17
Your Guide to hosting a Christingle

Your Guide to hosting a Christingle - The Children's … · Your Guide to hosting a Christingle. ... you’re not sure how to go about writing a ... The good news is you might not

  • Upload
    vophuc

  • View
    216

  • Download
    0

Embed Size (px)

Citation preview

Your Guide to hosting a Christingle

Welcome to your guide to hosting a Christingle

Whether this is your first time hosting a Christingle service, or you’ve been hosting them for years, we hope you’ll find this guide useful in helping you to create an event that’s right for you.

Throughout this guide, you’ll hear from other Christingle service organisers who, like you, have chosen to celebrate the hope we can bring to the lives of children affected by hardship, abuse and neglect.

If you have any questions, or just want some advice, please get in touch with our friendly Supporter Care Team on 0300 303 7000 or by email to [email protected] (Mon–Fri, 9am–5pm)

I wish you all the best with your Christingle celebration,

Matthew Reed Chief Executive

Planning Your ChristingleBelow, we’ve given you a step-by-step guide to help make planning your Christingle celebration simple and fun – it’s a good idea to start planning well in advance of your event.

STEP 1: Sort out the basics

Pick a date, time and place

You can hold your Christingle service whenever you like – though if you’re holding a celebration in a school, they often make for a great end of term event before everyone breaks up for the Christmas holidays.

Celebrations typically take place between Advent (four weeks before Christmas) and Candlemas (2 February), but you can hold your event at other times if you wish – though we would recommend the autumn and winter months, as the lit candles won’t have quite the same impact in the middle of summer!

If you don’t have the space to host a celebration yourself, why not partner up with your local church or school and see if you can host an event together?

Decide how you’re going to fundraise

All funds raised through Christingle celebrations help bring hope and positive change to the lives of the vulnerable children and young people we work with.

To make sure that your celebration has as much impact as possible, it’s important to take the time to consider exactly how you’re going to fundraise during your event.

Find out more about how the funds you raise help to change the lives of

vulnerable children on page 15

Contents

Planning Your Christingle 3Step 1: Sort out the basics 3Step 2: Spread the word 5Step 3: Gather your resources 7Step 4: Create the right event for you 11Step 5: Celebrate! 12Step 6: Paying in your donation 13

How Christingle supports childrenand young people 15

Who we work with 15Our services 17Our staff and volunteers 18

Creating your celebration 21Games and Icebreakers 22Prayer and Worship activities 23Discussion and Reflection 23Arts and Crafts 26

32

STEP 2: Spread the word Let people know about your event

As well as helping you to raise even more funds for vulnerable children, promoting your celebration in your community is a great way to reach out and to build new relationships.

Once you know when and where your celebration will be taking place, you can start promoting it. To help you do this, we have a number of free resources such as posters, invitations and leaflets available for you to order or download.

You can place an order using the order form on page 8 of this guide. or download them online at christingle.org/resources

1. Speak to community groups

Christingle is a great opportunity for you to come together with other members of your local

community, so be sure to let as many people know about it as possible. You can approach community groups such as Brownies, Guides and Scouts to be part of your service and even help with making the Christingles. Also give them collection candles to fundraise and spread the word about your Christingle celebration.

‘The one piece of advice I would give to anyone

organising a Christingle is to look outwards and advertise well. Our service used to be

very much for the church members only, but I included

some key groups after talking to their leaders. It

has now grown into families and they say it’s “the start to

Christmas”.’Jacqui Fuller, St Andrew’s Church Swavesey

Step 1Sort out

the basics

Step 2Spread

the word

Step 3Gather

your resources

Step 4Create the right

event for you

Step 5Celebrate!

Step 6Paying in

your donation

Here are a few ways that you can fundraise at your Christingle celebration:

1. Hold a collectionOur Christingle collection envelopes are a really convenient way of collecting donations from your guests during your event. It’s always best to give envelopes out beforehand and let guests know that a collection will be taking place.

Don’t forget to encourage guests to make even more of their donations by completing the Gift Aid details on their collection envelopes (and provide pens for them to do this). This helps us to claim an extra 25p in every £1 at no extra cost to your guests. For more information, see our Gift Aid guidelines at christingle.org/fundraising.

2. Give out collection candlesA few weeks before your Christingle, give any children attending one of our free collection candles to fill with change. The candles are a great way to help children understand that the Christingle celebrations are not only fun, but play an important part in helping other children. Ask the children to bring their full collection candles to your Christingle celebration.

3. Hold a Christingle cake saleWhy not prepare some Christingle-themed drinks and snacks and ask people to give a donation for them? You can use your leftover oranges to make marmalade, or even orange-flavoured Christingle muffins. For other great ideas for things to do with your oranges after your event, see christingle.org/artsandcrafts.

Remember to Gift AidDuring your event, remind people that UK taxpayers can boost their donations by 25% by filling in the Gift Aid form on their collection envelope – try to remember to have plenty of pens around too!

Step 1Sort out

the basics

Step 2Spread

the word

Step 3Gather

your resources

Step 4Create the right

event for you

Step 5Celebrate!

Step 6Paying in

your donation

54

2. Put up lots of posters

Getting posters and flyers noticed is a bit of an art form. Try to stick them somewhere people will see them and have time to read them. Church noticeboards, schools, libraries, doctor’s surgeries, gyms and shops are all great places to display your posters.

3. Promote your event online

You can publicise your celebration for free by registering your event with us. Just visit christingle.org/register and we’ll then place your event on our online map, making it easy for people in your local area to find out about it. We’ll even let you know if someone is interested in attending your event so that you can get in touch with them personally.

4. Send out invitations

A personal invitation can go a long way in showing people how much you value their attendance at your celebration. Order our free invitations and distribute them in your local community to encourage as many people as possible to attend. Making invitations is also a fun activity for children to do before your Christingle celebration – and we’ve even provided a template you can use.

5. Approach your local media

Press releases are the best way to tell your local newspapers, radio stations and television programmes about your upcoming activity. If you’re not sure how to go about writing a press release, you can download a sample template at christingle.org/media

6. Mention Christingle at other events

Coffee mornings, Christmas fairs and other church or school events can provide perfect occasions to publicise your Christingle celebration and raise extra funds. In the run up to your celebration you can also invite one of our volunteer speakers along to talk, during services and assemblies, about Christingle and how it supports our work.

‘I promoted our Christingle at the community Christmas fayre a few weeks before and

that really helped to attract more visitors.’

Emily Petty, St Hilda’s Church, Crofton Park

Step 1Sort out

the basics

Step 2Spread

the word

Step 3Gather

your resources

Step 4Create the right

event for you

Step 5Celebrate!

Step 6Paying in

your donation

Share your pictures and stories with us Promoting your event on social media? We’re always eager to see pictures from Christingle events and hear about the different ideas people use at their events. Share pictures and highlights from your event with us on Facebook at facebook.com/childrenssociety or on Twitter by tweeting @childrensociety or using #Christingle.

