Children and young people at St Alfege Church

Families, children and young people are an integral part of life and worship at St Alfege Church. We encourage and nurture children’s spirituality through teaching, activities, and regular participation in our weekly Eucharist.

Services
Every month involves a variety of children's services, all beginning at 10am, for children accompanied by a parent or carer. We normally meet for collective worship in the church hall, during which the Eucharist is distributed. Once a month, we host a complete Family Eucharist in the church hall, just for children and their families, led by our clergy. Once a month we gather with the whole congregation for an all age Eucharist in church.

• Collective worship in the church hall
  We gather for collective worship in the church hall at 10am, and are led by our children's church volunteers. We explore a different lesson each week, based on the readings used in the main church service. We sing and pray together, engage with teaching from the Bible, and normally do a related art activity. Sometimes the Eucharist is brought to the hall by servers from church, and sometimes we walk across to the main church building to receive the Eucharist or a Blessing.
• Family Eucharist
  We gather for the Family Eucharist in the church hall at 10am. We are led in a full, accessible service of the Eucharist by our clergy. Children are encouraged to participate enthusiastically and energetically!
• All Age Eucharist
  The whole church family gathers in the main church building at 10am for an all-age service. Children’s church members are encouraged to welcome people to the service, to read the lessons, to take up the bread and wine at communion, and to serve alongside the clergy.

Children’s Church operates during term time, and keeps parents informed via weekly e-newsletter. Contact the office to find out more.

Worshipping with small children
We understand how challenging it can be for parents to worship whilst caring for small children, and want to be as supportive as we can. The vestry is open for very young children accompanied by their parent if they need a place to be fed, changed or to let off steam.  A speaker in the vestry enables you to follow the service. There is also a children's corner in church, with books and activities to involve small babies and toddlers, during the service, or whenever the church is open.

Activities
We organise seasonal services and activities for our children and youths, both in and out of church. These include an annual Christmas party and trip to the panto, picnics, a Good Friday gathering, and chaperoned involvement for older youths in local Christian youth events.

Children are welcome at our lunchtime concerts and recitals, and to visit the church whenever we are open.

Every year, we run an Admission to Communion class. Here children aged 8 and over can learn all about Holy Communion in preparation to join the regular congregation in taking communion each week. For young people over the age of 12 and adults, we also run classes to prepare for confirmation.

Schools
We have a close relationship with our local Church of England primary school and nursery, St Alfege with St Peter's. Contact the school if you want to find out more. We also regularly host school visits, and visit other schools in the local area for educational purposes.

A safe church 

St Alfege Church works to provide a safe environment for the whole church family, especially children and adults at risk. Our Children’s Church leaders have been DBS checked, and we aim to arrange yearly Safeguarding and Working with Challenging Behaviour training. Full information about our safeguarding policy can be found here.