Sharing the Christian story with your local schools
A presentation that has seen hundreds of thousands of pupils learn more about the Christian faith marks its 30th anniversary next year – and it is hoped even more churches and schools could be involved
Easter Cracked is a fast-moving, creative 90-minute interactive presentation using quizzes, talks and activities to help Year 5 and 6 primary school children understand the real meaning of Easter.
It was first presented at Slough Baptist Church in 1995 by the church’s then minister, the late Revd Jem Sewell.
A similar presentation was created for Christmas – Christmas Unwrapped – and many churches across the country have adopted them.
In the pre Covid years pupils would enter the church to participate in the presentations. Since then videos have been created at Slough Baptist Church to enable schools to show a version of the presentation in their buildings, and this has resulted in more schools accessing them.
Wayne Dixon, a schools worker with Christian Connections in Schools (CCiS) and a member at Slough Baptist Church, has led these presentations for many years (pictured above).
In November he will be taking the Christmas Unwrapped presentation to 16 schools, presenting it live and using the video clips recorded at Slough Baptist Church four years ago.
With the 30th anniversary of Easter Cracked approaching, he is inviting ministers and children’s and youth workers to the presentations, either by watching them online, or making an onsite visit to one of the presentations he is giving, or to another presentation closer to where they are. Wayne says there are around 30-50 locations holding one or both of the presentations each year, including churches from Altrincham to Woodley, and Glasgow to Gravesend.
‘As a schools worker, it's been the most significant area that I've been involved in,' he says.
‘It's connects with Key Stage Two, Religious Education – for instance the Easter one talks about things like communion and baptism – and that's why a number of schools like it.
‘And the pupils remember it – I’ve had people come up to me years later, quoting the raps. They remember them. It works!
‘The idea for sharing the recordings is if a minister, for example, schools worker, children's worker, sees it and thinks, oh, yeah, we could probably do this in our school or in our church for a local school, it saves reinventing the wheel.’
In a short introduction video, Wayne explains he is happy to help anyone considering doing one of the presentations.
‘I can share some joys and some pains, some things that have worked, things that haven't worked, so that possibly in March 2025 and beyond there might be some more churches and more schools involved in this most significant area.
‘If you'd like to know more about how or why or when, please feel free to get in touch.’
Following the Christmas Unwrapped in November, and Easter Cracked in the spring, schools also have the option of an It's Your Move! presentation in the summer term. Following the presentation pupils receive copies of the Scripture Union book It's Your Move!, which helps children adapt to secondary school.
Wayne says the outreach has connected with 2 million pupils over the years, and that each year in Slough and Maidenhead thousands are reached.
There are five videos to help find out more:
Connect with Wayne on 01753 201992 or wayne@ccischools.org.uk
Baptist Times, 23/10/2024