This month’s e-newsletter will be shorter than normal since the young people have been away for the “Spring Holiday” for two weeks over April.
Last month I reported that we were looking forward to a trip to Spring Harvest. Our time in Skegness was indeed a refreshing time for most, despite the ever-changing weather - we saw rain, sleet, hail, wind, sun and some rather pathetic snow (much weaker than Woking’s dose anyhow). We were challenged from Isaiah in the morning sessions and from the New Testament in the evening services. Worship was led by a very good band and we listened in to phone conversations with Christians in Iraq, Indonesia and Zimbabwe. We came home, keen for the church to be an exciting, hopeful place where we all strive for excellence in all that we do here.
And as for our ambition to bring back the netball trophy? Well, sadly our team of school and club netball players and ropey amateurs (in my case anyway…) fell at the first hurdle, mainly due to our opponents being a foot taller each. They went on to finish as runners-up too! However, an ad-hoc five-a-side football team achieved a surprising amount of success. The team, whose average age must have been the highest in the tournament, lost the first game 2-0 due to two penalties being given away for the keeper leaving his area(!) However, we were put through to the second round due to other teams failing to show up for their games. The next game went to penalties after a 1-1 draw and these were sudden death from the beginning. Somehow, we contrived to go five rounds, each team matching the other in scoring in the first round and missing the next 3. In the fifth round, our star goalie, Ian McIntosh saved a shot with his glasses, causing them to break, allowing me to put us through to the next round with a successful penalty.
Two days later, round three pitted us against a team of 20-somethings. We scored first – Jonny Page taking his goal from a cross well. The refereeing had not been kind to us throughout however, and struck again with a penalty against the keeper – one which only the referee thought was fair. So, to penalties we went again, and this time we won in 1 round to reach the semi-finals! Sadly, that is where our Barnsley-esque run finished as we lost to a skilful side 3-1. Still, we’d outdone anyone’s expectations. Congratulations should go to our team of Jonny Page, Stuart Best, Ian McIntosh, David Emmerson, Kevin Page, Hugh Bowerman and Matt Chessum for their dogged performances and great patience, as well as to our banks of enthusiastic supporters!
The meeting on April 21st about the clash between church and
sport activities for some families was a helpful forum for discussing
and hearing about the issues involved. We hope to be able to find a
solution and the notes from the meeting have been circulated. We’re now
looking to move forward with a new plan, more details of which will be
coming soon!
Monday Night Club have started the new term with a bang! Their first week back involved making and decorating masks and coming up with plays. Themes included friendship and football. They followed that with the MNC version of “Best of Friends”, the popular CBBC programme. In each round, the team must select some members to do a task, whilst others get a treat. Tasks included eating cold baked beans with a cocktail stick and solving a tricky map-colouring puzzle, and the session finished with ice cream and chocolate sauce for everyone. Hopefully in the process the group learned about friendship and doing things for others.
Friday Night Club finished last term with a party themed on the letters F, N and C. Members arrived dressed in costumes that included the Flowerpot Men, Noddy and a Cyberman. Games and food were themed around the letters too, with “Find the leader” proving to be the most popular. Last week, as they returned after their holidays, one of the members celebrated his birthday by helping to run a mini-olympics. He even abandoned a family party for 90 minutes so that he could be there!
The Max followed FNC with a party themed on their own letters. The M, A, X party featured three Mexicans and two members of the Army. The group enjoyed playing a new game, mafia, for most of the evening, but they didn’t miss out on food either!
Youth Club have recently been donated a bar billiards table (thank you to Sue and Mike Tozer). Having researched the rules on the internet, the table has not been left alone, with a couple of members deciding that they want one for themselves at home… I was enjoying playing against them all so much last Friday that I completely forgot when the session was supposed to end.
Maths Group are rapidly approaching their AS-Level exams. Indeed, by the time I next write, the group will have closed again as their exam season will have passed. Our sessions seem to pass very quickly, but the knowledge does seem to increasing and we do always manage to have some fun too.
Sunday Night Group continues to draw lessons from a huge range of activities. Last week a range of puzzles, mazes and challenges provided an irritating 45 minutes before we had a short study on stress in the run-up to SATs, GCSEs and AS-Levels. The next week we watched an episode of Friends, sparking a discussion on hypocrisy and whether it really matters. We raised the tricky question: “How can you tell someone they are being a hypocrite without being hypocritical (or pointing out the errors in others) yourself?”
YPF all learnt the Fruits of the Spirit before the appropriate session, winning a total of £5 worth of Dairy Milk between them. Our final topical session, on self-control, involved studying the story of David sparing Saul in 1 Samuel 26, with a large plate of tasty biscuits on the table. I even left the room for a few minutes but no one took one, meaning that they all won the chance to eat their fill at the end. Next week, we’re going to sum up our progress before moving on to a new topic.
As Trinity Sunday approaches, I’m still hoping that somebody will give me a lead on juggling balls – if you own any then do please let me know. If you haven’t got any balls but you feel that your life is lacking a slightly weird party trick then do sign up to join the workshop on the day – it’ll be great fun.
The half term holiday will be action packed as I’m now beginning plans to take a number of groups on half term trips to Thorpe Park. I’m not really sure who’s looking forward to it most – me or the young people!
Do continue to pray that, as we talk about God more and more at the youth clubs, please pray that the young people would become more interested in all that He has to offer.
I am starting to plan a syllabus for YPF that will cover important and valuable topics. Please pray that this will be just right for the members of the group.
My work in schools continues, and I get the chance to talk to a group of girls who come to the CU each week. Some are Christians and have invited the others to introduce them to Christianity. Pray that these young people come into a relationship with God.
As said above, I’d like to hear from anyone in possession of a set (or more!) of juggling balls or clubs that I could borrow.
That’s the lot for this month. If you have any questions, queries, suggestions or feedback then do please reply to this message. I’d be glad to hear from you.