In the Bible, we read about an encounter that took place one day between Jesus and children.

 Mark 10 v13-16     13 People were bringing little children to Jesus to have him touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. 14 When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. 15I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it." 16 And he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them. 

 We know that Jesus deeply loves and values children, and at Kerith we do also. The Bible also says “Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus”.   1 Thessalonians 5 v16-18

At Kerith we follow the pattern of Jesus, in giving thanks for children. We want to pray for children, giving thanks to God for them, as well as asking for blessing and protection over their lives and praying for wisdom and guidance for the parents/guardians.

We are sometimes asked if we do Christenings, or Infant Baptisms for babies and children, as some other churches do. Our theology on this differs from some churches because we believe that each of us – children and adults – get to choose for ourselves one day to become a follower of Jesus. That may be at 5, 15 or 50 years old! So our Thanksgivings are not about babies and children becoming Christians on that Thanksgiving day - but we do pray that one day they will choose to do that for themselves.

I asked a family from our Farnborough Site, who recently gave thanks for their children, why they chose to do this;

 “We knew we wanted to give thanks to God for our two gorgeous boys and would love nothing more than for them to choose to follow Jesus for themselves one day. We also want to raise them to become independent young boys/men who think for themselves, so don’t want to make that choice for them, we want them to one day make that choice for themselves. A Thanksgiving was a perfect choice for us as we are believers ourselves, so it allowed us to be able to praise God for the gift of our two special children, without choosing for them. We hope to empower them to hopefully make that choice for themselves one day.

It was also a great day of celebration, as many of our family and friends gathered together to support us, as they will do throughout our boy’s lives.”

 So - what happens at a Thanksgiving?

•  We invite the immediate family to the stage and introduce them to the wider church family.

• We then as a whole church family pray and thank God for the life of the child. We thank God for the family He has placed them in.

• We then ask God to bless the children as they grow, pray for protection and that they will grow up to chose Jesus for themselves, living lives that bear much fruit.

• We also pray for the parents, for God to guide them as they raise and disciple their children. It’s especially useful to pray for an abundance of wisdom and patience!

We want to do everything possible as a church community to support and love children and their families. A Thanksgiving is a public way of parents saying to God – and to their wider church family – “We don’t want to do this alone - we need you!”

 There are usually Thanksgiving Sundays spread across the year where families can join together in giving thanks to God for their children. The next one is on Sunday morning 19th March, which is also Mother’s Day, a perfect chance to invite friends and family members to church.

If you haven’t ever publically given thanks for your child(ren) – why not sign up today?

This blog was written by Sonia Hopkin, the Kerith Farnborough Site Pastor, and Families Lead.

Train up a child in the way they should go; even when they are old they will not depart from it. - Proverbs 22:6

 Why do we do youth work? The answer is right there! We believe it’s important to offer young people a wonderful alternative to the doom and gloom we constantly hear about in the media. Youth work isn’t just about telling teenagers about Jesus; it’s about training them to fix their eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith (Heb. 12:2), so that even when they are old, they will hold on to that faith, remembering – and the remaining part of – the church family that makes God’s presence and love so real to them.

I often think back to when I started coming to church and getting involved with Friday night youth group, and how God blessed me with so many spiritual role models and mentors, and I’m sure we can all think of people we’ve met along the way who took us under their wings to offer their advice, guidance, and love. It’s amazing – and incredibly humbling – to think that we’re now in positions to show that same love to a new generation of young people who are trying to figure out what it means for the Lord Jesus to be Lord of their lives in the 2020s.

But I think the most amazing thing about serving in Kerith Youth and spending time with the thirty, forty, and fifty young people we get on Fridays and Sundays is that so many of these teenagers are already far along that journey! For those of us on the youth team who didn’t grow up in church, it’s such an encouragement to see that these young people are so passionate and so mature in the way they embrace faith in Jesus. They’re a lot further on than we were at that age – what an encouragement and what a challenge to us old folks, as our teenagers set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity (1 Tim. 4:12)!

