Back in April, children and leaders from 14 churches came together for Thrive Juniors – an afternoon of worship, teaching, games, crafts, drama and puppets, all designed to help children discover more of the awesomeness of God.
Fiona Stutton, Thrive’s Children’s Ministry Adviser, oversees Thrive Juniors each year. Here she reflects on this year’s event – and why its impact has continued long after everyone went home.
After a two-year break, it was such a joy to bring Thrive Juniors back – and it was more than worth the wait.
Fourteen churches came together with their children to worship, learn and celebrate. Alongside them were 22 amazing young people who stepped into leadership, serving in every area of the day – from welcoming families to leading worship, puppets, drama and the main talk.
Stepping out in faith
One of my biggest highlights was seeing a young leader step out in faith and discover what God could do through her.
Grace took part in Thrive’s Youth Growing Leaders course last year. Afterwards, she volunteered to give the talk at Thrive Juniors. She had never given a children’s talk before and was understandably nervous, so Thrive walked alongside her as she prepared.
On the day, she was outstanding. Grace completely captured the attention of both children and adults, sharing a clear and engaging message about the awesomeness of God.
The nerves were still there, but she trusted God, stepped out in faith and discovered the confidence to use her gifts.
What did the churches think?
The response from churches taking part was hugely encouraging:
“We took 10 of our children to the Thrive Juniors event this year, and they all had a fantastic time. It was such a joy to see so many children fully engaged in the worship, listening so attentively to the message, and enjoying the crafts, games and puppets throughout the day.
“As both a parent and a Kids Team leader, it was incredibly encouraging to see seeds of faith being planted and conversations about God continuing afterwards. We are praying that the message about the awesomeness of God as Creator – not only of the world around us, but of each of us individually – will continue to take root as parents and Kids Teams nurture and water those seeds in the weeks ahead.
“Thank you to everyone involved for creating such a welcoming, joyful and impactful event.”
Hannah Jacobs – Christ Church Leamington
Rachel Budd from Heathcote Parish Church was particularly encouraged by the number of young people involved in leading:
“It is wonderful to see so many young people involved in serving and leading, and our JC members loved spotting the youth they knew involved in drama, music, puppets and actions. Such good role models and a great opportunity for the young people themselves to learn and grow.
“Our group had a brilliant time – the pairs game worked really well for our reflective prayer time together, the crafts and games were well received and, of course, the puppets were an absolute hit.”
“Our God is an Awesome God!”
One of my favourite stories came from a parent who told us that, on the journey home, their child wound down the car window and shouted to the world: “Our God is an Awesome God!”
But perhaps the most encouraging thing happened later.
In the exhaustion and aftermath of running Thrive Juniors, it can be tempting to put it aside for another year – and even wonder whether all the hours of preparation really made a difference.
Then I went to one of Thrive’s leaders events, and Thrive Juniors was the talk of the table.
Leaders shared how their children were still talking about the awesomeness of God. Others were excited to introduce the prayer activity into their own children’s ministry, while another wanted to use the craft idea at their next event.
Two months later, the enthusiasm was still bubbling over.
More than just an afternoon
That’s when I realised that Thrive Juniors wasn’t simply a great afternoon. It had sparked something that was continuing to grow.
And that’s why Thrive goes the extra mile.
We don’t simply want to put on a fun event. We want to create opportunities for children and leaders to encounter God, for young people to grow in confidence as leaders, and for children’s leaders to be encouraged, equipped and inspired as they continue building God’s Kingdom.
Our God is an awesome God!