Children and Young People
Children and youth are at the heart of St Andrew’s mission and our provisions for them are thriving. We aim to provide engaging, Bible-based teaching in a fun and relevant way to help our children and youth grow in faith and deepen their relationship with our Lord Jesus.
Sundays:
All children and young people start off in the church service, where we worship as a family. Many of them are involved in the worship band or other parts of the service. After a time of joint worship the children and young people move upstairs for age appropriate groups, led by fully DBS checked church members.
0-4s – A Creche manned by church members is held in the upstairs gallery. There is a viewin
g window into the church and the service is televised into the room too. There are a variety of age-appropriate toys and simple Bible-based activities. Parents are welcome to stay, or to leave their little ones with the volunteers.
Primary School age – Our primary aged children meet in the large upper room where they engage in a variety of worship, interactive and spirit-led bible teaching, prayer, craft, and games. All the sessions are Bible based and presented in a way that is relevant and engaging for the children. The volunteers work hard to get to know the children individually and encourage them to build relationships with each as well as with Jesus.
Secondary School age – Our youth meet in the chapel room upstairs, where they have Bible reading and discussion, usually following the same theme as the adult service. These are also presented in an age appropriate and relevant way and sometimes involve quizzes, games, videos or craft.
The primary and secondary groups generally follow the same reading or theme as the adult service, so that families can continue discussions at home and journey together in their faith after the service.
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Mid Week:
Toddlers – Wednesdays 9.00-10.30. St Andrew’s has a thriving toddler group that is a social hub for parents/carers and their toddlers. It is run by a committed team who are welcoming and love to see the children having fun. There is a mixture of free play, as well as craft, Bible-based stories and song time. Refreshments are available for the adults and children, and there is of course the café downstairs for afterwards!
For more info email toddlers@standrewscrawley.com .
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Secondary-school age events
The Zone is a Youth Club for 11-18 year olds on Fridays 7.30-9.30pm.
The Zone is a place to chill with old friends and make new ones. There is table tennis, archery, table football and board games, as well as outdoor games, refreshments, and music. The Zone also has trips such as Bowling, Escape Rooms, and Hikes, and these are hugely popular.
All 11-18 year olds are most welcome, regardless of background. There is no Bible teaching, but there are discussions about topics of interest or relevance to young people and the leaders bring a Christian viewpoint to these. All the leaders are Church members with a heart for the young people of Crawley. The Zone strives to help make young people the best version of themselves.
For more info email thezone@standrewscrawley.com .
New-Gen Worship – Sunday evenings, usually once or twice a month, for people aged 11-18.
We have an up-and-coming youth band for young people of secondary age. These young people get together and make a truly joyful noise praising the Lord with a growing repertoire of songs.
Plans are afoot for this to grow, just like a mustard seed, into a youth service for the teens of Crawley. Watch this space for more info!
There are a team of dedicated adults supporting the creation and development of this group, with the aim to nurture the new generation of worship leaders. For more information contact the church office.
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Special Events
From time to time the church runs special events with a focus on children, youth and families. These include Craft sessions at Easter or Christmas, and a Summer holiday club. Details of these will be posted, as they occur, on the events pages.