It’s not all quiet on the Weston front!

Holy Trinity was about to close its two children’s clubs when a sudden influx of youngsters reignited them. Reuben Obery explains.

“Our Messy Church had declined so much we were about to shut it, then all of a sudden it just exploded!” says Reuben Obery. “We got all these new people – mostly non-church folk – coming together as big family units of mums, dads, grandparents and kids, and lots of kids with special needs too.”

Reuben helps head up the kids work at Holy Trinity Church in Weston-super-Mare. He is describing how an influx of local families has reignited a ministry which launched in 2017 but had seen numbers fall after a strong start.

He attributes much of its resurgence to getting the message about it out on social media. “Facebook groups were definitely the biggest driver and I’d recommend any other churches to use them if they want to do outreach,” he says. “We pushed Messy Church in community groups and groups for mums on there and it worked.”

With Messy Church thriving again, Reuben is now devising ways to build on its growth. “Over the next 12 months we’ll be running it every month. I’m building a small leadership team too that will help take it to the next level,” he says. “They will plan themes, crafts and roles for the next year. We’re looking into providing training too that will better equip our volunteers to help kids with additional needs.”

It’s a similar story at the church’s weekly kids club, Glow. Numbers at the club for local primary-aged children had dropped to three or four church kids and Reuben was questioning its future.

“It wasn’t working and we were going to shut it, then last summer new kids started coming and in the space of four months we began getting an average of 15 each week. Initially we drove it among our church kids, but they are now bringing their non-Christian friends, then these kids are inviting their friends too, so it’s grown organically.”

As numbers have been building at both clubs, their leaders have been sharing the gospel through their various activities. Reuben was thrilled last summer when at a Glow holiday club he had the chance to lead a boy to faith.

“We were having a chat and I asked him what his favourite club was. I was expecting him to say something like Scouts but he said Glow. I asked him what he believed about Jesus. He said he knew there was a God so I explained the gospel and asked him if he’d like to accept Jesus as his Lord and Saviour. As the music was blaring and the kids were dancing around, he said yes and I led him to Jesus.”

“We’re putting these clubs on because our focus as a church is families, kids and youth, and our heart is for the kids in these groups. When I see fruit like this coming from all the hard work, it’s such a highlight.”

This article first appeared in Direction Magazine. For further details, please click here.