What: Storytime Service – bedtime stories, songs and prayer for families
Where: St. Alban’s Church, Offerton, Stockport
Aim: To provide a relaxed space for families to spend quality time together in worship and prayer and to learn about Jesus and the Bible through storytelling. We hope to develop the sense of community within our church and to welcome all who want to come
We started our bedtime story service in late 2014 in response to the growing community of children and families who were loosely connected with the church. As the church had grown over the previous 18 months, the staff team at St. Alban’s had become increasingly aware of a very large ‘fringe’ group: people who were loosely connected with the church but who felt unable to attend a Sunday morning service for a variety of reasons. We wanted to provide a Sunday service for this growing community of children and families attending our midweek babies and toddler group and Messy Church services, so as to reclaim Sunday evenings as a worship time in our community. We felt it was important to offer a service where families could take the next step in their discipleship in an informal and relaxed way. We were drawn to the idea of a storytime service following the anecdotal success of other story services and after reflecting on the wonderful power of stories, and the fact that the Bible is crammed full of stories. Jesus, after all, was the master storyteller!
We threw in our own ‘twist’. Why not try something completely different to the noisy, running around, messy, crafty, big action song type-thing that we usually do with young people? Why not relax the mood and quietly invite the Holy Spirit to move with us? So we invite children to come with their families, dressed in their pyjamas with a cuddly toy, each week for a short service of quiet music, prayer and storytelling.
The format of the service is really simple. We prepare a side chapel by lighting lots of scented candles, putting on some classical music and placing plenty of comfy cushions, throws and blankets on the floor. Children arrive at 6pm every Sunday evening in their bedtime clothes, dressing gowns and slippers and help ring the church bell. They then snuggle up under blankets with their families and listen to Bible and children’s stories. We sing a few quiet songs of worship as well as our special prayer song, especially written for the service to the tune of ‘Sing a song of sixpence’. We then enjoy a chat together over a mug of milk or hot chocolate biscuits. The whole thing lasts about an hour, depending on how much chatting goes on over hot chocolate.
We’ve been overwhelmed at the success of the service. Not only in the number of families it has attracted, but by the response we’ve had from those who come. People like to come as a whole family – mums, dads, kids and grandparents all come together. We are getting to know these families, can pray for them and they are beginning to know us. We have found that families are beginning to get involved with the service as they choose the stories and songs themselves and are starting to become more involved with the wider church life. People love coming and tell us that their children complain if they miss a week. Emma, a mum of two said, ‘My two children love storytime.’ Another mum, Kathryn said, ‘It’s a lovely way to end the week.’ Edward, aged two yells, ‘Stowey-tim!’ enthusiastically every time he sees the church. Enthusiastic yelling about church is what we like!
We want to share the success of our service format and have developed a website, which includes a downloadable handbook and promotional material, suggestions and ideas for other churches wishing to try a bedtime story service and storytimeservice.org.uk
Setting up a storytime service is simple: It’s inexpensive, it requires very little preparation and planning, and only needs a small number of leaders.
Setting up a storytime service is beneficial: It helps people to see Sunday as a worship time, allows families to spend quality time together, builds community and brings people to God.
