Many of us associate church with being forced to attend sunday school as kids. These meetings were heavy on education and light on fun. As a result they could sometimes be mind numbingly boring.
Those days are gone and the emphasis is firmly on fun, activities and engagement. We do confess to including the odd lesson on life, but we do our best to sneak those past the children without them realising they have learnt something!
We basically offer two types of activities. Those associated with the sunday services, and those that happen in the week.
Life in Blandford can be boring for children. We want to change that, which is why we run a series of mid week activities that are about having fun. While our sunday groups contain a christian component, mid week meetings are more social in nature. These activities include:
Noah’s Ark toddlers group
Noah’s Ark toddlers group is a place where parents can bring their children on a Thursday morning. It is a great place to make friends and keep the children entertained. Although run by the church, it is not a group intended for churchgoers only. In fact the majority who attend never come to church.
Learn more about Noah’s ArkKidz Klub
Kidz Klub is a fast-paced, action-packed children’s club in Blandford. There are messy games, prizes, competitions, pantomine, singing and dancing. The Christian faith and good citizenship are promoted throughout the club. It’s for all children in reception to year 6 and everyone is welcome. Learn more about Kidz Klub
Alberts
Alberts is a group dedicated to children in Years 6 to 9. It happens on a Friday night between 7pm and 8.30pm. The average evening consists of silly games, pool, table tennis and a tuck shop. However, the group often does one off activities including sleepovers, cookery evenings and much more. The group contains between 20-30 children and gets pretty full, so it maybe worth booking a place in advance. To do so
contact the church office.
Focus
Focus meets on a saturday night (as well as sunday evenings – see above). The saturday nights are purely social and include a range of activities including the cinema, McDonalds, fireworks, camping, festivals, the list could go on! The group is aimed at 13-19 year olds and is a great place to make new friends and occasionally escape Blandford (the single goal of any self-respecting teenager.)
Visit the focus facebook page Although we do occasionally have family services, most of the time children get to enjoy their own activities while services are on. There are three groups available on sunday mornings and one on sunday evening. These are:
Creche n Bubbles
Ideal for parents who want to enjoy a service in peace, this group will care for your baby and entertain your pre-schooler. Children can play with a range of toys, take part in group activities and listen to Bible stories. There is no need to book and any parent attending a service is more than welcome to take their children out to this group.
Route 57
Route 57 is aimed at primary school kids. Children are welcome to attend even if their parents are not at the service. Children will enjoy a range of activities, stories, drama sketches and media presentations. The Bible is used to communicate christian themes and encourage good social skills. As with Creche n Bubbles there is no need to book.
Junction
Junction is aimed at year 7 and up. Those attending will get to take part in drama and activities as well as watch videos, engage in group discussion and participate in various silly games. Children are welcome to attend without their parents and there is no need to pre-book. Just turn up and get stuck in!
Sunday Focus
Our teenage group meets on sunday evenings at 5pm. As with any teenage group these meetings have a big social component. However, they are also an opportunity to talk about the challenges facing teenagers today. Topics include sex, drugs, bullying and school. Together they look at what the Bible has to say on these topics and search out ways of coping with these problems. Anybody between 13 and 19 are welcome to attend.
Questions or concerns?
When it comes to our kids we are all extra protective. We are therefore not surprised you might have a few questions about our groups.
Let us put your mind to ease over two things straight away.
First, all of the volunteers who help run our children’s work are police checked. We also take things like risk assessment very seriously. We want you to know your children will be safe with us.
Second, we are not here to brainwash or indoctrinate your kids. We make it clear where and when we will talk about our christian faith. If you don’t want your kids to attend those events we completely understand.
We believe that the Bible has a lot to teach young people about living a good life and caring for others. However, the last thing we want to do is force it down their throats. We know ultimately this just drives people away.
If we have not answered your question, then drop us an email using the form below. We will do our best to put your mind at ease.
