Context and background-
St John’s Community church, Burntwood is a contemporary and informal Anglican church of all ages and backgrounds where everyone is welcome.
Fifteen years ago, there were no children in church. We stopped all age services to focus on providing regular Sunday children's groups with creative, fun activities to complement teaching; employing a specialist children's worker as opposed to combining a children's/youth post; changing Sunday service time from 10.30am to 10am to suit family life better. We focused on making services more informal and minimising clericalism; working with local schools in ways that support their work rather than shoehorn a gospel message in; and prioritised good teaching/worship in services so that parents are fed in ways that recognise the joys/pressures they face. We also provide child-pleasing snacks (cans, crisps, chocolate, fruit) as opposed to just tea, coffee, squash & a biscuit; and lots more...!
What is working well with children and families?
Little Friends is the best example we've got of outward looking, church-based community provision - it takes a lot of work from two teams, but the pastoral links/support on offer make it wholly worthwhile. It is our pre-school group for babies & toddlers, their parents & carers, taking place over two sessions each week during term-time, offering toys, games, snacks, craft & singing time. It also enables us to offer friendship, pastoral & practical support to parents & carers, both on the day & with follow up care during the week. We've currently got 170 children on our books, with two teams of volunteers who look after a session each. Little Friends has been going for 30 years, & we feel it's an essential part of our role as a community church.
Play in the Parks is an annual initiative where we work in partnership with Burntwood Town Council & other community groups to offer free fun days for local folks. There are eight Play in the Park events across summer at different Burntwood parks - we help with two days in Chase Terrace Park (adjacent to St John's building), in which we offer a free BBQ (giving away over 1200 burgers/hot dogs this year), plus free children's craft activities & our Drop Inn cafe in the church building.
What have you learned?
One thing I think I've learned is that it's often far more effective to give the gospel by not 'giving the gospel', if that makes sense? Offering welcome, hospitality, generosity and acceptance are all good news in and of themselves. But my experience also tells me that starting with kindness is a far more effective way for people to experience and become inquisitive about the God of kindness who lies behind it all. In turn, this approach reduces anxiety for the church in their evangelism, enables all people to be involved in 'giving the good news' rather than a select few, and generally feels a far more authentic and honest way to go about sharing what we do and why we do it.
Contact
- Matt Wallace - 07855 960179
- www.stjohnscommunitychurch.org.uk