Methodist Wor ld Deve lopment & Rel ie f

Christmas  Project  2013    Explanation – each year, our Methodist WDR Committee suggest one of their partners as a focus for a Christmas Project. Materials come in the form of a children’s talk to be used within a church service that explains the project itself and also the mechanics of giving. The WDR Committee suggest that instead of sending cards to each other within the congregation, people give the money, they would have spent, to the project i.e. no extra cost. A Christmas greeting from contributors can be written on the template ‘feet logo’ and hung on the church Christmas tree e.g. ‘Christmas greetings to our church family from The Johnstons’ Of course churches will have their own ideas too. Materials:

• Written talk and explanation • Accompanying powerpoint slides or, alternatively, photos for printing • Foot template to cut out and hang

What to do with donations:

• Cheques to ‘Methodist World Development & Relief Fund’ and state it’s for Christmas Project. • Send to Methodist World Development & Relief, Skainos, 239 Newtownards Road, Belfast,

BT4 1AF • NB – do not include as part of other WDRF payments

The Talk for children SLIDE 1 – title So what are you looking forward to at Christmas? Get some ideas e.g. food, presents, being off school etc SLIDE 2 (or Photo 1) – map and child at dirty water I know about some children who are looking forward to just having clean water. They live in Uganda. That seems a really strange thing to get excited about but for them having clean water is a really big deal. Water is really important for all of us. It’s useful in so many ways. I’m going to act out some of the ways we use water and see if you can guess what I’m doing. (or you could get them or other adults to act them out – write the actions on a piece of card to show them) Suggested actions = brushing teeth, drinking, having a shower, watering the garden, washing clothes, washing windows So water is really important.

These children live in Kabaale in Uganda. They and their families have not had clean water. Some have got very sick. And they may have to walk very far to get any water at all. SLIDE 3 (or Photo 2) – children using new water pump Our church this Christmas, is going to help one of our World Development & Relief projects which is putting water pumps at schools in Kabaale in Uganda. Then the school children and the villages around the schools will have fresh, clean and safe water. This is a photo of some of the children who already have a pump at their school. Other schools will be getting theirs soon. World Development & Relief give our money to EMESCO. EMESCO is the Ugandan group that works out the best ways to help the villages and schools and who are working with the villagers to put in the pumps. No more walking to find water. No more sickness because of dirty water. In the Bible we are told “Those who give one of these little ones a cup of cold water because they are my followers will truly get their reward.” (Matthew 10:42) So while we’re thinking about getting gifts at Christmas, we can also give the gift of clean water to people just like us in Africa. Explain how your church is organizing the collection and the hanging of the WDR logo on the church tree (if that is how you are doing it). You can refer to the WDR logo of feet walking alongside each other. It is this logo that can be hung from the Christmas tree. Pray for the children in Kabaale and also that we would be generous at Christmas time.

 

Print  and  cut  out  the  below  shapes.  Tie  ribbon  through  them.  Leave  with  pen  for  people  to  write  their  greeting  and  hang  on  the  church  Christmas  tree.