I have put together some sheets about St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. There is a cover followed by two information sheets and two large font sheets detailing basic data. There are two ‘gap’ pieces of work (differentiated), a crossword which requires a picture answer, a word search, sheets about words found in Patrick, pictorial information how St. Patrick’s flag became part of the Union Jack, plus ideas for a diary and a ‘blank’ for the ‘best’ copy diary. David Woodroffe, a professional illustrator, created the art work I have used.

Lent looks at the 40 days leading up to Easter. We think of Jesus spending 40 days fasting in the wilderness before he began his earthly ministry. The word ‘lent’ is the shortened form of the Old English word ‘lencten’ which means spring season. It starts on Ash Wednesday. The day before Ash Wednesday is Shrove Tuesday which is celebrated as Pancake day or Mardi Gras. On this day, the day before fasting begins, the rich, fatty food are eaten up - the last day of ‘fat eating’ or ‘gorging’, in readiness to start fasting. Pancakes are tossed then eaten. On Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent, the palm crosses distributed the previous year at the Palm service, are burnt and the ashes places on people’s foreheads during the service. Lent is a penitential season and many people fast - they cut out/cut down or abstain from eating. It could also include abstaining from drinking alcohol or smoking. it could include praying more, reading more Bible studies instead of watching a favourite television programmes. (Read ‘Fasting and abstinence’) I have included list of other 40 days mentioned in the Bible. Source Wikipedia See also Pancake day & Shrove Tuesday Easter

Pentecost is the birthday of Christianity! This is the day man is given the special present Jesus promised his friends the* Holy Spirit.* Pentecost is when* tongues of fire* came down upon the disciples of Jesus. *Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire and they came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled .them The disciples now went onto the streets of Jerusalem. They were drunk with the spIrit not with wine. Peter stood up and gave his first sermon. Jesus Christ was risen he had defeated death. What he said could be understood by everyone in their own tongue, 3000 joined them that day. Men and women were ’ born again.’ The Holy Spirit gave birth Christianity that day. It is a time to celebrate. We celebrate the birth of Jesus at Christmas. At Pentecost we celebrate the birth of Christianity ** There is an information sheet on Pentecost and Whitsunday. This is when the disciples are given the gift of the Holy Spirit/Ghost. I have included some colourful pictures - art work in the form of flames representing the tongues of fire -would be a craft idea for the children I have created a sheet How many words can you find in _ _ _ _ _ so children can place words found in Pentecost of on the sheet. Their task is then to make up mini crosswords with clues.There are two sets of word lists - the original one I created and the much fuller one I found on Word maker. Sources used wikipedia The Bible Acts chapter 2 Church Dates for Children * Tony Batchelor

Saint Thomas Aquinas was recognized as the greatest theologian of his age. He was one of the most influential medieval thinkers of Scholasticism and the father of the Thomistic school of theology. Before he was born a holy hermit predicted to his mother that her son would enter the ‘Order of Friars Preachers’ and become a great learner and achieve unequaled sanctity. Aged 5 he was sent to the Abbey of Monte Cassino. Aged 13 the political climate forced him to return to Naples. He stayed 5 years at the Benedictine house. In about 1239 he went to the local university. In 1243 he secretly joined an order of Dominican monks, receiving the habit a year later. When his parents found out they were so annoyed at his betrayal they held him captive -kidnapped him- for a year in the fortress of San Giovanni at Rocca Secca. On his release in 1245 he returned to the order and stayed with them until 1252. Ordained in 1250 he then earned his doctorate in Theology. he was an exemplary scholar. On completing his education he devoted his time to travelling, writing, teaching, public speaking and preaching. Institutes yearned to benefit from the wisdom of ‘The Christian Apostle’. For his ‘Theology and Philosophy’ please read relevant paragraphs. He wrote nearly 60 known works. Handwritten copies were distributed to libraries across Europe! (Read ‘Major Works’) During the feast of Saint Nicholas in 1273 he had a mystical vision which made him think writing was unimportant. Father Reginald of Piperno urged him to write but he never wrote again. In 1274 Thomas decided to walk to the Second Council in Lyon, France. He fell ill on the way and stayed at the Cistercirn monastery of Fossanova in Italy .He died at the monastery on March 7th 1274. If the Lord wishes to take me away, it is better that I be found in a religious house than in the dwelling of a layperson. *Thomas provided the Roman church with reasoned statements of its interpretation of Christian faith. H. Dermot McDonald Thomas was canonized by Pope John XX11 in1323. Sources used Life, Philosophy & Theology- Biography Great Leaders of the Christian Faith Woodbridge contirbution by H. Dermot McDonald