If you’ve been around at one of our Kerith sites for a church service in Bracknell, Farnborough, Windsor, or West Wight, you might have heard someone talk about our mission statement for Kerith Youth: to create spaces where young people enjoy church, hear the Gospel preached, and see their lives irreversibly transformed by the love of Christ. Of course, for all that we’re determined to proclaim the saving power of the risen Lord Jesus and see our teenagers grow in their love for Christ and the charismatic, youth work wouldn’t be youth work without the fun and games!

Our Friday nights will be following our established R-O-C-K pattern, with Regional Nights, Out Nights, Culture Nights, and K-Crews: over the next few weeks and months, our mainland youth group can look forward to Fridays as diverse as trips to the bowling alley, laser tag, small groups, and movie nights, as well as Regional Nights where we can join together for games, music, competitions, and worship and preaches.

As for Sundays, we’re continuing with our Sunday School Series, where we’re looking at some of the most famous passages in the Old Testament and the Gospels to see what relevance they have to contemporary culture. Along with our amazing team volunteers who selflessly offer up their time, energy and wisdom to bless our young people, it’s been amazing to see some of those same young people leading some of these sessions and bringing their own perspectives to the table. It's been fantastic to see them taking these opportunities and visibly growing in confidence as leaders, and we’re all so excited to see how God is going to work in and through them and this youth ministry!

 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.- Ephesians 3:20-21

As a parent of 4, I’m increasingly finding our schedule fuller as the children age. The older two are firmly into their teenage years, which means parties and social events galore – most of which are well into the evening with late-night collections, rather than a tidy 2-4 on a Saturday afternoon! This is in addition to the usual clubs, sporting events and rehearsals that all our children are involved in. The taxi from Mum & Dad firm is well and truly open in our household!

So, as we begin this new series considering how we can set ourselves a Rule of Life, what does this mean for families? A Rule of Life is a set of rhythms that help us create space to become like Jesus and focus on His priorities for our lives. A rule of life points us in the right way, supports us on the journey, and gives support so that we can grow the right way and be fruitful. It takes seriously the sense that we live best in healthy rhythms, rather than in chaos. It definitely sounds like something my family would benefit from adopting.

It does not really matter what age your children are, or how many you have – the reality is that as parents, we want our children to live lives to the fullest, to be fruitful and to experience as much as possible of what is available to them.

So, how do we navigate a Rule of Life that serves the needs of our whole families, and not just us as individuals?

Here are three simple principles that we may find helpful as we consider our Rule of Life – each family situation will look different, and it’s up to you to work together with God in creating a rhythm that works for you.

Prioritise Jesus

The most important investment in our children’s life is to nurture their relationship with Jesus. Of course, it’ll be over to them at some point to choose whether they follow Him themselves - but we should give them every opportunity as they are growing up to see the importance of Him in our lives – modelling our personal relationship with Jesus and making Him a priority in our lives is the first step in this. We know children learn largely through what they observe!

What that looks like will differ from family to family – but perhaps it means attending church more regularly, perhaps it means allowing them to see you in your personal devotion time with the Lord, or maybe it is taking time for discipleship in the home. Cultivate a family culture where Jesus is the first person you turn to in your home, whether to express thanks or in times of need - asking Him to intervene with worries about school or friendships. Make Him as much a part of your family as anyone who physically lives in your home! Ask your children questions that help them form their own relationship with Jesus. The Parenting for Faith course has great pointers to help parents in the discipleship of their children. There is no end of helpful resources out there, but we have recently enjoyed the Lectio for Families app, particularly for our younger children (it’s great for children around 7-11).

Let your children see that your personal rhythm gives space for Jesus first, let them see and hear the benefit that relationship with Him brings you – and we will pray that they want to find out more about Him for themselves.

Let your yes be yes and your no be no!

