Groups in Schools

That’s how one person described running Christian groups in schools. As the number of children and young people in contact with churches declines, then the challenge of sharing the good news of Jesus in schools becomes all the more vital.

God calls each of us to serve him full-time in whatever sphere of life we find ourselves. For Christian teachers and students this place is school. But many others also find opportunities to work in partnership with schools. Youth workers, parents, governors can all play an important part. Together God calls us to be “salt and light” in the world of education.

Voluntary Christian groups (often called Christian Unions) provide a unique opportunity to serve young people. Unlike other areas of school life such as lessons and assemblies, pupils choose to be there. That makes a big difference, whether it’s in a primary school or a secondary school, at lunchtime or after school. And of course, there is a crucial task of supporting and encouraging Christians as they seek to live out their faith in school.

Christian groups in schools can be places to study and pray, places to hear about God for the first time, places to ask questions, places to be challenged in, places to play silly games, places to sign up for holidays; they can be havens, missions or just somewhere to go when it’s raining! God uses all these opportunities - and more - to do his work through ordinary people. He uses people who are good "up front" and those who can "get alongside", building relationships with children and young people. Things learnt and experienced during school years influence us for the rest of our lives. School Christian groups are places where children and young people learn about faith, come to faith and grow in faith.

Talk and pray with others about the possibilities. Find out if anyone else is thinking the same way as you. (God often prompts others as well!)

Don’t limit yourself or God. Help may come from unexpected sources: a parent, or a teacher, a student, youth worker, governor, caretaker or member of a local church.

Groups like this only exist courtesy of the headteacher. Discuss things with them at an early stage to gain their trust and input. After all, you will need the co-operation of the school over use of rooms and facilities. You need to know about other extra-curricular activities to avoid clashes. Be well prepared, with answers to questions like: Why do it? What are you trying to achieve? Who is it for? Where will it meet? When will it meet? What will you call it? What will you be doing? Who will take overall responsibility for running it? Who will do what? What are you going to do next? Have good reasons; be able to show that there is a need and a demand. It’s vital at this stage that you develop trusting relationships with the school.

Who is this group for? Are you aiming at a particular age or year group? Think through all the implications. A primary group for year 3 will be twice as big next year. A group just for year 6 means you’ll know them for only one year. In a secondary school, starting with years 7-9 may be a good way to meet lots of non-church pupils, but how can you involve those Christians in years 12 and 13? Obviously, you can’t do everything. Better to agree on what you can do and do it well.

Remember though, although it’s a voluntary group, you are still in school, not church. You need to respect the mixed backgrounds of the pupils and not abuse the trust the school has in you.

Children and young people are individuals, but they are not independent. They are members of families who may be of another - or no - faith. It’s a good idea to ask permission for primary children to attend the group, and even in secondary schools, seeking parental approval for outings and out-of-school events is a good idea.

In primary schools, not surprisingly, the leader of the group is usually an adult. In secondary groups, though, pupils, as well as a variety of adults, often play a part in leadership. Someone needs to take the lead, or things won’t get done.

The Fish Club, Just Looking, Check it Out, YOYO, and Christian Union are just a few of the names of Christian groups in schools. There are almost as many kinds of groups as there are names, and all of them unique to their own school. But what these groups have in common is that they are providing an opportunity for children and young people to find out more about Jesus, and to grow in their Christian faith. More than that, it takes place in the place that matters, school, and alongside people who care. Now that may just be where you come in.

There’s no need to feel alone - get in touch and we’ll do our best to help. And on a local level, contact churches in your area and ask for their prayer support. They may also be able to help in other ways, providing input into the programme and finance for special events.

Scripture Union produces a range of material for all kinds of groups, and many other Scripture Union publications can be adapted for use in school. See the Resources section for more information.

See the link to our Training page.