Young People at Christ Church

Phil Goldby writes...

Sitting in the Baptism and Admission to Communion service on Sunday made me feel very proud to be part of a church that actively promotes the involvement of our young people in the life of the church. It made me even happier to see that two of our regular Passion members were up there with the others, declaring their faith and trust to God. 

The Vicar wholeheartedly agreed with me when I said to him how this type of service reinforces, to us all, how big an importance our youth can and do play in the fellowship of Christ Church. 

It seems that churches often leave a gap between the Sunday school age group and the "adult" home groups. However, where other churches potentially miss the opportunity, Christ Church has plenty to offer. 

So how do we support and grow our younger members enabling them to be surrounded by like-minded individuals, to learn about God and to value what we have to offer?

Our music is one way. Since Esther Jones joined Christ Church as our musical director, the choir numbers have increased. This is mainly due to the number of children that have joined and now regularly attend church. They add to the choir with treble, alto and even tenor voices. Esther also runs Song Squad – a children’s choir supported by the church and open to the wider community. There are over 20 regular members who rehearse weekly and perform regularly in church services. Song Squad also represents Christ Church at other community events in Epsom and beyond. 

Passion is another way that we support and guide our teenagers. Every Sunday at 7.15 pm Christ Church hall becomes a hive of activity. With a tennis table and pool table set up upstairs and silly games being played, some would say that it’s an ideal environment for the teenager between the ages of 12 and 18. The aim of the evening is for the young people to have fun, to interact with their friends and others in a Christian environment (run by Christians) and to get better at pool or table tennis! There is even a tuck shop available if they get the munchies. We have also been known to go bowling, or just have a party in the hall instead of the usual meeting.

The high point of the year is when we take the group down to the Christian festival “Soul Survivor”. Here the teens can let their hair down and really discover more about the Christian faith through the worship and seminars that are packed into the 5 days over August. We camp in tents during the event and normally eat as a group to cement the fellowship that has grown throughout the year. It can be an emotional roller-coaster for all of us (even the leaders) but the unanimous result is a group that is closer to their personal faith and to their friends.

Vicki and I also offer a bible study (CYFA) on a Wednesday evening. This is held at our home where we regularly get around 7 young people eager to discuss a vast range of topics from “burning issues of a teenager” through to “does heaven really exist?” The evening is about studying life in a Christian context though reference to the Bible and input from the whole group. I’m sure that the discussions we have are the reason why the teenagers come but I have a feeling that the cakes that Vicki bakes each week do have an influence! We even have a “Student Cook” evening before they go off to University so to equip them for life in more than just the spiritual way.

If there are any young people out there that want to find out more about any of the activities mentioned above then please contact me, Esther, or Andrew the Vicar, through this blog page or the church web site.

All these activities for the young people of Christ Church do not just happen. The leaders put in a lot of time and effort enabling the growth of these teenagers. It might seem like we have it all sorted and are not in need of anything. However, we are always on the lookout for more help. If you are a regular reader of the notice sheets, you will have seen that we have lost one of our Sunday night leaders, George Chetwynd, to Pakistan as she helps on a VSO project. This means that we really need another leader (preferably female for Child Protection reasons) to help out. No experience is necessary, just a willingness to come and try something new, to be challenged, to listen, and to expend a bit of energy. It’s a great opportunity to play a role at an important time in young people's lives.

Please pray for the work that is done in Christ Church for the young people and if you feel called to help in any way then please contact Phil Goldby (Passion/CYFA) or Esther Jones (Song Squad) for more information.

Comments

[mum]

I can fully recommend this group. My son really enjoys being part of it.