Gather is a new partnership between a Church of England Primary School and their local church. It is a monthly act of worship immediately after school for children and their parents/ carers which uses elements with which the children will already be familiar from school.
Gather takes place in the church and begins with an opening activity or craft. There is a hot/ cold drink and toast available along with a chance to light candles, take part in a prayer activity, listen to a short bible reading and sing songs. Each month follows the same theme that the children will be focussing on in school and the sessions are promoted by the school.
Calling Young Disciples Mission Enabler, Helen Laird has been leading the pilot in Elmley Castle. She said: “Sunday mornings are not always the best time for families to come to church. By providing something immediately after school, we are making it easy for them to come to worship and get to know God. We hope that this will become ‘church’ for the families who attend and they will feel part of the family of their local church.”
Initial pilots are taking place in Elmley Castle and Kingswinford and the team are hoping to also establish Gather in other parishes where there is a good relationship between the school and church.
Watch a short video about the Gather pilots:
