Sunday School 4

In more recent years our contribution to Christmas has taken the form of a gift Sunday when the children are encouraged to donate a new, or nearly new, toy for distribution to a centre for children of those visiting prisoners at Winson Green. The centre was originally developed by Winson Green United Reformed Church opposite the prison main gate. Another outreach function which the Sunday School supports is the adoption of a child in the Lebanon - already mentioned above. The name of our present child is Marina Abrahamian. In normal times, if the Lebanon has ever experienced “normal” times, originally Auntie Jessie and now Auntie Joyce (Nunn), accepted responsibility for corresponding and sending gifts to her for birthdays and Christmas. it is many months since we heard but her name is still mentioned in Thursday evening’s prayer meeting and in our prayers most Sunday mornings.

When numbers first began to decline in the later sixties, Mr. Forsyth organised a parents’ social evening. Every parent was approached personally for this event and it proved to be an undoubted if somewhat hilarious, success. A second such event was attempted some six months later but met with very poor response. The experiment has never been repeated. Another event which met with success on its first occasion was that of a Christingle Service in the church at 4.30 p.m. on one of the two Sundays prior to Christmas. Again this failed to generate enthusiasm on the next occasion and has never been tried since.

An event which does, however, continue to occur annually, is that of prize-giving. This has taken place over the last ten or so years and was introduced to recognise and encourage regular attendance. At one time in Juniors attendance levels were well in the forties for some children, one girl even achieving 48, a

greater number of Sundays than the minister himself attended! Prize-giving takes place on Promotion Sunday - the first Sunday in October - and children are moved according to age, in line with day school groupings, except that we are four weeks later.

Monthly singing practice has become a feature of the Junior Church recently, and many present at the 40th Anniversary Service remarked with pleasure upon the part played by the members of the Junior Church in the service, both instrumentally and through Singing.