Resources for the Church
These resources will help you to support Christian teachers and to give education a higher profile within your church.
Education Sunday has been celebrated in churches for over 100 years, and usually takes place on the ninth Sunday before Easter. A group representing the main Christian denominations and organisations involved in education produce materials each year to help churches plan appropriate services. Among them are
Association of Christian Teachers
The Catholic Education Service.
The National Society has produced a liturgy to use in a service of rededication for those working in education or commissioning of someone into a new teaching role. They also have a section on their website about parishes supporting schools and education.
The Stapleford Centre administers grants from the Jerusalem Trust which support the purchase of resources for teaching Christianity in Religious Education. Your local school might be very pleased to have details of this scheme.
Scripture Union has sections on its website on Churches and Schools and praying for schools, with suggestions for resources to buy for schools. In particular, It's Your Move is an excellent resource for giving to children to assist them in the move to secondary school. A number of churches bulk buy for giving to local schools. For more information and a free DVD see www.scriptureunion.org.uk/itsyourmove/english/index.asp
Your local diocese (both Church of England and Roman Catholic) may provide resources that help churches link with schools. For example, the Diocese of Ely has a comprehensive section of their website including 55 ways for parishes and schools to work together. And of course you don't have to be C of E or live in Ely to access the website!
Churches Serving Schools by David Lankshear is a handbook for churches who wish to develop better relationships with their local schools and to support all who work in education. It is available from Church House Publishing.
Linking Churches and Schools by Gillian Wood is designed, as the name suggests, to encourage links between churches and schools and is published by Churches Together in England.
Coming next year - a link to a new website which will be full of practical advice and information about closer links between churches and schools.
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