Children's Welcome Resources

 

Children’s Welcome Resources

We’ve created resources for you to download plus ideas to use to extend a warm and inclusive welcome to children in your church.

Take a look at our Pinterest board for inspiration or share your ideas.


Children’s Welcome Basket

To help children feel part of your congregation you can create a ‘Welcome Basket’. This is a great way of offering a gentle introduction to your church and the Christian faith.

The basket featured in the video above contains very simple materials. for the under-fives to explore while they are in church. The basket’s contents, many of which are multi-sensory, have been designed to encourage parents/carers of young children to think about their child’s faith journey. If you haven't already, watch our video for how to put together a welcome basket.

You could give the basket to a new family as part of the initial ‘welcome’. When you’re new to a church it’s often difficult to know what you’re expected to do. This can make people feel nervous about coming into a church or staying for a service.

You could use the basket as part of a Christening visit or in a toddler group. If you’re looking to encourage more people to know Jesus and create a bigger church, then this basket may make a bigger difference to those people who’ve just stepped through the door and encourage them to come back.


Children’s Welcome Basket Prompt Cards

Tested in churches across the Diocese, the prompt cards are designed to encourage parents/carers to help children look for the items in the basket and tell the story of Charlie the Caterpillar*.


Instructions – how to make your prompt cards

  • Download Children's Welcome Prompt cards here
  • Select print A4 landscape.
  • Select print actual size.
  • Select print single side.
  • Fold each page on the dotted line.
  • Cut along the solid lines on the outside edges.
  • Cut down the middle solid line.
  • This will create two prompt cards
  • Repeat until prompt cards are printed.
  • Place two prompt cards landscape in the portrait A4 laminate pocket and laminate.
  • Repeat until all prompt cards are laminated.
  • Cut each laminated sheet in half.
  • Hole punch each card in the top, left-hand corner.
  • Make sure you don’t punch the hole too close to the edge.
  • Place prompt cards in the correct order, each prompt is numbered and use a metal/plastic ring to hold them all together.


‘Hello’ Welcome Flyer

  • Download Welcome Flyer here
  • Select print A4 landscape.
  • Select print actual size.
  • Select print double side (flip on short-side).
  • Cut along into three, along solid lines.
  • On the back, you can add your church’s details.

 
Charlie the Caterpillar Welcome Stickers

Designed to be colourful and appealing to children (and adults), you could give your Charlie stickers out when the welcome basket has been returned at the end of the service or worship session.

Download Charlie Sticker Sheet


Instructions – how to make your stickers

  • You will need Avery E3613 round label stickers (40mm sticker size), supplied in an A4 sheet with 24 stickers per sheet.
  • Check your printer for the correct way to insert the sheet to make sure you print the correct side.
  • Download the sticker sheet using the link above.
  • Select print A4 portrait actual size.
  • Select print single-sided, full colour.
  • We recommend you test by printing onto plain paper first to check your printer lines up with the sticker design.


About Charlie the Caterpillar

The character of Charlie the Caterpillar in the video and on the selection of downloadable resources is based on an original concept by Bob Hartman with character design from The Diocese of Liverpool. A printed book of the story is available. 

If you'd like to find out more or receive a copy please contact 
Sue Mitchell, Children and Families Missioner. 

Bob Hartman has been a professional storyteller for 30 years. An ordained minister, he has written over 70 books, for both children and adults, many of them retellings of Bible stories and passages. He is also the author of You Version’s Bible App for Kids, which has been downloaded over 20 million times. His passion is to help people of every age find their way into the Bible, engage with it, and discover the God who inspired it. 

Charlie’s has become quite famous. Although not quite up to signing autographs yet, Charlie’s story encourages those people accompanying their children to church to explore their child’s faith journey.
Butterflies begin their life as caterpillars, some people may think caterpillars are cute, some may think that they are funny, but probably no one would actually say that they are beautiful. Until one day, the caterpillar spins a cocoon about itself and stays there for several weeks. When it comes out, it is no longer a caterpillar; it has miraculously transformed a beautiful butterfly.

As we know God didn't just take a caterpillar, stick on some wings and paint the wings all different colours. When the cocoon opens and the butterfly crawls out, it is a new creation. The caterpillar is gone! It has now become a butterfly.

This is a good picture of what Jesus meant when he said we had to be "Born again”. When we invite Jesus to come into our heart, we become a new creation and begin a journey with him.
 

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