It is a good sign in many ways, and very encouraging, that each issue of Spill the Beans gets that little bit larger. This issue is no different, and is packed full of stuff. The challenge is that it takes that little bit longer to bring all those resources together into the finished resource book. This has been particularly tricky this time around, but we are finally there. Apologies for anyone that was looking for this a week or so ago. I know some churches are champing at the bit with planning meetings for the next few months.

I trust that what you find inside will be as helpful and stimulating as ever. I had a delightful experience in Cambuslang a few weeks ago at the end of the service when someone I had never met before came running up just as we were leaving the church and expressed in no uncertain terms her appreciation to the Spill the Beans team for the resources that they had found had triggered a whole new enthusiasm within their children's ministry. It is great to have those moments, and it makes you realise how much this resource is being used across the church.

A big thanks, as always, to all the creative team who added their parts to our communal working documents before they were pulled together into the final form. This continues to be an incredible team effort and a real privilege to be a part of it. The last issue grew again in circulation, and with the team members included we are now going to be seeing Spill the Beans being used in over 300 churches.

Issue 11 is now available for download, and takes us through Lent and Easter to the day of Pentecost (9 March 2014 to 8 June 2014). The focus in Lent is on Lenten Landscapes, predominantly from the Old Testament, and then in the Easter season the focus is back on the gospels with the visual stimulus of doorways.

As always, inside you will find worship ideas and resources, including Bible notes, stories, prayers, reflections, music suggestions, and more, and for age groups you will find suggestions for activities, crafts, games and teen discussion resources. In this issue we also have ideas for Holy Week and a labyrinth that would be ideal for Good Friday, which are well worth looking at if you have never done anything like that before.

If you have already used Spill the Beans, you will know what a fabulous resource this is, created by folks here in Scotland. If you have not yet, but are intrigued, have a look at this sample (this is a large 11MB file, so be patient with the download if on a slower connection).

If you'd like to download a full copy of Issue 11 for use in your church or personally, then click the button below. The cost is only £12. You can make a secure payment via PayPal and then an email with secure link to the download should wing its way to you. Please note that you can only download the file using this link three times, so please make sure you save the file to your computer.

Please follow the instructions carefully. The Adobe pdf file is approximately 20 MB so it will take some time to download.

Spill the Beans Issue 11

You can also get involved in feedback and discussion on the Spill the Beans blog, where we try to put up weekly PowerPoint backgrounds too.

Print Copies

If you would like a print copy of Spill the Beans, then this can be arranged. The cost is usually around £20+P&P and these can be arranged directly with the office at Lanark Greyfriars Church. Each issue is in full colour and comb bound for ease of use. We have had to raise the costs of the print copy from our initial issues as we have found the original costs were not covering the costs of producing the copies.

If you would like to order copies (which are all printed to order so there may be a few days to wait before you receive yours) then you can email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with your order details. An invoice will be issued after dispatch of your order. If you prefer you can contact Greyfriars Church Office on 01555 661510 and place your order over the phone.