Sunday School November 2011.
Over the summer months we were busy tending the sweet peas and the vegetable plots. In June the children planted a wide variety of donated plants:- parsley, broccoli, leeks, courgettes, tomatoes and lettuce. Of these, the courgettes, parsley and lettuce grew well and several members of the congregation were delighted to take samples home.
At the same time, we were keeping an eye on the sweet peas which, in spite of the lack of sunshine, flourished. On the afternoon before the Sweet Pea Competition, some of the children came to Sprouston Village Hall where they chose ten sweet pea stems from the bunch we had cut. These were arranged in a jam jar and left with the may other entries in the marquee. How surprised we were the next day to hear that we had won a first prize and a special trophy! Congratulations to everyone involved.
Sunday School met again on Sunday 21st August when over fifty people came to the special Sweet Pea Service. The Church was filled with these beautiful, sweet-smelling flowers from many gardens in the parish, and everyone enjoyed Fiona Ralston’s excellent baking at the hospitality that followed.
At our October meeting we were very happy to welcome two new children from a young family who have recently moved into the village. We hope some more new members will soon join in as we are now planning our Nativity Scene for the Christmas Eve Carol Service. Sunday School meets again on 20th November and 18th December.
Val Hunter
Congratulations to the Sunday school members on winning the Sprouston sweet pea competition! & for Moira Land for winning the best Amateur.
Sunday School July 2011.
In spite of the severe winter weather the children and some guests made a great effort to give a really beautiful Nativity Scene at the annual Christmas Eve Carol Service. Their singing and readings were much appreciated by the congregation and added a special dimension to this lovely service.
During the winter months we had some interesting discussions followed by making small gifts for Mother’s Day and Easter. It was a fine day for our Easter Egg Hunt which everyone enjoyed. Another grant from the Religious Knowledge Society for £250 has enabled us to buy new book shelves and a cupboard, creating more space in the vestry.
Our main project at present is to prepare for the Sweet Pea Competition in Sprouston. This is being held in August to mark 100 years since Sprouston’s Minister and his wife won top prizes in a national Sweet Pea Competition in London. The money received was given to their Church to build a new chancel. So in February both the Sunday School and the Youth Club, who are joining in, sowed their seeds and took them home to germinate. The plants were transported into the new beds in the Church field in May. We are so grateful to Adam Armstrong and Rob Young for digging out these beds from difficult ground and to Frank Clayton for putting up a special net for the Sweet Peas to climb up. Like all gardeners we now hope and pray for good summer weather!
Val Hunter
November. 2010. SUNDAY SCHOOL
Sunday School continues as before, on the third Sunday of the month. Anna has a great talent for telling exciting stories from the Bible in the children’s address. They always seem captivated and possibly, we adults benefit from these brief, illuminating sessions to!
After the Summer break we harvested our ‘tatties’ which grew very well in the special tub and, amazingly, housed a wagtail family in a beautifully built nest in the centre of the plants. All the children were able to take home a little bag of new potatoes. The seeds we scattered near the vestry wall also grew into a colourful display of annual flowers which will last until the really hard frosts arrive.
The children have enjoyed a lively leaf identification quiz and new art materials have been purchased with our grant money. We made interesting masks for Halloween and next time will be decorating some lovely things for Christmas. We also have to prepare for our short Nativity scene at the Christmas Eve Carol Service and would be so pleased to welcome more children as participants or regular members.
Val Hunter
Sunday School July 2010.
Our Sunday School was established three years ago and is still going well with six to eight children attending regularly. This year we have been practising some lively religious songs backed by CD music. These are occasionally presented to the congregation who are always encouraged to join in.
Our Nativity scene was greatly enjoyed again as was the Easter Day egg Hunt, helped by the appearance of a real Easter bunny. We hope to have our small garden near the vestry wall blooming again this Summer and, in the meantime, our ‘tatties’, which we planted in April, are coming on very well. We shall harvest these on 19th September when we resume after the Summer holidays.