This is the last great festival of the church’s year. The Trinity of Father, Son and Holy Ghost/Spirit is celebrated. There is a straight forward information sheet. On Google it is possible to get b/w pictures for the children to colour. I have created a ‘How many words can you find in Trinity Sunday’ sheet. When they have found a few words they can create a simple crossword - example of crossword shown. I have included a Word Maker for TrinitySunday if they have a problem finding words.

John David Pawson (1930-2020) was an evangelical minister, writer and prominent Bible teacher based in the U.K. He was not afraid of tackling the controversial topics. All he wanted people to do was to read the Bible for themselves. He was born in the northeast in England. His parents were H. Cecil and Jean Pawson. His father was head of Agriculture at Durham University and Vice President of the Methodist conference. From childhood he had always wanted to be a farmer but by the time he had completed a B.Sc. in Agriculture at Durham University he felt God was calling him into full-time Christian ministry. He studied for an M.A. in theology at Wesley House, Cambridge. On graduating he joined the Royal Air Force as a chaplain and served in Aden When he left the RAF he served as a Methodist minister. He found he was uncomfortable with infant baptism. Following a doctrinal meeting of the Methodist church he volunteered to leave the denomination. Shortly afterwards he became pastor of Gold Hill Baptist church in Buckinghamshire. Later he moved to Guildford Baptist Church, Millmead, which helped design. Here he established a reputation amongst the evangelicals and charismatics as a Bible preacher. He began to create teaching tapes for the church’s sick and elderly members- these tapes became popular world wide. Under his ministry Millmead became one of the largest Baptist churches in the U.K… David left Millmead in 1979 and began an itinerant worldwide Bible teaching ministry. His ministry, predominantly through seminars for church leaders, took him to Asia, Australia, Africa, England, Europe and the USA. MILLIONS of copies of his teachings have been distributed in more than 120 countries. He was a writer and speaker with a reputation for urgency, clarity and uncompromising faithfulness to the Scriptures. he wrote over 80 books. His extensive and accessible overviews of the books of the Bible have been published and recorded in Unlocking the Bible, available on CDs, DVDs and YouTube. Steve Dally worked alongside him during his last ten years. In 2013 he was still preaching at events across the globe. David now in his mid 80’s had a mini stroke and was found to have advanced prostate cancer which had spread to the bones but he fortunately was not in significant pain. As his public appearances became fewer he worked on making his teaching accessible online. David died on Ascension Day, 21st May 2020 aged 90. David is considered to be one of the world’s finest biblical expositors *All he wanted was for people to read the Bible for themselves. Steve Dally Sources used Wikipedia this includes summaries of 10 of his books Christian News Read Not as bad s the truth -David’s autobiography

