Sharing Stories

Stories from across the Connexion to give you some new ideas

4all@4

On the second Sunday of each month at 4pm a fun-packed and informal cafe-style service takes place at Sherwood Methodist Church. A wide range of ages take part with songs, activities and bible-based learning. The service lasts 45 minutes, and afterwards we share tea together (pizzas!). In the summertime, the service quite often takes place outdoors.

2.4.w

Kenilworth Methodist Church

Monthly Saturday tea-time service for families. All worship contenet focused on kids, up to yr 10 - bigspace activities, puppets, projection, worship songs etc. Floor space cleared, cafe style tables round edge. Followed by cake and drinks

Cafe Church

Cafe Church takes place at The Welcome drop-in centre. It is a place of friendship, where everyone is equally valued and Jesus love shared. This is achieved by being church 24/7. Through the hospitality of the drop-in and by providing worship relevant to the community. Tuesday morning is an informal study/ worship following material like Essence and come as you are. Sunday is also a time of contempory worship around settees and over a cup of tea or coffee.

Our After school club called little Stars is a mid week Sunday school for 5-11 years. We Begin with a christian story and have crafts, songs, prayers, games etc to fit in with the theme of the eve. on occasions we link our theme into Cafe Church on the Sunday also.

We are very keen to get the message across that Church is not something you do on  a Sunday, it is how we work together in caring for each other and the community we live in.

Chesterton Methodist Church

Breakfast before followed, All Age Sunday School - including adults followed by all together time of worship 11:20am Traditional Preaching and Prayers.

A Methodist Church taking a pick and mix approach to Family Friendly Worship.

Wesley Methodist Church, Camborne

Encounter a monthly worship event on a Sunday afternoon, for families. It is informal, gathered cafe-style around tables, and aims to offer accessible worship, and to build community. Its early days, but we are getting young people into leadership, and hoping a build a youth band to play. Oh yes, and we always finish with a bring-and-share meal - very important. Its fun, and we look forward to where God will take us with it!

Downham Market Methodist, East Anglia

Family Films

Family Films is providing for a need in the community providing family entertainment in Downham Market. We show a different film every month with a break half way through for a drink and a chat, each film is backed up by a short Message in the Movie slot and leaflet. Each month we give a clue to the film ( children win a prize for drawing a picture), they are all U rated contemporary films. This is a place where families can chill together and find space to talk.

Market Harborough Methodist Church

Ignite

Ignite is an initiative designed to create alternative and all age worship aimed at younger people, families and any one "just looking".

Oldham and Saddleworth

Little Fishes

Monthly Worship for young children and parents - a developing second congregation. has drawn in significant numbers of young families who would not otherwise be part of a worshipping congregation.

Loughton Methodist Church London (Forest) Circuit

Cafe Worship Services with multimedia presentation, speaker, drama in "Wesleys" the Church Coffee bar about every 6 -8 weeks. Also during termtime we host a Toddler Church for pre school children and their carers. Proving very popular way of introducing church to young families.

Hinckley Methodist

Monthly new service for families up & running for over a year now - multi media & all age throughout, never over 45 minutes long. Getting 100 to each one - aimed for large young amount of young fammilies who attend scouts & guides & come to the monthly parade service. Hope to move to weekly service at start of 2007.

Wigan Methodist Circuit

The Rock Bus is a double decker Bus kitted out with computers, xboxes, craft,games and a plasma screen. The team from many churches work closely with churches, youth organisations, schools and police etc to deliver diversionary activities with young people. Our mission is to be the "Word on the Street" and bring Jesus to the unchurched. We worship, pray and praise God on the Bus- every child matters!

Shetland

Elizabeth Colley TDO

Some of the great activities they have been involved in with children and young people:

At Walls They started with a Youth Alpha and now week have a fortnightly youth group on Sunday evenings they start off at their local leisure centre then go back to the church for food and a time of fellowship together. Using various materials for discussion. Their young people have a Rock Band that takes part in services once a month they also enjoy drama and take part in the services. There is often food after the family services and parties at Christmas and Harvest.

There are two other midweek clubs in Shetland some of them use Rock Solid Material. They also have a thriving Junior Church at East Yell Chapel.

Streatham Hill London

Rev Allison Waterhouse

At Allison's church they have all age worship every Sunday sometimes using creative forms of worship similar to Godley Play. The children and young people take an active role at Streatham Hill in worship life. They are readers, and often take part in prayers, are on the door and welcome team. They are involved in the communion service with readings and prayers.

West Bridgford Nottingham

Sarah Hindmarsh - Youth Leader

At their Church they run a very successful holiday club each year and this year are planning to expand to offer a club for the 10 -14s.

