June 2020  |  Vol. 3PASSIONATE ABOUT RAISING THE NEXT GENERATION+Transition during lockdown
Q&A: Simon Guillebaud
Evangelism at home

YCW | June 2020 | Vol. 3ContentsRegularsFirst wordNews and commentReviewsQ&A 
Simon GuillebaudSimon, a fourth-generation missionary in Burundi, founder of the Great Lakes Outreach and father of three, reveals the difficulties of mission with his family in tow. Game boy
PassageToolbox 
Making sense of people and teamsIf one of your favourites is missing from this week's issue, there’s no need to worry. Our regular columns will be littered throughout the month, so there won't be long to wait!FeaturesTalking about the tough stuffRecent events have probably seen us sit and have difficult conversations with our children and young people, including racism and social injustice as well as the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Funeral pastor, author and mum Annie Willmot shares her tips for talking about difficult topics with kids. Transition in lockdownLife is tough enough for ‘tweenagers’ without the addition of being cooped up inside due to lockdown. So how do we best serve this unique age group from our living rooms? Children’s pastor, Jo Foster shares her thoughts.Sharing Jesus from your living roomWhile our worlds may feel like they are shrinking due to social distancing, youth and children’s worker and regular columnist Becky May reveals why she thinks it’s more important than ever that we reach out and share Jesus, and gives practical advice for getting started.AlsoDon’t panic – we haven’t gone anywhere! Our beloved Faith at Home section will now have its very own dedicated magazine once a month, with all the regular content and much more. Keep your eyes peeled for the next Faith at Home edition next week on 18th June.“Children will not be afraid to ask questions. We shouldn’t be afraid of not having the answers.”Talking about the tough stuff, Annie Wilmott
Our resources are going to be spread out into weekly bite-size chunks each month. This week, children and young people explore the story of Ruth. Plus, we’ve included a mentoring session and ready-to-use parable to discuss with your children and young people. Look out for all our other regulars in upcoming issues!

View the resources contents to get started.

We’ve tweaked all our resources to make them at-home friendly.

CHIEF EXECUTIVE Peter KerridgeDIRECTOR OF CONTENT Charmaine Noble-McLean EDITOR  Ruth Jackson DESIGNERJohn LloydDEPUTY EDITORJessica LesterRESOURCES EDITORAlex TaylorCONSULTING EDITORSJamie Cutteridge
Andy Peck
NEWS EDITORMarcus JonesEDITORIAL OFFICEPremier Youth and Children’s Work,
PO Box 17911,
London SW1P 4YX
020 7233 6705
ycw@premier.org.uk
youthandchildrens.workADVERTISINGDave Edmondson
020 7316 1341
dave.edmondson@premier.org.uk PREMIER JOBSEARCH / CLASSIFIEDS Sally Reeves
020 7316 1413
JOBSEARCH: sally.reeves@premier.org.uk
CLASSIFIEDS: classifieds@premier.org.uk SUBSCRIPTIONSsubscriptions@premier.org.uk
Annual price: £47.99 
(UK Direct Debit),
01892 611180 Premier Youth and Children’s Work is protected by copyright and nothing within it may be reproduced wholly or in part without written permission. The acceptance of advertising does not indicate endorsement.

Premier Youth and Children’s Work magazine is published by Premier Christian Communications.

Premier Youth and Children’s Work Magazine
ISSN 2399-6889

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com. The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™
youthandchildrens.work

YCW | June 2020 | Vol. 3First wordWe all know what it feels like to have tough conversations as adults – going through a break up, addressing a situation with a friend who upset or angered you, revealing to those holding you accountable in your faith that you may have slipped. Naturally, we want to avoid these situations, and frequently we do everything we can to hide from it.

But some conversations are impossible to turn from. It’s likely you’ve already breached difficult conversations in the last few month surrounding coronavirus – death, illness, separation, fear over job security and the future. More recently, thousands of us are speaking openly against racism and social injustice following the death of George Floyd, and it’s likely you too have been taking yourself out of your comfort zone to have tricky discussions on structural racism, violence and the need for deep, meaningful change around the world.

For us at YCW, such difficult conversations are something we’ve been doing this past week with each other, our families, our wider community and most notably and with most difficulty, the children and young people we serve. This may be your reality too, and we know it’s hard.

“Our children will have questions that lead to tough answers…but we can’t shield our children from what’s out there, so it’s better to address it ourselves,” Annie Wilmott explains in this week’s cover feature ‘Talking about the tough stuff’. Annie offers advice and encouragement to those of us who may be struggling to breach those topics that make us feel uncomfortable or embarrassed.

Being honest with our children about tricky experiences, and letting them experience the difficult things, is a sentiment echoed by missionary Simon Guillebaud’s Q&A, as he speaks openly and honestly about the worries of exposing his children to some of the horrors of the Burundian unrest in 2015, yet witnessing them come through with a “bank of stories of faith”.

For ‘tweenagers’ navigating the difficulties of adolescence, that element of faith is likely one of the most difficult conversation topics to face as everything around them begins to change. “They may well be at the stage where they start to question the faith they have experienced so far, and it’s quite daunting,” Jo Foster reveals in her feature about navigating the gap between children’s work and youth work.

“In order to grow in faith, children need to be engaged and challenged,” she continues. Conversation is just one example of such a challenge – but sometimes we need to let young people move into action beyond chatter. An example of this lies in this week’s news section, detailing how young people have been instrumental in the Black Lives Matter movement across the UK; a local demonstration in Luton was organised by students and supported by the town’s churches.

Like these young people, we should not be afraid of looking out into the difficult world and facing the tough stuff head on. “We should open our eyes to the street outside our front door, our neighbourhood, as well as to those far further afield,” Becky May explains in her feature on sharing Jesus from our lockdown living rooms. She continues: “Because into [these] painful situations, God is still clearly at work.”

For us, that may be an obvious reality – but for many young people yet to fully know Jesus, or even hear the gospel, it’s a far cry. So, amongst these difficult conversations (and calls to action), let us circle back to God, as Andy Robertson reminds us in Game boy: to take “five minutes to reflect on the number of our days and the heart of wisdom.”
Social Media shout-outTo have your tweets, posts and photos featured in our shout-out, visit our social media pages under the handle @ycwmag. We can’t wait to have you involved!

Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.Facebook@Youthscape
Our friends at Premier Youth and Children's Work have gone digital. Check out their latest issue #BlackLivesMatter
At #YCW, we love hearing all about what you and your children and young people have been up to - and sharing some of the great work!

We got this very cute video from the children of #StCuthbertsLythamSundaySchool saying the Lord's prayer that they wanted to share with you all!

What are your kids getting up to this week in #isolation - let us know in the comments!BACK TO CONTENTS

NewsShould they,
shouldn't they?As restrictions around meeting in groups gradually ease, and we're granted the freedom to meet socially distanced in groups of six (in England), we ask…
Is it time to restart face-to-face youth and children’s ministry?
Yes, it isOur young people have not experienced face-to-face youth ministry for a while now, and this will have had an impact upon many of the relationships that have been built. While Zoom chats have been a suitable way to stay connected, they do not replace face-to-face youth ministry. We must therefore mind the gap that may have been created during this time and start to mend it.

The wider question however is: how are we going to get back to face-to-face youth ministry while there are social distancing measures in place? I would encourage us to start something, no matter how small. We need to consider seriously the impact that this time will have had upon our young people and children, especially on their mental health. Here are three points that may inform how you start meeting your young people face-to-face:

Keep it small: To comply with social distancing measures, you will need to keep your groups small for the time being, and meet outside. Small can be good; it is more focused and it will help build quality time that the young people and children need. Small groups have an excellent way of cultivating stronger relationships, accountability, interaction and community. You will need to think about the leader to young people ratio regarding safeguarding, and risk assessments.

Keep it simple: It can be tempting to start back up with a ten-week Bible study. However, I think in the circumstances and given that we haven’t seen the young people for ten weeks, we have to take a gentle approach. A session that means you simply sit and listen to the children or young people is just as important as any. It may be just that for the next few weeks.

Keep it short: If you’re going to keep it small and simple, then also think about keeping it short. There is no need to create lengthy sessions; 30 to 45 minutes would be enough to begin with.

