Children and Young People
St John's is a child-friendly church, and children and young people are at the heart of our vision to grow as a church family.
The second Sunday of every month at 10.45am is an All-Age celebration; across the rest of the month there is a wide range of activities for children and young people of all ages, including Sunday Club, groups for teenagers, and a creche area where parents or carers can listen to the service while enjoying toys and sofas in a relaxed space adjacent to the main chapel.
Sunday Club
Sunday Club is usually for children in reception to school year 4, although young children who feel ready are welcome to join.
We meet up in the Church Hall where there’s lots of space for all kinds of activities and games. Sessions are based on Scripture Union resources and each one has a topic with a bible based theme.
Sunday Club meets at St John’s Church every 1st, 3rd and 4th Sunday of the month during the 10:45am service. The service begins with everyone together for sung worship before Children and young people leave for their activities. On the 4th Sunday, we go back in to church during communion to share and show what we’ve been doing.
SWAG
SWAG stands for Saved With Amazing Grace, a name chosen by our young people, and welcomes children in school years 5 to 8.
Swag aims to offer a fun and creative space where we explore a range of themes through activities, games, crafts and exploring the bible together.
SWAG meets at St John’s Church every 1st, 3rd and 4th Sunday of the month during the 10:45am service. The service begins with everyone together for sung worship before Children and young people leave for their activities.
Big TIG
Big TiG is for teenagers in school years 9 to 13. The sessions start off with a hot drink, a bit of music and a fun activity to break the ice before we get into the theme of the day
Big TIG meets at St John’s Church every 1st and 3rd Sunday of the month during the 10:45am service. The service begins with everyone together for sung worship before the young people leave for their activities.
On the 4th Sunday, teenagers in this age group are encouraged to stay in the main service and take part together.
Youth Group
Youth group runs on Sunday evenings between 7 and 8.30pm and is open to school years 8-13.
Our young people typically enjoy drinks and snacks, a variety of games, and the chance to dig deeper in their faith through resources such as the Youth Alpha course, creative challenges and visiting speakers.
Muddy Church
Muddy Church provides an opportunity to wander and wonder together with a focus on exploring the great outdoors and learning about God through the wonderful world he has made!
Muddy Church takes place on occasional Saturdays, at church, between 2 and 4pm. It is open to all ages but particularly suited to those with pre-school or primary school aged children.
Look out for details of the next Muddy Church on our Facebook page and the fliers at the back of church.
Little Fishes
The toddler group meets on Thursday mornings at 10.30 till 12.00 in term time. There is a large room well equipped with many toys and games, as well as craft tables and activities. At ‘half time’ the children all sit down together for juice and biscuits while parents, grandparents and carers enjoy a cup of tea or coffee. The session ends with singing time in the lounge.
Little Fishes is a busy group but it’s always worth getting in touch to see if there are spaces available. When there are spaces free, we work on a weekly booking system. If you’re interested in attending we’d love to hear from you. Please leave a message with the church office (01246 566205) and one of our team will be in touch.
