Christianity in other parts of the world was the focus of the Atrium during 2011. We started early in the year with Spain, then we were off to Japan, the Netherlands and China.

After the service the children prepared for the congregation earlier this year, and to which the Bishop came, some of the children wrote cards to him. Here are some of them with Liz’s descriptions and/or explanations the children wanted Bishop Tom to know.

All ideas etc are totally the children's.

Francesca Cocchini sent the following announcement from Rome, Italy:

During this night – at ten after midnight (Tuesday, August 23) Sofia encountered the Good Shepherd face to face.

Sofia Cavalletti, at 94, was a founding mother of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, head of a large family of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd catechists and children in thirty-seven countries around the world. 

Elizabeth, Hanna and Freddie were ‘pressed into service’ to decorate the church for our Sea Sunday service.

It was touch and go whether we’d get it done in time but being able to ‘jury rig’ with the ‘junk’ on hand and the fact that they ‘know the ropes’ their ‘true colours’ showed and ‘from stem to stern’ St. Andrew's looked ‘first rate’. A little bit of ‘skylarking’ while ‘taking turns’ as well as being ready to ‘try a different tack’ and the odd ‘long shot’ meant we ‘squared away’ on time for them to go home, somewhat ‘pooped’ to ‘a square meal’, the ‘mainstay’ of any child’s day!

Following on from last week, when we made Spanish fans, learned how to say and write My God loves me on them, we had a real treat. One of the mothers brought in a real peineta, the comb, and mantilla, the lace, for a try on. The castanets came out and with lots of flicking of imaginary skirts and stamping you could have sworn we were in Madrid!

Jeanette, now retired after 20 something years at MetLife, has agreed to be our Sacristan.  Jeanette already fulfills a valuable role as the 'face' of St. Andrew's when she greets us all each service.

A lovely surprise awaited us at Trade Aid - a couple of parishioners plus Liz were dressed up in saris by experts during the special week themed to India.

Gorgeous lengths of embroidered and sequined diaphanous fabric tucked pleated and draped - we felt fabulous! Liz had some henna painted on her hand too by a very skilled artist - gosh she was good. Apparently it should last a couple of weeks.

The last session of Term One for the older group was a chance for imaginations to run around the block!

Fiona  - one of our mothers  - came and taught the children the art of block printing using potatoes and heat set dye on silk.

The timelessness of children being totally absorbed never ceases to impress the catechists.

Given the right environment children are able to be wonderfully still, in fact one of the repeated comments from mothers is that they arrive home calm and peaceful.

Easter Sunday dawned without the promised rain – thank goodness! A number of the children came to St. Andrew's in the Paddock and helped with parts of the service. What a wonderful little alley way