Peter, the Hermit was a Roman Catholic Priest from Amiens. Pope Urban 11 called for a crusade to liberate the Holy Places (1095)- destination the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, Jerusalem. Peter toured Europe preaching the crusade. He was a key figure during the military expedition from France to Jerusalem, known as the People’s Crusade or Crusade of the Paupers. He was one of the preachers of the armed pilgrimage and leapt to fame as an emotional revivalist. Historians agree that 1000s of serfs and peasants eagerly took the cross at his bid. Some historians think the crusade would have included well-armed soldiers and nobles. The Crusade to the Holy Land began in the spring of 1096. He received permission from Patriarch Simeon 11 of Jerusalem. He recruited from England, Lorraine, France and Flanders. The start was disastrously with the massacre of Jewish civilians ( ReadMassacre of Jewish civilians) They then had to go through Hungary, Belgrade and Sofia. They started in April 1096 with 40,000 men and women from Cologne and arrived in Constantinople with 30,000 by the end of July. (The ‘locals’ were expected to feed the vast host of paupers for the remainders of their journey.)r ( Read Hungary, Belgrade Sofia and Constantinople) During the winter (1096/7), with little hope of securing Byzantine support, the Crusade waited for the armed crusaders as their sole source of protection in completing the pilgrimage. The numbers, to a small degree, were replenished with disarmed , injured or bankrupted crusaders. . After a few rousing speeches Peter now played a subordinate role, The Crusade settled on a military campaign to secure the pilgrimage routes and holy sites in Palestine. When they reached Antioch at the beginning of 1098 he gave a stirring speech before the half-starved Crusaders gained victory over the superior Muslim army besieging the city. In 1099 he appears as the treasurer of the alms at the siege of Arqa. He was leader of he supplication processions around the walls of Jerusalem before it fell and later, within Jerusalem, after the surprising victory at the Battle of Ascalon (August). At the end of 1099 he went to Latakia and sailed for the west. From this time he disappears from the historical records except in his obituary in the chronicle at Neufmoustier Abbey. ( read Later Life) In 1100 he returned to Europe to be the prior at the monastery he had founded in Neufmroutier near Huy. H e died in 1115 and his tomb is in Neufmoustier Abbey.-* His name. He is called Pierre l’Ermite in French. The structure of the name in French unlike in English has led some francophone scholars to treat l’Ermite as a surname rather than a title. Sources Wikipedia The Hodder & Stoughton Book of Famous Christians by Tony Castle

Joseph William Livesey was an English temperance campaigner, social reformer, local politician, writer, publisher, newspaper proprietor and philanthropist. He engaged energetically in local politics, filled many public posts and was a leader in every kind of philanthropic effort, especially identifying with the teetotal movement. He published a number of publications TheMoral Reformer(1833) which became the* Preston Temperance* (1834-8). This became the* British Temperance Advocate.* Moral Reformer (1838/9) revived. The Struggle(1841) Preston Guardian (1844-1859) established with his sons *Teetotal Progressionist * (1851/2) Staunch Teetotaller (1867-9)

,Margaret Clitherow , known as ‘the Pearl of York’ , was pressed to death for refusing to enter a plea to the charge of harbouring Catholic priests. To be ’ pressed to death’ meant having a door being put over the top of the accused and the door loaded with an immense weight of rocks and stones. This was the standard inducement to force a plea. Margaret converted to Roman Catholicism in 1574. Her husband paid her fines for not attending the Established church. In 1577 she was imprisoned for not attending church. 2 further incarcerations followed at York Castle. Their son William was born in prison. The Act of 1584, by the Jesuits, made it a capital offence to harbour and maintain priests. Margaret had 2 chambers-one next to their house and a second in rented house some distance away. Local tradition holds she also housed some priests in the Black Swan where the Queen’s agents lodged! These 3 chambers became important hiding place for fugitive Roman Catholic priests in the north of England. There Mass was celebrated through the thick of the persecution. In 10 th March 1586 the house was searched. A frightened boy revealed the location of the priest hole. She was arrested and called before the York assizes. She refused to plea. She was sentenced to death. She died on 25th March 1586 She was beatified in 1929 by Pope Pius X1 and canonised by Pope Paul V1 on 25th October 1970 among the 40 Martyrs of England and Wales… Saint Margaret’s shrine is as 35/6, The Shambles, in York. Source Wikipedia

