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Bus-based prayer space for S Norfolk children

Network Norfolk has been speaking to Andy Jones of Raise Kids Work about Raise and the prayer space they put on at Wicklewood School in a double decker bus last week. 

Andy had been meeting with the staff at Wicklewood School for a few months and they put into action a plan to get hold of the Wymondham youth bus and transform it into a prayer / reflective space for the school after the staff shared concerns that they didn't really have the room to make a prayer space.

Once the bus was at the school and had been set up Andy did an assembly where he introduced the idea of prayer and communicating that everyone cares about things in different ways; then the children came in class by class and explored the 15 different stations that had been set up in the bus.

Andy JonesAndy adds “the stations including thinking about the refugee crisis and writing messages of hope and prayers to them; stress using aqua beads to calm down; letting go of hurt using fizzy tablets and a bowl of water; worries using a bubble tube to represent prayers going up to God; thankfulness using playdough and chocolate cereal; new start using the idea of planting a seed and writing on a lollypop stick about what we want to see a change in; big questions - what one question would we ask God; acts of random kindness - writing an idea of kindness or compliment on a luggage tag, and identity using a mirror and thinking about how amazing we are.”

Having schools engage in a prayer space means that children get the chance to take time out from their busy schedule to stop and think about themselves, the world around them and the people in it and God if they want to as well.

Raise Kids Work have been operating since January 2015 and works with schools, churches and Christian organisations with prayer spaces, church residential weekends, kids residential weekends, holiday clubs, schools Christmas experiences, church praise parties, school assemblies (collective worship), a family encounter and prayer space for a church prayer night, church crib service, an encounter prayer training session and all age services for a church.

In the coming months Andy has schools Easter Experiences, a church training day, praise parties, the Epic kids residential weekend, and is part of a team leading 10-11s at New Wine all part of his increasingly busy diary, and he also hopes to do more prayer spaces in schools and to use the bus again.

Andy has seen many marvellous things in the last twelve months, he adds “it has been such a privilege to see over 600 10-11s engaging with God. Amazing to present the Christmas story to so many primary school children and helping the children stop and think about the world, themselves and God through the prayer spaces.”

To contact Andy, book Raise Kids Work or just see more about this please check out the website at www.raisekidswork.org.uk


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