by Fiona Hammond

If you have a teaching moment coming up, consider bringing something from the “real” world to start the conversation or story. Such an “artefact” immediately connects your point to everyday life and gives the group something to focus on! Saves a lot of talking!

Bible study group: bring a collection of old letters, diaries and family or town histories, to pass around to illustrate types of writing. This could lead to a discussion of the different types of writing that make up the books of the Bible: history, legal, letters etc.

First meeting of a small group: bring a packet of spaghetti to show that alone we are vulnerable but together we build something strong and durable. Try snapping one strand of dry spaghetti and then try bending the packet all together. Ask others for their interpretations. This could be a useful warm up question: “great pasta meals I have known”.

Sunday School session on forgiveness: bring a sponge and water. The hurt/sin is the water. The sponge (forgiveness) soaks it up and then when wrung out on the garden, holds it no more. Once completely dry, there’s no remnant of that old hurt/sin. See if children can think up other ways to illustrate that concept.