STEP 3: Gather your resources

No Christingle celebration would be complete without some oranges, red ribbon, sweets, dried fruit and candles. The good news is you might not have to buy everything – try asking local shops and supermarkets to donate the items you need in return for some free publicity. You can find a template letter for writing to shop managers at christingle.org/resources

As well as making sure you have enough supplies to make the Christingles, it’s also important to ensure that you have plenty of people to help you both before and on the day.

Try and get a small team of people together to help with things like meeting and greeting, handing out pens for people to complete their collection envelopes and helping to make the Christingles, if this is not being done by your guests.

‘I enjoyed creating a bit of a stir in my local supermarket

as I was loading 150 oranges into my trolley. I had

dozens of opportunities for conversation when people

kept on asking me “Why have you got so many oranges in

your trolley?” Co-incidentally, the lady on the check-out

remembered me from the previous year and just

smiled and said ‘Christingle time again?’

Jo Birkby, Holy Trinity Church, Knaphill

Step 1Sort out

the basics

Step 2Spread

the word

Step 3Gather

your resources

Step 4Create the right

event for you

Step 5Celebrate!

Step 6Paying in

your donation

76

‘Because we have 160 Christingles to make up, we

have a team of ladies, mums and children together in the

church on the Saturday. This year we had new mums and

children who hadn’t helped before, and who have offered

to help again in the future.’Patricia Blackburn, St Mary the Virgin, Ecclesfield

Order your free materials

To make it as easy as possible for you to organise your event we’ve provided a number of free resources to help you promote and host your Christingle celebration. You can place an order by using the form below, visiting christingle.org/resources or by calling 0300 303 0555 (8am–9pm Mon–Fri and 9am–6pm Sat–Sun).

For other resources such as service outlines and prayer activities to help you plan the format of your celebration, see page 21.

Resource Order Form

Please complete both sides of the form and return it to: Freepost RSYH-HKUB-BSXB, The Children’s Society, The Boulevard, Orbital Park, Ashford TN24 0GA. Please be aware that once we receive your order form, it may take up to 10 working days for us to process. Because delivery times may increase as we approach the Christmas period, it helps to order your materials well in advance of your event. To avoid the Christmas rush, we would recommend that orders for resources be placed no later than Wednesday 23 November 2016.

If you would like to send a suggested donation of £6 with your order, please enclose a cheque made payable to The Children’s Society along with your order form, or provide credit/debit card details.

Item Stock code Quantity

Planning and Promotional Resources

Christingle Organiser’s PackOur Christingle Organiser’s Pack contains everything you need to help you get started with planning your event. The pack includes one each of the following: Christingle Guide, Christingle Organiser’s Checklist, Christingle Donation form, and an A4 Invitation and Thank You poster.

XTC002

A5 Invitations (pack of 10)A personal invitation can go a long way. Distribute our invitations amongst your congregation or pupils so they can invite their friends and family along to your celebration.

XTC005

A4 Invitation and Thank You posterAn eye-catching and simple way to let promote your Christingle celebration in your community. Once your event is over, you can also use the back of the poster to let everyone know how much you raised. Also available in A3 size.

XTC006

A3 Invitation and Thank You poster XTC007

A4 General posterUse our general posters to signpost guests to other important information at your service. Also available in A3 size.

XTC008

A3 General poster XTC009

A3 Safety poster*This bright, colourful poster can help to make sure everyone at your celebration stays safe.

XTC010

Event Resources

Red tape A great alternative to red ribbon and just one roll is enough for 200 Christingles.

XTC017

Wax candles (box of 50)No Christingle would be complete without a wax candle to decorate it with.

XTC019

Christingle Collection candles (pack of 25)Our collection candles are a great way to help children feel involved in making a contribution at the service.

XTC018

Christingle Collection envelopes (pack of 20)A simple and easy way to collect donations and boost your fundraising with Gift Aid.

XTC021

Christingle stickers (25 per sheet) A nice token to give to children and guests as a sign of their participation.

XTC020

Prayer cardsUse our prayer cards to send a message of hope to the children and young people we work with.

XTC013

Christingle Starter Event Pack (50 people)A ready-to-go event pack made especially for those who are doing a Christingle for the first time, or holding a small event. The pack includes one each of the following items:A4 Invitation and Thank You poster; A3 Safety poster; Red tape; Collection candles (pack of 25); a box of 50 candles; 1 x Sheet of 25 stickers; Collection envelopes (pack of 20), 1 x Giro*.

XTC023

Christingle Medium Event PackA ready-made event pack for 200 people. The pack includes:2 x A4 Invitation poster; 1 x A3 Safety poster; 1 x Red tape; 3 x Collection candles (pack of 25); 4 x Box of 50 candles; 2 x Sheet of 25 stickers; 8 x Collection envelopes (pack of 20); 1 x Giro*.

XTC024

Christingle Large Event PackA ready-made event pack for 500 people. The pack includes:2 x A4 Invitation and Thank You poster; 2 x A3 Invitation and Thank You poster; 2 x A3 Safety poster; 3 x Red tape; 8 x Collection candles (pack of 25); 10 x Box of 50 candles; 4 x Sheet of 25 stickers; 20 x Collection envelopes (pack of 20); 1 x Giro*.

XTC025

Post-event Resources

Christingle giro* Use this to pay in your donations at the bank after your service.

XTC022

Christingle Donation formUse this form when paying in cheques or returning collection envelopes to us.

XTC014

*You will automatically receive one copy of this item, so you should only place an order if you need more than one copy.

Please turn over the page to provide us with your details

Step 1Sort out

the basics

Step 2Spread

the word

Step 3Gather

your resources

Step 4Create the right

event for you

Step 5Celebrate!

Step 6Paying in

your donation

98

Your information

IMPORTANT – please fill in all your details below so we can correctly despatch your order.

Once you’ve completed the form, please return it to: Freepost RSYH-HKUB-BSXB, The Children’s Society, The Boulevard, Orbital Park, Ashford TN24 0GA

Contact detailsTitle ■■■■ First name ■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■Surname ■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■

Delivery address ■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■ ■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■ Postcode ■■■■■■Is this the same as your home address? Yes No

Tel no. ■■■■■■■■■■■Email ■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■Organisation name ■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■Organisation type: Church/Committee/School/Other

■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■Delivery options

Free delivery (5–10 days): £0.00 Standard delivery (3–5 days): £7.50 Express delivery (2–3 days): £10.00

I am paying by... Debit/Credit card Visa CAF Card Mastercard Cheque

Cardholder’s name ■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■Card Number ■■■■ - ■■■■ - ■■■■ - ■■■■ ■■■ (Maestro only)

Stat date ■■ / ■■ Expire date ■■ / ■■ Issue no. ■■ (Maestro only)

Billing address ■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■ ■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■ Postcode ■■■■■■Signature Date ■■ / ■■ / ■■

I would like to make a donation of towards the cost of my materials

I would like to make a payment of for postage

Total amount

The Children’s Society would like to contact you about how you can support vulnerable children by campaigning, raising awareness and providing financial support.

Yes, I’m happy to be contacted by email No, please do not contact me by telephone Yes, I’m happy to be contacted by text No, please do not contact me by post

Please note if you carry out a specific role for us in the community (eg box coordinator, speaker) then we will continue to communicate with you about this role, until you cease the relationship. The communication preferences above are about contact from The Children’s Society that are not related to your role. You may, of course, have a preferred contact method for the activities you undertake for us. If this is the case simply let us know.