Let’s get back to face-to-face youth ministry.
JAMES WOOD
is the Uxbridge parish youth worker.
No, it isn'tI’m not a farmer, but I have picked up a bit of knowledge by proximity. One fact I know is that you cannot act as if the season is different to what it actually is; you can’t plant your summer crops in autumn. Similarly, it would not have been smart for Noah to leave the ark before the waters subsided.

I believe this season of remote working is far from over, we might be seeing early signs of change such as some school years returning, but we are not leaving this season yet. We should be realistic about the signs and the evidence around us as to what season we are in.

My passion has always been face-to-face youth work, I strongly believe that Jesus can be revealed to our young people through who we are and our interactions with others. I also draw a lot of energy, enjoyment and satisfaction from working directly with young people. It can be difficult to persevere during these times of remote working. It can be difficult to keep those on the edge of our groups engaged with online sessions. For those with certain anxieties, online group sessions are a real struggle. I totally empathise with people’s desire to ‘get back what we’ve lost’.

However, while the season is not right, we could shift the focus from ‘what we’ve lost’ to ‘what can be gained’ and particularly ‘what can we take forward’. I have been greatly inspired by the variety of approaches of churches and youth workers. Many of us have suddenly become digital content creators (videos, documents) and are producing a valuable bank of resources which could have long-lasting benefits. We are communicating with our young people and children in new and different ways, some will struggle with these, others will have found them easier.

So, as we wait for the season to change, and the waters around our ark to subside, what are we learning? What practices are we looking to carry forward, and how can we use our time now to prepare for the new season to come? This will be different for all of us, but let’s use this season to prepare for the next.
ROB FINCH
is a parish youth worker and mental health practitioner.
What do you think?
Email ycw@premier.org.ukBACK TO CONTENTS

NewsArchbishop of York John Sentamu retires with a huge youth ministry legacy
After 15 years as Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu retired last weekend. One of the notable things about Sentamu’s time in the role was his commitment to young people. Through his presidency of Youth for Christ, his involvement with the Youth Work Awards and the founding of the Archbishop of York Youth Trust, Sentamu made a huge impact on youth ministry in the UK. We asked those who worked closely with him on these projects for their reflections:
During my 14 years serving at Youth for Christ it would be hard to point to a greater advocate for young people than Archbishop John Sentamu. He carries a huge passion to see teenagers surrender their lives to Jesus and would regularly challenge me to be more hopeful, to keep going for it and to never lose sight of the fact that YFC existed to share the gospel. As he retires as the Archbishop of York, I am so thankful to have served with him, will always be grateful for the years he was President for me at Youth for Christ and will remain impacted and challenged by his unrelenting focus on making Jesus known. A huge well done to a good and faithful servant.
GAVIN CALVER
is CEO of the Evangelical Alliance.
“Never before has it been so important for our young people, regardless of their background or faith, to discover the life skills of compassion, patience, self-control, gentleness and leadership. The Youth Trust is helping to raise a generation motivated by such virtues. Young people are the answer and have the potential to change our world for the better.”ARCHBISHOP JOHN SENTAMU
The Archbishop of York Youth Trust began in 2009 when Archbishop Sentamu announced his vision, that rather than being part of the problem facing some of our communities today, young people were actually the answer. A decade on, and the Youth Trust has now worked with over 100,000 children and young people from 850 schools, teaching key leadership skills and character virtues through the Young Leaders Award.

Throughout his time as Archbishop of York, Archbishop Sentamu regularly visited primary and secondary schools, spending time with pupils, hearing their stories and answering their questions. Throughout these visits the Archbishop encouraged pupils to develop leadership skills, and grow in character. Archbishop Sentamu also led four Yorkshire Schools Pilgrimages to Taizé, taking hundreds of young people to experience the spiritual retreat and quiet found with the Taizé community. Throughout these weeks of retreat, Archbishop Sentamu gave time to the young people, sharing meals with them every day and inspiring them to be the change they want to see in their communities back at home. These precious moments have been valued by young people and teachers as they have been inspired by Archbishop Sentamu’s passion for enabling young people to blossom.

Archbishop Sentamu’s legacy lives on through the Youth Trust, who continue to work with children and young people across the country.
A spokesperson for the Archbishop of York Youth Trust
Young protesters show their support (PA Media)Teenagers take a lead in Black Lives Matter protestsYoung people from across the country were seen organising and mobilising protests in the wake of the death of George Floyd. With rising anger about the issue of racial justice, thousands took to the streets for mainly peaceful demonstrations.

In Luton, teenagers set up a demo and roped in help from local churches. Jamie Cutteridge stewarded the event: “It was one of the best examples of youth ministry I’ve seen in a long time, even if no one there would have considered it so! The young people from the town’s sixth form college had a vision and passion to put on this demonstration, and local churches showed up to steward the event so it could go ahead safely, without needing to lead with their own agenda.”BACK TO CONTENTS

Reviews
Seek and Find:
Old Testament Bible storiesWritten by Sarah Parker, illustrated by André Parker

• Develops numerical skills and theological knowledge
• Suitable for ages: one to five

Seek and Find is a fantastic book to help children to engage with Bible stories in an interactive way. It encourages children to count items involved in the story on each page, helping to develop numerical skills, as well as finding the character of Ruth Wren on each page.

The text is clear and concise, and provides the Bible reference as well as a summary of the story to read through. It allows for the book to be used over time as children develop, helping their theological knowledge to deepen the more they are able to read and understand.

Plus, the illustrations are beautiful and very inviting, a must-have for any family looking to introduce their young children to the Bible whilst giving them a great adventure at the same time. It would make for an exciting gift for children between the ages of one and five.
KATHARINE O’BRIEN
works for the St Vincent DePaul Society and is a qualified RE teacher and youth worker in London.
Growing God’s Gifts: The fruit of the SpiritLucy Joy

• Explains Christian doctrine in child-friendly ways
• Suitable for ages: six to ten

This quirky and jargon-free book addresses a topic which is not very well covered by children's literature: the fruit of the Spirit. It is written in beautiful yet easy-to-understand language and explains many essential Christian terms, like prayer and sin, in a simple, child-friendly way.

Unlike other books on the same theme, it is careful to explain the whole concept and avoids the apple and banana comparisons that may confuse younger children.

The book explores each ‘fruit’, giving an explanation, illustration or Bible story, and an application. They aren’t segmented off, but keep a story-like flow. It does mean that it requires higher comprehension skills in some areas, or parent-led interaction.

After the first few beautiful pages, the illustrations become more amateur and less interesting, meaning my five-year-old was quickly distracted. However, my seven-year-old stayed engaged for the whole book and even independently read some pages, although some pages had a larger amount of words, making them off-putting.

For a children’s book, reading this book from start to end is somewhat of a slog – so it may be more palatable to children to take one ‘fruit’ a night. Read in smaller chunks this book is great for making hard to understand, but extremely important, Christian doctrines digestible for junior readers.
AMY GRINDLAY
is children’s leader at Oasis Church, Portsmouth and context-based student at Regents Theological College.
All Things Bright and BeautifulIllustrated by Jean Claude

• Suitable for ages: two to five

This book got a big ‘thumbs up’ from me and my daughter Shyah. The illustrations are beautiful, and both of us loved the colours and the pictures. It brought back memories of my own primary school assembly, singing the original ‘All things bright and beautiful’ hymn.

The text is easy to read and allows for children to read independently – and I found it to be perfectly suited for her age at six-years-old. Shyah enjoyed exploring the different animals on each page, and was attracted to the bright colours used throughout.

If I had seen this in the shops aside of reviewing it, it would definitely catch my eye and be something I’d purchase for my daughter. Overall, it’s a lovely book and I would recommend it to other mums and dads.
REBECCA NELSON
is a single mum-of-one and an NHS worker.
BACK TO CONTENTS

Q&ASimon Guillebaud
Mission is part of our lives as Christians, but what does it look like to live and breathe mission abroad every day with your three children involved? And while we’re still in lockdown, how can we carry on mission from home? Deputy editor Jess Lester spoke to Simon Guillebaud about his experience of being part of a mission family, and how he practises mission back in the UK.Jess Lester: For those who don’t know you already, tell us a bit about yourself.
Simon Guillebaud: I’m the fourth generation of my family working in Central Africa, and myself, my wife and kids just moved back to the UK after 20 years in Burundi, where my great-grandfather first began translating the Bible.

