In August, your donations enabled us to hold our first Launchpad residential to which Faith Guides across the North could bring children with no previous church background. Chenda Nuttall who took a group explains how it helped them.
Each week in Penrith, around a dozen children aged 11-12 come to an after-school club that Faith Guide Chenda helps to run in a local café. They play games, have a short faith-based discussion and share a meal together.
Chenda says. ‘We took three of the lads from the club to a new SU holiday called Launchpad, which had been designed to allow Faith Guides like me to bring children to. One of the lads brought their younger sister along too, and none of them had church backgrounds.
They already knew each other which helped them settle in quickly, and they mixed well with the other children. They loved the activities – archery, climbing, a visit to the seaside where they had to spot the holiday leaders who were lurking, in disguise, at various points around the town! And they were all receptive to the teaching. It was great for them to hear about faith from someone other than me.
More open to faith
‘One of my group has autism. He had been reading a Minecraft Bible and had lots of questions. On the last night, he told me, “I might want to be a Christian. I might go home and read Diary of a Disciple and the Minecraft Bible a bit more.” A few weeks later I caught up with him and asked him how he was doing. He said he remembered to read some days but forgot on others. But I think he’s on the journey and going on Launchpad really helped with that.
‘Another lad who came on Launchpad helped me later in the summer with some puppeteering in church. Since Launchpad he’s matured and he’s certainly more open to faith.
‘I couldn’t have managed to organise a residential holiday like that on my own, so it was great to have Launchpad to take them to. All the children are up for going again next year!’
Faith Guide holidays
Launchpad was just one of the residentials we ran in the summer, specifically aimed at Faith Guides and the children they’re journeying with.
Please pray that in 2023 we’ll be able to offer even more children from the 95 the opportunity to get away and grow in faith.
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