Peace

 Last week our Awesome Kids made peace themed pictures, using CD covers as picture frames.

Mysteries to solve

Can you guess who this is?

We have some awesome stuff planned for this Sunday...  join Rachel and I to play 'Guess Who' with some mystery photos, decode a secret  message, and find out who the mystery 'stranger' was on the road to Emmaus. We will make a treasure map or a message in a bottle! Also the band will be playing, and bring your ukulele for AbsolUKE during morning tea.

Youth Church is on at Beckenham Methodist on Sunday afternoon, join us over there at 5.30pm for a very different kind of church service! If you'd like a ride please let me know.

Getting prepared for Sunday! 

FISH this Saturday night!

Join us this Saturday, 22 April at the Chapel Street Centre, 5pm to 7pm. Bring a friend!

Christ is Risen!

Christ is Risen! He is risen indeed!

Happy Easter everyone!

This morning, Dave explained the Easter story using his pet blue-tongue lizard. Just what does a blue-tongue lizard have to do with the Easter story you might wonder? Well, you'll have to ask Dave or one of our Awesome Kids to explain it next time you see them!

Our Awesome Kids had fun making Easter art, and decorating biscuits with icing and licorice crosses - delicious!

Easter Services at the Chapel Street Centre

Hi everyone, hope you all keep warm and safe this Easter weekend.

Join us tomorrow (Good Friday) for a service at 10am, and/or on Easter Sunday at 10am for our family service and Awesome Time.

Hosanna!

Today was Palm Sunday. 

This morning we were treated to a puppet play, starring Braaaayden the donkey. He told us what happened on Palm Sunday - Jesus's triumphant procession into Jerusalem. All the people waved palm branches and shouted "Hosanna!" - basically saying "Jesus is Great! Jesus is Number One!" 

We had a VERY BUSY time out the back, making wonderfully MESSY art! We had 18 children, so were extremely glad of our wonderful young adult helpers.

We made 'Hosanna posters', some using collage, cutting handprints from green card to represent the palm branches. 

Some of us made art with our feet! Philomena painted our feet grey, and we stamped a painty footprint which we turned into a donkey's face. We made green palm leaves using our handprints. They looked AMAZING!

The paintings are drying now, but when they are ready we will hang them in the Chapel Gallery and you can come and check them out. In the meantime, you might enjoy these photos...

To view more photos click HERE!

Palm Sunday

More Youth Church

Check out more awesome worship music from our March Youth Church Service.

Youth Church

Come along to Youth Church - a district Methodist youth service for young and 'young at heart'. Last Sunday of the month, at Beckenham Methodist Church (Malcom Ave), 5.30pm.

http://www.csisyouthministries.com/

 

May You Find Peace

See with your Heart

Last week we all took part in a play, based on the book 'Ten Rules You Absolutely Must Not Break if You Want to Survive the School Bus' by John Grandits.

We lined up the chairs in the front of the church, like seats on a bus, and all climbed aboard.

Ray played the part of the little brother who was taking the school bus for the first time. His older 'brother' Phil (Philomena) warned him about the dangers on the bus and made him promise not to break his ten rules.

The older brother's rules included, 'Don't talk to girls', 'Don't make eye contact with the big kids', 'Don't talk to the driver'... and many more. Somehow poor Ray managed to break every single rule! But, in the process of doing so, he brings about a big change which benefits everyone.

Like the big brother, the Pharisees in the bible reading were so focussed on the rule that had been broken that they could not see the miracle. Like Ray's brother, the pharisees looked to the rules to guide their every move... seeing the rules as things you absolutely must follow without fail, in order to honour God. But, Jesus on the the other hand, sees the rules more as guidelines. They are there to help you make decisions, but he is writing a new rule. His new rule places the well being of people over the rules. Sometimes, rules need to be broken when the outcome is better for everyone.

The play also revealed the truth that we should not judge people by their appearances. It is not what people look like on the outside that we should focus on, but what they are like on the inside. 

Ray was able to make friends with the girl (who his brother had warned him against, 'girls are as mean as snakes!') and sat with the big kid (who 'looked like' he was going to 'give him a pounding'), and talked with the 'mean old lady' bus driver - and none of them turned out to be as scary as they looked!

See with your heart.