Our Children’s Ministry Support Worker Katie O’Conor visited different holiday clubs around the Diocese. Here’s how she got on.
Over the summer, I had the privilege of going to visit some of the holiday clubs happening around the Diocese. It was brilliant to meet some of the remarkable volunteers who give up their time to teach kids the message of the gospel. Each place I went had its own flavour and style of delivery. Some places had written their own plans, others were using pre-written material. There was craft, upfront teaching, games, small groups, challenges and much more. Each club had its own unique selling point and reflected its community, which was so encouraging to see.
I started my visits in Southall where I found they had been learning about the miracles that Jesus performed through his life. It was amazing to see so many children from the local community who wouldn’t normally join the congregation on a Sunday. I joined them on their last day and I loved chatting to the children about their week as we decorated cross-shaped biscuits together.
Just down the road in Ealing they were getting to know the character of Joseph. I learnt their theme song (including actions) and laughed along with the children as a comedic double act (their clergy) led the upfront teaching element fabulously. I loved seeing their team, who spanned every generation, encouraging and supporting the children in their discovering of Joseph’s story and its impact on their lives today. They also played great parachute games, which is always a winner with me.
Another great parachute game was played over in Homerton at my next stop. Here they were looking at the last week of Jesus’ life. I joined them as they were looking at the last supper. This led to an amazing game where the children had to use pitta breads to transport water from one end of the church garden to the other: a messy and much-enjoyed game! Joining in one of the small groups it was fabulous to hear some of the profound questions that the children had about that day of Jesus’ life.
My final stop was in Muswell Hill, where they too were looking at Jesus’ life, death and resurrection. They had planned the club in conjunction with other churches in the area and had together invested in really fun stage scenery. This was a great backdrop for the energetic upfront portion of the day. With great media content and live interaction the children were engaged and clearly loving it.
All in all, it’s been such a fun part of my summer getting glimpses into some of the ways churches are reaching out to their community, teaching children the Bible and giving them a great time along the way. Just these four clubs combined reached over 100 children with the message and love of God, and I know there were other clubs that I didn’t get to. This fills me with excitement as I think about how we are getting the message of God out to those who don’t know it, as well as strengthening the understanding and relationship of those who do.
If you’ve been thinking about running a holiday club but haven’t quite gotten around to it, can I encourage you to go for it. If it’s a stretch for you to do it alone, maybe talk to neighbouring parishes about doing something together. Try to learn from those who area already running one. Get in touch with us and we can connect you to parishes near you if you don’t already know who they are. Like that church in Muswell Hill, you might want to talk to neighbouring churches, write and resource something together. That particular holiday club will be doing a tour of north London over the next year, being run in October and February half-term and through the Easter holidays in different churches. This is such a great way to create something to a higher standard and enable multiple groups of children to enjoy in the effort it takes of writing and planning a full programme.
Thank you to those who let me come and join you. It really was a privilege to see what you’re up to!
Katie O’Conor is Children’s Ministry Support Worker for the Diocese of London.