Busy During Lockdown
We had to “press pause” at Engage when the Covid-19 lockdown began, but not for long: it was “pause, pray, plan and prepare”!
Parents were thrown into home schooling, while teachers were finding ways to provide lessons online.
Meanwhile students felt a sense of loss of their “normal” routines and ways of living. Churches’ youth workers and children and family workers were having to work differently, as was Engage.
We couldn’t run our Christian Unions at schools and the college, or maintain our other connections with students, where we spread the good
news of the Gospel. But it led us to seek God’s will and wisdom even more as we moved forward: it was time to step up prayer!
We prayed for all the students we have connected with over 25 years, and prayed that the Word of God has been sown deep within them to help them weather this storm.
We prayed that they have the sure footing of the good news, hope and comfort of the Gospel, and that they will share this in their families.
We asked God how we can reach the groups we are no longer seeing, and how to support the school leaders. “Show me your ways, Lord, teach me your paths, guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my saviour, and my hope.” (Psalm 25:4-5)
We were led to looking at online resources for Christian Union (CU), to making more use of social media, and to online communications such as Zoom. Many exciting opportunities presented themselves. Thank you, Lord!
Our preparations are ongoing and we are planning for the new school year. Our immediate focus is:
- Preparing to deliver CU every week to students at Woking College, with continued support from Tom Garner (New Life Church) and Dave Doran (St Mary of Bethany Church).
- Having regular communication with Heads of Schools and providing prayer support.
- Delivering “Its Your Move” to Year 6 students in a new way and supporting the teachers through this.
- Looking at what assemblies will look like in September.
The youth at Woking College are enjoying our Zoom CU sessions, the discussions and prayers, and being able to spend time with each other, which has given them some normality and routine.
More students are engaging with us through social media, including many who would not normally attend a Christian group.
Meet Jana, our new primary schools worker
Engage is delighted to welcome Jana Fuller as our new Primary Schools Worker. Jana is mum to two teenage daughters and previously worked for ten years as a learning support assistant at Pirbright Village Primary School.
“I feel blessed to be able to join Engage,” she said. “I’m passionate about how we can impact children’s worlds and their thinking at the early
part of their lives. “I look forward to sharing my faith with them as well as continuing Engage’s mission of spreading the Good News at our primary schools via the well-loved drama assemblies and various clubs and activities.”
Jana said that working as a learning support assistant in a primary school will benefit her in her new role with Engage, as it gave her a deep understanding of a school’s life and has given her an ability to take on various daily challenges within school environments.
Email: jana@engagewoking.org
Prayer Prompts
Please pray for us and for the work we are doing in new ways, and also join us as we pray for children, parents, and all local education establishments.
Get Involved!
Perhaps you could become a Trustee of Engage and help shape the future of our work.
Maybe you have a heart for taking the Christian message into secondary schools or Woking College and would like to join the Engage team in running Christian Union meetings.
There are endless possibilities –just some mentioned here! Whatever your skills and gifting and the amount of time you have available, we would love to hear as we plan for the challenges of the academic year ahead!
For further information or for a chat please contact our Schools Worker Shelley Blunden on 01483 901891 or email office@engagewoking.org.