Mike and Liz share a little more about what they do during the week out in our community.
L: At Sheddingdean I’m a governor, and I lead Christian RE lessons and take the occasional assembly. In Albourne, Bolney and Twineham I regularly lead collective worship (morning assembly) where we sing a song (usually with actions), I tell a Bible story in a creative way and we have a moment of refl ection and prayer. I also lead Christian RE lessons looking at different themes from the Bible. We also run prayer spaces in schools as the opportunities arise.
M: We run a lunchtime club twice a week in Burgess Hill Academy where young people come to hang out, I do assemblies in schools and sometimes give lessons. In Hurst College I get invited in to run ‘Light Lunch’ where we eat together and discuss faith issues.
L: I really believe that working in local schools is key to fulfilling the mission and role of The Point Church. We are called to be a transforming presence in the local community and to share God’s love. The first time I heard anything about God was in a school assembly when I was 5 years old. It was a key moment in my life, where I began to realise there was a God and that He cared for me. In Burgess Hill this Christmas I’ve had the joy of teaching RE in several schools. Astonishingly, in one school none of the children had ever heard the story of Jesus and the first Christmas! What a privilege to be the first to tell the the amazing story of Jesus to them (and of course to the teachers too!)
M: For me, having the opportunity to be in schools is so important as we can build relationships with the students, be a positive influence in their lives and share the gospel with them.
L: There are so many great moments when you are in school – it’s hard to pick just one, but in a recent prayer space one young boy said in the reflection time that, “I didn’t think anyone loved me, but during this activity I realised that I am loved”.
M: I recently did a ‘Light Lunch’ talk at Hurst College where I was able to share my testimony and the gospel, and it was so encouraging to see the young students really engage.
L: I don’t think I have a typical assembly, RE lesson or prayer space, as I try and be creative and use different ways of communicating, to try and give as many children as possible the opportunity to discover something about God.
M: At The Hub lunchtime club we play pingpong, basketball and board games with the students, whilst having conversations with them and discussing questions we write on the notice board i.e. ‘If you could ask God one question what would it be?’
L: Each week during term time I lead the amazing team at The Sanctuary, which is a Monday morning group in Hurstpierpoint for 0-4s and their grown ups! Other areas of my work can change seasonally depending on what opportunities arise, for example recently leading a parenting course, outreach events eg Bright Parties and Bring a Friend events, and supporting families.
M: Outside of schools we go down to Willow Way skate park and build relationships with the young people there – the trust we’ve been able to establish with these young people has been amazing. I also have mentoring sessions with some of our Youth and visit their homes to establish stronger relationships with them and their families.
Youth work from The Point
Regular visits to 3 local secondary schools
Connecting with 10-15 Young People in Willow Way youth drop-in every week
Contact time with over 150 students every week
45 youth registered in our Sunday groups
“Michael was invited to speak at our ‘Light Lunch’ event for 2 groups of students and prepared an appropriately directed message that was thought provoking and engaging, despite the fact that he had to adapt to children ranging from 11 yrs -18 years old.
He helped the students consider the claims of Jesus and we rely on young gifted youth workers like this to bring a fresh delivery of the gospel to engage them with issues of faith.
He was an excellent communicator and l hope that he can return as we depend on dynamic young speakers like him to convey the message in a lively and vibrant way.”
Local teacher
Kids work from The Point
24 assemblies across 3 schools (2018-2019)
RE lessons in 4 schools
2 Prayer spaces led and facilitated
228 babies & toddlers registered at The Sanctuary
120 kids age 1-11 year olds registered in our Sunday morning groups
Our Sunday mornings see over 45 children across our groups
“Our links with Liz and The Point truly are a blessing for the school. Liz always leads collective worship with uplifting, engaging and powerful messages. She brings our school to life by exploring events in the church calendar in interactive ways which the children enjoy immensely. Through drama, role-play, visual resources, fantastic movements and inspirational songs, all of the children from ages 4 to 11 have their school experience enhanced by Liz’s time in school. When asked in pupil conferencing, many children say that Liz’s visits are their favourite assembly experiences. We value our links with the church greatly and there is no incumbent at St Peter’s church, next to our school, so we rely heavily on the generosity and kindness of volunteers from local pastors. The Point helps us to come together as a community, connecting the three parts of the parish with such wonderful support, even whilst we are interregnum in the parish.
Liz and her team have led Prayer Spaces at Twineham for several years. Our school thrives on togetherness, thankfulness and hope; all values that are explored and celebrated through fun and exciting Prayer Space activities. Several colleagues have formed special links with The Point in their own worship and we are so thankful to Liz and The Point for being a special part of Twineham Church of England School.”
Local Headteacher