16 March 2018
MethodistChildren boosts support for 9-13 year-olds
MethodistChildren is pleased to welcome Penny Fuller in acompletely new role as the 9-13 Project Worker, making sure thatthe Church as a whole is doing the best it can for this age group.Although Penny fills an existing vacancy, her role has beenredefined to focus on 9-13 year olds.
Penny will work to encourage renewed confidence and fresh thinkingabout the role of 9-13 year- olds within the church. At this timein their lives children experience powerful changes as they moveschools and begin to challenge their own views and those aroundthem. The Church needs to recognise this change and ensure thatchurch life involves a recognition of their older self with all thenew knowledge, experience and pressure it brings.
Penny has been working voluntarily with children and young peoplefor 20 years, through her local church and uniformed organisationssuch as the Girls Brigade. She said; 'Many Methodist churches havefull and lively groups of 9-13 year-olds, but we also know that itis the age when many children decide that church is not for them.Because of this, it's even more important that we make the Churchan accessible and friendly environment that is relevant to them.I'm really looking forward to the chance to hear from the childrenabout what they think is important and what life is like forthem.'
Steve Pearce, Children's Secretary for The Methodist Church, says,'we are delighted to have Penny join the team. By changing the jobdescription for this role, we have been able to focus more on thisvital age group without adding to our total number of staff. It isimportant for the Church to be able to support young people as theymake the move from child to teenager, but also that we listen towhat they are saying to us.'
The MethodistChildren website (www.methodistchildren.org.uk) willbe very important for Penny's role in helping her to create anetwork of children's workers involved with this age-group andproviding new resources, ideas and training opportunities.
Penny is keen to hear from others who have been working with thisage range and she can be contacted on