THE P
RTAL
The “ Our Father ” project
Joanna Bogle keeps us up to date
The leaflets have gone out and the dates have been booked for judging , and for the packing and posting of prizes . Leaflets ? Prizes ? Get with it . This is the “ Our Father ” project , in which the Ladies Ordinariate Group , in tandem with a number of other groups and funded by a national ecumenical Christian network , is encouraging children to learn the Lord ’ s Prayer .
Regular readers of The Portal will know about this , but for newer readers – of which there are more with each issue – here ’ s the story . The LOGS , as one of its first ventures five years ago , initiated a Londonwide project for primary schools . It involved teaching children about the Psalms , and was for all RC and CofE primary schools in Greater London .
Children were given two or three well-known Psalms to study , and invited to copy out some lines and illustrate them . The idea was to encourage good handwriting and artwork as well as introducing children to this rich treasury of prayers . Entries poured in from schools , some of the best work was put on display in church , and prizes were awarded .
The following year , it was agreed to expand the project – and to fix on one specific need , which is to ensure that children learn the Lord ’ s Prayer . So many children in Britain don ’ t know it . The days when it could be assumed that Mum and Dad would teach it at home , or that it would be a standard part of life for every child on first arriving at any school , are over . So LOGS got to work – but not alone .
February 2017 Page 4
Auntie
Joanna writes
up the challenge to study the Lord ’ s Prayer , write it out in good handwriting , and illustrate it . Some really beautiful work – batches and batches of it , in great parcels arriving throughout the Spring and Summer terms – revealed the success of the project .
Each child received a commemorative card with the Lord ’ s Prayer and an attractive illustration . We also awarded prizes for the best entries – and quickly ran into difficulties as we ran out of prizes ! So in 2017 we have resolved this difficulty , thanks to the generosity of the Catholic Union Charitable Trust which is funding the printing of a small attractive Prayer Book which will be a standard prize . LOGS initiated this idea and drew up the first list of prayers : things that every child should know , including of course the Lord ’ s Prayer , and also verses from popular Psalms (“ The Lord is my Shepherd ...”) and from well-known hymns .
The project is aimed at children in Year 5 , the penultimate year of primary school . We have an attractive leaflet that goes to schools inviting participation . The leaflet is simple , and gives all the information that a teacher needs .
Christian Projects is an ecumenical group , founded in the 1950s and bringing together representatives of mainstream Christian denominations in Britain . It has a strong track record of work in schools . With funding from this group , the Children ’ s Handwriting and Artwork Project took off in a big way . In 2016 it was run in Coventry ( with Fr Paul Burch organising it city-wide and holding a special children ’ s service at church at which the prizes were presented ); in Kent ( by the splendid Hayley Tomlinson of the Ordinariate at Pembury ); in Lancashire and Yorkshire ( sponsored by the Catholic Union Education Committee ); in Greater London and Surrey ( run by LOGS ), and in various other places including Somerset and Sutton Coldfield ! This means that vast numbers of children took
We have been encouraged and moved by the letters we have received from teachers : “ The children loved this project ” “ Thank you so much for inviting us to take part in this – we teamed up with another school and are sending in the entries together ”.
We still haven ’ t covered all – or even most – of Britain . We need help . The project can be run on a very small-scale : for example , just the RC and CofE primary schools in one particular town . Can you help ? An email to me will secure you a meeting with me and a discussion to see what the possibilities are . Funding is available . The rest is up to you …
Contact me at auntiejoanna @ portalmag . co . uk