Any new members coming along then will be most welcome.
I’m delighted to report that we have just received a grant of £250 from the Religious Knowledge Society, a Trust which supports Sunday Schools in rural areas of Scotland and have also received a donation of £50, so lots of new activities can be planned.
Val Hunter
SUNDAY SCHOOL Autumn 2009
It was one of those beautiful September days when we resumed Sunday School after the Summer break so we were able to enjoy our planned picnic and treasure hunt in the nearby field. Also we were surprised and pleased to find the lovely colourful flowers blooming in our tiny garden around the wall of the vestry. We sowed the seeds there in May, in very thin, stony soil, but the damp Summer and sunny Autumn have encouraged excellent growth. Last time the children enthusiastically weeded the narrow beds and planted bulbs for next Spring. This year we have smart new tables and chairs giving us much more space for the creative activities we often do in the vestry. At our next meeting we shall be preparing for the annual Nativity scene at the Christmas Eve Carol Service. Any children who would like to join in will be most welcome to come along on 15th November and 20th December to help to make all the necessary accessories and to practise one or two Christmas songs. Val Hunter .
SUNDAY SCHOOL July 2009.
The Sunday School continues to thrive with seven or eight children attending on the third Sunday of each month. After only a very short rehearsal time, the children presented a delightful nativity scene, ‘the true spirit of Christmas’ at the beginning of the Christmas Eve Carol Service. Since the New Year we have concentrated on the Old Testament stories of Noah, Joseph and Moses, and now are themes are based on renewal and Spring. We have enjoyed welcoming several visiting children this year, including a girl from Bupapest and the grandchildren of members of the congregation. To mark the start of the summer break there will be a short prize-giving ceremony on June 21st, and we hope some new members will join us when we meet again on September 20th. Val Hunter.
Sunday School 2008
Since the summer break in July we have had just three sessions. Our first theme on ‘Feeding the Five Thousand’ went well but our planned picnic had to be postponed until next summer because of the awful downpours on that day in August. At the September session we had the brilliant idea of asking the children to design a Christmas card for the Church. Several cards were enthusiastically drawn and two subsequently printed . The sale of these has already raised over £100 for Church funds which is a marvellous effort and cards can still be purchased from Moira Land. Our sincere thanks go to Graham Dane for helping so much with their production. Next time it will almost be advent and we shall be planning what to do at the annual carol service. We are always hoping that new members will come along and join in. Artwork of the first card by Zoe Collins and the second by Rosie Tile (originals in colour )
Sunday School 2007
16 September 2007 saw the start of the Oxnam Kirk Sunday School which on that occasion consisted of five lively children and two helpers. Suitably small furniture has been acquired from the old school. Lots of ideas and material gathered will provide provide forty minutes of interest and sun based on the children's bible and the Christian year. The aim is to meet during the service held on the third Sunday of each month. All welcome.
Spring/Summer Report By Valerie Hunter.
We have had some lively sessions of Sunday School which continue to meet on the 3rd Sunday of each month. The children enjoyed dressing up for their nativity scene at the annual candlelit carol service, and , with very little time for rehearsal, read out some lovely nativity poems and led the congregation in "Away in a manger". We try to follow topics relevant to the seasons of the church calender & the changing seasons of the year which influence us so much in the Oxnam valley. This spring we have thought about the parable of & the sower& and we set up a seed tray with hard baked earth, rocky ground, weeds, & one with good soil. The children then sewed mustard seeds on the tray & looked at the results after a month. They also sowed some seeds in their own good soil & in containers to take home & grow. 5 or 6 children come regularly, though once when the service included a baptism, an extra 10 joined in & made the practical lesson on Jesus, the carpenter & particularly interesting & noisy as they enthusiastically tried out hammering nails & smoothing & decorating wood! We hope to collect more resources as time goes on would love to see new members. after a holiday break in the month of July the next Sunday school will be on 17th August 2008.