bath & wells: services for children and young people:
parishes and deaneries

Children proclaiming the Easter message in your parish

Leaves of Life is an exciting new Eastertide Mission tool available from The Children's Society, jointly developed in partnership with a consultation group of Children Work Advisers specifically to meet the needs of your parish.

Leaves of Life is an all ages event focusing on the Eastertide messages of new life. It uses the biblical image of the Tree of Life as it’s central theme, capturing children’s prayers and reflections on leaves. It helps your church

• encourage more children to take part in your worship
• share the Eastertide message of ‘new life’ with them and your local parish
• give young people a voice to express their hopes and concerns about their local community
• challenge the congregation to respond to the prayer leaves with positive actions for and with the children in your parish

To help you organise your Leaves of Life event, there is an essential pack of free, fun and easy-to-use resources. You can order them on line at www.childrenssociety.org.uk/leaves/ or by calling 0845 600 8585. The resources offer:

• suggestions for Children’s Groups activities between Easter and Pentecost
• opportunities to involve the local community including a schools module
• posters and a parish magazine article to publicize your event
• a celebration service, focusing on the Gospel message of new life
• a step-by-step guide to turning the prayer leaves’ messages into positive actions for children in your community
• supporting materials such as an all ages talk and suggested hymns and songs

For 125 years The Children's Society has been working with the Church of England to help vulnerable children. Leaves of Life is a powerful tool to share the Gospel message and enable children to reach out to the community, making a positive change for them. 

If you’d like more information about this fun and simple activity, visit the www.childrenssociety.org.uk/leaves/ or talk to Jane Whitcombe, Diocesan Children’s Adviser on jane.whitcombe@bathwells.anglican.org