The Children of Today
Aug/26/09 21:02
As the dust settles on our Summer Holiday Club for 2009 - Showstoppers! one has the opportunity to reflect upon the week's events. Many positives have come from this as well as lessons to be learned for next year!
The Psalmist says that children are a gift from God - and we certainly have felt blessed by the ministry we have shared with these children throughout the course of the week. It is amazing to see the development in their young lives even through the course of just one week! From the shyness of the first day ... to the questions ... and the realisation that God's love is for all and to be shared with all ... and then the celebrations of the final day!
As the weeks and months unfold for these young people, they will be faced with many choices. They will return to their schools and family lives - and for many nowadays, the idea of a 'normal family' is far from their experience. Many are with one parent during the week and another parent at the weekend - this is their normality ... some have parents who have drink and drug problems - others are in stable families, but seldom see their parents during the week due to long working hours, with both parents struggling to keep their heads afloat in this uncertain economic environment in which we live.
How resilient these young people are. How precious they are to God. During this next week, allow your attention to turn to young people ... just where you are. Allow yourselves the opportunity to reminisce back to your own childhood years ... if you have happy memories of these days, think about what made that so - good role models, loving parents, family and neighbours; surrogate aunties and uncles who were looking out for you ...
If your memories are not so good, if you can, consider also why this was.
And then take the chance to ask yourself how you can ensure the young people around you are given every opportunity to develop into the best they can possibly be for God and the community they are in. Play your part in shaping a better tomorrow for the children of today.
Graeme Parkhill
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Show Time!
Aug/16/09 16:39
[to see all the photographs from the Showstoppers Holliday Club click here]
Showstoppers Award Ceremony
We have had a great morning here at Ayr, with many of the students coming to the morning meeting with their parents to celebrate and review the holiday club week.
Singing included the Theme Song, Great Big God, Jump up and Down and Give me oil in my lamp. Miss Darbiss was dressed to the nines, letting her hair down - and receiving many requests for her phone number!!! Steven Steel the Burgers helped sum up the whole week as he recapped on The Greatest Story Ever Told - God's Story. The students impressed the gathered congregation by reciting their 'lines' - 5 scripture memory verses learned during the course of the week.
Ayr Citadel Band and Songsters also took part and Bobby Irvine, leader of the musical sections at Ayr opened the day in prayer, asking God's blessing upon all gathered and all who had taken part in the week.
Team winners were dressing room 3 - 'the Showoffs', although the competition remained close right to the end.
The morning finished with the full cast taking part in a drama Colours of Salvation. A tingling atmosphere was felt as God's spirit moved through the gathered congregation, using the efforts of the young people to bring all present closer to God's presence.
Well done to all involved.
Steven Steel the Burgers: Director
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Final preparations!
Aug/16/09 15:39
Today was the final day of rehearsals for the drama students before the big show tomorrow morning. So it was a hectic start to the day - putting the final touches to the singing, dancing, drama and artwork.
Miss Darbis and Steven Steel the Burgers were not at the club today - the students learned that they were at a press conference promoting the club. We hope that the interest raised will bring many to the final performance.
Oscars were awarded to many of the students and the points competition is really close, with all teams performing well. The kids managed, in addition to the rehearsals, to make lion masks (Daniel and the lions den) and Christmas decorations.
Things are looking really good ahead of tomorrow. I love it when a show comes together!
Steven Steel the Burgers: Director
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Lord of the Dance!
Aug/14/09 15:46
The drama students today embarked upon their most colourful workshop- the dance workshop. Under the watchful eye of Miss Darbiss (Captain Wendy) and Motivator Mo (Valerie) the students developed a dancing display to the music 'Colours of Salvation'. This will be premiered on Sunday morning in the Holiness Meeting, which will feature many items from the children involved in Showstoppers.
After celebrating Christmas yesterday, the focus of today's activities was Easter, with the children finding out that God loved them so much that He sent Jesus to die for their sins, so that they could inherit eternal life. Thus, God provided the solution to the problem of sin in the world. Not the end of the story - simply a new beginning.
A further highlight today was the composition and singing of team songs from both dressing rooms 1 and 3. Whilst dressing room 3 look as if they are running away with the points contest, much can happen on the final day to change the look of the Leader Board!
Steven Steel the Burgers: Director.
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Christmas in August
Aug/13/09 09:11
This seems to have been the best day so far, with the drama students celebrating Christmas! Bit early this year, but well received all round.
Three teams took part in a photography workshop, led by our webmaster.
You can see some of the efforts on this page, from catching poses like 'kissing under the mistletoe', and 'eating Christmas dinner' to full-scale performances of the Christmas story.
Oscars were won by Joshua for the Motivator Mo workout, Lewis and Cammy for their dancing displays and Jordan and Arran for their efforts in the Theme Song.
Half way through the week and numbers are steadily growing each day and it's good to see so many of the regular kids coming back day after day to here more of the Greatest Story Ever Told!
Steven Steel the Burgers: Director
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