DC45

STEP 4: Create the right event for youWhat your Christingle celebration involves is really up to you – you can organise anything from a traditional celebration service with prayers and hymns, to fancy dress and giant Christingle oranges. Most services tend to include the following elements:

Welcome, introductions and gathering activities An explanation of the symbolic meaning of

Christingle A talk/sermon Lighting the Christingle candles Collection of gifts Hymns, songs, or a music/drama performance Prayers for the work of The Children’s Society

For ideas on what to include in your celebration, take a look at our order of service outlines, prayers, songs, games and other activities in this guide.

‘The children loved the opportunity to “build” their

own Christingle throughout the course of the service. The church was set up in

café -style and there was a great opportunity to chat

afterwards over a tea of sandwiches and cake.’

Jo Birkby, Holy Trinity Church, Knaphill

Step 1Sort out

the basics

Step 2Spread

the word

Step 3Gather

your resources

Step 4Create the right

event for you

Step 5Celebrate!

Step 6Paying in

your donation

£

£

£

11

STEP 5: Celebrate!

This is where the real fun begins, as all your hard work and preparation pays off and you get to really enjoy your Christingle. But amidst all the fun, try and remember to:

Be as safe as possible

Make sure candles are firmly inserted into oranges before they are lit. Ask helpers to supervise children during the lighting of their Christingles, so the children hold their Christingle still and have any long hair tied back. You can also order our safety poster to make sure everyone who is part of your Christingle remains safe (see page X).

Talk about the cause

It’s really important to let people attending your celebration know what a huge difference their participation makes. One of the best ways to do

this is to share some stories of the children whose lives have been changed through the generosity of people who attend Christingle services. See page 17 for more information. We can also help you with this by sending one of our volunteer speakers to your celebration. To request a speaker, visit christingle.org/speaker.

Say thank you

Please do try to remember to thank your guests and helpers and celebrate the success of your fundraising together. By doing this, you will make everyone feel proud of what they’ve achieved and hopefully encourage them to take part again next year. To help you with this, we even have handy thank you cards available for you to order and hand out at the end of your service.

If possible, try to share your fundraising total with them at the end of your activity, or within a few days after it’s ended. The invitation poster we have available for you to promote your event also doubles up as a thank you poster, so you can use this to show people how much of a difference they’ve made.

Step 1Sort out

the basics

Step 2Spread

the word

Step 3Gather

your resources

Step 4Create the right

event for you

Step 5Celebrate!

Step 6Paying in

your donation

STEP 6: Paying in your donation Once your event is over, all that remains is to pay in your donations. There are a number of different ways you can pay in the funds raised at your Christingle:

Pay in your donation online

The quickest and easiest way to pay in your donation is to make a payment online. Simply pay the funds into your own bank account and then use our online payment form to pay the money to us. This is particularly useful if you don’t have time to get to a bank or Post Office and want to ensure that funds reach us securely. To make a payment online, visit christingle.org/donation.

Send us a cheque in the post

You can also send us a cheque in the post using the address details on the next page. If you are sending a cheque, be sure to complete the Christingle Donation Form and send this along with the cheque. This helps us to acknowledge your gift correctly and keep out records up to date. If you don’t have a donation form, you can download this from our website.

Tying up your loose changeIf you’re struggling to find somewhere to change up coins from your collection, why not try local shops or pubs in your community? One of our supporters has even made an arrangement with a local butcher who is always in need of change for his shop.

Step 1Sort out

the basics

Step 2Spread

the word

Step 3Gather

your resources

Step 4Create the right

event for you

Step 5Celebrate!

Step 6Paying in

your donation

1312

Pay donations in at the bank

If you would prefer to make a payment in person, simply complete the details on the Christingle giro you received when you ordered your resources and take this, along with your donations, to your local Barclays or Post Office. You can pay the funds in at a bank other than Barclays, but you may be asked to pay a small transfer fee and we may not be able to acknowledge receipt of your donation.If you don’t have a giro, please call 0300 30 30 555 to order one (8am–9pm Monday–Friday, 9am–6pm, Saturday–Sunday).m Saturday–Sunday).Send us your collection envelopes

If you used collection envelopes at your event, please make sure you empty these of all donations first before sending to them. You will also need to ensure that you complete our Christingle Donation Form and read through our updated Gift Aid Information so that we can claim Gift Aid from the envelopes.

Once you’re happy that all of the envelopes have been emptied of all cash, please post them to us for free to:

Freepost RTSK-LYBJ-UBJYThe Children’s SocietyEdward Rudolf House69-85 Margery StreetLondonWC1X 0JL

Sending us cheques or collection envelopes?

Remember to complete the Christingle Donation Form and send this to us along with any cheques or collection envelopes. We can’t claim Gift Aid from your collection envelopes without this, so please be sure to complete all of the details on this form.

How Christingle supports children and young peopleAt The Children’s Society, we’re doing everything we possibly can to change children’s lives and create a country where all children are free from hardship, abuse and neglect.

The funds raised at your Christingle celebration are vital in helping us to continue reaching and supporting children who have nowhere else to turn, helping them to have their voices heard and giving them a renewed hope for the future.

Who we work with

For more than 130 years, we have focused on working with children and young people that cannot access support and services elsewhere. Our work today focuses specifically on working with children who are:

Already victims or in danger of being sexually exploited

Leaving the care system Struggling with mental health issues Running away from home or care Affected by drug and alcohol misuse Young carers Refugees and migrants

Making children’s voices heard

Although the issues these children face are varied, the root problem is often the same – their needs are being ignored and their voices are going unheard. That’s why listening to children and young people and ensuring that their voices are heard has always been central to our work. Simply taking the time to hear about children’s experiences directly from them is what empowers us to keep tackling the issues which prevent them from fulfilling their potential, as we’re able to use this information to shape our research, policy, campaigning and direct practice work.

‘The thing we love most about Christingle is knowing that we

are doing something positive to help people less fortunate

than us.’Sheila Cotton, Hodthorpe Primary School,

Hodthorpe

Step 1Sort out

the basics

Step 2Spread

the word

Step 3Gather

your resources

Step 4Create the right

event for you

Step 5Celebrate!

Step 6Paying in

your donation

1514

Someone to trust

Our drop-in centres give vulnerable children somewhere to turn, providing a safe space, people willing to listen to them and provide expert advice and guidance.

A fresh start

For lots of children and young people, as well as impacting them now, the issues and experiences they face can lead them to fall into a cycle that can hinder their future prospects.

Renewed confidence

We work with children and young people to uncover their skills and strengths, actively using our participation work and child-led initiatives to provide opportunities for them to grow.

A stronger voice

The findings from our research with children and young people shape our campaigning and policy work to ensure that Government and key decision-makers are listening to their needs of vulnerable.

£50 could pay for one-to-one counselling for a child who is struggling to overcome the

abuse and neglect they’ve suffered.

£200 could train a new project worker so they can provide support to children who are

struggling to overcome abuse and neglect.