Decide as parents what are your non-negotiables, and where there is flex. What are your priorities as a family? Children’s schedules can throw many last-minute changes, or there are some things we will simply say No to, because they don’t align with our family values, needs or schedule. Saying No at times feels awkward, unfair even – there can be a cost to saying No. But often our No is based in practicalities, or perhaps to protect our children, our family time, or even our own mental health as parents. Emotionally healthy parents stand a much better chance of raising emotionally healthy children. God sometimes says No to me, and that’s ok. He knows what I need better than I know myself! Think of one of those tins of Quality Street at Christmas – would you let your child eat a whole tin in one sitting? No, of course not. Everything in that tin would bring them joy, but eating them all at once is not a healthy option for them. It’s ok to say No!

Similarly – what do you say Yes to? In our family, one of the things we say yes to is seizing opportunities for adventures and exploring, especially if it is wrapped up with quality family time. If I want to nurture my children’s relationships with Jesus, I need to first nurture mine with Him - and then mine with my children. These things don’t have to come at a financial cost - it can be exploring a new place together, staying up later than usual to watch a movie, having a family sleepover in the lounge, or getting up earlier to watch the sunrise. Finding things that we delight in together is key to us finding rest as a family. We also have said Yes many times to our children doing their own pursuits – sports, drama, music etc. Before a Yes is decided upon, we need to consider the potential practicalities, compromises and adjustments to accommodate the needs of the whole family.

Be intentional

With the growing needs of our family, we have recently scheduled family meetings, where we all take ownership of chores and our own schedules – it’s really helping to restore some balance. Your children may be too young to be a part of this conversation, but there are small things you can do to help them take ownership of their actions even from toddler years. We are also trying to be more intentional around Prioritising Jesus, and around deciding whether we are saying No or Yes to something!

Many of you reading this arrive early on a Sunday morning to serve and prepare the church for the day ahead. This sometimes comes with a bit of moaning from our children, who would prefer to lay in and come a little bit later on! We compromise and have some weeks where they can sleep in until the last minute – but we also talk and include them in the conversations around the fact that church helps people meet with Jesus – we tell them we ‘get to’ be a part of this, rather than ‘have to’. Simple reframing helps them to understand the privilege we have in our roles. This can be applied to whatever role we do in life. If you must travel for your job, or work shift hours – tell them you ‘get to’ do this. If you are running errands – you ‘get to’ do this. Model to your children the privilege to work and use the body and mind God has given you to bless others. Being intentional in the language we use with our children is helpful.

Prioritising our own personal time with Jesus will look different in different seasons of parenthood. It’s rarely possible for me to have a 24-hour period of sabbath for just me & Jesus, for example! I may lay down ‘work’ on a Saturday - but standing on the sidelines of a sporting game on a Saturday morning in the cold and rain, is not my ideal way to rest. However I then reframe my own thinking and remember I delight in my children, we have said Yes to this….and I ‘get to’ do this. There are times however when I need to be more intentional in seeking out ways to spend time with Jesus. What works for you daily, weekly, monthly, and occasionally – will differ from person to person and family to family.

I am still learning in this area – but I know that if I’m not intentional with my schedule, my life – and that of my family – will easily be filled with things that are not a priority for us.

I know that I want to seek out a Rule of Life that honours God for myself, and for my own family. To find a rhythm that means we are attentive to God, people, work and rest - that suits the needs of our whole family. What I have written here are some very simple ideas that on our best days, help us in this. There are many days that are messy and where we do not live up to our very best. But we keep striving to live a better life with Jesus.

Romans 12:1-2 “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.“

So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going to work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you and develops well-formed maturity in you.

Or, if I may paraphrase…take your kid’s homework, the taxi service, the family days out, your job, the elderly relative you are supporting, the wiping down the kitchen worktops, the waking up to feed your baby….and offer it all to Him

Hello everyone, my name is Kirsty Jones I am an Additional needs specialist based at the Kerith Bracknell site. I have been supporting the Bracknell Kids Coordinator on a Sunday with Kids+ by co-ordinating teaching material, and equipment and making sure that the building has friendly access to children with additional needs. Seeing our lovely kids grow over the past year has been so rewarding!

