Dear Woodvale Church Family,
I wanted to give you an insight into what I have been doing over the past year to give you a better understanding of what has been going on.
Family Events
I have planned a family event every other month, doing a quiz afternoon, movie afternoon and most recently a chocolate making workshop. This has been well attended and a good way of reaching the families that we have in both our church and those who wouldn’t always come on a Sunday morning.
Shine/Soul Finders:
I continue to do Sunday school for both primary and secondary aged children with the other leaders, I have made the rota so that I can go between both age groups to build relationships with both the children and young people.
Messy Church:
This has become every month on the last Sunday afternoon. This is always well attended by families who don’t attend on a Sunday morning where they can come together and experience church through crafts, stories and food together. We had built a lovely community of people most obvious during the food where the children sit together and the adults are able to chat together and share in fellowship. This year we have been looking at heroes of the faith; so far learning about Joseph, Moses, Joshua, Jonah and Daniel.
After-Schools Club
On a Friday afternoon, I started an after schools for children in p3-p7 where we can have anywhere between 5-14 children, mostly from Carr’s Glen Primary and Edenbrooke Primary. The pattern for this is free time with board games, lego, crafts and video games for the first 30-45 minutes then we have toast together, where the children share about their week. Then we play a big group game in the hall or outside if it is warm. I would love to see this grow and do a leaflet drop into the schools but before this could happen I need to get some more leaders.
Youth Fellowship
This is on every other Saturday evening from 6:30-8pm for children aged p5-2nd year. We would regularly have between 8-12 children there. This year we have been looking at the fruits of the spirit, taking a different fruit each week looking at a bible story and then how they can link it to them. We play games with them and also have a snack where they were able to share about their weeks
Family Visits:
I have continued to visit our families, sometimes when it is needed and sometimes just to say hello so that I am able to build relationships and to show the families that they are important and supported by the church.
Schools Work:
This year I have managed to do much more schools work than I have done before. I am continuing to work in Malvern Primary school doing assemblies and also mentoring a girl in P6 once a week. I have also been into Springhill primary school to do some RE lessons, to help with one week of their SU and to also do assemblies. I have been into Forth River Primary school to help with their weekly SU, to do assemblies and recently have been doing p7 transition classes called it’s your move. I have been into Glenwood to do assemblies and also to the it’s your move lessons with all three of their p7 classes. I have been into Girls Model to do their SU. I have been in Edenbrooke primary and done an assembly but also RE lessons with both of p5 and p6 classes and also done the t’s your move lessons with both of their p7 classes.
I met up with Ruth, the SU worker who I went with to do the lessons in Springhill and the SU. She is also how I met Steve from the Welcome, who I have partnered with to do all the p7 lessons and the RE lessons in Edenbrooke and all t’s your move lessons. Youth and children’s workers from all over the Shankill have come together to do the SU in the girls model so we have been doing it as a team.
Youth Events:
I held an afternoon in February where the youth people came together to play games, have lunch and also make the posters that are currently in the youth room. I also had an easter event for the children in the after schools where they learnt the easter story together.
Irish Methodist Youth and Childrens Department
I attend the youth and children’s worker meetings that IMYCD hold so that I can connect with other workers as well as being on the team looking at the policies referring to gender in the church and also at the day looking at the youth and children’s work of the Methodist church as a whole.
Soul Mates
Alan and I took a group of three to Soul Mates this year. It was such a good opportunity to spend time with them and to also get to experience Jesus with them which for me was really special.
Thank you for taking the time to read this letter, as you can see it has been a very busy year and I have loved working with all the different children and families. I look forward to seeing what God will do in the future in the lives of our children and families.
Emma-Jayne Speers