£500 could provide 10 one-to-one counselling sessions for a child who is struggling to

overcome abuse and neglect

£1,000 could provide confidence-building

sessions to help children overcome abuse and neglect.

£2,000 could train new project workers to provide

counselling and support for a neglected child living in poverty.

Speaking about our work

We encourage you to speak about the work of The Children’s Society during your Christingle and bring to life the impact your support will have on the lives of children and young people.

The map below will give you an idea of how many young people we are supporting across the country.

To find out more about how we are working to support children in your local area, visit childrenssociety.org.uk/impact.

By working together we can make sure that vulnerable children and young people always have:

Yorkshire and North East

8,83940

London and the East

1,64931

South and South West

6,38018

Midlands

5,48415

Total number of young people supported

Total number of services1716

‘We’re never going to be able to make a situation perfect,

but we can support young people to manage their lives,

process their emotions, and start thinking about

themselves.’

Elena, project worker

Elena works at The Children’s Society supporting young people who have a parent or family member with a substance misuse problem. Elena joined the charity as a volunteer in 2014 and has since been employed as a full time project worker.

‘The young people I work with tend to feel quite isolated and overwhelmed when they first come to the service. They feel like they’re not able to talk to people about their situation - so they go to school and put on a brave face when really there is a lot going on at home. Home life for most of our young people is quite chaotic. There can be a lack of boundaries and sometimes they are taking on responsibilities like putting siblings to bed or helping them to school in the mornings. They have to grow up that little bit earlier.

‘The role of The Children’s Society is to help the young person understand addiction and its effects – but also to switch the focus onto the young person, instead of the parent or the substance misuser. My job is to help them understand that, while they can’t control mum or dad drinking or taking drugs, they can control things that relate to them, like; how they spend their time, what they do at school, and what their goals are for the future.

‘‘Most of our young people won’t tell anyone what is going on at home. You wouldn’t go into school and say, ‘my dad was drinking last night and I had to put him to bed’. It’s not something that these young people feel comfortable sharing. We do one-to-one sessions: which aim to give them the space to express how they are feeling, and be really honest. We also do group work which aims to get the young people to open up about addiction and how it affects them, and also to empower them around how they can manage the really tough challenges they face. It’s really quite powerful for them to share their experiences and understand there are other young people in similar situations, and that they are not on their own.

‘A lot of young people feel like they are the reason mum or dad take drugs or alcohol, and that they are to blame. A lot of our work is about alleviating that, and telling them that mum and dad drink because it’s their choice. We stop them from thinking their parents’ behaviour is a result of anything that they have done.

‘When I talk to people about what I do, they think the young people would be very obvious - that you’d be able to pick them out on the street or at school - but they’re not. A lot of them can be high achievers; they’ll turn up to school and present like anyone else. So it’s not always picked up, and there is a real mixture of how young people are introduced to the service. A lot of referrals come from social care, some come from a parent or family member who has entered into a rehab centre, and we also have a member of staff who works with schools to help signpost young people to the right place. It’s their choice if they want to engage with us, and we do have a really high engagement rate.

‘We’re never going to be able to make a situation perfect, but we can support young people to manage their own lives.’

Our staff and volunteers

‘If no one has been able to nurture them and care for

them, their attitude is they have been on their own for so

long with no help, they don’t need any now. My job is to

break through that and help them.

Sarina, project worker

Sarina is a project worker for The Children’s Society at a service that provides support for males who have experienced, or are at risk of experiencing, child sexual exploitation.

‘There aren’t many services for males experiencing or at risk of child sexual exploitation, and there’s this stereotype that boys don’t talk about their problems, so I try to help build their resilience and self-esteem so they can feel confident dealing with their issues and speaking about them openly.

‘The work I do is one-on-one, and I don’t just sit in a room and ask them questions, I’m interested in what they want to say. You can see a difference with this approach, the young person is much more relaxed.

‘A lot of sessions we look at identity. Many boys who experience any form of rape or exploitation start to feel confused. It can feel like someone has come in and stamped on their identity. They don’t really know who they are, how they feel, or how they should behave in society. It causes havoc in their relationships with other peers, their parents and the people in their community. Because of that, they are much more vulnerable and more likely to be exploited further.

‘I work with young people around the dangers of talking to people online, I teach them about the grooming line, and what is appropriate or inappropriate. I might have cards that identify what are healthy or unhealthy relationships, and get them to point things out or rate things from 1 to 10 so I can see how they define their relationships. It helps to get the conversation going.

‘After working with young people, I can see them thinking about managing their risk of harm, so they become a lot more resilient. They know about support services and start developing an understanding of child sexual exploitation.

‘Every young person is at risk of being groomed. But someone who has experienced a lot from a young age is much, much more vulnerable. If no one has been able to nurture them and care for them, their attitude is they have been on their own for so long with no help, they don’t need any now. My job is to break through that and help them.’

1918

Paul Al-Naqib is an Independent Advocate from The Children’s Society, Black Country

‘I’ve worked with looked after children in residential care, special schools and children’s rights since 1997.

‘My mother gave me up at three weeks. I never had any relationship with my parents and lived with my grandparents, aunts and uncles and for most of my life.

‘At about 12 years old everything changed for me. I was living with my grandparents and out of the blue they got divorced. I loved my grandfather and chose to remain with him, an uncle and his family who also lived in the house.

‘My grandfather and I were ok together alone but he was then knocked off his cycle one night and suffered a series of strokes which left him paralysed down his right side. I witnessed his first stroke alone and it was terrifying.

‘At 12 years old I became his carer – no training, no notice, no discussions. I didn’t even know he was coming home from hospital. Uncles and aunts dropped in initially but this soon became so infrequent and fleeting that it became of no consequence. After about a year of not attending school as a result of my caring responsibilities I ended up becoming looked after and placed in a children’s home.

‘My childhood was very difficult and the care system left me ill equipped for adulthood. I left school illiterate with little hope for the future. I returned to education at 23 and started from scratch with basic skills and literacy, an Access Course and a LLB (hons) degree.

‘I see my background as a young carer and care leaver being an invaluable part of me which I’d never change; it made me what I am. This is why supporting young carers is so important. They, like me care for their families through love and often put their own lives on hold. But with the right support networks these young carers can achieve whilst continuing to support their loved ones.

Creating your celebrationOne of the things that makes Christingle such a wonderful event is the variety and flexibility there is in creating a celebration which perfectly suits you and your community. Over the following pages, we’ve provided a number of different activity options that you might like to include in the run up to and during your Christingle celebration.

Activities for schools, children and young people

In this section:

Games and ice-breakersPrayer and Worship ActivitiesDiscussion and ReflectionArts and CraftsWorksheets and Handouts

For more ideas and resources, please visit christingle.org/resources

2120

Games and ice-breakers Up and over – ages 5+1. Split the group into equally sized teams of 4–6 people.

2. Have each team stand in a line facing forwards, so that each person is facing someone’s back.

3. Explain to the teams that they need to pass the orange down the line, with each person alternating between passing the orange over their head and under their legs. So if the first person passes the orange over their head; the second passes it under their legs, the third over their head and so on.

