Narnia transformation at Ilkley church

A church in Ilkley has been transformed into the magical land of Narnia for advent.

Churchgoers can expect to be greeted by a figure of Mr Tumnus the faun when they venture into Christchurch, The Grove, over the festive season.

Wintry landscapes reminiscent of the icy scenes from popular children’s book and film The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe have taken over at the family-friendly Methodist and URC church.

Minister Rob Hilton says the theme will be the cold and dark of a winter without Christmas, thawed by God’s love and the arrival of Jesus.

In the C S Lewis Chronicles of Narnia tale – noted for its Christian themes – the enchanted kingdom of Narnia is confined in a permanent winter by the evil White Witch, until the spell is broken when the lion Aslan sets foot on its shores.

The transformation of Christchurch has been made by flower volunteers at the church, and members of the Wednesday Wizards, a group of volunteer odd job men.

Jonathan Logan, the children and young people's worker at the church, and Pam Harris, who created some of the scenes for Christchurch’s Narnia display.

Christmas is coming

Christmas is soon to be here a time of  remembrance of old friends and family that have passed, a time to open presents and spend time with people that are dear to you, to some people it’s a time of loneliness and despair, to others a time of reflection and rest.

Allot of people get caught up in the frenzy of buying gifts and burying themselves in debt; some people eat drink and get merry, but forget the real reason to be joyful.

The great thing out of all this is that allot of people like to go to church over the Christmas period, to some it’s the thing to be done and it becomes tradition and to others well maybe they are looking for the real reason for the season.

This year we are opening up our doors to the community and bringing them into the world of Narnia.

December 18^th Big Saturday will be the launch of the Narnia theme.

Over the week before the 18^th we will be busy building our world of Narnia, in which you will be able to enter through the Wardrobe and enter a journey into the story of Lion Witch and the Wardrobe.

The Topic for the Big Saturday will be “always winter never Christmas”.

C.S Lewis in his writings wrote about the winter in our hearts that leads to springtime of faith, and so because his cold heart had been warmed by the love of God, he adapted this into his story The Lion witch and the Wardrobe.

The Snow queen’s powers being broken as Aslan, the true king is on the move. This story and theme will help the kids and their families realise that Jesus the real king is on the move to bring true light and freedom to their lives.

Over the Christmas period I will also have the pleasure in hosting the Christingle service 24^th Dec 4pm.

This year as part of the Christingle celebration, there will be a play called the grumpy Innkeeper and allot of the young people and children will be involved in the play.

So please come and be a bringer to a great service to rejoice in the fact that Jesus the true light of the world was born to bring peace and joy and salvation.

                                                                                                                                                                                   

Looking forward to this Sat

I am so excited about the Big Saturday coming up 6th November.
We are going to be looking at the Noah story and about how much God loves to talk to us.
Its going to be awesome and full on, and of course my friend Bubba is going to be there.

Something Big is going on

Big Saturday was officially launched on 02 October 2010 and an exciting adventure has begun.
Over 30 children came to the first Big Saturday and there was a great feeling of peace, fun, happiness and excitement.
In the first part of the programme
  * faces were painted
  * models made out of junk
  * biscuits made
  * knitted dragonflies had their googly eyes stuck on
  * bouncing on the inflatable castle
  * drinking colourful mocktails and
  * eating yummy cakes at the tuck shop.The children then moved upstairs for a fast moving programme, with Bubba the gorilla, singing camels and great worship songs. The children then listened about a fantastic God who loves them so much that he sent his son Jesus, to die on a cross for all the wrong things they have ever done.
All in all the day was a great success and many kids and their parents went away with a smile on their face.

The next Big Saturday will be on 06 November and the theme will be 'Listening to God' based on the bible story of Noah.

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need i say more

This is the article placed in our local newspaper with photo, about the big saturday i could not ask for any better advert. it was also on the front of the newpapers website.

God is n awsome God and this was a mark in history, the start of a life changing adventure for many.

 

Ilkley church's fun sessions are a big draw for youngsters

12:00pm Thursday 7th October 2010

Action-packed praise and worship took place at an Ilkley church in the first of a new monthly Saturday morning session.
More than 30 children enjoyed the bouncy castle, face-painting, craft and baking at Christchurch, the Grove, at the first Big Saturday.
After the fun and games, the children went to the church’s sanctuary for a lively praise and worship session.
Christchurch’s Community Worker, Jonathan Logan, said: “It was great to see the children and their parents enjoying themselves in church on Saturday morning. We look forward to seeing them again on Saturday, November 6.
The Big Saturday is aimed at children of primary school age and costs £2. Youngsters can come along at 10am for an hour of activities and then at 11am everyone meets to learn about Jesus in the sanctuary upstairs, helped by Bubba the gorilla and some singing camels.”

For more information about this event or other activities in Christchurch for children contact Jonathan on 01943 603209 or by email to jonathan@christchurchilkley.org.uk.

 

I love to see young people that passionate about God

This weekend has been awesome, seeing some of the young people of Christchurch getting excited about God, and serving the house of God.
One young guy in our youth group blows me away with his dedication and servant hood.
Giving up his Saturday  to help set up for a youth event, and then staying behind to pack up pa equipment and hoover and put away chairs etc.
Literally putting in hours of hard graft, and he doesn't look for any reward, he does it because he loves to serve.
A young man that is passionate about the place he worships, and loves to give into that so it blesses others.
Sunday night also excited me when one of the young girls, who is not really that confident got up and shared a 5 min devotion in front of the other kids.
You could tell that her love for God and her relationship with him is real and living.
To follow this another one of the young lads got up and shared what he believes God is saying to him about Church and also about his personal walk with Jesus.
As he shared i became more and more moved, as he shared from his heart and brought confirmation to things that i had been praying about on a personal level.
Wow God loves to use those who have a real down to earth faith, that hear and act with no questions.
God loves to use the unlikely, the weak to shame the strong, the poor to shame the rich. 1 Corinthians : 27
The shepherd boy who became a king of a powerful nation and did some amazing things.
 God is on the move his holy spirit is working in the lives of the young people, and i for one am excited about what is about to happen next.

I stand amazed

The last couple of weeks God has just totally blown me away, he daily reveals to me he on going love and reveals through his Holy Spirit, his plans for my life.
I am more and more excited about what God is going to do in Ilkley and what he has planned for his church.
I am as it says in the hymn standing amazed in the presence

I stand amazed in the presence
Of Jesus the Nazarene,
And wonder how He could love me,
A sinner, condemned, unclean.

Chorus:
O how marvelous! O how wonderful!
And my song shall ever be:
O how marvelous! O how wonderful!
Is my Savior's love for me!

He took my sins and my sorrows,
He made them His very own;
He bore the burden to Calvary,
And suffered and died alone.

When with the ransomed in glory
His face I at last shall see,
’Twill be my joy through the ages
To sing of His love for me.

For a while i was really lost in the darkness and did not know how i was going to get through it all, but God did.
He took all my sins and sorrows and he suffered and died for me, his grace is never ending and his love never fails, and he never let me go.
Wow i really do stand amazed, at what God has given to me and what he has done and how he has brought me to this place in my ministry, to see hundreds of kids saved and brought into that same presence, the presence of a mighty king. King Jesus who can and will meet all their needs and heal all their hurts.