CREATE Update July 2014

18th July 2014Dear CREATE supporters,

Thank you!

This letter is to say a massive thank you for your faithful support of CREATE children and youth ministry both in finance and in prayer.

It is also a chance to give you lots of news and encourage you to keep praying!

Progress Report

So how have we been spending your money since CREATE started in 2010?

Training SWYM workers: William (one term!) Vicki (two years), Peter (1 year), Claire (1 year)

We have used CREATE funds to support 4 SWYM students learning about youth ministry. They were a wonderful catalyst for change and helped Selina develop some exciting rural youth ministry. Will now works at Connexus Claims Solutions Limited. Peter is now training for ministry full time at Moorlands College. Vicki has just got a new job in a school in Minehead working with young people. Claire is the youth worker at her home church in Bristol.

Investing in equipping new leaders and working in the Culm Valley Mission Community

Since 2012 we have used CREATE funds to help to support Jacquie Elsdon in a post set up through the CREATE vision and hosted by Willand church. Her role included:

  • Training and equipping a growing team of people passionate about children and youth ministry across the deanery.

  • Helping Willand Church set up a Messy Church and make Sundays more family friendly.

  • Helping Uffculme church set up a TASTE café event for families and make Sundays more family friendly.

  • Strengthening church links and the Christian education programme in Uffculme, Willand and Kentisbeare schools through Christian storyclubs, events in church and lessons.

After her wedding in August she is moving to live in Wales and will be much missed.

Supporting the Squarefish Youth ministry

CREATE funds have been used to fund the Squarefish programme and enabled us to enjoy pizzas on Sundays, subsidised trips and events as needed, bought resources that have inspired young people about the Christian faith, helped with Selina’s pioneer youth ministry expenses across the deanery and supported training for leaders and network meetings whenever needed.

Supporting schools ministry and new programmes

CREATE funds inspired the Culmstock Church and Sainthill Baptist Church to work together with CREATE to fund some new Christian books in the Culm Valley Primary school Federation (Culmstock, Kentisbeare and Plymtree). The librarian (Claire Nichols) was able to purchase 78 new Christian books to share amongst the three schools! CREATE also funded a prayer spaces event in Kentisbeare primary school, Godly play resources and training and the Christmas experience resources that have been used in 3 villages.

Establishing children and youth ministry across the deanery and investing in new leaders

From Sept 2013-2014 CREATE funded Helen Williams in the Sampford Mission Community to help 6 churches develop their children’s ministry and develop closer links with their primary schools.

Helen also supported Selina running the Squarefish Youth ministry. Amazingly she managed to juggle all of this while training at Moorlands College in children, youth and families ministry.

Helen and Jacquie have worked with Selina to support and develop an ecumenical team of local Christians passionate about working with children and young people. We have strengthened our partnership work with schools and Christian communities in the area and we meet up regularly to plan and pray together.

Plans for the future

Training new leaders: Helen Williams

From September 2014 Helen will continue to be funded by CREATE for 3 hours each week to help run the Squarefish network. The Sampford Mission Community who host this post have raised the funds to support her in this coming year from September which is wonderful news!

New young leaders programme for 16-18 year olds.

Four young people from the Culm Valley Mission Community have agreed to be part of this new programme. Three posts will using CREATE funds and one will be funded by St Mary’s Uffculme.

Milo (from Willand Church), Dan (lives in Uffculme, but goes to Belmont Church) and Lily (from Uffculme Church) will help with Squarefish Sundays and Chris (from Uffculme Church) will be leading worship at St Mary’s Uffculme. Alongside their work they will be part of a discipleship training programme and CREATE funds will be used to offer them training and support.

New Christian story club network and part time posts from September 2014.

Stephanie Hicks will be supported by CREATE funds in a new partnership with Kentisbeare church who will host her post and part fund her work in Kentisbeare school offering Christian stories for the younger children and developing Kentisbeare church links with the school.

Claire Nichols will be supported by CREATE funds to run a story club in Kentisbeare school and Plymtree school and to work with Revd Judith Wright to support Christian education in Plymtree school. We hope Plymtree Church will be able to host and invest in this post in the future.

Sarah Rock Evans has taken on a voluntary post of children and family’s worker for St Mary’s Uffculme and hopes to continue to run the Uffculme school story clubs and is starting a new one at Kingwood Childcare. She will be part of the growing network which includes volunteers from Willand and the Sampford Mission Community.

Investing in children and young people and equipping the church for mission.

CREATE funds will continue to support youth ministry across the deanery through the Squarefish network and to work with rural churches to provide funding for people to get trained. CREATE funds will continue to buy resources to support children and youth ministry as needed.

I am really excited and encouraged by all that God has done through CREATE so far and by our future plans. Please keep praying for the children, families and young people in our rural churches to be inspired by the Christian faith and God’s amazing love for them!

Finally, if you know of others who might like to get involved and buy a share, make a donation or join us in prayer please do pass on this letter and encourage them to get in touch with me!

Selina

Extra information

The vision behind CREATE youth and children’s ministry

CREATE was established by Revd Selina Garner to enable new pioneer ministry with children and young people and to encourage rural churches to work together to grow God’s kingdom!

The CREATE vision is to support as many Christian communities as possible to develop the people, infrastructure and passion to serve children and young people in rural communities and schools across the deanery. We want to train Christians and support innovative programmes working with children and young people enabling them to explore the Christian faith.

We especially want to train and invest in young Christian leaders.

Selina is supported by CREATE funds, people and prayers to work with the leaders in rural churches to develop their infrastructure and vision to work with local school, children, families and young people.

Who supports CREATE youth and children’s ministry?

Last year a small group of nine families/ individuals from across the Culm Valley Mission Community gave financially to support CREATE through shares and donations.

Our number of regular supporters decreased as some people from Willand Church started to support a CREATE initiative directly through their local church which was brilliant.

The CREATE funding is a restricted fund held by Uffculme PCC.

Rev Rob, Joan, Rev Pam, Ann McClements, Jill Purser, Tony Lane, Chris Sparkes and Rev Selina have been part of the management group that make recommendations to Uffculme PCC about how the money is spent and Selina manages the ministry.

Uffculme PCC have been happy to accept all their suggestions and to support the ministry of CREATE in prayer and in practical ways wherever possible. They have offered the use of their buildings and encouraged church members to support the CREATE vision and help run events.

Although the core team may be small in number God has made so much happen through some amazing generosity and a partnership approach to mission!

Where has CREATE youth and children’s ministry developed partnerships so far?

Since starting in 2010 CREATE has supported pioneering initiatives working with twelve rural parishes in four Mission Communities in the deanery. We began in the Culm Valley Mission Community, then started working with the Sampford Team Mission Community and are now developing links with Culmstock and Plymtree. In addition Selina and the team have developed close ecumenical partnerships with other Christian communities in the area wanting to develop their ministry to children, families and young people.

Squarefish young people come from a large number of churches and find additional support and opportunities to grow in faith and be connected to the wider church by being part of the Squarefish family. We currently support young people living in rural communities that are part of Willand Anglican church, Uffculme United Reform church, Uffculme Anglican church, Rosemary Lane Chapel, Hemyock Baptist church, St Andrews Cullompton, Belmont Chapel, Halberton Methodist Church, St George’s Tiverton, Hebron Church Cullompton and one or two who have no church background. Look at www.squarefish.org.uk for more information!