4. When the orange reaches the end of the line, the last person should run to the front and begin the whole process again. The winning team is the first to return the orange to the person who was initially at the front of the line.

Balloon race – ages 5+1. Split your group up into equally sized teams.

2. Now inflate an orange balloon for each team.

3. Lay out a start and finish line on the floor, and get teams to divide so that half their team is behind each line.

4. Start a relay race, where team members take it in turns to waft the balloon to their team mates on the other side of the room, using a newspaper or a piece of card. Note, they are not allowed to touch the balloon with their hands or feet.

5. Once everyone on a team has taken a turn, they shout ‘Christingle!’

6. The first team to shout ‘Christingle!’ is the winning team.

Torch relay – ages 5+1. Split the group up into equally sized teams.

2. Run a relay race using an unlit candle as the baton.

3. Place a lit, large candle at the finish line.

4. The first team to complete the race and light their candle is the winner.

Light and dark – ages 8+1. Place a dividing line the length of your room using a thin rope or chalk (not on the carpet!). One side of the line is ‘light’ and the other side is ‘dark’.

2. Children stand on the ‘light’ side and when you call ‘dark’ they jump over the line to the other side. When you call ‘light’ they jump back.

3. Continue in this way for a few more times and then repeat the same side (e.g. light, dark, light, dark, light, dark, dark). Any child who jumps when they shouldn’t have is out.

4. Continue until there is only one child left in.

Sweet scramble – ages 7+1. Split everyone into teams.

2. Each team must take it in turns to transfer Smarties from one plate to another at opposite sides of the room, using only a straw.

3. If a team member drops a Smartie during transfer, they must go back to the plate and try again.

4. The first team to transfer all of their Smarties to the plate on the opposite side of the room wins.

Tug of war – ages 8+1. Split the group into two teams and challenge them to a game of tug of war. Label one team as ‘light’ and the other team as ‘darkness’.

2. Challenge the teams to try and pull the other team over to their side. The first team to successfully move the other team over to their side wins.

Prayer and Worship activities A Christingle prayer – ages 5+Lord Jesus, I stretch out my hands and receive this gift, and I hold it tight because it is mine. My Christingle.

Light, fruit, sweets, colour, but so much more precious than this. I hold in my hands a picture of your love.

Lord Jesus, help me to remember those who have not known your love, and do not have anyone to turn to.

Today, as I hold my Christingle and remember you, I pray that you would make me someone, like you, who will reach out my opened hands to give and love like you do. Amen.

Prayer stations – ages 8+Split your hall/church into four sections which will act as prayer stations. In each section, place the following sign/picture with a brief description of the prayer focus for that area:

1. The Light (a candle)

Light a candle – or a few candles - with a leader to help children like light their own.

Thank God for sending Jesus as a light in our world. Pray for God’s help for us to shine our lights even more brightly.

2. The World (an orange)

Prepare small flags from different countries and attach them to cocktail sticks, plasticine or sticky tack. Take an orange, a globe or an atlas to represent the world and invite children to select a flag and place it on your world.

Pray for our world and everyone in it.

3. His Love (red ribbon)

Invite everyone to take a length of red ribbon and tie it around their wrists as they pray.

Thank God for the love that he has shown us through Jesus and the confidence we can have in His love for us.

4. His Gifts (dried fruit/sweets)

Invite people to take a sweet as they pray.

Thank God for all he gives us to enjoy in this life, and most importantly for the gift of Jesus.

Prayer walk – ages 5+Going for a prayer walk is a great way to reflect and focus on what is happening around you.

Give everyone a Christingle sticker to wear and/or take your Christingles with you. Visit four places in your community where you would particularly like to see the light of Jesus shining, as well as places which give cause to celebrate. At each stop, light a Christingle, say a brief prayer for the people there, sing a hymn and leave the Christingle candle as a reminder of the visit.

Discussion and Reflection ADVENT

The Light of the Lord – ages 8+Readings: Isaiah 2.1-5; Psalm 146.5-10; Isaiah 35.1-10

Dark PlacesIn life it can sometimes feel as if dark places are all around, e.g. when we’re frightened or lonely, when bad or painful things happen to us or those we love.

Jesus sometimes referred to himself as a light. In John 8.12 we read ‘I [Jesus] have come as light into the world so that whoever believes in me would not stay in darkness’.

Jesus also promised that when we ask him questions, he will hear us and help us. Because of this promise we can ask Jesus to shine as a light into the dark places we feel or see around us knowing that his promise is to bring light and hope.

2322

Ask the children where they feel Jesus’ light needs to shine; in their own life, for someone they know, for others in the world or for the children and young people supported by The Children’s Society?

Lighting up our world – ages 8+You will need:

Copies of local and national newspapers Scissors, glue and paint Large sheet of paper/map of the world Table covers

Ask the children to look through the newspapers from around the world/their local community, and then cut out articles that worry them and articles that make them happy.

Draw a map of the world on a large sheet of paper with the local community in the centre.

Glue the articles onto the map and use brightly coloured paint to highlight the worrying articles.

Think about how we can shine a light into our local community and in the world through prayer, involvement in community groups, volunteering, campaigning etc.

Live in joy – ages 10+Reflect with the group how sometimes we are faced with things in our lives that can make us feel dark and sad, and it may be hard for us to feel the light and hope within.

Discuss things that we and/or the children and young people supported by The Children’s Society are faced with and what we can focus on and do to improve the situation.

Use the examples in the table below, either leaving the ‘Focus on…’ section blank to be completed during the discussion, or creating a completely blank table. The group could take them home and use them in prayer.

When faced with… Jesus brings….

Rejection Acceptance

Frustration Patience

Sadness Joy

Defeat Victory

Insecurity Confidence

Difficulty Perseverance

Anger Understanding

Tiredness Strength

Anxiety Peace

Limitation Persistence

Loneliness Relationships

CHRISTMAS

Reading: Isaiah 9.2-7; Titus 3.4-7; John 1.1-14; Matthew 2.13-23

A great light – ages 8+What do we mean when we refer to Jesus as being a light?

Show the children a picture of a bicycle or car with lights fitted on the front and the back. Ask how many lights there are on it. Why does it have two lights on it? Lead a discussion around the two lights – the front light is there so that you can see where you are going, the rear light is there so that other people can see you. One light is there for direction, and one for protection.

Return to the question of what it means for Jesus to be a light, and the ways in which Jesus is there to guide and protect us.

Walking in darkness – ages 7+Invite two children to take part in a ‘race’, between two points in the church. The rules are, that they are not allowed to run and they will be timed separately to see who is the fastest.

Then announce that there is just one other rule that you forgot to mention at the start. They have to make their walk blindfolded (so your ‘course’ needs to be considered with some care). Time the children walking the course blindfolded, and maybe encourage the others to shout directions to the children as they make their way.

Ask the children how it felt to walk without being able to see where they were going. Encourage them to discuss how being without light can make us feel, and how having Jesus as a light in our life can make us feel in contrast.

What we deserve – ages 7+Take two cardboard boxes and wrap them up like gifts. In one box, place something ordinary/unappealing like a used teabag or an old sock. In the second box, put something nice like a big bar of chocolate or packet of sweets.

