Fiona Stutton joined the Thrive team in May and we are enjoying getting to know her. She has been busy getting to know local churches across the region. Perhaps you’ve met her already!
In case you haven’t, we put to her ten questions to help us dig deeper into what makes Fiona tick!
1. So who are you and where are you from?
I’m Fiona and originally from the Medway towns in Kent.
2. What brings you to Thrive?
My contract from my previous role as children’s and families worker was coming to an end. I was praying about my future and had a strong desire to come out of working for a specific church and wanted to support a wider area of churches. I also wanted to move into the Midlands area to be closer to my mum. I prayed for a miracle (this ideal job!), never having heard of Thrive before. The following Sunday, my mum went to her local church and a trustee from Thrive was visiting, sharing the role of this new job! And to cut a long story short, here I am. God really does answer prayer, provides, and has your future marked out in His hands.
3. What experiences of Children’s Ministry do you have?
I have worked with the Family Trust, a Christian charity that focuses on schools work, taking assemblies, running lunch time and after school clubs, R.E. lessons and summer camps.
I have lived in South Africa working at a children’s ministry training centre and involved in outreach missions in local townships.
I was a children’s worker for a church in Ross and Wye and have recently moved from Radlett where I was the children and families worker.
In all the areas where I have lived and worked, I have set up puppet teams, to perform in all age worship, holiday clubs and schools.
4. What keeps you going in ministry?
Cups of coffee and chocolate! Working in the ministry can present many challenges, but I focus on God, put my trust in Him and am encouraged and motivated to continue sharing the good news. Seeing the fruits of your work is such an encouragement. It’s so rewarding to be serving such an awesome God.
5. What do you love about working with children?
I love telling Bible stories to children who have never had the opportunity to hear them before. I love to see children come to know Jesus and grow in their relationship with Him. And I love chatting to inquisitive children, particularly when they ask really interesting questions about faith. You can learn so much from children, it’s really great to spend quality time with them, not just teaching them, but listening to them! I also love to see children taking part in worship.
6. How are you settling into the area?
I’m settling in well, but still trying to get my head around the Coventry ring road!
7. What do you hope to do as Thrive’s Children’s Ministry Adviser?
I hope to build up good relationships with churches: helping, supporting and encouraging their children’s ministries, equipping and training their volunteers and seeing children’s work Thrive!
I hope to set up support groups (hubs) for all volunteers to be a part of.
8. What do you see as some of the challenges facing churches with regard to children’s ministry?
There are many challenges that churches face. Here are just a few of them: having very few children at church, working with such a vast age range, not having enough volunteers to help, lack of time to prepare a programme and not having confidence in leading groups.
If your church faces any of these issues or any others, I would love to meet up with you to see how we can work together to find solutions and enhance your children’s ministry.
9. How do you like to relax?
I enjoy the outdoors and love to walk. I like cycling but not a fan of hills! I love to watch films and quite like to do cross stitch.
10. What can we pray for you in these first few months?
Please can you pray for :-
- The building of relationships with churches
- more contacts with new churches to thrive
- for the new volunteers network group to be up and running in the autumn
- Financially that God will provide
If you would like to get in touch with Fiona, you can send her an email or contact her via our contact page on the website.