FAMILIES & CHILDREN

"An environment that is open to everyone and where love can be experienced and shared, enabling all of us to live more compassionate and peace-filled lives"

​​​Tiddlywinks
A Drop-In and Cafe for parents and carers with babies and pre-school children
Every Tuesday 10.00am - 2.30pm
St Laurence Church Hall
Run by Stroud Christian Fellowship

Tiddlywinks aims to provide a safe environment where parents and carers can relax and chat while their children play. A large central play mat with a selection of toys is surrounded by cafe-style tables and chairs, with additional tables for books, puzzles and crafts around the room. Nappy changing facilities are also available. Each week at 1100 there is a short 'Sing and Tell' session with singing, instruments and an animated Bible story. Each week there is also a selection of home-made cakes, hot and cold drinks, snacks and light lunches - all available to purchase at affordable prices. Freshly made soup is a popular choice! High chairs, baby cups and bibs are all available to make feeding your baby easier. Tiddlywinks is staffed by a friendly team of volunteers, always around to chat and offer friendship and support to everyone who visits. There is no charge to attend Tiddlywinks and no obligation to purchase food or drinks.

MORE ABOUT
​TIDDLYWINKS

St Laurence is proud to be associated with
​Stroud Valley Community School

In the early 2000s, churches in Stroud were invited to hear about an experimental scheme using "The Lion Storyteller Bible", which contained Bible stories re-written by Bob Hartman specifically for reading to children, and which aimed at filling the gap in children's Christian education. As a result, in 2003 church members at St Laurence joined with the Junior Department of Stroud Valley School to launch the initiative locally. There they quickly became known as "The Storytellers". Later, when the Juniors moved to be amalgamated with the Infants in Castle Street, they were just as warmly received there. These days, the audience numbers in excess of 200! The programme is now run by the Bible Society under the name "Open The Book". The school also regularly uses St Laurence for other activities, such as their Harvest and Christmas celebrations.  ​

​Children's Art Work at St Laurence​

The Angel of the North (Aisle!)

The Angel of the North (Aisle!) is our own scale copy of Anthony Gormely's Angel of the North. The artwork was produced by families and children at the Open Heart Interfaith Festival in March 2017, under the guidance of Revd Mathew Page and Revd Simon Howell. The work was a result of a workshop which re-examined the Annunciation of Christ’s birth to Mary. ​​

The Whittington Batik

This artwork was produced by children at the 'St Laurence: The Future' launch event on 8 October 2016, under the guidance of James Roberts-Wray, Head of Art at King Edward's Junior School, Bath. The original artwork and design was created by the children of Rosary Roman Catholic Primary School, Stroud. The Batik-work was created by drawing the outline of the design in hot wax on linen. The design was then inked in using dyes, before the wax outline was removed by ironing to create the finished work. It celebrates the church's links to the Whittington family, and can be seen today in the south-west corner of the church.

The Bee Honeycomb Artwork

This artwork was produced by participants in the “Wide Open Space – Bees and Beekeeping” event held at St Laurence Church on 30 May 2015, under the guidance of Gina Wilson. It represents a honeycomb – a mass of hexagonal wax cells built by honey bees to contain their young, and their stores of honey and pollen. It can now be seen in the south-west corner of the church.

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​safeguarding children, young people, and vulnerable adults