Sacred Places in School

What is your favourite thing about church?

For lots of young people it is the community; being around other believers who can encourage, challenge, learn and grow with you. One young person often refers to their Explore group at school as their 'school church'.

These spaces, across lots of the schools we work in, are sacred places for the young people we engage with. So much of what they hear around school challenges their faith, it demands them to be set apart and speak up for something that is alien to so many other students.

They walk into their school's Explore or Christianity Unpacked group and are able to be surrounded by the love and support of people who understand them. Christian teachers, Step team members and volunteers, local church youth workers, and other students who speak truth and life into their days and give them the encouragement to keep going through their week.

Each group is different, but some of the topics we have been looking at recently include:
Fruits of the Spirit
Encounters with Jesus - The Chosen
Question of the the Half Term - Can we trust the Bible?
What is truth?
Scripture Union - Nua: Origins

These groups are such a blessing to be part of, as each week we get to enjoy doing life together - Sharing our highs and lows, praying with each other and helping one another  armour up - with the shoes of peace, ready to carry the gospel message into the corridors and classrooms of their school.

Mary