“Spill the Beans” is a quarterly worship and learning resource from the Church of Scotland with a focus on children, youth and intergenerational settings. The publication is now into its third year, and is put together by a team of ministers and lay leaders from across the country (rather than an in-house publishing team). Rev Roddy Hamilton who has previously written for “Seasons of the Spirit” is one of the regular contributors.
“There is a particular ethos behind this material: it’s all about story . When we spill the beans about anything, we tell the story of what happened and we share the story of what that means for us. We believe story is the lifeblood of faith.”
The downloadable resource costs £12 per quarter. The current issue, Lent to Pentecost, is 156 pages.
Each week consists of 6 to 10 pages of Lectionary-based learning and worship ideas. This includes seasonal art/space ideas, Bible/theme notes, stories, dramas, all-age worship resources, age-specific activities – gathering, art and craft, games, learning activities, and discussion starters for teenagers.
The current edition also includes ideas Holy Week worship events and an Easter Labyrinth (with stations instruction sheets ready to print)
I find the prose and prayers excellent, and the quality of the learning activities variable. However it is great value and there is plenty to choose from, or if you like to create your own plan as I do, it will spark ideas for you. And the Church of Scotland sits very well with the UCA doctrinally.
The website also contains free Powerpoint backgrounds related to each of the weekly themes in the resource.
Highly recommended.
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