Children and Families
Lots of churches in Cumbria already do good work with babies, children and their families. Others are wondering where to start. Lol Wood, the Growing Younger Enabler for Children and Families, supports both: church leaders, volunteers and anyone who would like to begin something new. Her focus is children aged 0 to 10, working alongside the youth strand for 11 to 25 year olds.
Everything on this page is ongoing, so it is a good place to start if you are thinking about a group, a service or a conversation with someone who has done it before.
Hear Lol talk about the work
In episode 10 of the diocese's Seat to Street podcast, Lol talks with Dave Roberts about mapping what is already happening for children and families across Cumbria, how people come to church by all sorts of routes, and the people, paid and unpaid, who are quietly doing this work already. It is 18 minutes long.
The Children & Family Network
The Children & Family Network is a group for people involved in children and family ministry across Cumbria. Some have been doing it for years. Others are only just beginning.
Lol co-chairs the network. She brings people together at meet-up days through the year, and shares training, resources and peer support. It is open to churches beyond the Church of England.
Refresh: a toddler group that looks after the grown-ups too
Anyone who has run a parent and toddler group knows how much it can mean to the parents who come. Refresh builds on that.
- Each session starts with warm croissants and good coffee. The adults are treated as people who matter, not only as the people who bring the children.
- At snack time a leader shares a video, story or testimony linked to a Bible passage, and every adult takes the passage home.
- Caroline Montgomery's Refresh book has 33 sessions that groups can adapt to their own setting.
Andrea Mason, who runs Refresh, led training at Church House in Penrith for people from across Cumbria.
Her advice: the name of the group matters less than giving parents care, good food and an easy way into faith.
Lol hopes to run the training again. If you run a toddler group, or have wondered about starting one, she is happy to talk through what might work in your setting.
Start something new
Three ways churches in Cumbria are reaching children and families who might not come to a Sunday service. Lol can talk any of them through with you.
Messy Church
Lol supports Messy Church leaders and is glad to talk to anyone thinking of starting one. Messy Church, run by BRF, offers microgrants to help new groups start in areas of need.
Block and Brick Church
A new, intergenerational form of church. People gather to explore Bible stories together online through building and crafting, and to grow in faith, especially those who may not engage with time-honoured church. The model has worked well in Blackburn Diocese, and Lol is encouraging churches in Cumbria to find out more.
Outdoor Church
Church outdoors is often naturally all-age, and works well for people who are not used to traditional church. Lol has gathered books and websites to help you try it.
Stay in touch
Monthly newsletter
Lol writes a monthly newsletter for people working with children and families, with resources, training, book recommendations and stories from churches.
To receive it each month, email Lol.
Children's voices
Children, young people and leaders are welcome to send a drawing, a few sentences or a prayer about their experience of church, at any time. We use them in the newsletter and on social media.
We need a parent or carer's permission for anyone under 18, using the diocese's media consent form.
Growing Younger Enabler for Children and Families
Lol Wood
Lol supports Children and families work across the diocese.
T: 07345 575711
E: lol.wood@carlislediocese.org.uk
Photos (Creative Commons): St Nicholas' Church, Lazonby by Peter McDermott, CC BY-SA 2.0; Box of crayons by Collin Anderson, CC BY 2.0; Path through Roudsea Wood by Stephen Craven, CC BY-SA 2.0.
