The Parish Magazine July August 2022

10 The Parish Magazine - July/August 2022
the parish noticeboard — 31
St Andrew's Youth
STAY in May Half Term
In the week leading up to the Queen's Platinum Jubilee
we were able to organise a few super fun activities for the
local youth. On Monday 30 May we went Go-Karting, on
Tuesday 31 May we played a STAY versus SYNC youth club
rematch in football and on the Wednesday organised a
drop-in sports session in Charvil. To finish the week, a
few members of STAY youth club (Amelia, Sophia, Abbey,
Phoebe, Josh, Martha & Annabelle) helped prepare our
Simpson’s of Sonning scarecrow for the amazing Sonning
Scarecrow Festival (see pages 20-21).
STAY on
Friday
Numbers at STAY
on Friday have
continued to reach
a high of 62 youth
each week and the
format of open
games, sports,
jump rope, four
square volleyball,
badminton, hama beads, Xbox, pool, table tennis, cup pong,
cup stacking, baking yummy treats and the final thought,
continued throughout May. A particular highlight was
losing a game to a young person and the forfeit was to sing a
nursery rhyme! Here’s me singing ‘I’m a little teapot’.
STAY in Schools
Our successful weekly schools work continues with
mentoring and assemblies at both senior schools, plus
assemblies at the two primary schools. These have included
the themes: Jesus feeding the 5,000 and St Augustine. The
children and teenagers loved playing a 'share or steal' game
at one of the assemblies. Two volunteers each have a share
and steal card. The prize is a large bar of chocolate. They take
it in turns to convince the other that they’ll play their share
card because if they do then they both share the prize. But, if
one person plays their steal card and the other shares, then
the stealer gets the whole thing. The twist is that if both steal
then neither win anything. Out of all six assemblies only one
student played their steal card! All the others shared. The
point being that Jesus’ heart is that we share what we have,
however little, like the boy in the story in Matthew 14.
STAY Detached Project
The weekly detached project is a joy to my week. With
Mark and Ethan we have weekly conversations with
young people about exams, summer plans and how they’re
coping with life, and we’ve had parents popping along
to chat as well. We have given out lemonade and played
games such as keepy uppies, ping pong and top trumps.
STAY on
Sunday
Our group on a
Sunday has again
seen a consistent
number of about
12 young people
each time. We
continued looking
at relationships
and how we, as
Christians, behave
in relationships. In
May we looked at our relationship with humour and how we
use humour in our lives. We ended half term with a games
session which the youth loved, especially water balloon
throwing and a marshmallow stick building game!
Schools work in and around Reading:
A bunch of youth and schools workers, and chaplains, have
been meeting about our hope for the schools in Reading
and beyond. We’ve been mapping out the current provision,
noticing gaps and praying for God's help to fill them. It’s
always encouraging to meet with like minded people to chat,
reflect and pray . . . and if you have ideas or concerns related
to youth work and would like a chat, contact me, Westy, on:
youthminister@sonningparish.org.uk