Family Fun on Ayla’s last Sunday
What a joy it was to see so many of our church children and their families filling the church at 9.30 for their own service and opportunity to say farewell to Ayla. Led by Maureen and Jeremy on the guitar, the children joined in enthusiastically with the actions to the songs, sitting in ‘family bubbles’ on distanced pews. Maureen had prepared colourful packs full of interesting things for them to make their own farewell cards for Ayla, and these were then put on a board at the front of church. On the front of the card was a beautiful drawing by Ellie Lupa of Ayla and Jeremy about to sing a duet!
The Diracles family joined in from Scotland, where they are now living, via Zoom, on a large TV screen, to read the Lesson – little would we have thought this time last year that we would be seeing that in church this year! Backpacks were blessed, as has now become a tradition at HPC at the beginning of a new school year and key rings rather than tags were handed out with the words ‘Blessed to be a blessing’ on them, for attaching to bags.
Ayla spoke movingly of how, when she first came to HPC, she had had no experience at all of working with under 14s, and of how much she had learned from our children over her time with us. She encouraged us all to remember to experience the world with wonder, as do children, as it is a sign of what Jesus/God/ The Kingdom of God is like. She reminded us that we are learning all the time, whatever is happening around us and to keep our hearts open. Her finishing words seemed apt for all, including her – thank you for being you!