Children’s Liturgy, Sunday, 18th December 2011.

Our Advent project will raise money for Mother of Peace Community in Zimbabwe, who look after children orphaned by AIDS.

You will remember our friend, Father David, went out to be with the children and the lepers living nearby. One of his heroes was John Bradburne, who also cared for the lepers. He was a poet and mystic. Once, when he couldn’t find enough time to be alone with God, he prayed for a swarm of bees to come, to keep people away. The bees came and lived under his table, but did not sting him!
 
So this Advent, we are making holy bees out of your old socks! Some of them smell gorgeous, of cloves or lavender. We hope they will remind us all to spend time with God this Christmas, and not get carried away with all the shopping and rushing around.
 
Please give a donation to Mother of Peace and sponsor us to make a bee for you. You can name your bee for someone, as a present, or in memory of a loved one. After Christmas, you will be able to take the bee home.

 
You might also like to help us fill our stockings for the children in Zimbabwe by sponsoring us to fill a parcel. We will be filling our presents with prayers or messages for the children. You can join in by writing on a parcel label when you make a donation. What would you wish for the children this Christmas?
Please give you orders to Father John, a liturgy leader, or fill in one of the sheets at the back of the church.

To raise money for the children at Mother of Peace, in Zimbabwe, today we have made bees for Christine and in memory of Michael North, for Denis Graham, for Theresa, for Sheila, and Mary has chosen the Michael Jackson bee.

  
Gail and Keith have ordered a bee called “B Bumble and the Stingers”!
 

 
We have made presents containing prayers. Christie and Phoebe have ordered one for Nannie O’Connor and for Grandpa JJ O’Connor. Ellen has sent a present to the children of Zimbabwe in memory of her little brother and sister.

 
Sometimes the Community at Mother of Peace are able to find relatives of the orphans and can support the children with their new families, even if it is only for the holidays. Here are two of the prayers written by our young children, aged five, in our liturgy:
 
 
I hope the children who don’t have a mum and dad can get one. Amen. (Olivia)
 
 
I hope the ones that are looking after you have enough money for you. Amen (Reese)
 

As we bring our Bethlehem in Zimbabwe to St. Joseph’s, we hope the Holy Bees have helped everyone to remember why Jesus was born for us. You have shared God’s love by helping us care for our brothers and sisters. So far, we all have raised £600. Thank you very much,
 
Let us say together the prayer Father David taught us AND the children at Mother of Peace:
God loves us very MUCH!
We love God very MUCH!
 
Kudzi wrote this message:
Dear children in Zimbabwe,
I wish you a very lovely Christmas. Also that you get the toys that you wanted. Also I wish that you get treated very well.
 
Here are some of our children wishing everyone
at home and in Zimbabwe a VERY HAPPY CHRISTMAS!
 

HAPPY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE FROM FRANKIE! X