Here in Crediton we’ve had an exciting spring term. The team has been a bit stretched, with Lewis (the curate at Holy Cross) away on a placement for several weeks, and Dave (the associate pastor at CCC) out of action for a while following surgery. But Immanuel has done sterling work in covering the various lunch-clubs and generally waving the Connect flag.
Talking of lunch-clubs, we’ve seen the Space faith group really take off this term. The group (for Y7s and Y8s) meets each week to eat lunch together, followed by a game or activity that leads into a Bible story or big question. Most weeks, we find that this in turn leads to even more questions and some very interesting conversations. Some weeks, we’ve had as many as twelve or fifteen students joining us, including Christians, those without faith, and even some with other faiths. It’s been an absolute joy to build positive relationships with these young people, and to see them growing in confidence as they explore ideas around spirituality and faith.
Even those familiar with Crediton might not know St Lawrence Chapel – it’s tucked away out of sight just off Threshers. Decades ago, there was a close link between the chapel and QE school, with assemblies happening there on a daily basis. Sadly, that’s drifted over the years. But this year, the chapel team and QE leadership decided that they’d like to start rebuilding the relationship, and Easter seemed like a good place to start. The Connect team were then invited to help plan and lead a small reflective service in the week before Easter. We were joined by 50 students from Y7, 8 and 9, plus a musical quartet, members of staff and Rev. Sandra. We heard four gospel readings telling the Easter story from Palm Sunday to the resurrection (via washing feet and the crucifixion), and finished with prayer and an Easter blessing. And one student even got to ring the chapel bell. We’re hopeful that this will be the first step towards and renewed and strengthened connection between school and chapel.
Outside of QE, Immanuel continues to be involved with CCC’s youth projects, engaging with 30-40 young people each week. He’s also launching a mentoring project that will run during the summer term.
We’d really appreciate your prayers for us as we look to the summer term. It’s traditionally a time when students begin to drift away from indoor lunch-clubs, drawn instead to the fields and the sun, so please pray that we’ll maintain a good connection with the young people at Space (and also our two lunchtime games clubs). And please pray for Immanuel, as he goes into his last term with us at QE.