Oakleigh Kids & Youth 

We believe that our children and young people are not just the church of tomorrow, they are a vital part of the church of today. We aim to help all children and young people, whatever age, to develop in their spiritual lives and grow into a close relationship with the Lord. We pray for them all to become fully devoted followers of Christ knowing how to share his love through words and actions amongst their peers.

We love having families worship with us and really do not mind the gentle noise of worshipping children.

Sundays Mornings

At Oakleigh Community Church we want to offer children and young people a great time on Sunday mornings. We hope that we will help every child or young person to grow in a relationship with Jesus and to have good friends of all ages. We use small groups where the leaders and children can develop trust and openness – and have fun together!

We also aim to involve children and young people fully in the life and ministry of the church, recognising that we all learn from each other. In all our groups we welcome and include children with special needs.

All the children and young people start in the main service for a time of worship together as a church family.
We then pray for the groups before the children and young people leave to join the following groups:-

Mini Church (0 – 6 yrs old) - meets weekly- parents stay for the beginning of the session
Mini Church is about enabling the children to get to know Jesus for themselves in a safe and fun environment. We start with the parents staying in the group and spending time together chatting about the week, sharing a Bible story, discussing what we can learn from it and praying. After the parents have left we often make something to take home and have a chance to enjoy free play.

Kids Church (Year 2 to Year 6) - meets weekly
Kids Church is all about finding out more about the love God has for us, making friends and having fun together. We usually read the Bible, pray, do a craft and play a game. We also share with each other about our week and what is happening in our lives.

Youth Church (Year 7 to Year 9) - meets weekly
At Youth Church we meet for friendship and to grow in our love and relationship with Jesus and offer support and encouragement to each other in our Christian faith. We have a mixture of discussion about a passage from the Bible and activities to encourage each other on our walk with Jesus. We also have some social events during the year.
 
Youth Plus (Year 10 to Year 13)- meets fortnightly
Youth Plus aims is to nurture and inspire Christian faith in our young people. We aim to do this by providing a safe environment in which members can comfortably explore their faith. The young people often suggest the topic to be discussed and look to the Bible to help them understand the Christian viewpoint. This group also provides a chance to develop friendships and enjoy food together - usually a Macdonalds meal!!
 

The Practical Bits

Parents of new children will need to go with their child at the start of their first session to complete a registration form and meet the leader of the group.
All our leaders and helpers have been DBS checked by the Diocese of London and completed the necessary safeguarding training. Our leaders for each session will also be wearing either a red Mini-Church t-shirt, a blue Kids Church t-shirt or a green Youth Church t-shirt. Youth Plus leaders will have a lanyard on.

Other Opportunities for Families

All-Age Services - usually once a term the Oakleigh Family will worship together. These services offer a variety of ways to meet with God through songs, Bible stories, games, drama, quizzes and creative prayer. We recognise that we all have lots to learn from and give to each other as we grow in faith.
We try to include young people and children in leading a part or all of these services to enable them to grow as Christian young leaders.
 
Children’s One Day Holiday Clubs - at different times in the year we run one-day holiday clubs for Primary School age children. These are open to church members and children from our local primary schools. The day is based around a Bible story which is explored through songs, videos, games and crafts. They are lots of fun and growing in popularity.