I run the Great Lakes Outreach out in Burundi, identifying the best local leaders that have passion, integrity, gifting and vision for the transformation of the nation, bottom up and top down, and working alongside of them. It’s an umbrella organisation built on relationships, harnessing incredible people to create community wins and use our giftings together. We’ve seen transformation in education, politics, business, AIDS, youth outreach, kids and family ministry, to name just a few – it’s just a massive mission project.

Every sector of society needs the light of Christ and the influence of the gospel, and so essentially, we’re working to share that with people who are energised, with vision and faith, in a culture that is very open to Jesus. In schools, we’ve got carte blanche to speak about God and share the word, even in the Muslim community, who are very open and welcome discussion. Through this work we’ve seen amazing kingdom breakthroughs on all sorts of levels: healings, marriages being fixed, domestic violence being turned around – and most poignantly, kids that are absolutely hopeless on the bottom becoming big societal transformers.JL: You’ve been following this missionary call with your family in tow. How has that been for your children?
SG: We’ve only recently returned from Burundi and my children are now ten, twelve and 14, so they’ve spent most of their life out there and have dual nationality (as a family we’re five of about ten white Burundians in the world!). So while on one level we’re just a normal family and we aim to educate our children about the reality of God in every part of life, how it looks to us may be different. We get up in the morning and bring Jesus into conversations over mealtimes, we try not to be slaves to our devices, we try to model inclusivity and love; our children have seen that and watched lives be transformed.

But, they’re also on this more risk-taking adventure of faith where they have to share in a sense of trusting in our decisions as adults. In 2015, when things became difficult in Burundi, we tried to shield them from the violence, despite barricades burning across our street and gun fire and shells. I remember thinking: “Is this going to traumatise my children? Could it be even worse than that?” We had to remember we were here because Jesus told us to stay, and that we are called to be like Jesus, the incarnation of God in the flesh, and not run away in fear like the half-a-million who fled.

Our children have watched this in action and lived in this faith. One memory for them is when my youngest son, who was five at the time and is probably the least excited in his faith now, swallowed a popcorn kernel which became lodged in his lung while we were making this decision whether or not to stay in Burundi during the violence. We were adamant that we were going to stay in faith, but because of the popcorn, he needed an emergency operation which meant he would have to fly out of the country. We had been strong in our mission, but this meant my wife and children had to fly back to England while I remained in Burundi. We had thousands of people praying for him, a worldwide community of prayer, and on the day of his operation, the doctor examined him and said the kernel had disappeared and miraculously, he no longer needed to operate. It was such a clear moment of God intervening, that they didn’t leave in fear but for the needs of my son’s health – but it was a moment for my children where God was so involved and awake.

Similarly, a few months later when I came back to the UK, as the family were still in England, and we were deciding whether or not to return to Burundi (and thinking back now it seems nuts to have returned – all the people I had spoken to bar one had told me not to bring the children back as it was far too dangerous). But I prayed, fasted and sought the Lord over a week. It was the heaviest decision I’d ever had to make as a father: that if we went back and anything happened, I’d never be able to forgive myself. I went for a final walk and at a fork in the road I met a man who had been on mission in Pakistan and had dealt with death and child kidnap threats like we had and he spoke faith into me. In a 500-mile radius, the Lord could not have handpicked a better person for that. So, we went back to Burundi with a total assurance of faith.

On mission together as a family, my kids have this bank of stories of faith. The children are sharing in that and as they get older, they get more involved. They’ve seen God’s grace work – that’s just a bit of a flavour of how their lives are.“We’ve seen amazing kingdom breakthroughs on all sorts of levels”JL: How has having your children involved in mission affected them?
SG: You would think my three would be turbocharged in faith, but in actuality, they’re not. Two of the three have a real clear profession of faith themselves, and the third is fairly disengaged and still living off our faith as his parents.

From living in Burundi, they do have an experience of God in a different culture, but now they are familiar with Africa. Perhaps in some cases, familiarity breeds contempt. Like I, for example, would weep at seeing the poorest of the poor and the heavy stuff going on, but often they were disengaged and stepped back from it all. In some ways it may not have the effect on them that I would expect. And it’s funny how some of the things we tried didn’t always work – it just goes to show you can be as intentional as you can and throw everything in to giving it a good go (even living out mission day in day out), but we have to be in it for the long haul when it comes to discipleship and children.

We have all our dreams of how things are going to work out and some do and some don’t. We try and be creative, and sometimes you’re just bumbling along and trying to get your kids to see God in their life. Some people may really be discouraged right now at the state of their children’s lives, if they’ve turned their back on God. For me I know that would be heartbreaking to see them reject Christ. But we can’t give ourselves a hard time about it – we just have to be as intentional and loving and prayerful as possible; leave space for them to encounter God and model faithful behaviours.“We need to have decent input for ourselves and fan the flames of our faith before going out on mission”JL: If parents feel their children are slipping away from God, what would be your encouragement?
SG: Take it to the Lord in prayer and be humble before him. I have a friend who went miles from God and his mum fasted and went into his room and would pray, she anointed it in Jesus name and prayed over his closed Bible. One day, she came in – after months of his hardcore rebellion and many years of not following Jesus – and he had taken down the posters of women from his walls and was reading the Bible. And it just shows the battle is won in prayer. But it’s hard.

For children and young people, I think it’s so important for them to have peers – if they don’t have that, it’s a very hard battle to win. For me, my ministry mantra – and that of the Great Lakes Outreach – is that everything’s relational. It’s what got me through when I was a teenager and growing up, having people journey with what I was doing. Drawing children in with peers shows them it’s not ‘just your deal’ and there’s a bigger community, and makes it fun. A core part of our faith life is laughter and adventure, and for us it was travelling to 34 countries over ten months, sleeping in 304 different beds. For us that meant we could show them Jesus in all these different cultures, and make it fun.

It’s about forming rhythms of life that enable us to get the best to our family, model a really loving environment, create traditions and space for Jesus. For us Burundi, that would be a slice of pizza on a Saturday in front of a film, if the electricity didn’t go out – and now it’s croissants for breakfast in bed on a Sunday morning in England. We just make rhythms that are special and memorable for our kids.JL: What tips would you give parents who want to get involved in mission as a family?
SG: Get reading, get knowledgeable. We need to have decent input for ourselves and fan the flames of our faith before going out on mission, because I think the biggest mistake is when people go into the mission field without any training, and they’re well-intentioned but have no idea. I have seen too many people with good intentions but bad communication – and you get funny stories like one lady who came out to French-speaking Africa and used the wrong word for ‘past’ when describing she felt it was split into ‘black and white’, and in French was talking about her backside. But you can have much bigger mistakes and more serious mistakes than this if you’re not equipped. JL: Going out and doing mission isn’t something we can do in lockdown, so how do we take part in mission from home?
SG: We’re still on mission, just more broadly speaking, here in the UK. I am on mission with God down my street – I pray every day outside all those houses, declaring the victory of Jesus. That is my mission field right now. I love all these people and I want to bless them and be involved in any way that I can help, and we offer them food. Mission can be as simple as going out and declaring the light of the risen Christ over your neighbours homes every day. I do it from six until seven in the morning, which can be a chore in winter months, but it’s a joy.

Mission is different for everyone, but I think if God lays hold of you, and if you have a real encounter with Jesus, you know he calls us all to be on mission. Mission doesn’t have to be cross cultural, but we will all be called to be in the mission of God, which is getting out there and incarnating his message in both worlds, telling people about the life that Jesus has to offer each and every one of us.BACK TO CONTENTS

Mind
the
gap
Life is tough enough for ‘tweenagers’ without the addition of being cooped up inside due to lockdown. So how do we best serve this unique age group from our living rooms? Children’s pastor, Jo Foster shares her thoughts.The past few months have seen youth and children’s workers from all over the country work tirelessly to come up with different ways in which the church can stay connected with their young people and families during lockdown, adapting to new media like video calling and live streams, online courses and YouTube (just to name a few!).

