During the first week of August, Kingswinford parish hosted an exciting iSingPOP holiday club at St Mary’s Church, using both the church hall and surrounding grounds. The club proved hugely popular, with attendance peaking at 53 children. As one of our renewal projects, Kingswinford parish is actively seeking to grow its congregations and connect with new children and families in the community through the transformative power of the gospel and its message of hope.
Central to the club was iSingPOP’s signature blend of high-energy, feel-good worship music. Over three days, the children enthusiastically learnt a selection of iSingPOP songs and dance-moves, culminating in “the main event” on the fourth day with a concert held at St Mary’s Church, where parents gathered to watch their children perform and showcase what they’d learnt.
Beyond music, each day offered a rich mix of creative activities, storytelling, competitions, drama, and games. The week began with explorations of Christian festivals including Christmas and Easter, alongside key bible stories such as the parable of the prodigal son. Games ranged from light-hearted fun—like “stuck in the mud”—to more educational experiences. On the third day, the theme focused on ‘the fruits of the Spirit’ - the nine characteristics that signify spiritual growth. In one game the children were encouraged to reflect on these by responding with a set action as each was called out, such as walking slowly for patience, linking arms for love, and lying down for peace.
Commenting on the week Annabel, 10 said:
“I’ve loved all of it so far! We’ve learnt all about Jesus, Christmas and Easter and we’ve learnt lots of Christian songs and actions. ‘Only love’ is my favourite song but it’s all been really fun!”
Andy aged 8 said:
“This week’s been really good. I like that we’ve got to sing a lot, and I like the songs. I’m looking forward to being in the concert.”
Kingswinford renewal leader Adam Hadley commented:
“It reminds me of a really fun holiday club that I attended as a child, which was the start of my own discipleship journey! I always want the children in my parishes to think of church as a happy place to be.”
The success of the holiday club was testament both to an incredible team of volunteers and strong partnership working between Children and Young People Minister Sian Morgan, and iSingPOP representatives - Kirsty Pierson who has been seconded to our Diocese as part of a pilot project supporting seven churches to engage families in their communities, and Emma Kenyon who holds a similar role in Coventry Diocese. Kirsty and Emma planned the crafts, songs, and teachings for each day, meaning Sian could focus on oversight, resourcing, the children and their parents.
The project was mainly funded as part of this Diocese partnership project, with parents just asked to make a small contribution for refreshments and craft materials, if they were able to. This kept costs low for parents, so that it wasn't a barrier for children attending.
Sian Morgan said:
“I love ISingPOP and everything they are about — music, community, and faith. This is something I wanted to offer our community on a larger scale, open to as many children as possible, but it simply wouldn’t have been possible without support. ISingPOP have never done holiday clubs before, so at a meeting I mentioned the idea to Kirsty... It’s wonderful that they were so happy to assist, and it’s turned out to be one of the best things I have ever been able to bring to our community!”
One of the helpers, Liz Green, commented on how well the club has brought everyone together. Liz said:
“It’s been wonderful to see all the new friendships that have blossomed between children from different schools. The older children have shown great kindness to the younger ones and our young leaders have been such great role models as well.”
She added that the club had also helped unite the parish congregations further as their huge team of 28 helpers had come from both St Mary’s and Church of the Ascension, making it a truly collaborative effort.
Sian Morgan added:
“The whole week was an absolute joy. The feedback from parents has been amazing, and we know the children had a wonderful time! The Thursday concert was a euphoric culmination of the week and I’m so grateful to the ISingPOP tech’s support team who ensured it looked and sounded even more incredible!”
“Our next steps now are to continue the connection with the parents and ISingPOP. Going forwards we’ll be using ISingPOP songs in our new worshipping community ‘Soul Food’, as well as during our Bag Blessing service at the end of August. We’re also planning an ISingPOP Nativity, which will take place in December.”
