The Year of the Bible
2011 is set to be Barnabas's busiest year yet and so we would really value your prayers.
BRF's Barnabas Children's Ministry is over ten years old and in that time it has expanded its programme range and geographical reach in ways that have taken us by surprise. God has certainly blessed this particular ministry and we are both humbled and grateful.
The Barnabas Team was set up to support the work of Barnabas publishing, offering schools and churches the opportunity to 'see its list in action', as it were. Through a range of workshops and events for churches, alongside carefully researched creative arts Barnabas RE Days for primary school children and in-service training for teachers, a wider public has been enabled to see how our material can be used to resource the spiritual journey of children and families in a variety of settings.
Now 2011 is set to take the work of the team to new levels. You may have already heard of the Biblefresh initiative for 2011 and of the work of the 2011 Trust, both inspired by the 400th anniversary of the publication of the King James Version of the Bible, popularly known as the Authorised Version. Well, Barnabas couldn't let this opportunity to explore our special book pass us by and so the Team, with specific funding, has developed a special INSET training package and a focused Barnabas RE Day for schools to celebrate the Bible, exploring both its importance for us as Christians as well as the impact it has had on the life and culture of Britain.
This is a tremendous opportunity for us at BRF and Barnabas to help children, families and schools to reconnect with our special book and of course all this is so completely in tune it with BRF's foundational mission of almost 90 years ago. Already we have bookings for over 30 days' worth of special in-service training for groups of primary school teachers and the first of our special RE Days on this topic are being delivered even as you read this! It's going to mean we will be busier than ever!
Although the original Barnabas staff team has of course grown over these last ten years, we now recognise we will need new people to help us in 2011. To this end we have been growing our freelance team, looking for representatives in most parts of the country. Jane Butcher has taken on responsibility for recruiting and training in this area and we have been very encouraged by the calibre of those who have applied to join us and to help us deliver the extra workload. Once again we give thanks to God for sending us the right people at the right time.
Opening up the Bible in 2011 will be such a tremendous privilege. Indeed all our work in schools and churches is rooted in the desire to bring the Bible to life for adults and children. Our approach to doing this has gained respect nationally and is guided by three principles: the spirituality of children; respect for the power of story; and reliance on the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Again and again we have seen how the inspired story can do its own work if only we allow it breathing-space. This is surely the way Jesus wanted us to teach and pass on the good news of the kingdom of heaven as demonstrated by his use of parables. Truth discovered for oneself in response to a faithful representation of the story in a creative style transforms lives, enabling children to meet with God for themselves. Again and again at our events we see how children in particular simply 'just get it' without us having to labour home the point with a more traditional didactic approach - just like the boy at a recent workshop of mine when we were exploring with drama and games the properties of water and linking through to how stories about water in the Bible relate to God's love. He suddenly spoke up in front of everyone to tell us why God's love is in fact just like water. 'It's simply because we can't live without it, can we?'
We hope that in this coming year you can support us with your prayers as the Barnabas Team opens up our special book in creative ways with adults and children. May many more 'simply just get it' as its stories are told and its own amazing story of publication in the English of the day is explored. This is the ook that has changed lives and can do so again and again. It's certainly going to change our Barnabas lives in 2011!
For information about The Year of the Bible and special events in schools and churches, go to: http://www.barnabasinschools.org.uk/2011
Find information about The People's Bible, a special publication for this anniversary that tells the story of how the Bible came to be translated into English and includes lots of activities for a group or a class to enjoy.
And why not consider encouraging your church to put on a special family or children's event focusing on the Bible sometime in 2011? We have plenty of ideas to help and in fact there is already a whole outline for a special two hour event on the Bible in Footsteps to the Feast.
Be in touch with Lynda Ward, our Barnabas Team Administrator, if you are interested to find out more - tel: 01865-319704 or email lynda.ward@brf.org.uk.
Come on, let's spread the Word!!
