The Diocese of Winchester’s ‘Growing Younger Day’ at St Boniface Church in Chandlers Ford welcomed around 50 clergy, lay ministers, school chaplains, youth, children and family workers. It was a day of learning and encouraging, to build relationships, to share ideas, to listen to one another and to God. See all the photos here.
There were representatives from churches across the Diocese of Winchester including churches with existing children and youth provision and others just beginning their ministry with few or no children in their congregations.
Among them was Ellie Gent who is Schools Minister at Christ Church in Winchester and the Children, Youth and Families Worker at St Barnabas Church in Weeke. She said, “We all come from different churches. Some of us are massive, some of us are small, some of us are city centre based, some of us are rural. The diocese is so varied, and we’ve all got ideas to share of things that work for us. It’s great to share ideas and to share the encouragement of how God is working with our children, young people and families.”
Harvey Gollins is Children and Families Minister in the parish of Christchurch. It has a Sunday school and good connections with the local primary. It recently started a toddler group and is looking to begin Messy Church in the new year.
He said, “I’ve come along to explore new ways and different ways that we can reach children, youth and families, to see what’s going on around the diocese, what’s going on nationally and what other resources and tools we might be able to look at. I think one reason these events are important is because some challenges that I might be facing in our ministry, another church might have already faced and might have already found a solution for. There might be other churches struggling in ways that we can help with and we can work together. Being able to meet other people and talk about how to solve these problems make us feel like we’re not alone in them.”
St James’ by the Park in Southampton has a Junior Church on a Sunday, youth section, toddler groups and holiday clubs. Angel Itzstein, Children and Families Team Leader, said, “I think it’s really important as a leader at my church to know what’s going on and to have new ideas. I just heard about ‘Diddy Disciples’. I had no idea what that was, but for toddlers that would be so amazing. Already I’ve got information and I feel, not only inspired for the ministry, but thinking of different ways to help the children and also to help those I’m leading.”
The day brought people together to discuss ways to shape and grow this vital ministry, to create spaces where children and young people can thrive, how to recruit and grow a team, and to hear about the help and training available from the Diocese and from the National Church.
Speakers included Emma Buchan and Tom Clark from the National Church and Bishop Rhiannon who spoke about the love and ‘gold dust’ of her Sunday School and the inspirational people who guided her through her childhood and youth.
Bishop Rhiannon said, “Children, youth and families is absolutely core to what we need to be doing here in this diocese. I have a sadness that so many people don’t know Jesus and my heart is for them to know that love that we enjoy. I have come to learn about the challenges churches face, the obstacles and how we can support them and support one another.”
The day also included group work to share thoughts and concerns and to discuss what different churches do and long to do in their communities.
Julz Evans came along as a new children and families’ leader at St Wins in Totton. She said, “I’ve come to learn as I feel that I’m at the very beginning of my journey. I’ve never worked for a church before although I’ve been a volunteer for a long time in kids and family work. I’m buzzing with ideas and excitement and I just want to see where to prioritise. I like this idea of a discipleship pathway and how we can really be effective in discipling our children from babies right up to youth, how we can build connections with children and teach them the love of God and how we can support parents as well.”
Martha Lloyd, Kids Pastor at Lords Hill Church in Southampton, said, “I’ve come along to hear more about what the National Church has to say and what the diocese has to say about kids and youth work and growing generations. I think that kids and youth are so important to the future of the church and it’s really important to see what other people are doing but also spur one another on. I’m hoping to take away ideas on how to do things differently or how to continue to grow. We’re always up for trying new things and seeing if we can connect with more people in different ways.”
Youth Pastor Michelle Rawlins added, “It’s really exciting in Lords Hill. We’re getting a lot of young people in the community that are just looking for something and some of them are coming through our doors on a Friday night because they don’t have anywhere else to go and that’s an opportunity for us to tell them a bit about Jesus. I’m really amazed at how engaged people are and how much they’re listening, and I’m really excited to see what God’s got in store for us next as well.”
The Church of England wants to double the number of young people and children in our churches by the year 2030 but 33% of churches have no children in their congregation.
Diocese Head of Mission and Ministry Amy Roche said, “It’s about encouragement. It’s also about stirring people to pray and stirring people to expect and hope and have the vision to change. We’ve heard some incredible stories already from people in rural, urban and estate contexts and places that didn’t have any children or young people and that’s the kind of challenge that the National Church is taking very seriously.
“It’s about being willing to take the steps. It’s about having that urgency to be able to put children and young people really at the heart of what we’re doing and to have the encouragement from others that it is possible to see growth. That is testified to by solid research that’s been done by the Bible Society, showing that the church is now growing again. With that encouragement, with the practical support that we’re able to make available, we hope that we’re going to get that excitement going and that will spread, and more and more churches will start seeing their places filling up again with children and young people.”
