We want all our children and young people to know, above all, that Jesus is with them, that He loves them and has a good plan for them.
St Christopher's Church is remarkably diverse in age, background and culture. Our ministry amongst the under-18s aims to be welcoming, loving, inclusive of additional needs and accepting of difference. We want to promote clear, Biblical guidance and provide models of Christian discipleship to be lived out at home and in the church family.
We seek to:
- Inspire, encourage and challenge faith in an appropriate way
- prepare for lifelong discipleship, mission and service
- enable under-18s to be an active and integral part of the Body of Christ.
We do this by:
- Using the Bible to teach God’s extraordinary love poured out through covenant with us, expressed in Jesus and experienced through the Holy Spirit.
- Equipping and encouraging families to engage in the adventure of faith together.
- Providing high-quality church-based activities that allow children and young people to encounter God for themselves and grow in their understanding of Him.
- Praying for and getting to know our under-18s as individuals.
- Ensuring our volunteers are appropriately trained.
Family is where faith is mainly developed and experienced and where children spend most of their time, compared to 1-2 hours a week spent at a church-run group. We are committed to supporting families in showing children God’s love for them and helping them to understand they are part of God’s wider family too.
Volunteers are members of our church family, DBS-checked and given annual safeguarding training. They are trained, resourced and supported to care for and lead our groups. They love learning alongside the children and young people.
The Under-18s Ministry is fuelled by time, talent and money donated by Church members.
Rebecca Slater
Under-18s Ministry Facilitator
May 2020