FCCT Newsletter September 2007
For Your Information and Prayers
Prayer Meeting
Farnham Assemblies and Schools Team Coffee Morning
Prayer for World Peace
Looking Back - Moving Forward
Back to School
FCCT Youth Team
A Date for your Diaries!
FCCT Events Calendar
Prayer Meeting
Envisioning the People of God
The next prayer meeting will be on 14th September and will be held at Weydon Christian Centre, Upper Way, Farnham. The meeting will start at 8.00pm and finish at 9.30pm. We will be meeting to pray over the reflections brought by the team who spent a day prayer walking around Farnham.
Kenton Sparks
Farnham Assemblies and Schools Team
Farnham Assemblies
and Schools Team
Would like
to invite you
to the
‘Drop-in’ coffee morning
on
Thursday September 20th 2007
10:00 – 1:00pm
The Lantern
St Thomas-on-The-Bourne
Everyone welcome –
come and see what we do,
have a chat and meet the team.
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Praying for World Peace
There will be an hour of prayer for world peace at St Joan's Catholic Church (access via
Waverley lane) on Tues 11th Sept 2007 at 8.00pm. It would be wonderful to come together to pray for God's solution to the world's problems.
We hope you will be able to pray with us.
Carol Harnett
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Looking Back - Moving Forward
When I was asked to reflect on what has been happening during the first eight months of 2007 at Farnham ASSIST, it was difficult to know where to start. It has certainly been a very busy time – a time marked by lots of highs and just one or two disappointments; a time of considerable joy but also a little sadness. Yet again, I have been so impressed by the dedication and loyalty of our many volunteers, all of whom are great to work with. It was a real joy therefore to be able to welcome around 60 of them to our first ever Summer Party at the Lantern. The Party was an opportunity for volunteers across the different areas of ASSIST to meet together for the first time and for me to be able to thank them all on behalf of our elderly clients.
Each area of ASSIST has a Coordinator, all of whom do a tremendous job voluntarily - it is a pleasure and a privilege for me to work with them. We now meet together regularly to share, discuss and pray together and I would like to record here my grateful thanks to each one of them.
Sadly, the winter months in the first part of the year took their toll on our clients and we lost a number of good friends who had been with us for a while. It has been encouraging however to see numbers growing in several areas. The numbers coming to the Gostrey Centre for our Sunday lunch have been increasing through the year and our Monthly Praise & Worship service is also attracting more folk. The Pie & Pint Club has welcomed new members, whilst the Annual Summer Outing provided some unexpected entertainment – a steam train trip on theWatercress Line lasted just a few minutes as the train broke down at the first station! However, an excellent lunch made up for it, even though we arrived 90 minutes late!
We have been able to help a growing number of older folk develop computer skills at the new “Understanding Computers” Sessions. If you know of anyone who would benefit from this, do tell them about us. It has been a slower start for the Telephone Link service and we would love to know of those elderly folk living on their own who would like a regular phone call and chat. If you know of someone in your community or your church, do give us a ring – 01252 316550.
We can look forward to the remainder of the year with great anticipation. We are actively participating in the Outreach to Hale, organised by
Bethel
Baptist
Church , as part of our October lunch in the Church and we are considering a number of other ways where our Christian witness to our Senior Citizens can be developed. Three months ago in this newsletter, I shared some thoughts on our needs for the future and, in particular, the need to have someone working with me at ASSIST. I am really pleased that this vacancy has been filled already and Kirsty Bruton will join us in September – this is a real answer to prayer. Kirsty will come as Deputy ASSIST Coordinator and will take over the responsibility for the overall organisation of the lunches. She will be working with
Janet Smithers at the Hale lunch and will take over my responsibility for the Central Lunch. In addition, over the next few months, we will both be working on some new initiatives.
I feel that Farnham ASSIST is very much a team – a team working to serve our Senior Citizens, to show them something of God’s love for them and to bring hope into their lives. We would much appreciate your prayers for them and for us, as we move forward into the future that God has for us.
Brian Kurton
Farnham ASSIST Coordinator
Back To School!
Teaching Religious Education in our Primary Schools
Over the past six years, the Farnham Assemblies and Schools Team (previously FAT) team have been invited to support the teaching of R.E. into many of the infant, junior and primary schools in Farnham. Depending on their affiliation, each school adheres to an agreed R.E. curriculum. It is therefore our responsibility at FAST to acquire knowledge and understanding of all the different R.E. curriculum’s so that our support in the classroom is relevant, integrated and professional. We keep up to date by being in communication with the relevant authorities, purchasing handbooks, attending local meetings and undertaking training alongside local R.E. teachers and co-ordinators.
Recently we have been asked by several schools to discuss and help support the new R.E. agreed syllabus for all
Surrey maintained and voluntary controlled schools which commences in September 2007. This new syllabus will be effective until September 2012 and has been drawn up by the Surrey Standing Advisory Council on Religious Education (SACRE). The entire document can be downloaded from the Four S website, www.fours.co.uk if you wish, where you can see the aims, values, details and lesson plans.
