Holiday Club 2009
 
St Andrew's has just completed one of its most successful holiday clubs. It was called Monsters Stink! (a play on words with the Disney Pixar film Monsters Inc). We had a total of 70 children from across Burgess Hill, many coming to a holiday club for the first time and over 40 helpers including many of our Youth Group ViE*.

This year’s theme was ‘monsters’ - not the big hairy scary ones but those that we all face like being bullied, getting lost and being frightened. These were linked to the Bible stories of David and Goliath, The Lost Sheep and Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane .

Our hall was transformed by team dens made out of cardboard boxes, sheets, carpets and recyclable rubbish. Each one was very different and certainly captured the imagination of the boys, girls and leaders alike. The Church was filled with monster faces and a cupboard door constructed by David Wickens - the children never did find out what was behind it!

Our group names were monster related such as Bone Crushers, Gizzard Guzzlers, Knuckle Knashers, Screaming Heads, Brain Mashers and Blood Suckers.

DAILY SESSIONS

Each day started in the dens with the main teaching being held in the Church. The church sessions were led by Sarah and Sue with Gordon and Jane Banks on Day 3. These sessions included dramatised Bible stories with relevant teaching, jokes, songs, memory verse, DVD clips from the Monsters Inc film, exercise classes, testimony and the shout competitions.

Our crafts ranged from painting monsters onto clay tiles which have been glazed and fired, along with monster feet and making (and eating) monster biscuits. As a lasting reminder of the Holiday Club, the children made a Monsters Stink flag for use in worship.

Outside games featured a lot of water along with shaving foam and water pistols for our monster makeovers.

MEMORY VERSE "Nothing can separate me from the love of God" - Romans Chapter 8, verse 39  

CLUB SHOUT "Monsters Stink! but we don’t care ‘Cos God is with us everywhere"

For the first time music and vocals were provided by the Youth Band. This was a fantastic opportunity to showcase their talents and a great advertisement for what young people can do at church. We sang our own theme song.

On Sunday 9 August the Club closed with a service on Sunday which was well attended by the children and their families. The flag was processed into Church by the children and presented to the Church

Our thanks to everyone for your love, support and especially your prayers.

From the Monster Stink! Team: Sarah Wilson, Sue Gumbrell, Sandi Wickens and Alison Richardson
Here are some photos: