Harvest Roundup + New Book

This week we have a huge round up of Harvest resources but first (banging of drums and clashing of cymbals) a New Book!

It’s called ‘Creativity Matters’, is brand new out, and features a chapter by yours truly.

My chapter is called Why Write Drama?, and it nestles among Why Write Memoir?, Why Write Crime or Mystery?, Why Write Children’s Fiction? and fifteen further chapters. So whatever style of writing is lurking under your itching fingers, you can find inspiration here.

It went straight into the #1 slot on Amazon’s Hot New Releases, which is rather exciting, and topped the charts on Author Reference in several countries.

You can get it in paperback or e-Book from your favourite online or bricks-and-mortar bookshop.

Just to give you a little smattering, my chapter features one of my best lines from my drama plays (about Michael the whale) and introduces you to the wonders that are the Ancient Greek satyr play featuring half-goats with big comedy … ahems. (You’ll have to buy the book to find out.)

I’m a free-lance writer and my children have a most inconvenient habit of growing out of school uniforms. I’ve tried sending them to school in paper bags, but they complain that it goes soggy in the rain. Kids, eh?

If you find these free resources useful, would you consider supporting my work?

The price of a coffee a month would be great [click here] or whatever you can afford. But don’t worry if you can’t. You are very welcome to help yourself for free. Thank you.

Bunny-in-a-Lettuce Pre-school Harvest – Matt 6:25-34

Here is a simple Harvest Festival written for a mums and tots group. It is based on the Flowers of the Field story from the Sermon the Mount and has a lot of audience interaction. The message of about God’s care for us speaks to adults as well as children.

I use my adorably cute bunny-in-a-lettuce puppet, but if you don’t have one, an ordinary rabbit puppet or toy hidden behind a real lettuce works well too. (You don’t need the mini beasts for this.)

I used:

Bunny-in-a-lettuce puppet [click]
or Rabbit hand puppet [click] and large lettuce
Selection of fruit and veg
Leaves for throwing (I used fabric maple leaves [click], but you can use real leaves or paper cut-outs instead)

Tropical Harvest – Phil 4:1-9

Tired of turnips? Bored of baked beans? Weary of wheat? Indifferent to apples? Then try this Tropical Harvest Festival!

You will need:

Lei flower garlands [click] (optional, but fun!)
Paper umbrellas [click] (for linked activity)
Prepared containers of chopped fruit as listed in the text

A pickle of puns and juicy jokes – great for Messy Church, All Age or intergen worship, for Collective Worship or school services.

Spud-Power! Extraordinary hidden in the ordinary

This is a brilliant activity for Harvest celebrations – an up-front demo for All Age Worship or school assemblies, or a try-it-yourself for youth groups, Messy Church, Light Party or classrooms.

We’re going to think about the wonder we can find when we look a little deeper into the world around us – by using potatoes to power a string of fairy lights!

Here are some linked ‘Spud’ resources.
One P’tater, Two P’tater: a sketch about a sad potato called Spud, who finds out he is extraordinary
P’tater Prayers: a mediation seeing the extraordinary inside the ordinary, using a potato, and some quirky intercessions linked with the sketch.

Psalm 19 – Corby and the Rattle-Worm

Here is a sketch about being who you are in God’s wonderful world, linking with themes of Harvest, Autumn, self-worth, identity and (because I always like to get some science in) the Nitrogen cycle.

[Corby enters, wearing a bib]

Cor: Caw, I’m hungry. I haven’t had my breakfast yet.
[to audience] Have you had your breakfast? Yes? What did you have? Caw, that sounds tasty.
Now you know what I’d like for my breakfast? I’d like a nice, big, juicy, squishy-squashy worm! Ooh, that’s lovely, that is.
Will you tell me if you see a worm? [audience – yes]
You don’t sound very sure about that. Will you really tell me if you see a worm? [audience – YES!]
Oh that’s great. Thank you. Now I’d better go and see if I can find myself some breakfast.

[Corby searches for breakfast. Wellington enters behind him]
[audience – Behind you!]
[standard pantomime business of ‘oh no he isn’t’, ‘oh yes he is’ until Cor sees Well]

Well: Argggh! Who are you?

Cor: I’m Corby the Crow. Who are you?

Well: I’m Wellington the Wor … Snake. Wellington the Snake. Definitely a snake. Not a worm.

Cor: Are you sure about that?

Well: Oh yes. I’m definitely a snake. Who would want to be a worm? Snakes are much better.

Cor: You don’t look much like a snake.

Well: So? You don’t look much like a crow. Aren’t crows usually black?

Cor: This is my weekend plumage, this is. Latest fashion round my way. Do you like it?

Well: Hmmn. Very nice, if you like that sort of thing.