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Harlington Methodist Church views its work with children and
young people as a very important aspect of its life. During the early 1990's the only regular meetings
were Sunday School and Friday club (now also known as 626). In 1995 there was a sudden explosion in work
with children with the formation of a Boys' Brigade Company, a Rainbows group and a youth group called Mad-house
(now replaced by 7Up). Later the 2nd Harlington Brownie pack affiliated to the Church and began to meet at the
Church. While they are still connected they now meet in the Village Hall.
In 1999 a soft play area was created in the main body of the church to accommodate very young children with their
parents. One morning service per month is designated All Age Worship and is often treated as a parade service by
the Boys' Brigade, whose band marches through part of the village afterwards. There is also a youth service held
in the church once a quarter
Currently the following groups are part of our church in some form or another. Ordinarily most of them meet
regularly in the Church buildings. Click on their name in the following list or scroll down to see more information
about each of them:
Sunday School
626
7Up
Youth Fellowship
Boys' Brigade summary or more information
Rainbows
Brownies
Sunday School currently meets in the church
hall from 10am on Sunday mornings. The children and teachers join the rest of the congregation for the
first 20 minutes or so of the Sunday morning church service. There is no crèche at the church
but children are accepted in the Sparklers group from about 18 months (providing a parent is in the building)
to 6 years old. Two other age groups are catered for up to the age of about 16 at which point it is
expected that the young people will stay in the church service. When the morning service includes Holy Communion
the Sunday School finishes early and goes back into the church so that the children can receive a blessing or
the bread and wine with other family members. There is no Sunday School when an All Age Worship service
is taking place, which is usually the first Sunday of the month. Approximately once a quarter, the Sunday School
takes place as a Sunday Morning Special - starting at 9.00am with breakfast, and welcoming parents as well
as children. This is intended to work as an outreach session, and invitations are issued to members of 626, 7Up
and the Boys' Brigade.
626 club started as a club for Sunday School children but is now an open
club for boys and girls between 6 years old and school year 6. It meets on Fridays in the church halls from
6:30pm to 8pm and provides a mixture of group games, crafts and quieter activities.
7Up started in September 2003, meeting on alternate Friday nights from
8:15pm to 9.30pm in the church halls. The group is aimed at young people from school year 7 to the age of 16,
who are already connected with the church via Sunday School, 626 or Boys' Brigade. For accurate dates of 7Up,
see the Church Notices (click on the link from the Church homepage).
Youth Fellowship is an evening meeting for those
aged roughly 12 to 17 years. It meets roughly every 3 weeks on Sunday evenings at a leaders house to explore
various topics in ways relevant to the young people. This group was set up in late 2001.
Boys' Brigade is split into 4 sections, all of which
meet in the church halls on Thursdays. Anchors is for boys who are aged between 5 (and at school) and 8 and
meet from 6:15pm until 7.30pm. Juniors is for boys age 8 to 11 and meet from 6:45pm until 8pm. Company section
is for boys age 11 to 15 and meets from 7:00pm until 8.30pm. Senior section runs from 7.30pm until 9.15pm
fortnightly. The BB also has a marching band which meets to practice from 8pm to 8:30pm as required, also on
Thursdays.
The national BB web site can be found here
The 1st Harlington BB web pages can be found here
Rainbows meet on Mondays from 5:15pm in the church hall. Part
of the Guide Association, Rainbows accept girls between age 5 and 7 years.
The national Rainbows web site can be found
here
Brownies meet on Tuesdays from 5:30pm at the village hall.
Part of the Guide Association, Brownies accept girls between age 7 and 10 years.
The national Brownies web site can be found
here
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