Schools week

All this week parties of schoolchildren from Riverside Primary School and St James's School have been visiting St James's Church for our Easter Schools Week.

By the end of tomorrow, 15 classes from the two schools will have taken part in the project, comprising nearly 450 children.

It's been brilliant to welcome these lovely enthusiastic children into the church, who have thrown themselves wholeheartedly into the activities, been full of questions and interest, and, who have behaved impeccably, a credit to their schools.

Jos with Riverside children at the empty tomb

Each class has made visits to three stations: MAUNDY THURSDAY (the Upper Room set up in a large tent at the back of the church); GOOD FRIDAY, with the large wooden cross in the Creche Room; and EASTER SUNDAY, with the Empty Tomb recreated in the Narthex. At the end we have all come together for a round-up session including a Easter timeline and, in the case of St James's School, a short act of worship.

At each station the children have heard the story of that part of the  Easter message and they have made something to take home as a reminder of the visit: for Maundy Thursday a silver coin engraved with the number 30; for Good Friday a Easter card with a cross and a heart-shaped sticker designed to remind us that the cross is the ultimate expression of God's love; and for Easter Sunday, a stone on which they have put their fingerprints with paint (they loved doing this).

Paul with Riverside children, rounding up at the end

The stones are both a reminder of the victory of the empty tomb with the stone rolled back, and, by means of the fingerprint, a reminder that each of us are unique individiduals, loved by God, expressed in the song, which with the St James children, we concluded each session with: 'I'm special because God has loved me, for he gave me the best thing that he had to save me, his own Son, Jesus.'

Last Supper in the Upper Room with Mandy

Painting the stones with Penny

Some of 3 Mexico from St James School at the Empty Tomb