CHRISTIAN OPTIONS IN SCHOOLS

Autumn Newsletter 2016

“ I saw more jellyfish than boats, and only got stung three times.” Jon Ratcliffe, on swimming the Channel to fundraise for CROPS

“ What I loved most about doing Breathe today was station 11: Jesus. I just loved hearing about Jesus and his life.” Year 9 student at Thomas Deacon

WEB www.crops.org.uk @cropsuk EMAIL [email protected] CROPS PHONE 01733 352701 crops.uk

POSTAL 68A Westgate, Peterborough, PE1 1RG CROPS is a Charity Incorporated Organisation, Registered No. 1157651 , Matt Wild s Update CROPS Director

As we start this autumn term it is so good to look back on all that we have achieved in the last academic year with excitement for the year ahead! We have had an incredible year in schools, delivering our biggest number of Yr. 6 It’s Your Move lessons and over 25 lessons of Breathe in the summer term alone. Schools work is at the heart of what we do but it has also been a special year for The Point and Letton Hall residentials, linking up many different young people that we work with in schools and in our work to unite young people across churches.

Mentoring Project Update

You may have noticed that earlier in the summer we were we have the ongoing challenge of continuing our fundraising advertising for a full time worker to join the team and develop to cover year 2 and onwards, but we believe this will come in. our mentoring project in schools. In this we took a step of faith If you would like to fundraise in any way, through sponsored with the finances and we want to thank all who have pledged events, coffee mornings, etc please contact the office. one-off or regular support for this – you are helping to make a dream become a reality. You will find further in this newsletter You may have seen at the start of September the full-page a special feature about the project. The great news for now feature in the about CROPS Trustee is that we have enough funding to cover the first year of the Jon Ratcliffe – who on 19 August swam the English Channel salary and costs and have someone (to be announced in due to fundraise for this new project! Check out the full story later course) who will be joining our team from January 2017! Yes in this newsletter on page 4 and 5.

Departures and Arrivals

I always get to the end of July and have two overwhelming emotions – excitement that the summer break is near and great sadness that another year of CROPS has passed and that I am having to say farewell to team who have given a year of their life to serve God through CROPS. This year we have said goodbye to another wonderful bunch of young adults. Firstly to Jen Crawford who has spent three years working on placement with us as part of her CYM youth work degree. Jen has made a massive contribution to the work of CROPS especially week in week out at as well as shouldering lots of planning around Letton and The Point. We wish her all the stuck into CROPS, growing in confidence Let me finally introduce Nathanael best as she now pursues the next stage and having such an impact in the lives Grenfell who has joined CROPS for a gap in her life outside Peterborough. Jen is of many children and young people we year. Nathanael finished A Levels at The currently looking at youth work posts work with. We certainly will miss them all! King’s School in the summer, and being and so please join us in praying for her as our only gapper this year will be a busy she discerns God’s will for her life. man! He has already made a fantastic start – and we are so pleased to have We also have said goodbye to our him on the team. all-star CROPS Gap Year Team in the guise of Emily Hunter, Matthew Price To all our supporters, friends and and Andrew Henry. Emily has already volunteers who continue to pray, started as a Finance Apprentice at encourage, serve, and give sacrificially through finances and time, thank you Caterpillar, Matthew is soon to start for continuing to stand with us and for his Geography degree at Bangor and being part of this ministry. Andrew is going on to study Theology at Regents Theological College (Elim). It has Yours in Christ been such a special year seeing them get Matt Wild