It’s given us a means to continue supporting children and youth groups, but what about those youngsters who are currently facing transition?

Helping children and young people navigate transitions is something which has always challenged the church, especially with one particular group: tweenagers. Popularised in the early 2000s, in 2002, tweenagers are those aged between ten and twelve years old. They are in-between childhood and adolescence, transitioning from primary to secondary school; in our churches, they are getting too old for children’s provision but might still be too young for youth work.

It’s a group that the church is struggling to retain. Research shows that 80% of churches do not plan for the transition of their children to youth work, and that as many as 50% of children raised in churches leave during the transition stage. Given it’s already difficult during this season of lockdown and social distancing, are we seeing this group fall further through the gap? If so, what strategies can we put in place in order to help transition happen smoothly, in both a church and non-church setting?

While this is a challenging time for all our children and young people, we need to ‘flip the script’ so that rather than losing them through the gap, we recognise this distinct group and provide strategies to help them thrive and flourish through this transition.Team up and prayBefore we dive in to starting a transition programme, we should create a team and pray, pray, pray! Transition teams could be the children and youth pastors, volunteers from your church groups, parents of those in the transition stage or anyone with a heart for transition. Pray together and get a vision.
Appoint junior leadersAs well as having your team of adults, get yourself a team of young leaders. Tweenagers need to feel they have responsibility. They feel too old for kids’ church but love being a leader, so in my experience, it’s worked best to get them involved in my Sunday morning sessions. While we’re still social distancing, ask them to help with videos, Sunday services, readings and worship. We don’t want our leaders to feel they are being used, but feel we are investing in them, so send them a thank you gift for helping.
“Children who attend all or part of the adult service on a regular basis are twice as likely to make a successful transition to adult church”Get socialFriends, food and fun are extremely important to this age group. With this in mind, start by gathering all your tweenagers together with a range of online socials, such as an escape room or Netflix party.
Coordinate schools’ workThis is a group who are experiencing huge loss. If COVID-19 had not hit, Year 6s would have been sitting their SATS exams this month. For these children, there’s further uncertainty as school trips have been cancelled, productions are not taking place and there are missed opportunities to say goodbye to teachers and classmates.

The move from primary to secondary school is a major life event for an eleven-year-old and with preparation for secondary school visits currently on hold, how could the church step in? Transition programmes could be run as Zoom sessions, for example, using resources like It’s Your Move (available from Scripture Union). Buddy them up with a sixth-former to send them info on how to survive secondary school (with the real info they need, like the best time to get to the canteen!).
Transition them onlineCould you use this lockdown to start their transition in church? Invite them to Zoom calls for older children and buddy them up with an older young person. You could even have an online graduation ceremony from one group to another with a chance to celebrate!
Run small groupsRegular small groups for year 6s (and upwards) are a great forum for allowing space and questions. Children aged ten and eleven may well be at a stage in their faith development where they start to question the faith they have experienced and shared in their life so far. This is not to be feared, though it can seem quite daunting! Life groups, or assigning spiritual mentors, can be a place where they can study the Bible together and real engagement can take place, and questions can be asked in a supportive environment.
Be intergenerationalChildren who attend all or part of the adult service on a regular basis are twice as likely to make a successful transition to adult church. Tweenagers are not necessarily against the Christian faith but find it difficult to relate to church. In the transition between primary and secondary, church seems to become less important and less relevant. Tweenagers are spiritual beings, but in order to grow in faith they need to be engaged and challenged and know that church is a community they belong to.

We can still get them involved with the adult church too in lockdown. Being stuck at home together means families want to do church together – and this is an ideal opportunity for the church to really involve everyone!
JO FOSTER
is the children’s pastor for St Saviour’s Church in Guildford and runs seminars for churches and leaders to be inspired and better equipped in transitioning kids from children to youth.
BACK TO CONTENTS

Talking about the tough stuff
There's been a lot of difficult subjects to tackle with our children and young people in recent months. Funeral pastor, Annie Willmot gives her top tips for talking about the tough stuff based on conversations with her own children.Explaining some things to my four-year-old and two-year-old can be testing, and trying to help them understand isn’t always easy; so you can imagine it has been an interesting experience trying to explain being stuck at home due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

It’s something that I bring up with them a lot, especially as I am busy maintaining family life and working as a funeral pastor, while my husband keeps up his full-time job as a worship pastor. I’ve had to sit and try to explain why I’m taking more funerals than ever – that I’m helping more families say goodbye to the people that they love, and why we’re unable to go the park or see friends.

Surprisingly, my sons have been relatively unphased. When we go around the dinner table at the end of the day and discuss our ‘best bits’, my eldest son has continually said that being home with us and having time together has been what he enjoys most, and even though he’s playing over a wall with the neighbour’s daughter, he enjoys being home. For him, it’s like having almost everyone he loves and wants in one place.

But not every child will feel the same – and talking to your kids about the tough stuff can be tricky. You know your children best and what they can handle or how much detail they can understand. For one parent, watching the news and talking about coronavirus is fine, but another chooses not to because it’s too anxiety-inducing for their kids.

Of course, situations are changing, and so most tricky conversations may have been had by now – but as things develop, it’s likely our children will have more questions that lead to tough answers. Here’s what I found helpful in explaining the ongoing situation.
“It’s OK for us not to know the answers or to find it hard to talk about”It’s unavoidable sometimes
In our household, we chose not to use the word ‘coronavirus’ when discussing what has been going on in the world, and actively did not repeat it around the children. But, one morning, my eldest son reappeared from playing in the garden repeating the word to himself, even though we as parents had never used it.

He had been talking with the neighbour in the garden – who is slightly older than him – and was getting information about the virus from her. It just goes to show you that even in lockdown, when we are cut off from most of our normal social circles in the outside world, we can’t shield our children from the things that are out there, so it’s better to address them yourself.
Use examples to aid understanding
It can be tricky to help children see how the external situation relates to their lives, so we used my mother – who is shielding due to an autoimmune condition – as an example. We talked with the boys about how we are going to be staying at home to look after people like their granny, who if they caught the virus could get very, very poorly.

Using an example was an easy way to explain that we are not staying inside from fear, but that we are looking after and caring for other people, which they seemed to understand clearly. You could use this example if your children are still waiting to return to school, or cannot have close contact with friends
“Talking to your kids about the tough stuff can be tricky”Don’t pretend to know the answers
What I have found most tricky is when the boys ask me direct questions like: “Mummy, are we nearly at the end of the virus?” to which I don’t know the answer. It’s hard (and may feel embarrassing) to explain that you don’t know and that you’d like to know too. To combat the unknown, we keep talking about it and ask each other how we feel or what we think regularly.

It’s OK for us not to know or to find it hard to talk about. Children will not be afraid to ask questions, and so we shouldn’t be afraid about not having all the answers.
Language is key
It’s key in all these deeper conversations to be really honest and use the actual terms, even scientific ones, to talk about what’s going on around them. For example, if you decide to talk about death, which is a topic which may come up during the pandemic, be careful not to use common euphemisms that may confuse children.

Younger children find it hard to distinguish that the body and the head are one entity, because we talk about them separately, so don’t say that someone’s ‘body’ is being buried. Without realising, we may be planting images in their minds of bodies without heads, which is obviously traumatising. Similarly, saying that someone has ‘gone to sleep’ or ‘passed away’ can be confusing as children may expect them to come back or wake up.
Try not to mull on it too long
I talk about the tough stuff with my children a lot – as a funeral pastor, we frequently discuss death because it relates to my job. With my eldest, we’re already anticipating the day when he goes to school and they call me in to ask why he talks so often about funerals! But for him, it’s just part of his everyday life and he uses it in his play – setting up ‘celebrations’ for people’s lives. It’s just something that goes on, and he talks about it in his own childlike way.

For him, this may mean talking about death one moment, and then suddenly going back to playing, because children have the ability to move on really quickly from grief and sadness to happiness and celebration. While it’s important we have deeper conversations, it’s important we’re not shocked when they don’t linger too long. If they want to go and play Lego and move on, move on.
ANNIE WILLMOT
is mum to two boys, works as a funeral pastor, writer and for a local charity. She has written a book about parenting called Cold Cups of Tea and Hiding in the Loo and blogs over at honestconversation.co.uk.BACK TO CONTENTS

Game boy
Passage
Video games are supposed to look good. They are carefully designed to lead you into their worlds with impressive graphics and uplifting music. They call you to do something amazing that’s going to take a lot of effort and a lot of time.