Since the first day, I started volunteering as a Kids + specialist, I have seen lives transformed. Reflecting on the past year, we have provided spaces for families to feel connected, enhance awareness in supporting our young people and love our friends and neighbours. It is fantastic to see our young people with additional needs worship God, read the bible and allow Jesus to fill their hearts.

The team and I have some big news!!!

Kerith used to have a group called Hilltop, a ministry providing opportunities, for adults living with additional needs, to receive the gospel, develop relationships and encounter Jesus. As a church, we have been inspired to give God control of where our ministries will go. He has spoken and we have listened.

I am happy to announce that we are going to re-launch our Additional Needs group but named We Are One. In prayer, this name spoke to us and immediately inspired a vision. The values behind the name are one community, one church, and one family. God loves all His children, and He wants His children to know Him, worship Him and love Him.

My passion is to give them the space to learn and grow in their faith, and I hope in God’s timing we will watch them get baptised!

Once we are up and running in the New Year, we will start running this group every third Sunday of the month (the official start date is yet to be announced so keep an eye on the Bracknell Kerith social media). It will take place after the morning Sunday meeting in Bracknell and will be set up in our very own K2 building.

It’s here, where we will provide opportunities to ask questions, to hear the gospel in a way they can connect and understand, and we’ll enjoy some lunch and a craft.

We are overjoyed to be offering this group to young adults and above.

We would love you to cover us in your prayers and thoughts as we set off in planning to launch We Are One.

If this blog post has inspired you to take those first steps in joining the ministry, we would love to have you join us in our first steps. For more information on the group or how to sign up to serve, please contact Monique Olwage, our Kids/Additional Needs Co-ordinator at monique.olwage@kerith.church

God bless you all

Kirsty Jones

Love it or hate it, Halloween is firmly established in our calendar with shops and the media fully embracing it and where spending was estimated to total £687 million this year!

As Christian parents should we try to discourage our children from celebrating Halloween and from “Trick or Treating” in the community? Well, interestingly part of Halloween’s history has a Christian basis.

The origins of Halloween lie buried deep in time and draw on several sources. The Celtic feast of Samhain celebrated the end of harvest when the boundary between this world and the world of the dead was thought to dissolve and the dead returned to earth and created havoc by playing tricks on people and damaging crops. The Romans added two feasts of their own, Feralia, which commemorated the dead, and a feast in celebration of Pomona the goddess of fruit and trees.

With this historical backdrop, the early Christian church introduced the Feast of All Saints on November 1st to move interest away from the emphasis on pagan festivals and the celebration of the dead. This is where the term Halloween originates since the 1st of November was originally the Feast of All Hallows and the 31st of October All Hallows Eve, later contracted to Halloween.

So, there is a historical Christian basis for a celebration on Halloween, but does that fit with the secular and commercial view of it that most people now recognise today? The Trick or Treating and costume wearing for smaller children can be viewed as harmless fun, and indeed an activity to be enjoyed by classmates and neighbours, but there is a darker side to it too, with it not being enjoyed by many, who find the evening makes them nervous to be in their own homes.

This raises the question of what the Christian response should be, and provides a fantastic opportunity to re-structure the narrative around Halloween, by running events such as Light Parties at this time. Scripture Union has identified that a staggering 95 percent of under-18s don't go to church, but many of them are open to faith! Holding Light Parties in church is a great way to reach local children and families, show the light of Jesus at work in the world, build community, and offer an alternative.

We ran three Light parties in Bracknell, West Wight and Windsor this year! There were over 100 children and their families enjoying a bouncy castle, face painting, hot dogs, glow sticks and fun in the church, together with a message and worship (and someone being pied, of course!). Families not previously part of the church have subsequently come to Sunday services, which is fantastic!

Light Parties are just one of our opportunities to reach out to those in our community and share the love of God. With 95% of under-18s not in church, the task of reaching them is huge. But so too is the opportunity! By running outreach events like Light Parties, it is our prayer that through the conversations, welcoming atmosphere and fun, children and families will be encouraged to engage with the church and see that it is relevant and welcoming, and ultimately want to respond to the Gospel message!