Hugh was the Bishop of Worcester(1535-9) during the Reformation. He became the C of E chaplain to King Edward V1. In his middle 60s he faced a trial on 14th April 1554… He argued, in writing since he was hardly able to sustain a debate at his age, that the doctrines of the real presence of Christ in the mass, transubstantiation and the propitiatory merit of the mass were unbiblical. In 1555 under the Catholic Queen Mary 1 he was tried for his beliefs and teachings. He was burned with Nicholas Ridley at the stake. He became one of the three Oxford Martyrs -Thomas Cramner was the third. It may come in my days,as old as i am, or in my children’s days, the saints shall be taken up to meet Christ in the air, and so shall come down with him again. Hugh Latimer Source Wikipedia

I have put together some information and some work sheets about St. George, the patron saint of England. The first sheet is a cover. The next two are information sheets followed by two large font sheets showing basic data. These are followed by two ‘gap’ pages which are differentiated. There is then a crossword which needs a picture answer followed by a word search. The next page is about St. George’s flag and the Union Jack. The last two pages are for the child’s diary - the first sheet gives ideas what to write about, the second is a clip art page for his ‘best’ copy. David Woodroffe, a professional illustrator, created the original art work. 6 extra pictures added by Super Coloring

St. Cecilia lived during the 3rd century AD in Rome, Italy. She is one of the most famous Roman martyrs of the early church and historically most discussed. When she was forced to marry her husband Valerian, a pagan nobleman, she sat apart singing to God - for that she was later declared the saint of musicians. She retained her virginity by telling her husband that an angel of the Lord was watching over her. The husband asked to see the angel. She told him to be baptised by Pope Urban I. After the baptism he saw an angel standing beside her. She suffered martyrdom along with her husband and his brother Tiburtius, at the hands of prefect Turcius Almachius in the reign of emperor Marcus Aurelius between 176-180 AD. The legend about her death is that she was struck on the neck by a sword three times and lived for three days. She asked the pope to turn her home into a church. She was later beheaded. Her body when moved in 1599 from the Catacomb of Callixtus to the church of Santa Cecilia in Trastevere was found to be still incurrupt, seemingly to be a sleep. Over the years a lot of music has been dedicated to her name by many famous composers - see list enclosed. *A Song for St. Cecilia’s Day * by John Dryden included My source for information was Wikipedia - a very well thought out source. Point of information Cecilia can also be spelt Cecity

Lester Frank Sumrall was an American Pentecostal pastor and evangelist. He founded the Lester Sumrall Evangelistic Association ( Le SEA) and its Humanitarian arm LeSEA Global Feed the Hungry, World Harvest Radio international and World Bible College. His mother, Betty, prayed while he was still her womb, that he would be a preacher. Lester was born in New Orleans on 15th February. Aged 17 he was on his death bed suffering from tuberculosis when he received a vision. Suspended in midair to his right was a casket, to his left an open Bible. He heard a voice ask, Lester Sumrall, which of these will you choose tonight? He chose to preach the Gospel as long as he lived. When he woke up in the morning he was completely healed Following his recovery, aged 17, he began to preach. Aged 19 he found a church in Green forest, Arkansas he found a church and was ordained by the assemblies of God. He became a ‘brush arbor’ preacher on the backwoods of Florida, Tennessee and Arkansas. On 18th December, 1831 he had his second vision.At the same time In England Howard Carter was praying for a companion. Lester was to be his companion. In 1934 he began travelling abroad. He preached in Tahiti, New Zealand and Brisbane Australia where he established a church. He travelled with Howard throughout eastern Asia, Europe and South America. Together they forged new territory in the area of spiritual warfare as they cast out devils, won new converts and established churches and instructed people of God. In South America he heard about a pretty, young missionary, from Argentina. He met and married Louise Layman on 30th September 1944. They took the ‘unconventional’ route to honeymooning. They began a 50,000 mile missionary tour and life together that spanned 49 years. They had 3 children. In 1957 he founded the Lester Sumrall Evangelistic Association (LeSEA). Which gave birth to over 100 books and study guides, a quarterly magazine,. In 1963 Lester moved to South Bend Indiana, to pastor Christian Central Cathedral of Praise ( now Christian Centre Church). He also withdrew from the Assemblies of God denomination. In 1968 he began what would become World harvest Radio International. Between 1972-97 he acquired 11 television stations, a satellite ministry, 3 radio and 5 shortwave stations. Lester founded the World Harvest Bible College (now Indiana Christian University) and* World Harvest Magazine* In 1987 he founded the LeSEA Global Feed the Hungry, a humanitarian aid organization, to help desperately poor families. In 2018 LeSEA changed its name to Family Broadcasting Corporation (FBC Lester died on 28th April 1996 aged 83. He was one of the most colourful preachers of the 20th century. He began as a fiery young preacher during the depression. He left a legacy of what simple and determined faith in God can accomplish. * *This is just the beginning. There are greater blessings ahead! Sources used family Broadcasting Corporation WHBC Wikipedia

