United Reformed Church

Downloads & Resources

Here you can find resources, downloads and admin papers connected to children and youth work within the church.

If you think something is missing, or cannot find what you are looking for, please get in touch with the Children and Youth Work Team

These documents should guide you through the process of creating your own risk assessments for your premises and for any activities you engage in with children, young people or young adults.

This guide for hosting a school visit for your church is full of suggestions and ideas designed to help you create successful links and relationships with your local schools through hospitality.

While not all churches may have children worshipping among the congregation on a Sunday morning, most churches have children and schools in their local community.

This guide suggests ways to build and strengthen the relationship between your church and local school(s) by hosting educational visits or services, and offers other suggestions of how to build meaningful connection between the Church and school. It has been produced as a collaboration between Roots for Churches and the Children's Ministry Network.

Guide for hosting a school visit to your church (PDF | 1mb)

This document contains the widgit symbols for various words you may use in church, including symbols for a visual timetable.

Symbols can be enlarged or kept at current size for use on a personal order of service/visual timetable. They could also be used in the corner of powerpoint slides to indicate the part of the service (e.g. if you have prayer words on powerpoint, you could include the symbol for the type of prayer in the bottom corner) .

The document was created using the United Reformed Church Children's and Youth Work Widgit license and can only be used for not-for-profit purposes.

Widgit Church Words  (PDF | 525kb )

This document contains the widgit symbols for various words you may use in church at Christmas, including symbols for a visual timetable.

Symbols can be enlarged or kept at current size for use on a personal order of service/visual timetable. They could also be used in the corner of powerpoint slides to indicate the part of the service (e.g. if you have prayer words on powerpoint, you could include the symbol for the type of prayer in the bottom corner) .

The document was created using the United Reformed Church Children's and Youth Work Widgit license and can only be used for not-for-profit purposes.

Widgit Christmas Words (PDF | 640kb )

Don't reinvent the wheel - here is some of the paperwork you may wish to use when running a holiday club or other children's groups. Please let us know if there is any other similar paperwork you would value having here.

Visual symbols can support any children or young people who have communication difficulties for whatever reason.

Individual symbols (with accompanying text) can be cut out and laminated and velcroed to a surface.

A visual timetable can be made with symbols to help children and young people know what is happening now and what will be happening next.

Doors can be labelled so that children and young people know where to go or where not to go at particular times.

Door labels  ( PDF | 387kb )

Golden Rules  ( PDF | 387kb )

Golden Rules (alternative)  ( PDF | 187kb )

Visual Timetable symbols ( PDF | 170kb )

Useful words  ( PDF | 300kb )

Communication board ( PDF | 513kb )

Feelngs ( PDF | 184kb )

If I feel angry, I can....  ( PDF | 174kb )

 

During the pandemic, many churches changed their engagement with children, young people and young adults to online and it continues to be one way of gathering children and young people across wider areas.

Infant feeding policy  (PDF | 984 kb)

Infant feeding poster A4  (PDF | 391 kb)

Infant feeding poster A3  (PDF | 415 kb)

Running from 1 to 3 November at the beautiful Ripon College, Cuddesdon, URC Children's Workers Together: THE CONFERENCE  is an opportunity to be refreshed and encouraged in your ministry amongst children and families, whether you are an employed worker or volunteer.

In addition to the published programme, there will be an exhibition of resources for you to explore and lots of opportunity to share ideas and network with others, together with chance to relax and enjoy the beautiful surroundings of Ripon College.

The cost of all this, including accommodation, meals and other refreshments, is £150 per person with some places available for day visitors (see booking form for details). Don’t forget to approach your church and your synod for financial  support or grant funding.

 

Booking form - please download, complete and email to [email protected] or post to Children and Youth Work, URC Church House, 86 Tavistock Place, London W1H 9RT.

Programme (PDF | 224 KB)- this is a provisional programme with details of the workshops and sessions

A social story is a resource written for specific individuals about an everyday event or routine or occurence to help them know what to expect.

This is a sample social story created in powerpoint. It is not to be used as is, but is an example to help you see how you might create your own.

It is accompanied by some guidelines.

Social Story Sampler (PPT | 17MB)

Guidelines  (WORD | 22kb) 

 

United Reformed Church