Children and Youth
Our children and youth are a vital part of our church community. We aim to be a multi-generational church where all ages come together to pray, learn, serve and worship.
We have a whole range of activities and groups on Sunday's and some during the week.
Every first Sunday of the month at church is an All Together service, where we gather together as a church family to worship God as one.
Babies
ON SUNDAY'S
We have a First Steps Together leader who will come and meet you and find out how best to support you in the service, we have a range of toys, books or puzzles for them to enjoy. We have a side chapel in the church which on Sunday's is a great space for parents to be with their little ones and they can still access the service. If your baby needs nappy change or a quieter space there is small room upstairs with facilities.
Pre-school - Year 6
ON SUNDAY'S
Journey Together aims to help our young people grow in their identity as children of God, encouraging them to discover what it means to take up Jesus’ offer of living life to the full. It includes exploration of the bible, fun games and activities, prayer and play.
What goes on?
Early in the service the children move from the church to the nearby pre-school on Coney Hall Rec that is used for Journey Together. They spend time together as a large group and then part way through the morning, they divide down into smaller groups to focus on a theme for the week. Amidst all the action, there is usually some downtime with drinks and biscuits.
If you’re a newcomer, you are welcome to stay around in Journey Together until your child feels at home in their group.
Ages 11-14 (Years 7 To 9)
ON SUNDAY'S
Explore Together is for our 11-14 year olds. It currently joins up with Discover Together for DLC.
DLC stands for "doing life with Christ" and also - for the gamers out there - "downloadable content". Our mission is to provide young people with age-related, digestable, bible-based teaching, activities and chat; in other words, content that is relevant and engaging for them to “download.” This will involve discussion around a bible-based topic, pitched in a way that is interesting and relevant for tweens and teens. There'll be the opportunity for debate for those who want to share and explore their views, whilst those who prefer to sit back and listen are perfectly welcome to find a comfy spot on a sofa or bean bag and respond in their own way. We'll use a range of resources to spark discussion and we'll have a prayer time too: all those who come along will be encouraged to join in as they wish, no forced participation, no pressure. And there'll be time for drinks, snacks (featuring a "kebab of the week"!) and games.
Sunday DLC is there to support all our young people alongside the midweek 11+ and 14+ groups. It bridges these two age groups and is primarily intended for those in years 7-11+ ...the '+' is there for any 16-18 year olds who would like to join in too, though these older ones may prefer to stay in for the whole service. We are conscious that the transition from age groups to participating fully in the morning service will be welcomed by some and be more challenging for others. Our aim is to provide a flexible option to enable all young people to engage meaningfully on a Sunday morning, upstairs or downstairs, as they choose.
WHAT GOES ON?
During the service the group moves to the room upstairs with sofas and beanbags and then rejoin the service towards the end. The group meets every Sunday apart from the 1st Sunday of the month which is our All Together service, during school term time.
DURING THE WEEK- 11+
Wednesday Weekly : 7:00- 8:30pm (term time)
St Francis Church, Ravenswood Avenue
WHAT GOES ON?
Our young people have the opportunity to hang out, build relationships with each other and discuss matters that are important to their lives with our brilliant team of volunteers.
At least once a term we have fun night out doing something the youth have suggested, whether that’s bowling or a cinema trip, it’s always a good laugh.
Ages 14-18 (Years 10 to 13)
ON SUNDAY'S
Discover Together is for our 14-18 year old’s. It currently joins up with Explore Together to form DLC (see above).
DURING THE WEEK- 14+
Fortnight on Wednesdays: 7:30 - 9:30pm (term-time)
Get in contact for more information.
WHAT GOES ON?
The group meets in a relaxed environment with lots of food, discussions to discover more about God, our faith and what we believe, as well as build supportive friendships. There’s plenty of chat, food and fun.
