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Two hundred and seventy-five KS1 Primary School children descended on Kendal Parish Church at 9.30am on Tuesday towards the end of June and they didn't leave to return to their schools until 2.30pm that afternoon. On Friday, the same programme for two hundred and seventy-five KS2 children. This was Time Travellers! 2005 and it is unlikely that any of the five hundred and fifty children who participated will forget their day. Although they won't remember everything they will have assimilated something that will stay with them for ever.
What did they do? The day started, as it ended, with a short time of Worship and then, in groups of ten, they visited seven of the twenty-eight activities. Each activity lasted twenty minutes and there was great variety: we learnt about the building itself and had our eyes opened to the wonderful craftsmanship everywhere; we learnt about the church's music, its history, its treasures. Above all we learnt what church is for - worship, prayer, and being the body of Christ in our needy world. And a word of congratulation to those who ran the activities: the sensitive and imaginative ways in which they interested the children were truly admirable. This remarkable venture relies on volunteers. Not many of us have the skill (or stamina!) to organise one of the activities. However, there are few of us who cannot be Pilgrim Guides and shepherd a group of children from activity to activity. I commend it as a hugely worthwhile way of spending two June days. Do consider it.
Robin Orr
Friday June 24th was a great day for me, spent with the Time Travellers team in Kendal Parish Church with nearly three hundred children enjoying seven different activities in and around the church.
I come from Nottinghamshire, where Time Travelling began in 1995 in Southwell Minister and I have been involved for several years as a Pilgrim Guide. Unfortunately I was unable to help with the pilot scheme in 2003, but last year spent the day as an activity leader. It was great to see how well the Southwell model worked in the church and I was much impressed by what I saw.
This year I came as a Pilgrim Guide and spent the day with a lovely group from Crosscrake School and again though the activities were well planned and very relevant to the Church itself and also wider issues such as Fair Trade. It was obvious that the children and their helpers gained a great deal from the day and follow-up work in their schools will continue the idea of Time Travellers.
It was lovely to be made so welcome in Kendal by Ron, Fiona, Hugh and members of the Team who I had met last year, and thanks must surely go to Rosemary and Graham for making it all happen. I am delighted that next year's dates are already fixed and I hope to be invited to help again! I know Time Travellers! in Kendal will go from strength to strength over the years!
Alison Slater
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