The new syllabus states that “Christianity, therefore, will be studied at each Key Stage. The programmes of study have been designed to ensure that at KS1-3, at least 50% of time in Religious Education will be spent on teaching about Christian beliefs, practices and ways of life.” So, to repeat, at least 50% of R.E. taught in our Farnham schools is about Christianity - ie. Christian beliefs, practices and ways of life. The FAST team respond to all schools’ requests to help support the Christian part of their R.E. curriculum. We always aim for our lessons to be fun, exciting, interactive and creative and we provide high quality teaching, resources and equipment to the schools free of charge.
If you too would like to help in the classroom, you will need CRB clearance which we can arrange for you. You can choose which age group you would like to be with, you are always with other adults in the classroom and you can do whatever you are comfortable with – whether helping with art and crafts, reading a story, discussing with the children….You may have a skill or talent in drama, singing, music, craft, poetry or art that you could use to enhance the lessons. Or you may just want to pray for the work we do. If you would like to help and become a valued part of the team, or you would just like to find out more then do please get in touch:
We look forward to meeting you! God bless from
Linda Daruvala J
The FCCT youth Team
It has been a challenging year for the FCCT youth team but God remains good and we have been privileged to work with some fantastic young people and continue to deepen relationship with them.
This year saw the launch of a new assembly, 'The World's most Powerful Weapon' (I.e The Tongue) where we got to speak to several schools about the power of words and take in a huge Ox Tongue! Yuck!
We have run several special activities with our youth drop-in's including ice skating, film parties, paintballing and go karting. Most recently we had a brilliant trip with a group of lads from The Pulse to 'Go Ape' a high wire course in
Alice
Holt
Forest .
Rock Solid clubs at both Heath End and Weydon moved from lunch time to after school, giving us a whole hour to play silly games and chat about Jesus. Rock Solid is based around a theme each week like Bullying, Families, Friendship’s etc.
We took over the R.E departments again at Heath End and Weydon for our Christian Focus Weeks and taught lessons on 'Who is Jesus', 'The Church', 'Suffering' and 'Death' amongst others.
We also launched Youth Management Teams at The Cooler and The Pulse youth drop-ins, giving teams of young people an opportunity to share in the running of the drop-in's and have a voice as to the activities we run. This resulted in a young person from the Pulse applying for a grant for new equipment and being awarded £2000! We hope to purchase the new equipment that the young people suggested over the summer holidays.
This September we are excited to welcome to the team Steve Delves who is our newly appointed senior youth worker. We also kick off the term taking both Rock Solid groups away to
Fort
Rocky , an evangelistic activity weekend with Youth For Christ!
We can't finish our update without saying a HUGE thank you to all the fantastic volunteers who make up our team. Our current level of work with young people in the town would not be possible if it were not for the enthusiastic and dedicated contribution you each generously bring.
Here's to a new school Year!
See you in September!
Gemma Henson
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A Date for your Diaries!
FCCT Celebration Evening will take place on Monday 8th October, 7.30pm (doors open at 7.15pm), at St Andrew’s Church, Farnham.
This is an opportunity to see the work that FCCT is currently involved in around the town, and a chance to share your ideas. The evening will include a short presentation and a delicious buffet.
For more information please contact the FCCT office on 01252 714414.
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F C C T Events Calendar
Monday 3rd
12.15pm The Crown
Farnham ASSIST Pie & Pint
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Tuesday 18th
2.00pm Telephone Link
Farnham ASSIST
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Tuesday 4th
2.00pm Telephone Link
Farnham ASSIST
3.30pm Hillbrow
Farnham ASSIST Praise & Worship
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Wednesday 19th
9.30am Understanding Computers
Farnham ASSIST
7.30-9.30pm Parenting Course Weydon Christian Centre,
Upper Way, Farnham
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Wednesday 5th
9.30am Understanding Computers
Farnham ASSIST
7.30-9.30pm Parenting Course
Weydon Christian Centre, Upper Way, Farnham
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Thursday 20th
10.00-1.00pm FAST Coffee Morning
The Lantern, St Thomas-on-the-Bourne
11.15am Gostrey Centre
Farnham ASSIST Praise & Worship
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Sunday 9th
1.00pm Gostrey Centre
Farnham ASSIST Lunch
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Monday 24th
12.15pm The Royal Arms
Farnham ASSIST Pie & Pint
12.50-2.50pm Parenting Course
Sandy Hill Bungalow
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Tuesday 11th
2.00pm Telephone Link
Farnham ASSIST
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Tuesday 25th
2.00pm Telephone Link
Farnham ASSIST
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Wednesday 12th
9.30am Understanding Computers
Farnham ASSIST
7.30-9.30pm Parenting Course
Weydon Christian Centre,
Upper Way, Farnham
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Wednesday 26th
9.30am Understanding Computers
Farnham ASSIST
7.30-9.30pm Parenting Course
Weydon Christian Centre,
Upper Way, Farnham
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