Exploring Science and Faith (with children)

Last weekend, we held our second ‘Exploring Science’ event for children at the small parish church not far from our home. Two of the mums got together and gathered a range of experimental and display materials that would engage the children (4 – 11 in the main) and which could be managed by anyone with a willingness to do a small amount of background reading . This was to be able to respond to the most likely (and fairly predictable) questions that children or their mums and dads might pose.

On a Saturday afternoon when there were a considerable number of other attractions in the locality, we had about 40/50 children around. All had mums and or dads with them or an occasional grandparent, one of whom I overheard using the uniqueness of every bubble that filled the churchyard with our own individual uniqueness (referencing Ps 139). Then asking her grandchild who we might thank for that.

Below, you will find the cards which accompanied each experiment’s ‘station’ together with those from our first ‘Exploring Science’. Any 7/10 of them or more would make for an event where children would be engaged for an hour or more.

If you try this and would be minded to add a short worship session, the songs set out here are both easy to sing to well known tunes.
I’m Making Friends With Science
Awesome, Wonderful Creator

In the environment in which our children/ grandchildren are growing up, afternoons like these and similar events are important in showing that many church members ARE wanting to understand the sciences that help to show us the glory and the might of our God. Thank you Chris and Hollie for another excellent and  imaginative afternoon.

Science Celebration at a Country Church 3

Regular readers will know that we recently held a Science Sunday and Science weekend at our two country parish churches. The theme was 'Celebrating the wonders of Creation revealed by Science'. On the Saturday we held a 3.30 - 5pm event for children and it was a delight to hear the church full of laughter and excitement as lots of children experimented with the ideas illustrated in the cards shown below. Tea and cakes followed!

On Sunday we had two speakers, an Astronomer talking about The Cosmos and a Neuroscientist talking about the brain. The service order we used is set out below and the service was followed by a discussion group that almost the whole congregation stayed for. It was an exciting two days, Now, for those who requested materials, and others who might be interested, you will find the following below

JPEGs of all the Children's experimental stations with Bible allusions.
JPEGs of the Order of Service for the adult focussed service

There was also a Powerpoint presentation for the All-age/Family service which I will send on request to anyone who would like it. Also a doc version of the service order can be obtained in the same way: Email me at crossandcosmos@gmail.com

The brilliant children's slides were produced by our friend and colleague Chris Campbell who also organised the children's activities with her friend Holli. Brilliant!

In addition to these activities, we had

A Marine Biologist with a fascinating collection of shells

A member of our fellowship with a demonstration of his employers' technique

 for detecting lymphomas with nano particles

A craft area where among other things

children could make colour spinners

And this is the service order we used

in place of a regular 'Morning Praise'

If you want to copy the words of the first hymn

'Stars and Planets Sing Your Glory',

you can access them Here

We were helped to find our scientist speakers by

Christians in Science/ The Faraday Institute

who have contacts across much of the world.

They can be found at this link

The Faraday Institute

There is other material on this blog, which might be useful for any similar event, and can be accessed through the special index HERE

Other poems, meditations and songs with a SCIENCE & FAITH theme can be accessed HERE

Science Weekend in a country church 2

March 2014: We have just had an absolutely amazing afternoon of celebrating the wonders of science with about 40+ children bringing their mums and a lot of dads as well in our village church. Rocket launches in the main aisle, spaghetti and marshmallow towers being built, magnets, fingerprinting, electric circuits and walking on water! (cornflour mix) were just some of the attractions - and some cleverly thought through Biblical links. Lots of noise and hopefully seeds sown to make a lot of children feel church is a welcoming place. Big thanks to all who helped and all who came and especially Chris and Holli who got the event together. Now on to tomorrow's services - one with discussions following and one All-age: hopefully with as good an atmosphere as we had this afternoon.

A Science Weekend in a country church: a forthcoming celebration

January 2014 and an exciting possibility. The idea of organizing a  ‘Science Weekend’ in our two churches has moved on apace. The theme will be 'To celebrate the wonders of creation revealed by science' . To help us with our explorations, we will have addresses by a Consultant Neurologist from Addenbrookes  on the human brain and an Astronomer/ Educationist on the glory of the Universe.

This will be within the framework of the morning service at Landbeach (6miles north of Cambridge UK) in March where the pattern has been, that on the third Sunday of each month the service is followed by coffee and a discussion group. It promises well.

Just a little later, that same morning, there will be a Family/All age service in St John’s Waterbeach with the same theme - but presented in a way that will be more accessible for children.

Children’s science-based activities will also take place on the Saturday of the weekend.

I am very grateful to Ruth Banciewicz (See Ruth's blog here) of The The Faraday Institute for Science and Religion for her help in finding us an astronomer and guiding us to the material that has been developed within the Institute for just such a service.

There will be more on the blog about this weekend and if you should be interested in knowing more, please feel free to contact me at crossandcosmos@gmail.com

There are a number of poems with scientific  themes on this blog. An index of them can be accessed by CLICKING HERE