Anthony Narain, Impact Team Leader for Central England, explains the journey he has been on in launching a new Urban Saints Group in a local school.
A local town’s Christian Schools Work Trust was running an Easter event for primary school children where I was helping, and I approached one of the teachers there, thinking that if she was open to coming to a Christian event, then they might be interested in us going into their school. As we chatted, I realised we already had a connection as I play cricket with her husband and son! She agreed to setting up a meeting where I could come in and explain to her head teacher what Urban Saints has to offer them.
It turned out that the Head had served as a Shine Angel on an Urban Saints residential for a few years so the connection had been sown back in 2014! She agreed that we could come in and work with the pupils who were particularly struggling and needed extra love and encouragement. I emailed the churches in the area and told them about the opportunity to work in this school. A couple of volunteers came forward and we took them through Urban Saints Safer Recruitment and training. The Group was launched a few weeks before the first lockdown.
Over lockdown we kept in touch with the school by asking for prayers requests and taking in care packages for the teachers. The school responding by saying we were the only organisation who reached out to them during lockdown. They said they really appreciate what we did for them and they have no doubt we will do even more for their pupils.
The Group relaunched last November with six Leaders going in over lunchtime once a week. Since then, we have worked with over 70 children aged 8-11 (Year 4-6). We catch up with them over lunch, play games and do craft which links into a Christian theme where we can share the gospel. We are hoping the next step for this Group is to get the young people to attend a youth group of one of the local churches, or another Urban Saints Group outside of school.
Some comments from the children:
“This is the highlight of my week”
“I look forward to coming to the Group because I make new friends”
“I only have darkness inside of me”
- This comment is sad, but we can help him see that’s not true and give him confidence.
In another school, we run a discipleship Group called Thrive which has about 15-25 young people attending weekly who choose to come along to chat and discuss what Christians believe. For me, one highlight is a young girl who comes along to Thrive on her own. She always says she is an atheist, and she doesn’t believe in any God, but I believe God is at work in her life and He keeps drawing her close as she attends each week.
Urban Saints: Sowing into Schools
