group leader; member of v small group to develop the use of and promote a certain new bit of our church which is a major draw for tourists and pilgrims; occasional church history speaker for visitors and groups.

Generally I'm involved socially and work-wise with a lot of the church activities - was doing refreshments last night till gone past 11pm for a folk band concert in church; bake and cook for social events and meals; usually on the church book stall at fetes.

My OH is a vicar but most of these are things I would want to be involved in anyway. I choose the things I'd like to be involved in.

just been a member for 5 months but even before that I helped a friend with a group which helped people in need in our local community (stuff like taking a housebound lady shopping, cleaning for her, helping an ex-addict to sort out his trashed flat).

Right now, I feel I need to become very solid in my beliefs and am doing an Alpha course. I bake for fund-raisers and plan to attend the many concerts (which are fab) held in our church. I'm telling people about church which I feel is a big step for me.

That's it at the moment really apart from signing up to the maintenance day in a few weeks. Oh, and am helping to organise the Op Christmas Child appeal this year.

play the organ, help plan our monthly after school service, play the piano at toddlers, do the church newsletter, set up the laptop for the services we use the big screen at, going to the Harvest Faith lunch on Sunday, missed the Parish picnic this year but do usually go, usually take the boys to any of the "sing-along" musical evenings they do about once a year, ermm quite a bit really

sing in the choir, am now the junior choir master (master of junior choir, not junior choirmaster), put up the hymn numbers and take them down again, am on the PCC, which means I get to moan a lot about things that Need To Be Done and have a say in how it's done! , help to choose the hmyns/music (okay, beg my orgniast DH to let me help him choose), keep the choir website up-to-date. Am organising the Advent carol service this year.

I do not do readings, because it frightens me to death.

(i can't type, though - i blame this wedding ring)

oh, yeah, and I've been forced onto a committee for the Parish Magazine, which needs overhauling and the current editor is giving up the job because she has to do it all on her own.

oh yes - forgot about the the hymn planning

that kind of thing is forced into the recess of your brain that says "please, please, don't make me have to think about it! I can't bear it!!"

haha - it's not too bad actually - it's the exchurch warden, now trainer reader and I that do it. We're good friends and have quite a laugh doing it

Our biggest contribution is only going every other week, so that the others can enjoy the sermon when we are not there Our toddler is very lively, and not old enough for Sunday school yet.

do they not have a creche type facility ginger?

:( gingercat.

They do have a children's corner, and they are lovely about it, but we feel very aware of DS being noisy.
It seems no other toddler under 3 comes to church.

I help out with the Sunday school about once a month (it takes me 3 weeks to recover!)

We have Black Masses and Ritualistic Devil Worship every second Tuesday. At Christmas we have a pitchforking.

Oh, don't stop yourself from attending because of feeling aware of your son. If you are concerned at him being noisy, one of the best ways of him learning how to be a little quieter (but not totally silent as that is totally unreasonable and unfair), is by going whenever you can, to have a routine of "this is how we are at toddler group, but this is how we are at church, which is different from how we are at home". Your attendance - just being part of the community - is more important a contribution than any of the "jobs" that get spread around whoever takes them on/gets assigned them - it is the biggest contribution of all.

I forgot that I am on the readers' rota - I'll read anything you like but I can't make up prayers so never do those. I did do some work on the parish website as well as writing things for it but have forgotten how to do the behind-the-scenes faffing with the content management system.

Oh all right, I'm sorry. I just couldn't resist.

yep, agree with Dandy - you've got to keep going to get him used to it.

It's only like being at school (but with music!) and he only really has to keep quiet durign the prayers- some sermons can drag on a bit, and it might get the priest to hurry up!!

we're a very old-lady, traditional church with no sunday school, but friends of mine have started coming back to church, and they have a 6 month-old and a 2-year-old. 2-year-old is a bit loud sometimes, but to be honest, people are just glad to have youngsters in the church.

It's not easy is it Gingercat. THe only thing that has worked with my 2 kids is raisins - lots and lots of raisins. Nothing else will keep them quiet in church.

at our church the choir vestry doubles as a creche (boxes of toys hiding under the (unused) choir gowns. It's great as it's separated from the main body of church by only a large curtain - so noise doesn't filter through too much (and any that does no-one cares about as they're in the creche) - but they're close enough for mum/dad/carer to get back to them easily should they be required.