At our Messy Church in Gifford Village Hall yesterday, we explored the story of the Good Samaritan. We decorated boxes in which we put notes with acts of kindness, to remind us of the kind things we can do every day, we also learned to sew felt pouches with little emergency help items - tissues, plasters, torches, snacks, we decorated biscuits shaped like people who all had different colours but tasted just the same - to remind us that even if we look different, inside we're all the same, and we had a look at a map of the world to think about the areas who need an extra hand of help and support. We also had a table where we could test how brave we were, by putting our hands into boxes without knowing what was inside - and which gave us lots of shrieks - because sometimes, in order to help someone, we need to be brave. While the bigger kids did all these activities, the smaller ones had fun in the baby and toddler corner. We then listened to the story of the Good Samaritan, learned a new song, and then shared lasagne and fruit. Here are some photos of the afternoon. 

If you would like to sign up for our Summer Holiday Club, which will run from 6 to 8 August, you can download a booking form with more information here.

There are also lots of events around Christian Aid Week, such as the Booksale in St Andrew's and St George's West Church in Edinburgh, which has raised more than £2m since its beginnings, and the Forth Road Bridge Crossing for Christian Aid Week, in which two of the Yester, Bolton and Saltoun Church elders are participating. You can donate to the work of Christian Aid in our church, where there is a collection tin, or directly online on their website.  

This year's emphasis of Christian Aid Week is on maternal health in Sierra Leone, where ten women die giving birth every day. Here's a video showing the work supported by Christian Aid: ​