At the end of July our Kerith Youth ministry took around 55 teenagers to Oakwood Residential Centre for a weekend away. The weekend’s theme was the ‘Paradox of Jesus’. Throughout the evening and morning sessions we were looking at how Jesus was and is two opposite things at the same time. We started off the weekend with a bonfire reflecting on ‘Who is Jesus?’, followed by some very loud and crazy night-games!

Saturday morning, we carried on looking at the paradox of Jesus, learning about how Jesus is servant and king from our Bracknell Youth Coordinator Bryn McGlashan, as well as having a time of worship. The youth really love the song ‘I thank God’ by Maverick City Music! We also did some of the Oakwood activities including high ropes, Jacob’s ladder and archery. Even some of the leaders took part (some were more reluctant to do the high ropes than others, but we won’t name names!).

Later on, we gathered for worship and continued our journey learning about the paradox of Jesus. The paradox of this evening was about how Jesus is full of both grace and truth. In response to the preach from our Youth Champion Jo Phillips, we created a space for young people to let go of shame and ask for forgiveness from God. About 50 teenagers responded and were on their knee’s crying out to God, it was a beautiful time soaking in His presence.

Sunday morning, God broke out again and did His work! Jo Foster, our Windsor Families Coordinator, brought us a word about ‘What’s next?’. The beauty of a weekend away is that it is like 6 months of youth ministry, but how do you carry on being in the presence of God once you leave that intentional space? Jo created a space for us to listen to the voice of God and encourage one another.

And there was no other way to finish Summer Sanctuary than by doing the classic slip n slide rounders! Although it very much turned into a massive water fight with EVERYONE getting wet! Such a spirit filled and fun weekend!

Here are some highlights and reflections shared by Bethany, a young person who attended Summer Sanctuary:

“Summer Sanctuary was the best weekend away with friends. We had moments of laughter, moments of tears and so much more. I was so grateful for the opportunity to go. A highlight for me was the bonfire, it was such a quiet time and I especially loved the first night when we all sang around the fire. The fire also allowed for some openness, we had some deep and meaningful conversations. Another almost obvious highlight was worship because being able to sing from the top of my lungs praising God with all my close friends who had become even closer during the weekend created bonds and memories I will forever hold in my heart. During the time away I believe that God gave me a lot to think about and work on in my life and although the weekend came to an end, I am still able to continue to follow God's instructions in my life by removing distractions and taking time out of my day to listen to and worship God.”

We’re already planning Summer Sanctuary 2023! Save the dates now - Friday 28th - Sunday 30th July at Oakwood. Further details to follow.

Who Let The Dad’s Out? (WLTDO) Is an amazing ministry that is currently part of our Bracknell Site. It’s a monthly group where dads and their children can have fun together, form friendships, and build community.

The vision behind WLTDO is a belief that to ‘turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers’ (Malachi 4:6, NIV 1984) is a powerful way ‘to make ready a people prepared for the Lord’ (Luke 1:17).

Held on a Saturday morning on the last Saturday of each month, it’s gathering moMENtum (see what we did there!) as we are welcoming more and more Dads into The Kerith Centre. About 90% of the Dad’s who come along have never attended church before – what an amazing opportunity!

They receive a warm welcome into a safe environment for their children to play, and of course are also welcomed by an important element of the morning - the all important breakfast rolls!

WLTDO was pioneered in Bracknell by a faithful team led by Darren Teverson. Darren is stepping back from leading this team for the next season, and we are so grateful to him for all he’s done. He isn’t stepping away entirely though, and still has a real passion to see more and more Dad’s join the group. Ultimately we want to see Dad’s welcomed not just to our building, but to welcome them back to God, as our Kerith vision statement says.

We’d love to hear from people who could spare a Saturday morning once a month to come and help this group run. Whether it’s helping with set up or set down, or in the kitchen, or simply being available with a smile and a conversation with the Dads – you’d be a real answer to prayer to come and be a part of making this happen.

