Rounded Development

The BBC reported that 'Nearly half of children in England are not reaching what teachers consider a good level of development by the age of five, public health experts say'. While the situation is complex, it is understood that early intervention could remedy many of the issues identified in this report. Instead of having lifelong disadvantages, because of an impoverished childhood, early intervention could lead to well rounded development, which would be of benefit to all concerned.
Early in Luke's account of the life of Jesus, there is a telling comment about how he was developing. 'Jesus grew in wisdom and in stature and in favour with God and all the people.' (Luke 2.52) Here, Luke indentifies 4 feature - Jesus' mental and practical living skills, physical growth, spiritual and community life, and social interactions. Without this foundation, Jesus' later life would have been very different
As a Church, we continue to invest in the lives of children and young people, so that they too can flourish with well rounded developemtn. That includes mental, physical, spiritual and social aspects of life, and is not restricted to what happens in Church based activities. How else can we make a difference? Three ideas come to my mind.

1. We can pray for those involved in the early years dvelopmentof the children of our neighbourhood. Parents play a vital role, and many need support and encouragement.
   
2. We can get involved, perhaps helping in Primary Schools with reading groups.
3. We can model good practice, so that others can learn from helpful examples.

And finally, have you signed up for the Church Weekend - March 4-6? Get your application form to Anne Cossins soon.
Best wishes,
Richard