Hugh Latimer and Hicholas Ridley were burnt at the stake in Oxford on 16th October 1555 during the reign of Queen Mary ( 1553-8). In 1534 the Act of Supremacy was passed in England. It made Henry V111 head of the English Church instead of the Roman Catholic Pope in Rome. It was the beginning of the English Reformation. There was a rapid advance towards Protestantism after the accession of King Edward V1 Henry V111 was followed by Edward V1 1547-53,and Lady Jane Grey 1553 both protestants. Mary (1553-1558) was Roman Catholic and wanted the church in England to return to Roman Catholicism. Those in high places who opposed her were arrested for treason and some were martyred for heresy - refusing to subscribe to certain articles of faith such as the existence of purgatory an the need to venerate saints. Hugh Latimer had become the bishop of Worcester in 1535. Forced to resign his see in 1539. He popularized the idea of the reformation Nicholas Ridley was appointed bishop of Rochester. In 1550 he became bishop of London. he denied the doctrine of transubstantiation - that Christ’s natural body is present in the bread of the Eucharist after consecration.blood. The trial happened at the University Church of St. Mary the Virgin. They were imprisoned at the former Bocardo Prison. They were burnt at the stake just outside the city walls to the north, where Broad Street is now located. Latimer , at the stake is said to have immortalized himself by exhorting his fellow victim Ridley with these words - we shall this day light a candle, by God’s grace, in England as I trust shall never be put out If you visit Oxford a cross on Oxford’s Broad Street marks the site of the execution. Thomas Cramner - see more information available under his name. Act of Supremacy - see more information under Henry V111 and Act of Supremacy Sources used Britannica Online Encyclopedia History Today Wikipedeia