Life isn’t like a video game. Of course, there are exciting days and mountain-top moments; there is also boredom, confusion, messiness and a lot of wandering around in circles – something we may feel we’ve been seeing more of during the coronavirus pandemic. Life doesn’t always look good, and it doesn’t show us where to go or tell us how near we are to finishing.

Passage is an unusual video game. It doesn’t do many of the things that other video games do. It doesn’t look good. It doesn’t make sense initially. In fact, it looks like it hasn’t loaded properly when you first see it. In this way, it’s a video game that’s closer to the real world.
“It’s a five-minute meditation on life,” says the game’s creator, Jason Rohrer, “that’s meant to evoke reflection in the person playing it. The narrow visual space is a timeline for life. It starts by being easy to navigate but gets denser as you progress and the deeper you go.”

Playing Passage in cathedrals, at arts festivals, in conference centres, school halls and small churches, the experience is different each time. But in all those places we have a chance to encounter a book-ended view of our days on earth and reflect on how we might use them.

As you play, the game slowly gives up more of its metaphors. We start alone but could choose to meet, and fall in love with, a partner. If we travelled alone each step rewards fewer points. If we travel with a lover, we can’t delve as deep into the passages where the more valuable chests were hidden.
At first, we can see the approaching maze compressed in the far right of our vision. Our youthful character is expectant of what this journey might hold. Then, as we approach the end, this visual expectation collapses and disappears. Instead, we see the maze we have travelled behind us on the far left of our vision, the memory of the adventures we’d had.

“Teach us to number our days,” says Psalm 90:12, “that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” Taking five minutes to play Passage, or perhaps ten to play it a couple of times, depicts in miniature what a heart of wisdom feels like.

Pausing near the start of the game, before deciding to travel with a lover. Leaving the safe high road, at the top of the game world, to explore the potential fortunes of the unseen caves lower down. Persevering with pressing buttons when we don’t understand what we are doing. Continuing to play though we don’t know where it is going.
“How could we know
the blessings
which illuminated our days?
The joy too strong to feel
until it was
no longer there to disturb us.”David Whyte’s poem Letting go asks how we might find life’s wisdom before we experience it. In a small way, perhaps as our partner in the game dies and marks the ground as a tombstone, Passage hopes to lift the veil a little bit.

This is a very different kind of fantasy to the usual power myth we associate with video games. This is a world that, in its mess, confusion and brevity is uncomfortably like our own. It isn’t able to conjure the adrenaline, excitement or revenue of games like Fortnite or FIFA. It offers a different currency: five minutes to reflect on the number of our days and the heart of wisdom.

More information and similar games can be found here.
ANDY ROBERTSON
runs the educational YouTube channel, FamilyGamerTV.BACK TO CONTENTS

Sharing Jesus from your living room
During the coronavirus lockdown, it’s been easier than ever to focus on each of our own little at-home bubbles rather than reaching out to share the light of Jesus with the world. Becky May encourages us to leave the 99 and pursue the one, and offers up suggestions on how to start.The COVID-19 pandemic has been a deeply traumatic experience on so many levels, causing hurt and pain, destruction and anguish to so many, and I don’t seek to downplay that fact. Yet, I can’t help but recognise that it is into this painful situation that God is still clearly at work, doing many, many good things. I am frequently reminded, in this season, of Genesis 50:20: “You meant it for evil, but God used it for good”.

One of the great ‘goods’ to come out of this time has been the far greater awareness of, and developments in how, we do faith at home. A plethora of resources have come to the fore, equipping parents to take the lead in sharing Jesus within their own household. This is, without a doubt, something to be celebrated and will, I hope, have a legacy that outlasts Joe Wicks at 9am every morning.

We’ve also seen and celebrated the growing proportion of people engaging with church services online, including many who would never normally darken the door of their local church. There are many factors behind this: those who want to explore faith from the safety of their own living room, those who can now engage with a service without the glares of those sitting around them, because of their child’s involuntary squeals or ticks and those who just want to see what it’s all about, amongst other stories.

But I want to be bold and suggest that there is more for us to do than this; there is more that we need to be engaging with, particularly at this time. Fundamentally, our question must now be: how do we share Jesus with others when we can’t share life with them? What are we doing to talk about Jesus? To be salt and light? To be bringers of hope in a dark and difficult world?
“I believe we need to make people the focus, and not programmes”Don’t let your world shrink
We need to open our eyes, perhaps in a new way. When we’re sitting at home, in our living rooms, gardens or studies-come-TV-studios, there can be a temptation to shrink our worlds and lower our gaze. When our world becomes only about the things we can see within our own four walls, we can fill our times only with the things that interest us: have my children got enough ‘stuff’ to keep them busy? Could I decorate the living room right now? Renovate the garden? Start 14 new hobbies? None of these is wrong in itself, but we really must lift our eyes up to the horizon. We should open our eyes to the street outside our front door, our neighbourhood, as well as to those far further afield. The shepherd left the 99 to go looking for the one, he didn’t wait for the one to show up of his own accord.

Already, there are many wonderful examples of churches, ministries and individuals creatively responding to this strange new world and the opportunities that exist to share Jesus here. Alongside the online services that have been broadcast to adult and all-age congregations, we also have broadcasts to toddler groups, youth and children’s clubs, and acts of collective worship (assemblies) with many of these seeing new children, young people and families participating as we all discover our inner CBBC presenter!

Some have gone further and found ways to safely deliver resources to families at home. There are stories emerging of families requesting ‘Messy Church at home’ bags, who have not previously been to Messy Church, and toddler-group leaders offering packages of craft resources to families in need of creative activities to share with their children at home. Other people share stories of Bible story trails created in churchyards for families to explore on their local walk, secret stones hidden in local communities sharing messages of hope, home window displays sharing Bible stories and chalk-drawn messages shared on pathways. Creativity and innovation emerge when we are forced to discover new ways of working; there must be so much more for us to explore and discover!
Leave the 99 in search of the one
One of the most influential books in my own practice has been Meet Them Where They’re At by Richard Passmore (2003). This may, perhaps, be even more surprising, given the fact that this is a guide to doing detached youth work, something which I have done very little of! And whilst the title may seem a little ironic given our current circumstances, it introduced me to the idea of ‘relational youth ministry’ which, for a while, became the most overused phrase in youth ministry. Right now, especially now, when we can’t physically meet anyone where they’re at, I believe we need to make people the focus, and not programmes.

I say this as someone who spends 90%of my working time creating programmes for children’s and youth ministry. Programmes are a staple tool of our ministry, a useful resource and the number of ministries who have stepped up overnight to create and adapt resources which can be used online has been brilliant, enabling churches to continue to find ways to connect with the young people they serve. But they are just that: tools to help and not the sum total of our ministry.
“How do we share Jesus with others when we can’t share life with them?”Make your ministry relational
We need to keep our focus on the relationships. When we make our relationships the key, we notice the mum down our street who is juggling working at the hospital with caring for her two young children. We think to ask how the families who come to our Messy Church are doing. We miss the toddlers who always fiddle with our shoelaces at coffee time. We want to reach out to the teenage lad who walks past our front door with two tatty shopping bags every afternoon. It is this heart for the people we know and serve that is demonstrated in the packing and delivering of meals to international students, meals at the food bank or a service as a hospital chaplain.

When we make our relationships the key, our immediate focus changes as a God-given love of people goes looking for the lost who need to hear of the father’s love. Our relationships also have long-lasting implications, beyond the immediate situation. When relationships take precedence, those who anonymously watch our online services may find a family they can call home; we will change our groups to welcome in those who have not felt accepted in the past and we will celebrate physically being with those who we have begun to get to know virtually.

