24 August 2005
A new website gives children the chance to have their say in the Methodist Church
The 1st of September will see the launch of a website dedicated
to the children of the Methodist Church, thought to be the first of
its kind produced for 0-12 year-olds by a major British
denomination. www.methodistchildren.org.uk seeks to give children a
chance to have their say about what is important to them, both in
terms of church life and wider social issues. There will be regular
polls, finding out their opinions about issues such as what the
government could change in schools and message boards so that they
can discuss their experiences and beliefs with one another.
Children can send in their pictures for display in the gallery,
read an animated storybook, or explore 'the Methodist Story'
online, but the website will also seek to address serious issues
such as advice about staying safe on the Internet.
But it's not just for the children Ð the site also features an area
dedicated to children's workers, providing links to resources as
well as information about training courses and events. They too
will have a message board and the aim is to build up a network of
leaders, giving them the opportunity to express their concerns and
challenges, share advice and benefit from one another's experience
and new ideas.
One way that the Church hopes to enable better communication with
children and children's workers is through two online surveys
available on the website. The one aimed at the children asks them
about topics such as their favourite worship songs, what they do in
church and even why they go to church in the first place. The
leader's survey aims to get a better idea of what kind of provision
exists for children within the churches and what kind of training
has been received by children's workers, but it also focuses on
their needs, asking about what support is available to them and
what more is necessary.
The results of these questionnaires will be brought to Methodist
Conference, giving a clearer picture of what's going on in the
Church's children's work and inspiring ideas for the way forward
with Methodist children. It's all about letting children and
children's leaders influence the evolution of work within the
church. It is as much their church as it is any other age group's
and these developments indicate a very real desire to connect not
only with children's workers to give them resources, guidance and
support, but also to connect with children about what is relevant
to them.
Steve Pearce, Children's Secretary for the Methodist Church says,
'The riches that children have to offer often go unnoticed within
the Methodist Church as elsewhere and this initiative gives a
chance for children's voices to be heard talking about what's
really important. The Church needs to listen to children, not just
so that it is better able to meet their needs, but also so that it
is better able to 'turn and become as a child' itself. The Church
is dedicated to supporting both children and those who work with
them and the website and new logo are just one of our resources for
reaching and helping them. The website will grow and develop with
time as we become more aware of the needs of Methodist children and
children's workers, so let us know what you think."