Village Church Grasps Opportunity

Our village of 1600ish people has a significant number of young famillies, a primary school, playgroup, and fortnightly toddler group. two church congregations (Methodist and Anglican) meet in the same building - the small Anglican mission church which is situated centrally in the village on the corner of School Road. Consequently all the parents pass it on their way up to the school.

Our new venture this year has been to liaise with the Family Services 'Toy Library' which comes to the church building every other Tuesday between 1.30 and 3pm. They bring toys for pre school age children, and staff the service themselves. Our role as the church is to provide the venue, the refreshments, and talk to the young parents and grandparents who bring and stay with the children. We have found that several of the older ladies are very happy to do this, and it is proving a very important link with that 'hard to reach' age group. We are going to try and build good relationships over time, which will enable us to invite them - if they wish to come - to special services such as Mothering Sunday and Harvest.

In the meantime, generations of people who would not normally come into the church are discovering it is an open and friendly place, where their children can run around and enjoy themselves, and their parents feel welcomed.