Please be praying for more team for this – and if you could offer your help, get in touch with us at WLTDO@kerith.church.

Welcome to the Families Team blog!

If you are taking the time to read this blog, the first thing I want to do is thank you.

As the Families Lead for all our sites, I am really excited that we will use this space to share what’s happening within Kerith Kids & Kerith Youth.

A thought that occurred to me over lockdown was that for a 4-year-old, the time we were missing out on in-person church, was nearly half their lifetime! For us a little older….perhaps 1/40th of our lifetime, or even less! We all of course desperately missed gathering together in person, but the older we are (depending of course when we met with Jesus for the first time) - the more years of our faith formation, and the more years of experience of church we’ve had under our belts. Just like Joseph in the Old Testament had stored up grain during the season of abundance, to see people through the years of famine that followed – those of us a bit older had more spiritual grain in our storehouse to sustain us through that season than those younger members of our community.

I know others were concerned about our children & young people during this time also. What about those who didn’t have Christian families around them to disciple them? What about all the children and young people had missed out on? They lost opportunities to be discipled and worship together with their peers at church, they missed leavers assemblies, proms, cancelled sports days and exams. Of course, many children & young people gained a lot during this time also. So, what would it look like to regather again at church in person? Would they want to? Would they care? Would we see the same hunger for God that they had before this season?

Last summer our Kerith Youth gathered at their weekend residential that we named 'Summer Sanctuary'. This was the first in person gathering they had experienced in some time. Some had only ever engaged in Kerith Youth over Zoom, not having been at church since they were Kerith Kids.

 In our first session together the temperature of the worship session was lukewarm – for some of them, they were a little unsure, a little hesitant and perhaps self-conscious. It was like they were learning to ride a bike again after a long break! However, God of course moved powerfully, and by end of the weekend the temperature was hot! They were so hungry for God that over lunchtime, while their physical hunger was being fed, their spiritual hunger was also, as they broke out in spontaneous worship over lunch. Young people gave their lives to Jesus – some have been baptised since and testified that it was a turning point for them.

For our Kerith Kids, the focus when we first regathered was on getting them settled into church. They couldn’t learn or experience God if they were crying for their parents! We’ve seen babies & toddlers arrive at church for the first time, gradually settling into their groups. Some children have skipped an entire age group as they’ve returned a few years older! Now they are settled and enjoying being at church, it’s time to turn up the temperature dial again in our Kerith Kids ministry.

I passionately believe we can see children and young people on fire for Jesus. For them to be filled with the Holy Spirit – there is no junior Holy Spirit as we know! Some of us have recently been to Wildfires Festival, and we heard amazing stories coming out from the kids & youth venues at the festival. Many of our young people were baptised in the spirit for the first time – some were speaking in tongues for the first time, some receiving pictures from God and words of encouragement - some of these were for themselves, or their peers, and some of them have been for adults in our community. We’ve heard stories of how they were engaging in sung worship in new, fresh and deeper ways to how they have been previously.

 So, we have lamented, and perhaps still will for a bit longer, all that our children and youth lost over the last years. Let’s now focus and pray for all they will gain in this next season! God is alive and working in our young people, and my prayer is that we will see more of the work the Holy Spirit was doing at Wildfires, in our local site Kids & Youth ministries. We don’t want a generation of young people with a lukewarm faith – as the name of the festival suggests, we want to see our children & young people on fire for Jesus, where their faith is contagious and spreads like wild fires to those around them! Our prayer is that this fire will quickly spread amongst our Under 18s and beyond – to their peers in schools & college, to us adults and all they come into contact with. We are going to make more space for the Holy Spirit to move and speak to our young people, we are going to wait on Him and listen to Him in ways we haven’t before. And we can’t wait to share with you all He is going to do!

Thank you again for taking the time to read this blog. We would love it if you would subscribe, if nothing else as a reminder to pray for our precious children & young people from our Kerith Sites. You may not be in a position to directly disciple a young person, or serve in the Kids or Youth teams, but covering them in prayer is the most important thing you can do. So, in anticipation, we say: Thank You!