Get involved in RECOGNISE week to celebrate your Children and Youth workers

Clergy and Church leaders across our diocese are invited to get involved in the national #RECOGNISE campaign week from 6 -12 July to thank and celebrate your paid and voluntary children, youth and family (CYF) workers.

Bishop Hugh has emphasised: “Jesus said, when he took a child and put him among the people and took him in his arms, ‘Whoever receives one such child in my name, receives me…” (Mark 9:37). I take that very seriously.… We will be ‘kingdom people’ only when things are the way God wants them to be on earth… but we can’t be kingdom people without children. We need to have children at the heart of all our communities and churches of all ages.“

This week is about recognising the difference CYF workers make to your church communities in engaging children and young people and helping them find and grow in faith, to have truly intergenerational congregations.

Help hosting a thank you event

We hope churches across our diocese will join in with applauding all those involved with CYF ministries at your church as part of your normal Sunday service on 12 July. You can Sign up for a FREE pack (while stocks last!) from the national church to aid your celebrations. The pack includes a cake topper, a prayer card, a set of thank you cards and some creative ideas for your event. Signing up will also mean access to the RECOGNISE digital resources, when they are released.

Sharing a thank you video on your socials

We’re also inviting Clergy and Church leaders to create a short video to publicly thank your own CYF ministers and volunteers on your socials. Please see instructions below on making your video.  Please then post it to your own church socials between 6-12 July, tagging us in @cofeworcester and using the #RECOGNISE2026 hashtag. We will re-post as many as we can.

Advice on filming your video

• Film a piece to camera in portrait (vertical format) on your phone as this works best on social media.
• Keep it brief – aim for around 30 to 60 seconds (max. 2 minutes)
• Start by saying thank you clearly and name the team or individual(s) you want to recognise.
• Explain the difference they’ve made and why they’re such a gift to your church and community.
• You may want to include your workers/volunteers in the video but make sure they are happy to take part!
• Choose a quiet(ish), well-lit place, such as inside or outside your church or church hall.
• Do not worry about making your video look professional – a warm, genuine thank you is far more important than a perfect recording.