2 | Autumn Edition Team Updates

We always say how fast a so many experiences and term goes and how it feels opportunities during my like no time at all since our time at CROPS; mentoring, last newsletter entry, but event planning, being a I never realised how fast Letton leader, creating my 3 years at CROPS and resources, working in CYM would go. I can’t write secondary schools (and down in the short words much more) and I am I have here to express or richer for it. CROPS has share with you what a Sheila Bucknell journey this time has been been a safe place for me CROPS Administrator & for me. With my studies to grow, make mistakes, Schools Mentoring Team and my work at CROPS I learn, question, create and have grown and seen my challenge myself and I will Jen Crawford I can’t believe that we have faith strengthened in ways I always be thankful for my CYM Student come to the end of another couldn’t imagine. I have had time here. (Sep 2013 – July 2016) school year! Although I have missed some of it due to having a knee replacement, My year at CROPS is over! people. It was hard to say I am now back in the saddle, I am so thankful for the goodbye, but hopefully Praise God! It has been an opportunity to work with I will be able to come back amazing year with our team such a great team and I once or twice a term to bonding and serving so well will be sad to leave. This catch up with them. together, we will certainly term I have taken part I don’t regret taking a miss them and they have in mentoring with Jen. It GAP year with CROPS. been such a joy to work with. has been great to help It has helped me grow Matt, as ever has led us all in the young people grow in confidence and I have his usual way, with firm but in their self-confidence. grown in my faith too. gentle fun-loving leadership At the ‘Park Up’ and ‘Hot There are many experiences and he remains an inspiration Chocolate’ clubs I have that I can take away from to us all in the team. Emily Hunter built strong relationships this year that will help me in Gap Year Team 2015/16 with small groups of young years to come. I have had an amazing year working with the staff at OBA and the mentoring Well the time is here, I am help lead at The Point. It has has proved to be a great very sad to be finishing been one amazing year with inspiration to us all, with off my time at CROPS. some amazing feedback from such a great team, it will It’s been a great year for the young people concerned. be sad to say goodbye to me personally, growing Thank you to the staff for them. It has been an honour in confidence and in my their support throughout to serve alongside so many own faith. My personal this year. I look forward to great people and I’m just so another great year with highlights have been seeing thankful to Matt and CROPS CROPS (that’s if they don’t some of the young people for supporting me and pension me off!). Love and grow in their gifts and to prayers to all our supporters see them either pray out allowing me to be part of Andrew Henry and friends out there. loud for the first time or what they do. Gap Year Team 2015/16

I can scarcely believe my many great friendships and confidence in delivering final term at CROPS is had the opportunity to aid lessons and presentations. coming to a close already, so many young people on It’s always sad saying where has all of the time their individual journeys. goodbyes, though now it’s gone? However, even In particular, It’s Your time for me and the other though I am sad to be Move this term has been a gappers here at CROPS saying my farewells to fantastic opportunity not to move on too, so my everyone here at CROPS I just for helping the young prayer would be that God know I can look back upon people in their transitions would continue blessing Matthew Price the last year with great to Secondary School, but us in everything we do and Gap Year Team 2015/16 fondness, having forged also in developing my own wherever we go.

Autumn Edition | 3 Secondary Schools Mentoring Project

It’s an important time for the charity “ You’ve been a great help whilst I was as the trustees step out in faith to help reach more secondary school students in school and I will forever cherish the with this resource. Dealing face to face with children on their own turf, tackling help you gave me” important issues in their life, this project a student’s message to one of our will provide positive role models and a listening ear to hundreds of young people. mentors after they had left school We see this as a way of expressing God’s heart of love for each young person.

If you have been keeping track with this growing project you will know that in April we were advertising for a full-time member to join our team to develop our mentoring work in schools. We have also been actively fundraising for this role and they will start in January 2017! As mentioned earlier CROPS trustee Jon scheme in Peterborough schools. the very least I could do to help was to Ratcliffe set himself the challenge of Jon says: “I am so passionate about get a little wet and salty.” swimming the English channel in order the potential for this work to change Jon had always wanted to swim the to raise funds for this project CROPS. He channel and we are told that whilst he’s wanted to do something proactive to and shape the City of Peterborough’s done other challenges he was pretty raise awareness for the CROPS mentoring upcoming leaders and future generation, scared by this one. Jon told his wife Julia that he didn’t like the idea of people knowing as it would mean he would have to do it! Once he decided to fully commit he told his wife to tell as many people as possible so that he couldn’t back out! In describing the swim Jon said: “I started at midnight. It was very choppy for the first hour or two, but then I was in beautiful water. The sunrise was majestic. I saw more jellyfish than boats, and only got stung three times.” Having so many people support him and

“ Focused, one–to–one support and nurture can make all the difference to a young person” Peterborough Headteacher

4 | Autumn Edition The Story So Far: where are we at?

