Category Archives: Blog Posts

Quiet Morning – February 2024

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Mark Chapter 6, part of verse 31 says  “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”

God knows the importance of rest. How often do we?

In Ministry there is a lot of giving. Giving is expected whilst looking happy and joyful. You want to give of your absolute best, you want to convey the love and compassion and sheer joy of Jesus Christ to those you are ministering to. If there are struggles or sadness in your life, you put that to one side and focus on encouraging and building up others.

Do we use our phone when it is flat? Do we drink from an empty cup?

It is so important for us to recharge and to refill ourselves with living water from the well that never runs dry. If we are to go with Jesus to a quiet place and to get some rest then we need to plan this time, we need to schedule it in the diary.

PACE sees the importance of this verse and knows that to be our best to help others we need to schedule time in the diary to follow Jesus to a quiet place.

This term we were blessed to have our quiet morning with Reverend Mark Charmley.

We spoke freely in this safe space about our daily lives, blessings and struggles.

We looked at a Bible reading of when ‘John the Baptist prepares the way’, had a time of prayer then reflected on this passage as we walked through the lanes of St Saviours.

Returning to the rectory we looked at the ‘baptism and temptation of Jesus’ passage then were invited to climb the St Saviours Parish Church tower whilst reflecting on seeing life from a different perspective. Jo’s faith was tested as we climbed approximately 65 of the narrowest winding stairs that we had ever seen in a very narrow stairwell. As we finally reached the top, the fog was so thick we couldn’t see any further than the cemetery. Reverend Charmley was apologetic that the weather wasn’t clearer for our view. Jo smiled as she thought of our contemplation of seeing life from a different perspective. We felt like God was reminding us that sometimes life feels full of fog, we can barely see our hand in front of our face. We cannot see how things are going to work out and we can’t imagine the fog never being there. But the fog does lift and our perspective does change. Yes the plan was for us to have a better view from the tower, but God often changes our plans and we felt that He did speak to us through that.

We looked at our final passage and refection of ‘the calling of the first disciples’ within the small tower room.

Relieved to have made it back down the stairs and feeling immensely grateful for the opportunity to visit the tower we sat in the church sanctuary for a time of prayer. 

The time flew by and it was a truly beneficial visit, memories of which we will treasure. 

 “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”

May we all realise again the importance of this and schedule regular time to recharge and be refilled. 

PACE Update

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This term we have been teaching Year 7 classes the Mad, Bad, God lesson. We thought you might be interested in a bit more of a detailed overview of the lesson which Jo watched as part of her new role!

Looking at evidence of the life of Jesus, including records of his existence documented by well known historians, we can see that the fact a man called Jesus existed and did miracles is not up for debate but was He who He claimed to be? Was He mad, bad or God? 

The evidence was presented by Lisa and Howard in a very engaging way with ice breaker games, visual illustrations and video clips from Alpha Youth. 

It was really interesting to watch the reaction of the students. At the start of the lesson some sniggered and giggled but as the lesson went on they became more and more engrossed in what was being presented and were genuinely interested to learn more, as well as thinking about information that they have possibly never had to think about or consider before. 

The students had the opportunity to voice their thoughts and questions, they had to learn to base their conclusion on the evidence presented rather than on their opinion. Likewise we were presenting the evidence rather than our own personal opinions.

The teachers were very pleased with the lesson as they said usually they don’t have time for the students to ask questions or fully discuss what they have learned, so they were pleased that the students have the opportunity to do this in the Mad, Bad, God lesson. 

We have also been busy presenting the Parable of the Lost Sheep in our primary school assemblies. 

This starts with a ‘pin the tail on the sheep’ game which the children loved.

We showed on the large screen a cartoon video story of The Lost Sheep which was very much enjoyed. Lisa and Sarah talked about lost things and asked the children if they can remember losing something precious, how did they feel when it was lost? How did they feel when it was found?

There was lots of opportunity for participation which helped the children make the concept of the parable their own, easy to understand and remember. 

We reminded the children that they are special, and that the lost sheep was very special to the Shepherd and that we are very special to God. 

We also talked about helping other people feel special and the importance of including others and reminding ourselves of the support we have surrounding us daily. The children said who they feel is there to help them. 

At one school, the teacher asked the children what they will remember from the parable of The Lost Sheep and from the assembly. Children said that they would remember that they are special and to include people. 

PACE Winter Newsletter 2023

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For our last blog post of 2023 we would like to share out latest newsletter with you all. It contains some important information regarding a change in our leadership. We hope you will also enjoy reading about all that we’ve done during this term.

This term has bought its challenges for the team, but we have strived to continue to serve the schools of Guernsey as best as we could, trusting that God is in control. 