Maybe, just possibly, our prayer for this season needs to be that God would again open our eyes to see his world as he sees it, that we would love those he loves and created, that we would notice the sheep on our doorstep and find new ways to be salt and light, sharing God’s love right where we are.
BECKY MAY
is a freelance writer and experienced children’s and youth leader. Visit The Resources Cupboard Facebook page.
BACK TO CONTENTS

ToolboxMaking sense of:
people and teams
Blueprint: the theory The Johari window is an invaluable tool to help better understand the individuals we work with, and ourselves. It is all about self-awareness and mutual understanding. Despite the apparent complexity of the diagram, the Johari window is beautifully and deceptively simple.
Nail it down: the insight Fundamentally, our characteristics – our loves, hates, gifts, qualities, abilities, weaknesses, hopes, fears, ambitions – can be put in one of four boxes in the window.

The first is the ‘open area’ – qualities that are known to us and others. Quadrant two is the ‘blind area’ – qualities that are obvious to others but not ourselves. This might be, for example, the person who insists on playing, dancing or prophesying in church despite no discernible gift. The third area is ‘hidden’ – qualities that we know we have but wish we hadn’t and definitely don’t want others to know about. For example: addictions, prejudices and embarrassing secrets. Quadrant four is the ‘unknown’ – things about ourselves that neither we nor others see.

However, there is a twist. Although we tend to draw the central lines of the diagram so the boxes are the same, in reality, the central lines are moveable so all the boxes can be different sizes. As a general rule, we want box one to contain most ‘stuff’. When we know ourselves and are known, accepted and loved as we really are, life is good. If we really want to expand quadrant one, asking friends will bring the ‘hidden’ from quadrant two out into the open. This may be painful in the short run but is ultimately healthy.

Quadrant three material can be particularly damaging. It is really hard and exhausting to keep our ‘bad stuff’ hidden. We live in fear of exposure. The only way to reduce this quadrant is to take the risk of self-disclosure (“my name is Nigel and I am an alcoholic”) or risk exposure, of being ‘outed’.

 Quadrant four is ambiguous. It might contain fears we don’t acknowledge, a repressed desire or an ‘irrational’ belief conditioned from childhood. Actually, it might also contain an unappreciated gift, talent or ability not yet fully discovered.

Your job is to manage these processes. This needs to be done with care, sensitivity and thoughtfulness. Start with yourself. If you want everyone on your team and your young people to be working in box one, you need to model that yourself. Try to create an environment that encourages self-discovery through a culture of constructive observation and feedback.
Spirit level: into scripture 2 Samuel 11-12
David is ‘outed’. This is a gripping story. David commits adultery, gets Bathsheba pregnant and then conspires to get her husband murdered. He is consumed by guilt so God sends Nathan to trick him with a parable. David is enraged by the sheep stealer in Nathan’s story until Nathan declares (12:7): “You are the man!” David’s adultery and murder, which he has been locking in box three, is out in the open. Only then can the healing start.

Mark 10:17-22
The rich young ruler. This young man has life sorted – and wants to make sure the next life is sorted as well. The reality is that his image, security and love are all tied up with his wealth. The addiction to money is exposed from box three but unlike David, no healing takes place.

Proverbs 27:6
“Faithful are the wounds of a friend” (ESV). Remember that pushing into box two can be painful – but good if you trust the friend!

Colossians 3:16
“Teach and admonish one another with all wisdom.” We simply can’t see our blind spots; part of the Christian life is to help out, but remember, it is to be done in love!
NIGEL ARGALL 
has been teaching (and doing) youth and children’s work for decades. He is currently helping CYM innovate its courses and organisation. He has a master’s in community education, and is a qualified coach and youth worker: argall.co.uk.
BACK TO CONTENTS

Faith at Home is our monthly resources for those seeking to develop children’s faith at home. We know that raising the next generation of Jesus-followers isn’t easy, so we provide ideas and stories that can help us all along the way.

While Faith at Home would normally feature in each monthly magazine, we’re switching things up for our digital editions. Our beloved Faith at Home section will now have its very own dedicated magazine once a month, with all the regular content including Story for home and faith ritual, plus, interviews, features and much more.

Keep your eyes peeled for the first Faith at Home digital edition on 18th June, but if you can’t wait until then, head to youthandchildrens.work/faithathome where you can look through old content to print and share.BACK TO CONTENTS

First steps togetherGrowing togetherJourneying togetherReady to use mentoringReady to use parableWHAT'S IN THIS WEEK?This week we explore the story of Ruth. 

You’ll find one session of First Steps Together (for young children), one session of Growing Together (for older children) and one session of Journeying Together (for young people) - as well as a ready to use mentoring session and parable. The three other sessions for each age group (and PDF versions of all sessions) are available for download at youthandchildrens.work/together.
HOW DO I USE THEM?Our resources are designed to save you valuable planning time, but remember to adapt them to fit your context. Cut what you don’t like, can’t do or have no time for. Or just use them as a springboard for your own ideas! BACK TO CONTENTS

First Steps Together - For younger childrenSession 3 of 4RuthMEETING AIMTo think about how we can be good friends.
BIBLE PASSAGERuth 1BACKGROUNDThis is a difficult passage for under-fives (and not that much actually happens!) so these activities keep the story short and aim to leave space for you to take the discussion wherever works best for your children. The “days when the judges ruled” was a hard time for the Israelites, a time when as a nation they weren’t obedient to God and things were very difficult. For Ruth to stay with Naomi would have been a big choice to make when she could have gone home to her family.
STARTING OUT - 5 minsStart your time together with some simple refreshments and chat about what your children have found exciting today (or yesterday, if you’re doing this in the morning). Ask your family: “What’s your favourite thing to do with your friends?”PLAY - 10 minsYou will need: a clear floor space; objects such as tables, chairs and toysIn a clear space, lay out your objects on the floor, either haphazardly or a bit like an obstacle course, dependent on how you want to play.

Pair the family members up and stand one of each pair at either end of the room. With one pair playing at a time, blindfold one of the players. Their partner should help them travel from one side to the other by encouraging them and giving them instructions (but without touching them). Ask the blindfolded player how it felt to be helped and know that someone was with them.BIBLE STORY - 10 minsExplain that for your story, you’re going to need some actions. Together, create actions for ‘sad’, ‘happy’ and ‘friendship’. (Feel free to add any more you’d like.) Say that you’re all going to do these actions every time they hear the words. Once you have your actions, tell this story:

At the very beginning of the Bible, God made the first person in the world, Adam. Then he said: “It’s not good for him to be on his own.” So he made him a friend, Eve. God loves friendship.
Our story starts with a family. A man, his wife and two sons. In the place they were living there was a famine, which means there wasn’t enough food. The family decided to move to another country.

Sadly, the dad died and Naomi (the wife) was left with her two sons. The sons got married to Orpah and Ruth. Sadly, the sons died too so Naomi was left without her husband and her sons. She felt sad and lonely but Ruth and Orpah cared for her.

Then, Naomi heard that things were better back home so they got ready to go back. Naomi said to her daughters-in-law: “Go back home to your families, to your mothers. You’ve been so kind to me. You’ve looked after me. But it’s OK for you to leave me and go back to your homes.”

She cried and said goodbye. But Orpah and Ruth wanted to stay with her. Naomi kept crying and said: “You can go. Why would you want to stay with me? You can go and start a new family.”
Orpah kissed Naomi and said goodbye. Ruth hugged her tight. She wouldn’t leave Naomi, so they travelled together back to Naomi’s home.

Naomi could have felt very sad and lonely. But Ruth loved Naomi and she stayed with her. She looked after Naomi’s heart and her body and cared for her. She was a good friend. God loves friendship and he wants us to care for other people, to love them like he loves us.

Things had been hard but Naomi and Ruth stuck together and grew closer to God together. We can spend time with God with our friends too, like we’re doing today.CHATTING TOGETHER - 5 minsChat about the story using these questions:

• What was your favourite part of the story?
• How did Naomi feel when saying goodbye?
• How do you think she felt when Ruth wanted to stay?
• What makes a good friend?

CREATIVE TIME - 10 minsYou will need: a big piece of paper; pens; pencils; glue; collage materials (including coloured thread)Draw an outline of a person on a big piece of paper and ask the family what they think makes a good friend. Write these words around your person. Then work together to decorate your big picture.

If you want to also have opportunity for you children to respond on their own, then you could make friendship bracelets or a card for their friends. Encourage them to think about how they can look after their friends’ hearts by encouraging them and telling them why they think they’re so special as they make them.

