It was while watching the Will you make a difference? DVD, produced by Children Matter in 2008, that Hannah was struck by the urgency of the task before her – how was she going to make a difference in the lives of the children in her division? Having reached the children through clubs and other entry points into the Church, she began to think how to further journey with the children and how they could help build a lasting, living faith, so that they would continue to grow in Christ. One of her first steps was to form a reference group from children and leaders in her area. She made a point of asking what they wanted and their response was clear: they wanted to be a community.
She decided to pilot a small-group residential for some children from churches across the division. Basing the weekend on questions children ask, using ‘So why God?’, a discipleship course for children, she hoped to give children the freedom to ask all the questions they had about faith. She purposely invited leaders who were brave enough to say that they didn’t know all the answers. Honesty was key to creating trust and authenticity in friendships. What she and her team of leaders discovered on the weekend was astounding. The small numbers (they only took 15 children) and the space to question allowed the children to open up. They had some profound conversations, lots of fun and some great relationships started to form. The weekend was a great success and the children didn’t want it to stop. The reference group said they wanted more: ‘What’s next for us?’
Hannah and her team created a follow-up weekend, called ‘So that’s why God’. In it, they tried to answer some of the questions from the first weekend that had gone unanswered. Relationships deepened, faith and engagement grew. This small group of 15 children and their leaders had started to form what the reference group had asked for – community. But again, the children wanted more! Hannah and the other leaders realised that they couldn’t give any more time or effort without letting something else go.
‘We went back to the reference group and asked them the question: “If you want more, what are you willing to give up?”’ Hannah explains. To her surprise, they decided to give up their sleepover – a long-running event which attracted around 90 children. Instead the group suggested a ‘prayer-over’ – where they would learn about prayer and spend lots of time praying in creative ways. Despite the change of emphasis, the event still attracted around 60 children!
Now Hannah and her team have run three ‘So Why God?’ weekends, and children who have been on that first weekend are able to go to a ‘So that’s why God’ weekend (but places are still limited to 15). The most recent weekend saw the children interview Commissioner Clive Adams, the Salvation Army’s UK territorial leader; begin to engage with a Salvation Army international development project in Malawi; produce their own music video to raise awareness. Since starting in November they have already raised well over £2,000!
The pace at which the children have grown and at which the community has formed has taken the leaders a little by surprise. ‘It’s out of control, but in a good way!’ says Hannah. ‘It’s out of my control – but it’s God’s group, not mine, and I’ve got to trust him.’ Hannah’s vision for the future is to see this event grow throughout the churches. ‘This has worked for us on so many different levels, impacting both the lives of children and of leaders,’ she says. ‘It’s not a text book way of working but something that has worked for us, where we are, that God has really blessed and honoured.’
Hannah’s top tips for fostering children’s faith development
• Involve the children in the decision-making process – this helps them own their group and activities.
• Give space for the children to ask their own questions, rather than answer questions you think the children might have.
• Don’t be afraid to admit you don’t know the answer to the children’s questions.
• Keep the group small. It can be tempting to include as many children as possible, but this means that friendships are more difficult to form and cultivate.
• Hold on to the ministry lightly. It’s not your ministry, it’s God’s. So be ready to follow his direction, even if it means you going outside your comfort zone.
• Don’t be afraid to let something go. We’re not superhuman, we can’t do everything!
• Challenge the children. Don’t settle for normal, but help them to express their faith in the way they want to.