Whilst we know that many lives have been impacted through We want to raise confidence: encouraging those we mentor the work we have done, we have just dipped our toe into • to get passionate about their opportunities, to foster self- the mentoring space with a pilot scheme working with two belief and to challenge those things that oppose it. secondary schools based in different wards of Peterborough. In all of this we provide intervention strategies that young In the last 2 years we have provided up to 4 mentors going people can employ in situations of conflict in school or at home. into school each week mentoring between 3-5 young people Young people spend most of their formative time in school each in these schools. This has been a great start and we are and it’s often not an easy environment. We want to be the thankful for those who have helped us pilot this work; CYM consistent positive voice at just the time they are trying students on placement with us, local church youth workers to discover and establish their own identity. Help us to do like Jake Tucker with a background in mentoring, and CROPS team like Sheila – all have helped forge the way and build this for them. links with school partners. Where we want to be and how can you play your part? Our mentoring programmes use structured resources to We have a vision to develop an extensive mentor network focus on issues such as: building self-esteem, developing that sees a minimum of 2 mentors placed in each of the 15 emotional literacy, anger awareness and improving social secondary schools in the City of Peterborough. skills. We also work closely with students in gender Leading from the front: Our Lead Mentor will meet with specific group mentoring sessions to talk through tough • 5 young people each week on a cycle of termly 8-12 week issues relating to self-image, self-confidence, working on one-to-one mentoring programmes. The result will be empowerment and identifying positive role models. that 15 young people each year are impacted by up to 5 We know through our partnerships with schools that for all hours face-to-face work each week. the young people our mentors work with, that there are so Multiplying this impact: During the next 3 years we many more young people who would benefit from having a • want to build our team up to 30 Mentors and develop a CROPS mentors meet with them on a weekly basis. programme to train, resource and retain them. The aim will We believe that God has given us a vision to see a generation be that up to 450 young pupils are personally impacted transformed through mentoring. This vision is one that via our mentoring programme each year, helping raising CROPS team cannot resource alone and so is why working aspirations and further individual potential. closely with local churches to resource and build a network of mentors is central to our vision. Could you be part of our network of mentors giving a minimum of 1 hour a week to a school? We’d value a What we want to do: conversation with you about what mentoring with us means, We want to listen more: helping those we mentor to the support we provide, and how you could get involved. • become more self-aware and reflective. We want to provide more: meeting a need to engage with Could you pledge to support us each month financially to • youngsters on their “turf” and in their “environment” see this project grow? Please contact us via the CROPS office during the school day. to discuss either or just to say you are praying! “We believe that God has given us a vision to see a generation transformed through mentoring.” sponsor him for CROPS really helped him focus as he didn’t want to let anyone down. Jon as a trustee has always been passionate about the mentoring work we do and also about growing this project in other schools. The thought of many more young people being changed and impacted by the project definitely spurred him on in the swim.

“ I crawled ashore, lay in the sand, and let out a big scream.”

