A huge, specially-built replica of Herod’s Temple has played a big part in another successful holiday club at Pudsey Parish Church.
Designed and built by Assistant Curate Ben Randall (who claims to have no woodworking skills), it was a huge success with the primary school children who came.
Ben says, “Our youth pastor Gareth has left for theological college, and one of his great legacies is the holiday clubs. Apart from increasing biblical literacy, his aim was to create the very best impression of Christianity in the minds of unchurched children: to bust lingering caricatures of starchy, institutionalised boredom - and a key part of that was to make a big effort with thematically decorating the nave.
“At this year’s club we were looking at Jesus' last days on earth, so I built a 12 feet high replica of Herod's temple. It was a huge task for someone like me to build, but it was lots of fun and the kids who 
came enjoyed playing hide and seek in and around it.
“It began life as a scribble on the back of an envelope, and then just grew and grew; and I was inspired by how the Temple in 
the Gospel narratives is almost its own character, popping up at critical junctures. With this as my backdrop, I was then able to leap around and tell Jesus' story, kicking over tables of money and wringing the necks of lambs much to the bemusement of my audience.'
Despite Ben’s claims he has no wood-working skills, last year he created Ben Hur chariots for the holiday club, which were equally popular.