We welcome young families to join our services, and offer a crèche in the Cafe area for babies and children under five. You may wish to stay and play with your child to settle them if they are new to crèche, or feel free to leave them with our friendly DBS-checked volunteers while you take part in the service. Our volunteers will come into church to fetch you if your child needs you.
At St John’s we have a lively range of activities for children and young people on Sundays. Once a month, during the morning service (10.30-11.30) we have Children’s Praise, Godly Play and All Age Worship. On the remaining Sunday, there’s Forest Church in the afternoon at 4pm.
- In Children’s Praise, we have a bible story and theme which will be told or acted out in a way that’s fun and memorable and engages children of different ages. There is always some singing, and we learn songs which will be used later in the month in All-Age Worship. Usually there is a craft activity – perhaps modelling, painting or something else creative. The
children go back into church to join their parents for communion. - In Godly Play, a Bible Story is shared, allowing the children to enter into it with a focus on asking questions – what’s happening here? How were they feeling? How would you feel if you were there? There is a craft activity here too, something to take and show parents.
- On the first Sunday of the month we enjoy All-Age Worship at which – as the name suggests! – everyone takes part. The music includes one or two of the songs we have sung in Children’s Praise Plus, and the short talk often picks up themes they have been learning about. Children are invited to lead prayers, read the Gospel and help to administer communion during
the service.
Please contact Richard Croft richardpcroft@gmail.com for further information about our children’s work.
Forest church is all about connecting with God whilst out in nature. Here at St John and St Stephen’s we have found that our young people respond positively to outdoor spirituality and so have built this format into our children’s work programme. Each time we meet there is a theme which often links to the season or a traditional celebration. Our sessions are very active and we aim for all present to experience something of God through experiencing and interacting with the natural environment. We aim to foster an appreciation of God’s creation, and a passion to care for all that God has made. We have lots of fun, and have danced round Maypoles, made mud pies and toasted marshmallows on open fires. More about the national Forest Church movement can be found on this website , or on this Facebook page.