This summer, our holiday clubs offered safe spaces for local children to come together for days full of creativity, play, and reflection. Across six sessions, 45 children enjoyed crafts like sandal-making, hama beads, messy activities like oobleck and biscuit decorating, building with LEGO and K’nex, outdoor games, ‘soak the vicar,’ and a bouncy castle. Each day included free choice, a bible story, song, and reflection time, giving children space to think, share, and notice how God is at work in their lives.
What did you learn about Jesus and God this week?
“He’s always there with us.”
“God cares for everyone.”How can we help you know more about Jesus?
“Do this again!”
The clubs were hosted by and run in partnership with Burton Elim and St. Saviours’ Churches, with amazing volunteer teams ready to serve and build positive connections with the children. Everything ran smoothly, with children fully engaged, forming friendships, and exploring new activities.
A particularly powerful moment came as we told the story of Jesus feeding the five thousand. When we spoke of God’s love being more than enough for everyone, one child gave a joyful “Wow!” It was a beautiful reminder of how naturally children respond with wonder to the reality of God’s love. That same openness was seen again after sharing about Jesus calming the storm. The children were given the opportunity to respond personally to Him, and some held out their hands to signify wanting Jesus to be their peace. For some children, it was their first experience of hearing that Jesus is someone they can know for themselves.
None of this could have taken place without the fantastic support of 20 church volunteers and 2 church leaders. It was encouraging to have 5 young people as part of these teams, leading games, supporting activities, and modelling care and kindness throughout. By the end of each session, children had fun, grew in faith, and experienced the lasting impact of the wider church family coming together to serve.
Sue Garb
Centre Director