A visit to the 'mainly music' Christmas Party

Just over two years ago, a lady from New Zealand arrived in Patchway Baptist Church, Bristol. She had seen a 'mainly music' group and wanted to set one up over here - she has since returned to NZ but the group is still going! Care for the Family's Naomi Buckler paid a visit...

"When a 'special visitor' arrives at a Christmas party it's usually Father Christmas - so I hope none of the children were too disappointed when the visitor just turned out to be me, dropping in to see a 'mainly music' session at their church in Bristol.

"It was easy to know who was in charge as the helpers wear bright blue 'mainly music' t-shirts. Everything seemed very organised. I was warmly greeted and given my own name badge to wear - all the grown ups and children have their own colourful badge pinned on with a little coloured ribbon."

Songs and toys

"I sat next to a friendly mum who told me: 'I've been coming for three years - my daughter loves it! We got the CDs so we could play the songs in the car and at home, so we know them all really well.' Another mum added: 'I like it because it's so organised and so friendly. And it starts with the songs, but then they bring the toys out and you can stay as long as you want.'

"It wasn't long before we all sang the 'welcome song' which starts every session. There was a nice mixture of songs; some were with the CD, others just us singing on our own. Some had actions, and there were even some spoken rhymes. Lesley Thomas, the leader, explained that the variety allows children to practise many different skills, such as dexterity, co-ordination and language, in every session.

"I knew some of the songs, and some were new; some had new words to traditional tunes. All the words were projected onto a screen, which made it easy for me to sing even the ones I didn't know. Everyone sang them enthusiastically - and there were several with a gentle Christian message. One that I liked (guess the tune!) was:

Twinkle twinkle star so bright
Twinkle twinkle star in the night
God sent you to show the way
To the place where Jesus lay
Twinkle twinkle star so bright
Twinkle twinkle star in the night

"Lesley then brought out a little Christmas tree, and everyone took a turn at decorating it, before we sang 'Here we go round the Christmas tree' with lots of appropriate verses. Finally, a puppet angel came to sing the last few songs. All the children were able to join in, whether they were sitting on the carpet or on their parent's lap."

Close friendships

"As soon as the songs were over, soft red blankets were spread over the floor, and all the children sat down for their drinks, fruit and biscuits. I commented on how well they were behaving, and one mum said: 'The little ones copy the older ones - and it's great practice for school!' The children are all given 'mainly music' sippy-cups, which adds a really professional touch.

"When the children are settled, the grown-ups can get their own hot drink and home-made cake. One of the aims of 'mainly music' is to make the mums feel treasured and important, and providing home-made cakes is one way of demonstrating this in a practical way. It was obvious that many of the mums had been coming for years, and had made really close friendships from the group."

Little bag of gold

"Once the drinks were out of the way, the toys were brought out. The last part of the session is relaxed and allows people to stay for as long or short a time as they like. There was also a chance for some of the children to do a simple glitter snowflake craft. When it was time to go, they took their craft, and everyone (even the grown-ups!) were given a little gift, and a newsletter. They'd even got a little gift for me, and my little bag of 'gold' tasted very yummy!"

Patchway Baptist Church currently has 35 families registered (resulting in up to 60 people per session). Prospective members are invited to attend, first a free session and then purchase a 'Come three times' card to decide whether they would like to belong. Unfortunately, because demand is so high, they then need to join the waiting list.

However, a second group is being started in Shirehampton with support from the Patchway group and hopefully more will follow soon.

Last Updated 06 December 2010