We’d like to thank all of our volunteers who have been an incredible support to us, giving their time to deliver a lot of amazing activities in schools. 

Thank you for your ongoing support.  

We wish you a very Happy Christmas and all the best for the New Year. 

Pace-newsletter-Winter-2023-Download

PACE Update

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Christmas is fast approaching which means Christmas in a Box lesson preparation is in full swing! We’re starting our first lessons next week and we can’t wait!

Our volunteers are and will be folding, counting, cutting and sorting all the resources so we are ready to go!

On Saturday 18th November, we had our Walk Through The Bible OT Live day with visiting speaker Tom Greene. We had a great day! Nearly 40 people joined with us to learn the Old Testament story line and dive into Bible stories. We’ve had some really positive feedback and people keen for a New Testament day too! Watch this space! Here are some pictures from the day.

Following on from that, Tom stayed on island to train up 3 new OT Mini presenters; our very own Mark Le Tissier, Rev Jacky Cotterell and Natasha Luggar. They will be joining our current wonderful team of OT Mini presenters and be supported as they begin the journey of teaching in schools.

This week has also seen a Prayer Spaces event at Blanchelande, this time for their senior students. Tom Saddington was invited to host an event and asked PACE to assist and together we ran a two day event for those in Year 7 -11. We looked at self worth, conflict in the world, worries and being thankful for those who lift us up when we are down or need protecting. There were some really deep responses to the activities and all students were amazing! We pray that it was a helpful time for the school and students.

PACE Update

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In September we get stuck in with our Creation Lessons with Year 1 and Year 2. These lessons are spent discovering what Christians believe about how the world began. We explore the Creation story using Godly Play and going through the 7 days of creation. We then have a discussion with the children about which day they think is their favourite and is there a day that could be left out? This helps us realise that each day is very special and we couldn’t do without them – even the rest day! When they realise if we didn’t have that we wouldn’t have weekends and holidays they soon see the importance of it!

The children also get to create something themselves with PlayDoh and talk about how they might think God feels about his Creation. The big question we look at throughout the lesson is, “Should Christians look after the world?” To end the lesson we use a treasure box with a mirror inside to reveal that God’s most special, precious creation is each one of them, that God created them and loves them!

We’ve also started our Harvest assemblies, with Lisa delivering them alongside Tom Saddington and Howard Davenport. This time we look at the story in Exodus where the Israelites are travelling in the desert and they start grumbling about the lack of food. But God provides them with Manna and Quail. During the assembly, one presenter acts a bit silly and distracts the other by cutting and folding paper to make a quail and a basket for the story – a bit of added fun! We then end with encouraging the children to remember to be grateful for all that we do have and all that we can share with others.  

Bible Stories - Manna and Quail - Yr B P11 — Corissa Nelson

Finally today is National Day of Prayer for Schools. On their Facebook page, Prayer Spaces in Schools have been posting prayer prompts throughout the day. They started the day posting this prayer:

Loving Father, we pray today for our schools and colleges, for all who work and learn in them.

We pray that they will be places of learning inspired by creativity, knowledge and wisdom.

We pray for our children and young people, that they will flourish in body, mind and spirit.

We pray for all who work in schools, the teachers, support staff and site team, that they will be resourced well, be able to give of their best and know that they are appreciated.

We pray for all who serve and support schools, especially those from local churches, that they will contribute with grace and so reveal Jesus through their deeds and words.

We pray, your kingdom come, in our schools, as in heaven.

Amen

Please join us and thousands of others praying for all those involved in schools and schoolswork!

Last Day of Term!

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Today is the last day of term before the summer holidays. As we have reflected over the last year we are so incredibly grateful for all the work that we have done in the schools of Guernsey. We thank God for all the opportunities we have had with the children and young people across the island. We are also so thankful for your support, financially, prayerfully and through volunteering.

Please find below our Summer Newsletter detailing this term and our exciting upcoming OT Live event in November.

PACE-Newsletter-Summer-2023-Download

This week we also had a lovely Quiet Morning with Rev’d Claire Claxton at Forest Parish Church. We spent time reflecting on 1 Kings 19:9-13, walking the lanes and resting in the presence of God. These mornings are so valuable for us as a team and we also come away feeling refreshed!

We hope you have a wonderful summer with your friends and family, see you in September!

PACE Update

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Last week we held our AGM at Trinity Church. We had a great number of supporters, some new to our work, attend and hear all that we have been doing over the past year. After giving an update on the work, we had some time where those attending could wander around and look at each area of our work. We had set up stations for Prayer Spaces, OT Mini, Primary Assemblies, Secondary Work and Christmas in a Box/Easter in a Box. Our wonderful volunteers led these stations and chatted to supporters explaining what they did, what they enjoyed about the work and allowing people to explore the props and resources we use. It was a great event, a highlight of our year and we thank those that came to support us!