Ask for a child to come forward and choose one of the boxes to open, letting them know they can keep whatever is inside. Ask the child to open the box and show everyone what is in it. Then ask a second child to come and open the second box.

Ask the group what they think about the difference in gifts. Do they feel it’s ok that the children received different gifts? Does anyone think that it’s unfair?

Explain that just as the child who received the chocolate bar didn’t do anything in particular to deserve it, God gave Jesus to us as a gift even though we didn’t do anything to earn him – all we have to do is receive the gift.

EPHIPHANY

Readings: Isaiah 60.1-6; Psalm 7.1-7, 10-14; Psalm 29

Using our voices – ages 7+Give the children cards with different emotions on them. Ask for a few children to volunteer to come up and express the emotion written on a card without using their voice. Then ask them to express a different emotion using their voice.

Ask for some other children to come up and volunteer to read some sentences from a book. When they start to read, interrupt them and cut them off.

How does being able to use our voices make a difference to our ability to communicate? How does it make us feel when we’re not able to use our voices, or people don’t listen to us? How can we use our voice to make a difference to other people?

CANDLEMAS

Readings: Micah 6.1-8; 1 Corinthians 1.18-31; Matthew 5.13-20

Hidden light – ages 5+Place a lit Christingle safely in an obscure corner of the room where it cannot really be seen. (Ideally, someone should stay with the Christingle whilst it is lit.) Tell the congregation that one of the Christingles has gone missing, and ask if anyone has seen it. Tell the children that it is very important to find it, because the candle has already been lit, and you need it to light the others. Hopefully nobody will be able to spot it. Ask if anyone has any ideas how it might be found. If nobody else suggests it, suggest switching the lights off/down briefly. When the lights are off/down, the glow of the candle will give away the location of the Christingle.

Discuss with the children the fact that light is often best seen in darkness and that when we shine our lights, it has a great benefit for other people.

2524

Arts and CraftsThese activities will require adult supervision, depending on the age of the participants.

Giant ChristingleThis can be done as a group activity, used as a demonstration or decorative tool for your Christingle service. Remember to factor in drying time to the process – you will need to make the papier mâché shape in advance of decorating it.

You will need:

A large balloon Strips of newspaper Glue – watered down PVA glue, or wallpaper

paste, or homemade flour/water glue Orange paint or orange tissue paper Red tape or ribbon 4 kebab sticks or plain chopsticks Large dried fruit and sweets, e.g. apricots,

marshmallows. (Enough to make 4 kebab skewers)

1 large candle Blue tack or similar A stand for the Christingle so that it remains in

place once the candle is lit.

Directions:

1. Inflate the balloon.

2. Use the newspaper strips and glue to create a paper mâché layer on the surface of the balloon. Leave it to dry, and then apply 2–3 more layers of paper mâché.

3. Once it is completely dry (up to 24 hours), pop the balloon with a needle and either paint or cover the exterior of the newspaper with a layer of tissue so that it is orange.

4. To decorate the ‘orange’, attach the red tape or ribbon around the centre. Skewer the fruits and sweets on the sticks and put them aside (you will attach them later).

5. Make a hole at the top of the Christingle, slightly smaller than the diameter of the candle.

6. Wrap a piece of sticky tack around the bottom of the candle and carefully insert it into the hole.

7. Finally, attach the four fruit skewers to the Christingle using more sticky tack as required.

8. Remember to find/make a stand so that the Christingle doesn’t wobble or roll, and is safe once the candle is lit.

Orange Honey MuffinsYou will need:

An oven A blender 1 whole orange 125ml orange juice 1 egg, beaten 2tbsp runny honey 125g sugar 125g butter, melted 200g plain flour 1tsp ground cinnamon (optional) 1tsp baking soda 1tsp baking powder ½ tsp salt 100g dark chocolate chunks or 150g sultanas

(optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 180oC/gas mark 4. Line a muffin tray with paper cases.

2. Cut the orange into chunks and blend these, along with the orange juice, until you have a slightly lumpy paste. Add the egg, honey and butter and stir until combined.

3. In a separate large bowl, sieve the flour, cinnamon, baking powder and baking soda, then add the sugar.

4. Pour the orange mixture into the dry ingredients, add sultanas if using, and fold together gently until combined. Do not over mix as this can make the muffins tough.

5. Divide the mixture between the muffin cases. If using, press a chocolate chunk into the top of each muffin.

6. Bake for approximately 15 minutes or until golden and firm to the touch. Delicious served warm from the oven.

PomandersYou will need:

Oranges Cloves A fork or metal skewer Red ribbon/thread A large needle

Directions:

1. If you plan to hang your pomander, you will need to start by attaching your thread or ribbon first. If using thread, run this through your needle and then run the needle all the way through the orange. You’ll need to make a knot at the bottom and a loop at the top. If using ribbon, simply tie this securely around your orange and into a bow. Be sure there’s enough ribbon left to hang it up.

2. Using a fork or skewer, poke small, regular holes in the orange skin, making sure the holes are not too close together. A pattern can be created, if desired.

3. Push a clove firmly into each hole until the orange is covered and every hole is filled.

4. Now your pomander is finished and ready to enjoy.

Orange Peel LanternYou will need:

Thick skinned oranges A sharp pointed knife A spoon Narrow wicking Small metal washers Vegetable cooking oil (or lamp oil)

Directions:

1. Cut each orange horizontally into halves. Use the spoon to scoop out the flesh without damaging the peel.

2. Now cut a circle, about 2.5cm in diameter, from the centre of one half. This will become the top of the lantern.

3. Cut a 5cm length of wicking, knot one end and pull it through the washer.

4. Position the wick centrally on the bottom half of the orange (half without the hole) and half fill the skin with oil.

5. Light the wick and place the top half in position so that the light and smoke from the flame comes through the hole in the top of the orange.

Christingle Iced BiscuitsYou will need:

Digestive biscuits (or similar) 100g icing sugar, sieved 1 tbsp. water 2–3 drops of orange food colouring Soft sweets and dried fruits Red liquorice laces

Directions:

1. Mix the icing sugar, water and food colouring to make smooth glacé icing. It needs to be spreadable, so shouldn’t be too runny or too thick! If in doubt, test some on a biscuit.

2. Spread the icing onto one side of the biscuit, then add the red lace across the centre so that it looks like the red ribbon that goes around a Christingle. Decorate with sweets and dried fruits so that it looks like a Christingle. Put in the fridge to set, and then eat and enjoy!

2726

Colour-in ChristingleTry and put come coins into your collection candle every day, ready to take to the Christingle service. When you reach the target totals on the Christingle, colour them in. Try and collect enough coins to colour-in the whole Christingle before you get to the service

50p

£2.00

£3.50

£1.00

£2.50

£4.00

£5.00

£1.50

£3.00

£4.50

Than

k y

ou f

rom

Th

e C

hil

dre

n’s

Soc

iety

It is

a p

ain

ful f

act

that

man

y ch

ildre

n a

nd

yo

un

g p

eop

le in

Bri

tain

to

day

are

sti

ll su

ffer

ing

extr

eme

har

dsh

ip, a

bu

se a

nd

neg

lect

. T

he

Ch

ildre

n’s

So

ciet

y is

a n

atio

nal

ch

arit

y th

at r

un

s cr

uci

al lo

cal

serv

ices

an

d c

amp

aign

s to

ch

ange

th

e la

w t

o h

elp

th

is c

ou

ntr

y’s

mos

t vu

lner

able

ch

ildre

n a

nd

yo

un

g p

eop

le.

