Hi everyone! I love sitting down to write these newsletters- it’s a great chance to reflect on whats been happening in the life of the Church over the past few months.

Youth Groups

Over the Christmas period we took both of our groups out for a festive meal…well, Pizza express but it was great! Our older group also had a fire pit evening at one of the young people’s homes. These social events are so important in the lives of young people- they offer great opportunities to form happy memories, deepen and strengthen relationships as well as playing a vital role in the general wellbeing of our youth.

This term at both of our groups we have been exploring topics around peer pressure, puberty, healthy relationships and a look into the teenage brain (no teenage brains were harmed in this). As well as the topics we look at each week, we play lots of silly games, including a new game which I have coined as “The FOAM BATTON OF DOOM”. We have also been in the kitchen recently, flipping some pancakes. Despite their best efforts
none were flipped high enough to get stuck on the ceiling! We are looking forward to our summer festival which is starting to take shape. Lots of our current group haven’t experienced a summer festival due to Covid, so I’m really excited for them to have this opportunity.

Children
Powerhouse this term has seen us looking at King David. We have welcomed some new children into the group and I’m sure those of you in the chapel can hear the fun we have on a Sunday morning! Baby Plus continues to be a popular group for local parents to come along to. Sarah Potter and the team do an amazing job at building relationships with the parents and carers who come along with their little ones. There are always some amazing crafts to take part in
and we love the joyful noise of children singing along with Jane when she leads the music slot.

Schools
I love schools work! The past few months have been a busy time in school. Myself and Andy have lead assemblies at Amherst and Riverhead and the girls’ football club continues to run on a Thursday afternoon. In February I had the privilege of helping to facilitate the prayer space at Trinity School which ran over 8 days. Over that time we welcomed over 1000 students into the space which focused on the Peace of God. It was an extremely powerful and moving experience for us as the helpers and more importantly the students who attended. Anna Graham and the chaplaincy team at the school are fantastic and the love and devotion they show to the students is inspiring. I have recently started leading the Year 8 Christian Union at Trinity School on a Wednesday lunchtime, which is a space for
the students to reflect, learn and think about practical discipleship.

Students
Sadly, our Christmas meeting for our students got derailed by Covid but it was lovely to see some of the group at various points over the Christmas break. We have lots of first year students who seem to be settling in well into
Uni/College life. Recently one our students joined our youth groups via zoom to share their testimony, it’s so important for our younger groups to be able see how faith is lived out in this sort of environment.

Prayer Points
• I know lots of our young people are feeling anxious about the state of the world right now, especially with the war in Ukraine. Please pray that they know how to navigate through this complex time and that they can experience the peace found in drawing close to God.

• Pray for all the students who experienced the prayer space at Trinity School. Pray that this wouldn’t be a one-time experience for them, that they may start to ask questions about faith and want to explore this more.

• A prayer of thanks for the amazing volunteers who give of their time and energy to bless our young people. The skill, kindness, devotion and knowledge they bring to our groups is phenomenal, we are so blessed as a Church to have an amazing team.

Short Thought
During the February half term, I had the privilege of being the guest speaker at my friend’s youth group’s weekend away. The theme for the weekend was Identity. During one of the sessions I shared this story that I had come across many years ago. A professor stood before her philosophy class and had some items in front of her. When the class began, she wordlessly picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. She then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was. The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and
poured them into the jar. She shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. She then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was. The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. She asked once more if the jar was full… The
students responded with a unanimous ‘yes.’

The professor then produced two Beers from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed. ‘Now,’ said the professor as the laughter subsided, ‘I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things—-your family, your children, your health, your friends and your favourite passions—-and if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house and your car… The sand is everything else—-the small stuff. ‘If you put the sand into the jar first,’ she continued, ‘there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls.

The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff you will never have room for the things that are important to you. Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Spend time with your children.
Spend time with your parents. Visit with grandparents. Take your spouse out to dinner. Play another 18. There will always be time to clean the house and mow the lawn.

Take care of the golf balls first—-the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand. One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the Beer represented. The professor smiled and said, ‘I’m glad you asked.’ The Beer just shows you that no matter how full your life may seem, there’s always room for a couple of Beers with a friend.

Josh Amott- Youth, Children’s and Student Worker