Nick Witham

Children's and Youth worker Warlingham Methodist and Purley Circuit

At Warlingham Methodist there is a weekly Youth Club for 11-13yr olds this is a churches together project. They use Rock Solid Material by Youth for Christ.

A variety of activities are on offer including an opportunity for exploration and discussion of various topics.

Nick is very involved in local schools Primary and secondary, taking assemblies and having imput into RE lessons. He also helps out on school trips and camps. Classes from the local schools also visit the church as part of their RE lessons. He also runs an ecumenical Football club after church on Sundays at the local recreation ground. Warlingham Methodist also runs holiday clubs at Easter and summer.

Neil Greenham - Chandlers Ford Methodist Church

They're some great things going on at Chandlers Ford:

John Andrews is the Children's and Youth Worker at Chandlers Ford, he is actively involved in Schools work in the local schools taking assemblies, running a chess club and Noah's Ark Clubs. Involvement in worship at schools using puppets

They run a junior youth club on Saturday evenings up to year seven. They also run a junior disco once a month inviting children from the local schools approximately 250 - 300 children attend. There is a holiday club in the school holidays for this age range.

For 11+ ages there is Digging Deeper - discussion based group with breakfast held on Saturday mornings. They have a youth service called 'The Sofa' that takes place once a month. Also for 13+ there is a senior youth club who are involved with lots of activities. There is also YPF Sunday evenings - discussion groups.

Joy Sykes Tynedale Circuit Youth Enabler

The Circuit are very active in their work with children and young people and are in the process of developing several projects.

Tynedale have three churches working ecumenically with 9-13s. One church uses YFC Rock Solid material. Wylam and Horsely churches work jointly together, both situations are Methodist/URC/Anglican.

The Circuit run training sessions for leaders and day events for children and youth. They run a circuit youth weekend this is often themed. There are also links with a local first school.

Rob Wylie - Lay worker with a youth and children's remit and Mission

Enabler for North Shields and Whitely Bay Circuit

Rob is involved in an ecumenical project called Dimension working with year 7 upwards; this is a dynamic and vibrant project. There are also a number of events that are run for this age group. Whitely Bay Circuit are involved in liaising and working with the local Youth For Christ and the local authority.

Rob networks extensively with all the local agencies, churches, schools and organisations and looks for opportunities to work together on events and projects, to benefit children and young people in the community.

Greg Roberts

Youth Worker Little Chalfont Methodist Church (Village setting)

At little Chalfont they have a vibrant enthusiastic Rock Solid youth group, the group meet on Mondays and enjoy fun activities, food and worship together.

Greg has also staged a musical involving the whole church, this was a spectacular show enjoyed by all. Greg is currently involved in a project setting up a youth club in the centre of the village this has involved the local authority and ecumenical partners.

Rev. Kath Jones London SW District

Kath sits on the current District Policies Committee with a remit for youth and is a minister at a church plant in Southwater near Horsham West Sussex.

We have a very high number of young people below 18 (38%), much higher than the national average, and we have got to the point where our proposed youth project is at the seeking funding stage. We aim to employ a full time Christian youth worker in the village. (Interviews have now been held) Its an ecumenical project involving the local Anglicans, ourselves and the URC - only the Anglican and Methodist have a worshipping presence in the village, many travel into Horsham for church, but with a population of 10,000 there is room for growth, and we are aiming high!

We are also thrilled that the local District and Parish Council are completely supportive of our project, and we hope once things get underway that we can work with Sussex youth service and begin to address the needs of the young people in the village.

The local YMCA is also actively involved in the project - we see them and the youth service focusing on older teens, whereas we will be focusing on 9-14s for our part of the project for the next three years.

Laura Spence

Youth Enabler for the Tewkesbury & Cheltenham Circuit

St Michael's, The Cornerstone Centre

I started in October for the Tewkesbury & Cheltenham Circuit, half time as their Youth Enabler & the other half I Work as Community Worker for a Centre built onto the side of one of their Circuit Churches (which is an LEP). The Cornerstone Centre is in the heart of the local community. Cornerstone is a Methodist and Anglican project attached to St Michael's the church are one worshiping community.

I am tasked to support the purposes of the Circuit for 11-18 & 18-30 age range, starting with mapping out provision in the Circuit & then resource/training & planning for future growth at St Michael's, one of the Circuit Churches has a Homework Club followed by Kid's Church every Tuesday, with about 30 Primary age, 2 older year 8 helpers as well. Here at St Michael's we are an LEP Anglican/Methodist & the Vicar usually participates in the RE curriculum in two local Primary's we run J for U, which is Kids Church on Tuesdays, also Elim run Planet J once a month for Primary age.

From Mapperley , Nottingham East

We've just had visits from 500 children and teachers from local schools in a successful extension of our regular monthly Super Sunday Services. At the end of term, they came to pre-Easter events, which included puppet shows, worship songs and games. The infant and junior children were of different faiths, and many had never been inside a church, but they raised the roof with their singing. Those of our congregation who took part were thrilled.