Ou

r su

pp

ort

ers

aro

un

d t

he

cou

ntr

y fu

nd

ou

r se

rvic

es a

nd

join

ou

r ca

mp

aign

s to

sh

ow c

hild

ren

an

d y

ou

ng

peo

ple

th

ey a

re o

n t

hei

r si

de.

By

bei

ng

a p

art

of t

he

Ch

rist

ingl

e se

rvic

e to

day

, yo

u h

ave

do

ne

som

eth

ing

to c

han

ge t

he

lives

of t

ho

usa

nd

s of

ch

ildre

n in

th

is

cou

ntr

y to

day

.

We

can

no

t th

ank

you

en

ou

gh fo

r th

e d

iffer

ence

yo

u h

ave

mad

e.

On

beh

alf o

f all

of t

he

child

ren

an

d y

ou

ng

peo

ple

wh

o w

ou

ld h

ave

now

her

e to

tu

rn if

th

ey w

eren

’t s

up

po

rted

by

Th

e C

hild

ren

’s S

oci

ety,

w

e ex

pre

ss o

ur

hea

rtfe

lt t

han

ks t

o y

ou

.

Th

ank

yo

u f

or

you

r su

pp

ort

.

Ch

rist

ingl

e Se

rvic

eIn

Su

ppor

t of

Th

e C

hil

dren

’s S

ocie

ty

Th

is is

a s

imp

le t

emp

late

wh

ich

yo

u m

ay fi

nd

hel

pfu

l. A

dd

itio

nal

idea

s ca

n b

e fo

un

d a

t ch

rist

ing

le.o

rg/r

eso

urc

es W

elco

me

Ope

ning

Pra

yer

Jesu

s, w

ho

left

beh

ind

u

nim

agin

able

ric

hes

an

d c

ame

to

fin

d u

s,

Jesu

s, y

ou

are

her

e. W

e sh

are

in G

od

’s lo

ve.

Jesu

s, w

ho

cam

e an

d w

alke

d

alo

ngs

ide

us

to d

emo

nst

rate

G

od

’s lo

ve fo

r u

s,

Jesu

s, y

ou

are

her

e. W

e n

ever

h

ave

to w

alk

alo

ne.

Jesu

s, w

ho

sh

owed

us

how

to

lo

ve a

ll yo

ur

child

ren

, esp

ecia

lly

thos

e w

ith

no

on

e el

se t

o t

urn

to,

Je

sus

you

are

her

e. T

og

eth

er,

we

can

rea

ch o

ut

and

car

e fo

r

on

e an

oth

er s

o a

ll a

re in

clu

ded

.

We

mak

e th

is p

raye

r, in

yo

ur

nam

e.

Hym

n

Rea

ding

Isai

ah 9

.2–

7

Tha

nksg

ivin

g

Th

ank

you

, Jes

us,

for

leav

ing

hea

ven

’s b

eau

ty a

nd

sp

len

do

ur

to

com

e to

fin

d u

s.

We

pra

ise

you

, Lo

rd J

esu

s!

You

cam

e to

fin

d u

s.

Th

ank

you

, Jes

us,

for

com

ing

alo

ngs

ide

us

and

dra

win

g u

s b

ack

into

th

e fu

llnes

s of

Go

d’s

love

.

We

than

k y

ou

, Lo

rd J

esu

s! Y

ou

co

me

alo

ng

sid

e u

s.

Th

ank

you

, Jes

us,

for

show

ing

us

how

to

see

k o

ut

and

hel

p a

ll w

ho

ar

e o

n t

he

edge

.

FOLD

28

We

tru

st y

ou

, Lo

rd J

esu

s!

You

rs is

th

e p

erfe

ct w

ay t

o

foll

ow

.

Th

ank

you

, Jes

us,

for

the

wo

rk o

f T

he

Ch

ildre

n’s

So

ciet

y an

d fo

r ev

ery

child

th

ey h

elp,

esp

ecia

lly

thos

e w

ho

hav

e n

ot

rece

ived

th

e lo

ve a

nd

car

e al

l ch

ildre

n d

eser

ve.

We

glo

rify

yo

u, L

ord

Jes

us!

Yo

u

lead

us

to lo

ve li

ke y

ou

do.

Lord

, hea

r o

ur

pra

yer.

Am

en.

The

Min

istr

y of

the

Wor

d

Rea

ding

Isai

ah 9

.2–

7

Hym

n

(Du

rin

g w

hic

h t

he

Ch

rist

ingl

es w

ill

be

lit)

Pray

ers

of I

nter

cess

ion

Lord

Jes

us,

as

we

stre

tch

ou

t o

ur

han

ds

and

rec

eive

th

is g

ift

of o

ur

Ch

rist

ingl

e, w

e h

old

in o

ur

han

ds

a p

ictu

re o

f yo

ur

love

.

We

pra

y fo

r th

ose

wh

o h

ave

no

t kn

own

yo

ur

love

, an

d d

o n

ot

hav

e an

yon

e to

tu

rn t

o.

Lord

, wh

o lo

ves

us

hel

p u

s to

lo

ve a

ll y

ou

r ch

ild

ren

.

We

pra

y fo

r ch

ildre

n g

row

ing

up

in

fam

ilies

wh

ich

are

bro

ken

an

d

fray

ed b

y ab

use

an

d n

egle

ct,

thos

e w

ho

are

bea

rin

g th

e b

urd

en

of c

arin

g fo

r a

love

d o

ne,

or

carr

yin

g th

e sc

ars

of h

urt

an

d

trau

ma.

Lo

rd w

ho

love

s u

s…

We

pra

y fo

r th

e w

ork

of T

he

Ch

ildre

n’s

So

ciet

y, a

skin

g th

at y

ou

h

elp

th

em t

o r

each

eve

n m

ore

ch

ildre

n a

nd

th

at t

hro

ugh

th

em,

ou

r ey

es m

ay c

on

tin

ual

ly b

e o

pen

ed t

o t

hos

e ar

ou

nd

us.

Lo

rd

wh

o lo

ves

us.

Am

en.

Off

erin

g of

Gif

ts

Go

d o

f all

goo

dn

ess

and

gra

ce,

rece

ive

the

gift

s w

e o

ffer

; an

d

gran

t th

at o

ur

wh

ole

life

may

giv

e yo

u g

lory

an

d p

rais

e; t

hro

ugh

Je

sus

Ch

rist

ou

r Lo

rd. W

e p

ray

that

yo

u w

ou

ld m

ake

us

mo

re li

ke

you

, rea

chin

g o

ut

wit

h o

pen

han

ds

to g

ive

and

to

love

like

yo

u d

o.

Am

en.

Hym

n

The

Lor

d’s

Pray

er

Ou

r Fa

ther

in h

eave

n,

Hal

low

ed b

e yo

ur

nam

e.