Margaret Emma Barber was born in Peasenhall, Suffolk. The family moved to Norwich in 1879. The family home was opposite St.Martins parish church which was intensely evangelical in the 1880-90s. must have had an influence on the Barber Family. During the course of her life she lived twice in China. On her first visit as a missionary she went as an Anglican. On her second visit she went as an independent missionary with informal ties to the Plymouth Brethren. She was an Anglican missionary sent out by the Church Missionary Society (CMS) to the city of Fuzhou, Fujian. There she taught in a the Tau Su Girls’ High School- founded by the Church of England for 7 years. She was regarded as an excellent missionary but her co-missionaries became jealous. They fabricated a serious charge against her and she was sent home to Great Britain. She was known for her faith and decided not to vindicate herself. Years later the chairman of CMS board became aware of the case. He persuaded her to tell the truth. She told him the whole story and was fully vindicated. While in England she came in contact with D.M. Panton, editor of the Christian magazine The Dawn. 1907 Margaret became a member of Surrey Chapel and was baptized by full Immersion. Margaret resigned from CMS. In 1909 with Miss Ballard, a Surrey Chapel member she returned to China, settling in Fuzhou. They rented a house in Pagoda . She stayed there until her death in 1930 of Crohn’s disease. She lived by faith. According to Chinese customs all bills had to be paid in full by the end of the year. With only 2 days remaining she found herself $120s short. On the last day of the year D.M. Panton, in London, through the British bank in Foochow, sent exactly $120s! Margaret lived with little travelling and no publicity. She was content to remain at home and pray. She helped those who sought her counsel. She, with others, regularly taught a Bible class at ‘white teeth rock’. There she had contact with Watchmen Nee while he was studying at Anglican Trinity College. Through their relationship Watchman Nee was greatly edified and perfected. If he had a problem or needed spiritual instruction he would go to her. She treated him as a young learner and frequently administered strict discipline. At that time over 60 young brothers and sisters received help but after awhile most stopped going to see her except Watchmen Nee. When Margaret died she left all her belongings - an old Bible and her notes - to Watchmen Nee. In the March 1930 issue of his periodical The Present Testimony he wrote She was one who was very deep in the Lord, and in my opinion, the kind of fellowship she had with the Lord and the kind of faithfulness she expressed to the Lord are rarely found on this earth. In 1972 Watchmen Lee was martyred for his faith. Sources used Living Stream Ministry Christian web sites Contending for the Faith American Society of Church History 1955 wikipedia

James Hudson Taylor was the founder of the interdenominational China Inland Mission. He dreamed as a child of going to China as a missionary. He fulfilled his dream but he had to set up his own mission to make it successful. He was frustrated the first time he went out because he had little support from the mission which sent him out. He did such a good job setting up his own mission for China that other faith missions followed his methods. His chief emphases were to identify with the local people by dressing 'native', direction to come from the mission field not home, efficient administration and wanting a deepening of Christian life in the home churches to encourage more to go into the mission field. He was happily married twice and both his wives Maria and Jane supported him in his endeavours to evangelise China. He spent 50 years as a missionary and went 11 times to China. Through a lifetime of ministry he fulfilled his calling.

Caroline Chisholm is a woman spent a great deal of her time trying to help others get on in life -especially other women. With her husband Archibald she spent time in both India and Australia. In India where she opened a school. In Australia she wanted to help emigrants settle successfully there- she set up the Female Immigration Home and also helped set up a safe route for the gold pioneers to follow. She also helped migrants wanting to go to Australia from the UK. It has been suggested that Charles Dickens, in his book Hard Times, wrote his character Mrs. Jellyby as a criticism of female activists like Caroline Chisholm.

John Newton loved to go to sea. He had a very eventful early life. He went to sea with his father aged only 11. Aged 18 he was press ganged by the Royal Navy. He became the ‘slave’ of Princess Peye. He eventually became a captain of three slave ships. Whilst a slave trader, on 10th March, 1745, following a very sever storm where his boat nearly sank ,he had a spiritual conversion.He started to read his Bible. He left the slave trade behind in 1755 and became the tide surveyor (tax collector) for the Port of Liverpool. He began to study to become a clergyman. Persistence paid off and eventually in 1764 to become a deacon. William Cowper, the poet, attended his church and together they wrote many hymns - Amazing Grace was one of them. He encouraged the young William Wilberforce to stay in politics. He waited 34 years before he wrote a pamphlet ‘Thoughts Upon the Slave Trade’. He sent a copy to every MP He died in 1807 knowing the British Passage of the Slave Trade act had been passed by parliament. I have included a copy of Amazing Grace, a list of the books he wrote and a word search (answers provided) . The slave trader who became the slave abolitionist and hymn writer. He was also the author of many Christian books.

A short information sheet about St. Elizabeth of Hungary. St.Elizabeth lived in the thirteenth century. She was of noble birth but wanted to help the poor. Her husband, king Ludwig, only cared about himself. She set up two hospitals and was willing to work with lepers. There is a fact sheet and a gap sheet. She is he patron saint of bakers.

I have put together a number of pictures which younger children could use when R.E. is being taught.