New opportunities to reach the missing younger generations

Growing the faith of our children and young people

With Lucy Moore, Head of the Growing Faith Foundation and Stephen Beamond, Programmes Lead in the Growing Faith Foundation

Ask any member of the church what we should be focusing on in our mission and you would hope to get a response that includes, “We want our children and young people to have faith in Jesus, to grow in that faith and help shape the Church.’

Over the years we have probably researched this aspect of our ministry to the point that what we don’t know is not worth knowing. We have had Children in the Way (1988); All God’s Children (1991) Youth Apart (1996) Growing for Growth (2010) and Rooted in the Church (2016) in addition to the Education Division setting out ten marks of a high performing Diocesan Board of Education. Church members often claim that all the resources are skewed towards the under-16s at the expense of older people.

• So where are the children and young people?
• Why do so many parishes not seem to mind that they have few or no younger church members?
• And how can the church truly become a community for believers of all ages?

In this Deanery Briefing Lucy Moore and Stephen Beamond from the Growing Faith Foundation will outline the work of the Foundation and will suggest practical ways to help the Deanery play its part in supporting and equipping the missional work of the parish with children and young people.