Ministry for children in the Parish of Poplar

There are a variety of groups in the parish for children and young people

Junior Church meets during the Parish Mass at All Saints’ on Sunday. There are three groups, one for toddlers and infants, one for children up to about 10 years of age, and a group for older children.

There is also a separate group that meets for children at St Nicholas’ church during the Sunday Mass there.

Toddlers’ group meets on a Wednesday morning between 10 and 12, providing an opportunity for parents in the local area to meet, whilst their children play. Go to their page

There is also an evening group being organised for children from year 6 through to 16 years of age. This is due to be launched sometime in April – so watch this space!

We hope to make children welcome at all our services. In All Saints there is a quiet area for children to enjoy supervised play in the church itself during worship. There is also separate space in the Mark Hodson room, where the sound from the service is channelled through so that children can play and enjoy making some noise without distracting other worshippers.

Confirmation classes

Future Developments

Background work has been going on to prepare for new youth ministry in the parish since October last year. I’ve been speaking with people who have been involved in leading groups of children and young adults here in the past. Not only is there is considerable enthusiasm that the parish should start something new, but there is also energy and commitment to make something new happen.

So there is good will; what is the way forward? Youth work has been changing over recent years. It has become an increasingly specialised task, which means that youth workers are now often trained to degree level; their commitment and expertise is reflected in the kind of salaried pay that other public sector workers might enjoy. All this reflects the priority being given to promote the welfare and development of young people from the government, part of a wider shift that has taken place over the past 15 years.

Knowing how to work with young people so that they enjoy themselves, have a good time, and grow and develop into their full potential as members of the church also entails knowing how to provide a safe space. Child protection is now pursued rigorously in the church, and children’s workers need to know how to deal with reports of abuse and how to work safely with children themselves. Whilst in the past, volunteers have relied on common sense and the experience they bring, today there is the need for some kind of training so that the right things are done and are seen to be done.

These things point to the need for some expertise to draw upon in setting up a new scheme. We are fortunate in the Stepney area to have the experience of the YMCA to draw upon – experts in youth work, who also have a great deal of energy and enthusiasm to work with young people here too! The YMCA is contributing half of the money needed to deputise a youth worker to us each week for 40 weeks of the year, to train a group of volunteers in the latest youth work skills, in the legal requirements of child protection, and in an understanding of risk and safety requirements for both young people and leaders.

I’m delighted that we have a group of volunteers who are ready and willing to be involved and receive the training on offer. We had our first meeting in January, which was fun, and revealed a very creative, energetic, and very able team. After two years of hands-on training, they should be able to lead a youth ministry scheme here for many years to come! Their commitment is key – so I hope they’ll enjoy the support and encouragement of the whole parish as they engage their task, both the older volunteers, and the younger ones who’ve been waiting in the wings of the church community for a while.

Please pray for the new scheme. It is due to be launched in April, we are presently waiting on confirmation of funding from the Church Urban Fund, due in the next week or so. The next thing we need is to talk to young people and get their ideas for what they would like to do…
Father John