A Voice for Our Children

Until last year, the voices of our children at St Mary’s were not formally heard. We now have the children’s PCC sub-committee and the activities and concerns relating to our children are a permanent item on the PCC agenda.

The committee has recently reviewed their progress against the following aims and objectives set at our first meeting:

1. Provide a voice for children, parents and carers.
2. Identify and prioritise the spiritual and pastoral needs of children and their parents or carers within the parish of St Mary’s. This initially will be concentrated within St Mary’s church.
3. Provide a gateway to spiritual and pastoral support and training for leaders and helpers running children’s activities.
4. Monitor the number of children attending 10:00 a.m. services. Highlight to the PCC any significant changes in these numbers and when adult leaders are not available to fulfil our expected obligations.
5. Collaborate with clergy, lay readers, churchwardens, child protection advisors and other PCC sub-committees. In particular youth, nurture and education, welcoming and reordering.

Our achievements and next steps

• We felt that through the Community Audit meeting, the children’s notice board, Follow the Fish, newsletter articles, permanent agenda item on PCC children were being given a higher profile within the church. Although it was felt we were not getting feedback or hearing people’s real views and concerns. We hope to set up a meeting or social event where you can air your views, hopes and fears.
• The year has seen the opportunity to partake in Zoom! and Godly play which have both stretched our boundaries. These had mixed responses but were an opportunity to try something different.
• On a Sunday morning, children and what they do in their groups are now more part of the service rather a disturbance and inconvenience. Children have their own pew activity sheet related to the days reading and go to the front once a month at the end of the service to share their worship and nurture time.
• The number of children attending church has been monitored and reported back to PCC. It was realised Crèche was in some difficulty, Claire Jowett took this on and it is now back up and running. Also we now have six young people enthusiastically helping with the groups
• Family services are developing into All-age services. Different styles and methods are being tried. Let us know what you think.
• St Mary’s children and parents are busy people and we want provide a coherent approach to children’s activities through children’s groups, choir and all-age services. This will hopefully allow our children to partake in as many and as a wide range of church experiences as possible.
• The facilities for children’s work are at present poor and we are closely monitoring the reordering process to ensure the proposed facilities are ideal in the new schemes being considered.

We have taken a few small steps along the path but we need your help, support and thoughts to go further. Please tell us how we can improve things or make things even better. We also like to know when we are getting things right! We look forward to hearing from you.

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