As you work, continue chatting about the story and what you have all discovered.PRAYER - 5 minsSit together in a circle. Say: “Thank you, God, for…” Invite each family member to jump up and say a friend’s name as you thank God for friends. Finish with this prayer:

Thank you, God, that you love friendship. Thank you that you give us friends and you help us to be good friends. Help us look after our friend’s bodies and hearts. Amen.ANNIE WILLMOT
is a funeral chaplain and mum of two boys. She recently published Cold Cups of Tea & Hiding in the Loo: An honest look at parenting (CWR). BACK TO CONTENTS

Growing Together - For older childrenSession 3 of 4RuthMEETING AIMTo know that following God is worth the risk.
BIBLE PASSAGERuth 1BACKGROUNDWe revisit Ruth 1, not from Naomi’s point of view, as in Session 2, but from Ruth’s. Ruth moves from her home country, where she can find a new husband, to be a foreigner in a new place – a place where she has no protection. Spend some time thinking about that. Why doesn’t she go back with Orpah? Why does she risk everything to stay with Naomi?
STARTING OUT - 5 minsStart your time together with some simple refreshments and chat about what your children have enjoyed the most about today (or yesterday, if you’re doing this in the morning).PLAY - 10 minsYou will need: succession of prizes, each one slightly ‘better’ than the last; timerBefore you start, collect together prizes, some smaller, some bigger. They could go from one jelly sweet to a strawberry to a tangerine to a cake bar to a chocolate bar.

Ask one of your family members to come forward and give them your smallest prize. Without showing them, set your timer to a random time (say 20 seconds). Explain that they can shout: “Keep!” to keep that prize or: “Trade!” to trade up to the next. If the timer runs out before they’ve said: “Keep!”, they lose whatever prize they have in their hands. Start the timer and play the game.

Play with a couple of different children (and change the prizes they get offered). Finally, ask the players why they decided to take the risk of a better prize (or not).BIBLE STORY - 10 minsYou will need: Bible; volunteer to play Ruth; appropriate costume Before the session, ask one of your family members to prepare the story below so that they can retell it with confidence. (Alternatively, ask a friend to prepare the story and join you via video call. They could even wear biblical costume.)

Show the children your Bible and the book of Ruth. Say that your story today comes from early in the Old Testament when God’s people were ruled by judges. It was a dangerous, difficult time. If you did Session 2, explain that this is the same story, but from Ruth’s point of view. Invite ‘Ruth’ to tell her story:

Hello! My name is Ruth. I’m from a country called Moab. Many years ago, a new family came to live in my town. They weren’t from Moab, they were from Israel. They were the people of God. They were called Elimelech and Naomi, and they had two sons – Mahlon and Kilion. Unfortunately, they hadn’t been here very long before Elimelech died.

Naomi decided that her two sons had to get married. It was like that back then, marriages were arranged. I was chosen to marry Mahlon, and my friend Orpah married Kilion. We were happy, but sad – the years passed and we didn’t have any children. Well, after ten years, Naomi, Orpah and I got even sadder; Mahlon and Kilion died!

Oh, it was awful. We hugged each other and cried and cried. Eventually, Naomi decided she had to go back to Israel. Life was dangerous for widows, but at least she had some relatives who might help her in her hometown of Bethlehem.

We all got ready and set out towards the border. But, while we were travelling, Naomi turned to me and Orpah and said: “Stay in Moab. This is your home. Marry new husbands and live happy lives again.” Going to Bethlehem would be very dangerous for us both – we would be foreigners with no one to look out for us. Orpah decided to go home, but I didn’t want to. I said: “Wherever you go, I go. Your God will be my God.” I had known Naomi for ten years and I loved her. Following her and her God was worth the risk.CHATTING TOGETHER - 5 minsChat about the story using these questions:

• If you were Ruth or Orpah, what decision would you have made? Why?
• Why do you think Ruth chose to go with Naomi?
• Have you ever found following God a risky business?
• Would you say following God is worth it? Why?

CREATIVE TIME - 10 minsYou will need: resources about persecution faced by Christians around the worldBefore you start, gather resources that will help your family explore the lives of Christians for whom following Jesus is a dangerous thing. Open Doors (opendoorsuk.org) have some good resources.

Explore some of the stories of people who risk everything for God in their day-to-day lives using the resources you have found. Chat together about why God is worth the risk for these people. What does that say to you about your own lives and faith?PRAYER - 5 minsYou will need: resources from ‘Creative time’; mapUsing the resources about persecuted Christians, take turns in praying short prayers out loud, asking God to be with and help those risking everything for him. Use the map to find the different places where it is dangerous to follow God, and pray for those countries.

Finally, ask your children if there’s someone in their lives whom they can tell about Jesus and why he’s worth risking everything. Pray for the children that God will keep you all safe and that you will be brave enough to tell others about him.ALEX TAYLOR
is resources editor for Premier Youth and Children’s Work.
BACK TO CONTENTS

Journeying Together - For young peopleSession 3 of 4RuthMEETING AIMTo look at how life with God may be harder but is certainly better!
BIBLE PASSAGERuth 1BACKGROUNDThese sessions are designed for you to do online in a group video call (on something like Face Time or Zoom). Make sure you have parental permission to do this, as well as following your church’s safeguarding procedure.

The relationship between the Moabites and the Israelites was tense (Deuteronomy 23:3-6). It is into this situation, as well as the wild-west nature of Israel at the time of Judges (where women are treated with distinct disregard), that Ruth promises to step out with Naomi. The dangers can get lost in the difference in time and culture between now and then. Keep this in mind as you explore the story.
JOINING THE SESSION - 5 minsAs people join you online, ask them to share what they have been doing during the past seven days. Ask if anyone has had to make a difficult decision in the past week. How did they make that choice? Did they ask anyone for advice?INTRO ACTIVITY - 10 minsPlay a game of ‘Would you rather?’ Ask the young people to decide between various dilemmas. Use a mixture of silly, obscure and profound options such as: “Would you rather fight one horse-sized duck, or ten duck-sized horses?” or “Would you rather have a hand made of ham or an armpit that dispensed suncream?”BIBLE EXPLORATION - 10 minsYou will need: BiblesRead Ruth 1 together and explain that Ruth and Orpah had to make some ‘would you rather’ decisions of their own – friends and family vs mother-in-law? Homeland vs being a despised foreigner? High chance of remarriage vs high chance of staying as a widow? Security vs danger? Provision vs poverty? Ask the young people what they would have done in each of these either / or situations.

Ask the group to close their eyes and imagine themselves in Ruth’s shoes – did she feel significant? How might it have felt to have been a nobody? She was a young widow, living with an older widow and they were beggars. You could have walked past Ruth in the street and would have known nothing about her, apart from that you could tell she was a foreigner, and the worse kind of foreigner – a Moabite!

Fill in the rest of Ruth’s story (though we are going to cover Boaz’ side of the story in session 4). Ruth vowed to care for Naomi, putting her life in God’s hands, fully aware that her forecast looked bleak. She began a life with God (v 16) and it was a faith that defined her actions and decisions. God honoured Ruth’s sacrifice and not only provided her with food, a home and a husband but also adopted her into the genealogy of Jesus (Matthew 1:5) – the great-grandmother of King David!CHATTING TOGETHER - 5 minsUse these questions to carry on your discussion about the Bible passage, encouraging everyone to contribute who would like to:

• Why did God choose to use someone so insignificant?
• Why do you think Ruth chose the most difficult path?
• Do you sometimes feel insignificant? Where does your self-worth come from?
• Are there times in your life when you have a choice about which path to take? How do you make that decision? Does your faith come into it?

CREATIVE RESPONSE - 10 minsYou will need: clip of Chariots of Fire (see below); volunteer who has chosen the more difficult path in obedience to God
Explain that Eric Liddell is the main character in the film Chariots of Fire based on the 1924 Olympics. Eric was an outstanding athlete and despite national pressure, he stuck to his faith and refused to run on a Sunday. His speciality was the 100m but in the film discovered late that the race landed on a Sunday and so he ended up running the 400m. If possible, show a clip of the film – either where he decides not to run the 100m or where he describes where the power to run comes from. What does the group make of his decision?

