Viewing all items in Resource Category: Editorial

What a dilemma for a slimmer Eating all that Christmas fare, Getting fatter, what’s it matter? It’s only once a year.   Now the party has begun, Crackers and cheese and party hats Turkey with trimmings, presents with ribbons, Figgy pudding – do we still eat that?   Food a-plenty, plates all empty Waistbands bursting,...

Did you know that it is a family in Wiltshire, the Parkers, who claim to own the world’s oldest artificial Christmas tree?  It was bought in 1886, and is still put up every year.

The Visual Christmas Story My First Christmas Activity Book  And the Star Shone Brightly Bible Puzzles for Fun Really Useful Guides: Colossians and Philemon Follow the Star Christian Music – a global history (revised and expanded) The Last Journey – reflections for the time of grieving God’s Biker – motorcycles and misfits My Country Wept...

Did you know that the word ‘mistletoe’ means dung on a tree?  The Anglo-Saxons thought that mistletoe grew in trees where birds had left their droppings.  Mistel means dung, and tan means twig.

How to survive Christmas When people want your money for their charity Learn a poem by heart this Christmas – and stay sharp Don’t cook and sleep at the same time Shared meals are more fun Taking yourself on holiday Beware of selfies The loneliness of our young people Yo-yo dieting is ‘worse for your...

Attackers recently ransacked, looted and burned a church in the Kossey district of Niger’s capital Niamey, leaving the building a charred shell, its floor covered with debris and broken and blackened musical instruments. Niger’s tiny Christian minority make up less than 1% of the population, but it had traditionally lived peacefully and unthreatened alongside the...

Advent’s upon us once more! A season to fast, and adore Our Jesus who came Salvation to gain And worship, as shepherds before. But is it a season of hush? Or Christmas commercialised mush? We miss Advent’s joys Buying trinkets and toys For Advent’s the season of rush! Nor is it a season of fast...

God’s Special Gift From the Vicar God with us Emmanuel means ‘God with us’ An On-Going Story The hour-glass of Christmas ** Editor:  The Rev Paul Hardingham considers the unthinkable God’s Special Gift For those of us about to spend Christmas with a new child or grandchild, we will know how very special the arrival...

“A cold coming they had of it at this time of the year, just the worst time of the year to take a journey, and specially a long journey, in.  The way’s deep, the weather sharp, the days short, the sun farthest off, in solstitio brumali, the very dead of winter.” It was 1622, and...

By Ian Long, BRF, £6.99 This is the Christmas story told as a visual expression, or in ‘blob style’.  It can be enjoyed by readers and non-readers alike, but is particularly helpful for those who find reading difficult. The Bible text appears opposite colourful verse-by-verse illustrations that encourage engagement with the story.  It will be...

by Bethan James, Authentic, £3.99 You can help your children to prepare for Christmas with this fun-packed puzzle book.  The story of Christmas is introduced at the beginning of the book, and then it is explored through fun activity pages, so the child is able to engage with the story.

Ever wonder where many of our Christmas traditions come from?   A surprising amount of our modern Christmas celebrations can be traced back to the well-loved story of ‘A Christmas Carol’, by Charles Dickens. When you read ‘A Christmas Carol’, you discover almost a template of the ‘ideal Christmas’ which we still hold dear today.  Dickens...