We have also been very busy delivering our 17 Leavers Lessons to all schools across the island. With a fantastic team joining us we have really enjoyed speaking to all the Year 6’s who are getting ready to move to secondary school. We met up as a team to go through the lesson and enjoy some Iced Tea in the sunshine. During these lessons we hand out each child an “It’s Your Move” book created by Scripture Union and donated generously by the local churches of Guernsey. These books are full of advice, puzzles, and stories to encourage the children that it’s an exciting move but also allowing them to explore that it’s ok to feel anxious and worried. Part of our lesson tells the children that PACE will be at their new school and that we are a friendly face they can look out for. We are looking forward to September when we can see them again. Please do pray for all students moving to new schools, new classes and new adventures over the next few months.

PACE Update

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Last week Lisa, Tom Saddington (Catholic Youth Leader) and Howard Davenport (Eldad Elim Minister) were very busy delivering a variety of lessons in schools. They delivered 3 lessons to Year 9 students at Blanchelande on ‘Christian Views on Creation’ where they discussed at length whether you can believe in God and in The Big Bang Theory. The students engaged well in all aspects of the lesson, particularly enjoying the game involving Play-doh! 

They also delivered 3 lessons to Year 8 students at La Mare High School on ‘The Problem of Evil and Suffering’. The students had so many questions about Adam and Eve, Who Jesus was, the afterlife and much more that the sessions weren’t long enough to get to the bottom of all their questions! It was an incredible opportunity to share on a really difficult topic and to see the students grapple with some big questions. They particularly enjoyed the ‘playing God’ activity where they got to pretend to be God in different situations to see what they would do. For example, ‘a car is speeding down the road’ – what do you do as God? The answers ranged from ‘stop the car’ to ‘bring in the superheroes’ to ‘create a hole for the car to fall into’!! They let their imaginations flow! 

It is a real privilege to go in and represent the Church in Schools and these sessions remind us of what a great opportunity we have to communicate Christian beliefs with students in schools. 

We have two events coming up that we would love to see you attend if you are able to! The first is our AGM on Monday 26th June, 7.30-9pm at Trinity Church. Here we’ll be presenting what we’ve achieved over the last year and updating you about our partnership with SWYM. Plus there will be cake! This is a fun, informative evening, a must for any PACE supporter!

We also have OT Live coming up in November. It may seem a while away but book now to avoid missing out! This course will guide you through learning the whole storyline of the Old Testament, so you’ll be able to confidently retell it. It’s a very enjoyable day! If you would like to expand your Bible knowledge this is perfect for you! Book online here https://www.bible.org.uk/wtb_event_tickets.php

Spring 2023 Newsletter

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We can’t quite believe that it is nearly the Easter holidays! This term has gone very quick! Each term we send out a newsletter detailing what we’ve been up to and informing you of any important events. Our Spring Newsletter is now available to be read! Please take note of the two important dates. Our AGM will be held on Monday 26th June, 7-9pm at Trinity Church – we would love to see you there!

We also have an OT Live event later in the year on Saturday 18th November, 10am-4.30pm at Les Camps Methodist Church. After a popular event last year with NT Live and OT Live in 2019, we wanted to bring this amazing day back and give more people the opportunity to experience interactive and engaging teaching on the Old Testament and also see what we are teaching in the primary schools.

We hope you enjoy reading our newsletter and have a lovely Easter!

PACE Update!

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Over the weekend Sarah went to a children’s and families workers conference called Hand in Hand in Eastbourne. She attended talks about sharing the whole Bible story with children, creating experiences for children to encounter God, mentoring and walking with children in their lives and faith and innovative ways to engage with the Bible. It was a great opportunity to meet with other schools workers, youth and children’s workers and look at new resources. Sarah also got to say hello to Bob Hartman and he very kindly recorded a little video for us which you can find on our Instagram!

This week we were invited to visit Year 1 at Acorn House to chat with them about why church is a special place. We invited Tom Saddington and Jon Honor to join Sarah to answer some questions the children had prepared. It was a very fun lesson and they engaged really well. They loved stained glass windows and learning about what else is done in churches during the week. The children were then designing their own churches which was fun to see! We are hoping that we will be able to develop the input we have with infants in our schools.

In lunch clubs we’ve been having some interesting discussions with students about how the world came to be and delving deeper into some questions they might have – including “Where did God come from?” Not an easy question to answer! But we love grappling these topics with our young people.

Finally this week we had a lovely Quiet Morning with Jacky Cottrell at Forest Methodist Church where we spent time reflecting on who Jesus is to us and looking at putting ourselves into some of the Gospels using the book A Quiet Word by Nick Fawcett. We spent time reflecting and just being still which was great!