GAP gives thanks for Open the Book

On Sunday 30th June the members of the Greater Alton Project came together at St. Lawrence Church to celebrate their outreach to the local community, especially the work of the Open the Book teams. The Greater Alton Project is a covenant between Alton Methodist Church and the churches of the Anglican Parish of the Resurrection. Members of the GAP churches work together in providing Open the Book assemblies for local primary schools. The assemblies are based on Bible stories which the team present in a dramatic and interactive way. The congregation at St. Lawrence was treated to two stories — Jesus healing the lepers and the story of the Good Samaritan-performed by the teams as they would perform to schools with audience participation. Open the Book was set up by the Bible Society with the aim of presenting Bible stories in primary schools in an accessible and enjoyable way. It is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year and the service on Sunday was a chance for the local group to join in this celebration as there has been an Open the Book group in Alton for the past 15 years. The teams receive a warm welcome from the schools they visit and plenty of positive feedback from the children. In a card presented to the team from Andrews Endowed school, Harry said, " Thank you for your wonderful assemblies. I enjoyed the assembly about lots of mouths to feed", while Lilli-Mai said..."I love your acting and your courage"