Go on to say that the next year, Eric left fame and glory behind to serve as a missionary in China, where no one would know his name, or care about his gold medal.

Tell the young people about some of the sacrifices you have made to be faithful to God, for example, giving up easier or more lucrative opportunities. Alternatively, introduce your volunteer and ask them to talk to the group about the decision they took.PRAYER - 5 minsReflect on Ruth’s new faith in God (v 16) that defined her actions and decisions. Do you have faith? Does your faith produce action? Is it shown in your decision-making? Give a moment for the young people to reflect on those questions. Pray that as a group you would trust in God’s faithfulness. Go on to consider what that would look like in your group.

Finish by commenting that trusting in God often means making decisions that seem the opposite of self-preservation and success. Life with God is harder but he makes it better!This session was inspired by ideas from the Premier Youth and Children’s Work archive, adapted by ALEX TAYLOR.
BACK TO CONTENTS

Ready to use mentoringEmergency care wallIf Brexit wasn’t bad enough, the news about coronavirus has been all-consuming, and lockdown an uncomfortable cross to bear. You may have found it hard to adjust to this strange new world and may have had feelings of grief for what it was like before. There may be emotions and thoughts swirling around that we and our mentees don’t know how to handle. This is true for all types of change in our lives: bereavement, a broken heart, a change of school or hometown. Our ability to cope with change fluctuates so it’s important to regularly take stock of our mental health and form strategies for staying afloat and riding the waves.

If your mentee is a Christian, discuss this in the context of Romans 5:3-4: “…suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.” Be prayerful and sensitive to your particular mentee’s emotional wellbeing.QUESTIONS

• Out of ten, how would you rate your mental health now and how has that changed over the last few months? How do you expect it to change in the future?
• Have you been through any stages such as shock, disbelief, denial, anger, grief, acceptance, optimism? (Draw a wavy line on a sheet of paper and write these words on it to allow them to plot and describe where they have been and where they are now. If you’re doing this over video, then both do this and show your results on camera.)
• What have been the most significant moments for you in the last six months?
• What has changed for you? What is still the same? What do you miss the most?
• What still brings you comfort? What makes you smile?
• What should someone look out for, to spot that your mental health is struggling?

If you as a mentor feel out of your depth, please don’t battle on alone; speak to someone ASAP and get help yourself. If your mentee’s words concern you, please don’t tackle it yourself – signpost or refer them to get professional help, and accompany them if possible and appropriate.EMERGENCY CARE WALLOn a big sheet of paper, encourage your mentee to create an illustrated ‘infographic’-type document full of these ideas – make it really positive and happy with pictures, colours, logos and fancy lettering. What helps you avoid getting sucked into negativity and anxiety, boredom, hopelessness or anger? What helps you feel so healthy and happy that they stay at bay? What helps you breathe when they start to attack?
On a big sheet of paper, encourage your mentee to create an illustrated ‘infographic’-type document full of these ideas – make it really positive and happy with pictures, colours, logos and fancy lettering. What helps you avoid getting sucked into negativity and anxiety, boredom, hopelessness or anger? What helps you feel so healthy and happy that they stay at bay? What helps you breathe when they start to attack?

This is to be a lifeline to use regularly when you feel negativity creeping in – so only include actions that you realistically might complete and feel excited about. Pray and ask for inspiration. You can add to it or redo it whenever you like. Here are some examples:

• When you feel anxious: exercise with an upbeat playlist; list your anxieties and their opposites; take a deep breath; call a friend; drink water.
• When you feel sad: watch a favourite movie; cuddle an animal; take a nap; create something; do some colouring (perhaps doodling around a favourite Bible verse).

JOEL TOOMBS
has an MA in Christian mentoring and wrote the Mentoring and Young People Grove booklet. He is a volunteer youth worker.
BACK TO CONTENTS

Ready to use parableTemi and the timetabled trickery
“Come over about 4.30 – no one should be in then.” Temi crept around the kitchen in the dark. The clock on the oven said 1.24; she should really be in bed. Her friend Alesha had called her in the middle of the night to arrange meeting the next day. Alesha was practically nocturnal – last year, she’d woken their friend Kelly in the middle of the night demanding money for a kebab. “I’ve got to go. Do you know what time it is?” She hung up and crept back upstairs.

***

“Temi! Temi!” Temi turned over in bed.

“Temi!” She came to and saw her sister Tobi standing over her.

“What is it?” she sat up in bed and looked at the clock. “It’s quarter-past four in the morning!”

“I know!” said Tobi.

“Then why did you wake me up?”

“There are burglars!”

“What?”

“There’s a burglar downstairs! I heard them on the phone earlier. They were telling their friend to come over at half-past four to rob our house! You’ve got to help me stop them!”

“What are you talking about?”

“There are burglars downstairs! We’re being robbed!”

“Why didn’t you wake Dad?”

“I can’t! He doesn’t wake up for anything. On holiday last year, he slept through an earthquake, remember?”

“Well, what can we do?”

“You go downstairs, I’ll call the police!” Tobi picked up Temi’s violin case and thrust it into her sister’s hands.

“What do you expect me to do with this? Serenade them while they steal all our stuff?”

“Defend yourself with it!” Tobi grabbed her sister and pulled her out of bed, before going to get her phone.

As quietly as she could, Temi crept down the stairs and hid behind the coat rack. She waited. Five minutes turned into ten, which turned into 20, then half an hour. Where was Tobi? Finally, at 6am, she went back upstairs.

“Tobi!”

Her sister appeared at her bedroom door. “Where have you been? Did you call the police?”
“I fell asleep!”

“What? I’ve been waiting for burglars and you fall asleep? I bet there weren’t any burglars at all.”

“There were! I heard them! One of them was on the phone and said: ‘Come over about 4.30 – no one should be in then.’”

Suddenly it dawned on Temi. “That was me! Alesha called me at 1 o’clock to arrange to come around at 4:30 this afternoon. It was me! I was the burglar!”

“Well, thanks a lot,” said Tobi. “Fancy sneaking around at one in the morning! Some of us like to sleep at night!”DISCUSSION QUESTIONSChat about the story, what the family members liked and didn’t like. You could use some of these questions in your discussion:

• If you knew something bad was going to happen, would you try to stop it?
• What does it mean to be ready for something? How do you make yourself ready?
• If this was a story of Jesus’, what might he be trying to say?

This story is based on Matthew 24:42-44. If you’d like to add a more explicit faith element to your discussion, then read this passage together. Discuss what Jesus might have been saying, encouraging the young people to think about the parable in a new way.
ALEX TAYLOR
is resources editor for Premier Youth and Children’s Work. He tips his hat to the Hancock’s Half Hour episode, ‘The sleepless night’.
BACK TO CONTENTS

JobsearchCONTACT
Tel: 0207 316 1413
Email: sally.reeves@premier.org.uk
Post: 22 Chapter Street, London, SW1P 4NP

RATES
Jobsearch ads are £37 per single centimetre column.
For example a 5cm up x 2 column across is £370.00 + VAT. Discounts available for series bookings. Rates may vary for special issues.
See full media pack on www.premierjobsearch.co.uk for full details.

ARTWORK 
For a quote please send your copy in an email attaching high-res jpeg or pdf images/logos to sally.reeves@premier.org.uk. If designing your own artwork please adhere to our dimensions as specified in the rate card.

DEADLINES
The final copy deadline for print advertising is the 10th of each month, eg copy for the July issue must reach us by 10th June. All artwork, amendments and payments must be finalised by this date. Bookings made after this date will appear in the following issue.BACK TO CONTENTS

ClassifiedsCONTACT
Tel: 0207 316 1413
Email: classifieds@premier.org.uk
Post: 22 Chapter Street, London, SW1P 4NP

RATES
£22 + VAT per single column centimetre. For example a 6cm up x 2 column across (91mm) is £264 + VAT. Charities may be VAT zero rated – ask for details.

CONDITIONS 
The final copy deadline for print advertising is the 5th of every month. For example, ads for the July issue must reach us by June 5th. For a price estimate, email text, attaching logos or images as high-res jpeg or vectors, to classifieds@premier.org.uk.
BACK TO CONTENTS