Sam shares about delivering assemblies to hundreds of young people in Birchwood…
I was privileged to be invited to deliver two assemblies in Birchwood, one to Year 7 on ‘The Power of Words’ and one to Year 8 on our ‘Spiritual Side’ and taking care of our mental health, as part of Mental Health Awareness Week.
It is a great blessing to us at Youth for Christ to be given the opportunity to serve schools through their assemblies and ‘collective worship’ program, and not one that we take for granted, but I have been constantly surprised over the past 5 years by the opportunities we’ve had as a team within the high schools we serve, and even more surprised by how God has used these opportunities for his glory.
It’s no secret that a lack of funding for education has meant schools have felt the economic strain over the past few years, and are finding it harder and harder to balance the books and meet the needs of all of their students, but this gives churches and Christian organisations like ours a great opportunity to show Jesus’ love by serving the schools in our communities, whether that’s by volunteering some time to help out with what they are already doing, or suggesting practical ways that we as Christians can proactively engage with our schools and serve both the staff and the students.
Take a bit of time to pray this week and ask God how he might want to use you, and your church, to serve schools in your community, and you may well be surprised at the opportunities he gives you!
-Sam, Birchwood worker