I just posted this off to our new Children and Families worker, and then figured it would make a useful blog post too for anyone interested in training and resources for childrens ministry:
1. 'Building Family Friendly Churches' - training weekend in Yeovil 18-19 Oct, run by the Family Friendly Churches Trust (www.familyfriendlychurches.org.uk). It looks like the focus is on worship, all-age services and church-based ministry, rather than community-based stuff, and the website gives more details of the kind of seminars to expect.
2. Childrens Ministry: http://www.childrensministry.co.uk/ run a yearly training conference focused completely on childrens work (http://www.childrensministry.co.uk/conference/category_index.php?id=2) - the next one is January 2009 in Eastbourne. The main website has other resources, and you can get copies of previous seminars on CD.
3. Scripture Union http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/YourChurch/ChildrenandYoungPeople/860.id do occasional training event tours, though most of their training seems to be focused around their Sunday school material.
4. Barnabas in Schools is a brilliant website, crammed with resources. They also offer training, but it seems to be an 'on demand' basis where you buy in the specialist to come and do things for you. http://www.barnabasinchurches.org.uk/index.asp Also links to 'messy church' and good ideas on midweek activities. Really worth a browse.
5. New Wine run various training days and events. There's a big conference in, you guessed it, January 2009, but they also do day conferences - one in Bristol coming up http://www.new-wine.org/events/Kids%20Work%20Training%20Days.htm
6. Childrens Work Advisors Network - run by the CofE, very slow website but lots of good links in the 'Links' section. http://www.cwanetwork.org.uk/index.html
7. CPAS have a track record of good training stuff. The Initi8 section of their website has some good stuff down the sidebar about children, faith, families etc., but no training events coming up just yet. Worth a read though. http://www.cpas.org.uk/initiate/content/
8. Finally 'Know your onions, grow your church' - the Christian Resources Exhibition, in Harrogate in September, and in Exeter in January 2009. http://www.creonline.co.uk/exhibitions . Harrogate has a Saturday devoted to childrens ministry and training, so hopefully that will be replicated in Exeter.
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