You

r k

ing

do

m c

om

e,

You

r w

ill b

e d

on

e,

On

ear

th a

s it

is in

hea

ven

. G

ive

us

tod

ay o

ur

dai

ly b

read

. Fo

rgiv

e u

s o

ur

sin

s A

s w

e fo

rgiv

e th

ose

wh

o s

in

agai

nst

us.

Le

ad u

s n

ot

into

tem

pta

tio

n

Bu

t d

eliv

er u

s fr

om

evi

l. Fo

r th

e k

ing

do

m, t

he

po

wer

, A

nd

th

e g

lory

are

yo

urs

. N

ow

an

d f

ore

ver.

A

men

.

Ble

ssin

g

May

th

e lig

ht

that

is J

esu

s le

ad

you

alw

ays.

May

yo

ur

hea

rt b

e m

ore

for

the

peo

ple

aro

un

d y

ou

th

an y

ou

rsel

f.

May

yo

ur

reso

lve

be

to r

each

ou

t in

love

an

d c

om

e al

on

gsid

e th

ose

in n

eed

wit

h G

od

’s g

ener

ou

s co

mp

assi

on

.

An

d m

ay y

ou

r lif

e b

e a

wit

nes

s of

th

e b

less

ing

that

co

mes

wit

h

givi

ng,

for

the

sake

of a

ll G

od

’s

child

ren

, an

d fo

r th

e gl

ory

of G

od

’s

nam

e.

Am

en.

Cou

ntd

own

to

Ch

rist

ingl

eA

s w

e p

rep

are

for

ou

r C

hri

stin

gle

cele

bra

tio

n, w

e w

ant

to t

ake

the

tim

e to

th

ink

abo

ut

wh

at C

hri

stin

gle

mea

ns

for

us.

Th

is

tab

le g

ives

yo

u a

ch

oic

eof d

iffer

ent

acti

viti

es t

hat

yo

u c

an d

o in

th

e m

on

th le

adin

g u

p t

o y

ou

r C

hri

stin

gle

serv

ice.

Yo

u’ll

ge

t a

stic

ker

for

ever

y ac

tivi

ty y

ou

co

mp

lete

– s

o s

ee h

ow m

any

stic

kers

yo

u c

an g

et b

efo

re y

ou

r C

hri

stin

gle

cele

bra

tio

n!

Act

ivit

y 1

Act

ivit

y 2

Act

ivit

y 3

Wee

k 1

: Th

e w

orl

dS

pen

d t

his

wee

k th

inki

ng

abo

ut

the

wo

rld

we

live

in, a

nd

wh

at t

hin

gs y

ou

co

uld

do

to

hel

p m

ake

it

bet

ter.

Wri

te a

list

of t

hin

gs t

hat

yo

u t

hin

k w

ou

ld m

ake

ou

r w

orl

d p

erfe

ct t

o li

ve

in. T

urn

th

is li

st in

to a

p

oem

or

a p

raye

r.

Loo

k th

rou

gh a

n

ewsp

aper

an

d fi

nd

a

new

s st

ory

ab

ou

t

som

eth

ing

that

is

hap

pen

ing

in t

he

wo

rld

. W

rite

a p

raye

r fo

r th

e p

eop

le in

th

e co

un

try

that

th

e st

ory

is fr

om

.

As

you

sp

end

tim

e in

yo

ur

loca

l are

a, t

hin

k ab

ou

t o

ne

pra

ctic

al a

c-ti

on

yo

u c

ou

ld t

ake

to t

ry

and

imp

rove

th

e w

orl

d

aro

un

d y

ou

.

Wee

k 2

: Go

d’s

love

Th

e C

hri

stin

gle

rib

bo

n

surr

ou

nd

s th

e o

ran

ge

to r

emin

d u

s th

at G

od

’s

love

su

rro

un

ds

the

wo

rld

.

Th

ink

abo

ut

ever

yon

e in

yo

ur

life

that

love

s yo

u a

nd

yo

u lo

ve. S

ay a

p

raye

r th

anki

ng

Go

d fo

r th

em.

Hav

e yo

u n

oti

ced

any

on

e w

ho

see

ms

to b

e lo

ne-

ly o

r le

ft o

ut?

Mak

e an

eff

ort

to

sp

eak

to t

hem

an

d in

clu

de

them

in y

ou

r ga

mes

an

d a

ctiv

itie

s.

Wri

te a

lett

er t

o a

ch

ild

wit

h n

o o

ne

to c

are

for

them

, let

tin

g th

em k

now

h

ow m

uch

th

ey a

re lo

ved

by

Go

d.

Wee

k 3

: Go

d’s

gif

ts a

nd

cr

eati

on

sT

he

fru

it a

nd

th

e sw

eets

o

n a

Ch

rist

ingl

e re

min

d

us

of a

ll th

e go

od

th

ings

G

od

giv

es t

o u

s.

Wal

k ar

ou

nd

yo

ur

ho

use

an

d c

ou

nt

all o

f yo

ur

favo

uri

te it

ems.

Pu

t a

pen

ny in

yo

ur

Ch

rist

ingl

e ca

nd

le fo

r ea

ch it

em y

ou

id

enti

fy.

Th

ink

abo

ut

the

gift

s th

at G

od

giv

es u

s th

at

are

no

t p

hysi

cal,

such

as

love

, joy

an

d h

op

e. M

ake

list

of a

ll th

ese

gift

s an

d

thin

k ab

ou

t h

ow y

ou

can

sh

are

them

wit

h o

ther

s.

Mak

e a

han

dm

ade

gift

fo

r so

meo

ne

clos

e to

yo

u. T

his

co

uld

be

a p

er-

son

alis

ed c

ard

.

Wee

k 4

: Th

e L

igh

tT

he

can

dle

on

th

e C

hri

stin

gle

rem

ind

s u

s of

th

e lig

ht

of C

hri

st in

th

e w

orl

d.

Dec

ora

te s

om

e ca

nd

les

wit

h r

ibb

on

an

d g

litte

r.

Use

a ja

m ja

r an

d a

ca

nd

le t

o c

reat

e a

la

nte

rn fo

r yo

ur

ho

use

.

Co

llect

as

man

y co

ins

as

you

can

an

d p

ut

them

in

you

r co

llect

ion

can

dle

.

31

For over 130 years, The Children’s Society has helped change children’s lives for the better.

We expose injustice and address hard truths, tackling child hardship, abuse and neglect head-on. We fight for change

based on the experiences of the children we work with and the solid evidence we gather.

Through our campaigning, commitment and care, we are determined to give every child in this country the greatest possible chance in life.

Thank you for taking the time to be a part of Christingle this year – we would not be able to continue to reach so many vulnerable

children and young people without the support of dedicated Christingle Organisers like you.

Please accept the best wishes of everyone at The Children’s Society for your event.

Supporter Care

t: 0300 303 7000 e: [email protected] www.christingle.org

The Children’s Society Edward Rudolf House Margery Street London WC1X 0JL

Charity Registration No. 221124

Photographs modelled for The Children’s Society © Laurence Dutton © Larry Bray © Nick David

8236/08/12 | X1612