From Shirley, Methodist Church Croydon

We wanted to increase our contact with children and families, so we've been opening our whole premises one Friday Night each month. We do a leaflet drop, and lay on a mix of activities, including basic and exhibition cookery, craft, board games, snooker, table tennis, discussion ... even beginners' Bridge! Older carers as well as teenagers and others are enjoying it, and now we're looking for more ways to support and nourish them.

Anne Offler - I work in my Circuit - Durham and Deerness Valley...

....with a group of year 6,7,8 children. A few years ago I thought and prayer much about the children in our church and recognised the big drop out rate among older primary school children. To try to address this I began a Circuit club to meet each Sunday evening for children in Y6 7 and 8. I have worked with about 20 childen ( 15) on a regular basis). I have read much material about the changes these young people go through etc and know that we have the ability to support these young people as they make that incredible transition from primary to secondary school and as they begin to move into adolescence and all that brings as well as changing from children who are happy to be 'told' what to do through the exciting time of questioning and forming opinions for themselves. The club has been 'going' for about 3 years. The children it addressed then are still with us - so that means we cater for 10yrs - 17year old young people - never the intention but we are looking to address this. I hope this summer to lead a programme to attract more y6 children to join us and to make provision for the older teenage young people.

Joseph Adams, Hinckley Methodist

Daredevils our 'Fresh expression'  continues at Hinckley Methodist meeting monthly the third Sunday at 9.30 am. We meet for a media led act of worship that is interactive & family friendly. We use tapes & or people to lead singing - usually one traditional hymn & 2 or 3 songs, often with actions. Most weeks there is a dvd clip & or a drama - often this is improvised. The service sees up to 100 I would say there, some families & Junior Church children, but older people too who prefer a more relaxed & loud style of worship!  We have a group of pensioners with no children who are there every time because they love the energy & vitality.

Debbie Clarke 'The Welcome Café'

The Welcome aims to develop holistically the well-being of the people of Over Ward by reaching out to the Community. The Welcome has been established for 10 years. We have a variety of activities, for children and adults, all taking part in a caring environment.

Our After school club called little Stars is a mid week Sunday school for 5-11 years. we Begin with a christian story and have crafts, songs, prayers, games etc to fit in with the theme of the eve. on occasions we link our theme into Cafe Church on the Sunday also Pool & Craft Club 'youth" group 11-14 year olds meets each week.

We are very keen to get the message across that Church is not something you do on  a Sunday, it is how we work together in caring for each other and the community we live in.

The Rock Bus

In January 2005 the Wigan Methodist Circuit bought a double decker bus from Rock FM's charity- Help a Local Child. It is kitted out with playstations and craft and reading areas downstairs and a well equipped sound desk and computers upstairs. The Rock has a camcorder and plasma screen and the facility for sophisticated and exciting media projects.

Having previously worked in partnership with the Mobile Media Centre, this venture has been really successful eg. the membership of Standish Methodist Youth Club has grown from 6 children to having nearly 70 children registered, of whom about 45 regularly attend. The Bus and the Youth Club are completely staffed by volunteers. The senior leaders are trained in Youth Work and have CRB clearance. When the Youth Club finishes at 8.30pm, the Rock Bus remains in the church car park and welcomes young people (mostly about 14-16yrs), off the street to come on the bus, use the computers, playstations etc and just chat. We provide them with a haven to be safe and accepted by caring adults (and to have fun!) We have a similar partnership with Aspull ABC Youth Club, Shevington Methodist, Today's Community Church and Wigan Warriors Kids Club. We have also worked in the community at Bryn and Beech Hill, with kids on the streets, and at various Fun days and at Match days with the Latics.

Currently the Rock Bus is spending the Summer school holidays at the Wakes Pub in Hindley on Wednesdays, at Lowton Civic Hall on Thursdays and at Ince Community Centre on Mondays. In each case the afternoon session is from 1.30-3.30pm for under 13's, and then 7-9pm for 13 plus. We are working in partnership with local Residents' associations, Positive Futures and Community Safety Teams. These sessions have been funded by a grant which the Borough Wide Community Network obtained through the Local Network Fund. This funding will be a great help towards paying for money still owed to Rock FM for the outstanding balance of the purchase of the Bus.

As well as seeking to provide positive diversionary activities for children and young people in areas where there is anti-social behaviour, the Rock Bus also has a mission to become a sanctuary and place for growth for young people who are for whatever reason, outside mainstream education. From September we will be working with Positive Futures and Sure Start in providing a mobile venue for teenage mothers to meet and develop IT skills, and also partnerning with practitioners who support children excluded from mainstream education. As it says on the Rock Bus- every child matters!