Autumn Edition | 5 Primary Schools Work By Rachel Jessup

At the end of a series (the new updated version) I to give to the lunch club this of New Testament Bible am also able to train up others half-term – as have Explorer lessons at Eye to join me in this fantastic fellow leaders Ruth Burt, CE Primary School I asked, opportunity. Could this be Nicki Peake, Jo Oldaker and ‘Any Questions?’ and got this you? Please e-mail me at: Fiona Kutschera. response from one of my Yr. rachel.jessup@crops. A final highlight of this squash or juice all labelled 5 (age 10) pupils: ‘Have any org.uk if you are interested in term was an assembly I was with the Fruit of the Spirit other schools enjoyed these finding out more invited to do at William and we made a fruit cocktail lessons as much as we have?’ J-Zone lunch club at William Law CE Primary School. together. The children put Great question! Law: This term we have tried Two volunteers helped me their hands up if they felt I now go into five schools to make the most of having to act out the story of Mary they needed more of that every year to give an three Gap year students and Martha and we thought quality of love, joy, peace, overview of the Old or/and by using a soap opera style about how time spent with patience, goodness, kindness, New Testament of the Bible drama of the life of Elijah Jesus changed Mary and how gentleness, faithfulness and to their Yrs. 5&6. As some each week. When the sun much Jesus wanted to spend self-control, so we prayed as schools have up to 90 children was shining we were able that time with Martha too. I poured some into the glass. in a year group, this can mean to use an outside space to As usual I learnt as much, if The joy was fizzy so bubbled that I teach over 100 children dress up, perform the drama not more, than the children! up and the patience took a every week for half a term. and play games with the We realised how worry and while to pour out… but we got Other schools have shown children who attended and stress can ruin our attitude to all nine mixed in. I poured the an interest too but I cannot on a wet play week we met the work at hand and make result into some plastic cups expand this work as I’m just in the activity hall, where 30 us cross with others and God. at the end so as they left the a volunteer Mum trying to fit children joined us to see the Time with Jesus gives us a hall several children got to the work in round school runs next exciting instalment!! I new focus and lets his love taste the refreshing result! etc. Now ‘Walk Through the have greatly appreciated the shine through. Our prayers ‘Taste and see that the Lord is Bible Ministries’ has trained extra time and help the gap at the end involved 9 bottles good, blessed is the one who me to teach OT Mini lessons year students have been able of different types of fruit takes refuge in him’. Psalm 34:8

It's Your Move

Summer term means ‘It’s Your Move’, a lesson that helps Yr. 6 children get ready for their move up to secondary school. We get them thinking through many practical aspects, but also share the message that Jesus wants to be with them as they start a new stage of life and face new challenges! Through these lessons we had the This summer, we saw our largest privilege of talking to 752 children about delivery of these lessons to date – visiting 17 Primary schools across this really significant topic. Each child Greater Peterborough, including: received a copy of the Scripture Union book It’s Your Move, an excellent resource The Beeches School • with lots to think about contained in it. William Law CE Primary • In this lesson we encouraged the Primary 12 sixth formers / university students • children to think about some of the big All Saint’s CE Primary helping run the lesson, all actively questions they might have. We were • involved in different aspects and many Highlees Primary able to talk through their answers with • sharing testimonies. As a team we Farcet CE Primary them and challenge them through • visited very different Primary schools, Winyates Primary different scenarios that may happen. • from village schools through to large St John’s Orton Goldhay CE Primary They are also given the opportunity to • city-centre schools with children from Eyrescroft Primary ask any questions they might have to different backgrounds and faiths. We • our team. Our delivery team included • Stilton CE Primary had a very positive reception from class • Werrington Primary teachers who stayed and joined in with • St Michael’s Cardea CE Primary the discussions. Our volunteer team • Welbourne Primary members consisted of former students • John Clare Primary from a wide range of Peterborough • St Augustine’s CE Primary secondary schools, and so were able to • Discovery Primary Walton answer specific questions about those Holme CE Primary schools and give a good insight about • secondary schools in general.

6 | Autumn Edition Secondary Schools Work By Matt Wild and team

Chocolate Club, and it’s been wonderful 8 red bags. These activities open up to see the persistent enthusiasm the themes, helping the students to and desire from the 20-30 students explore big questions such as death, who attend each and every week. It forgiveness, hypocrisy, purpose and is wonderful to see the young people meaning. Questions all accompanied rushing to the door, always keen to be the by audio reflections on an iPod MP3 first to arrive and then going on to enjoy player with the words of Jesus and other playing board games, the Wii, and talking scriptures as part of the audio tracks to CROPS team about their week. For for each activity. The session finishes many of the students, Hot Chocolate Club with a plenary discussion drawing the simply provides a safe, trustworthy and threads on the session and making the (occasionally) quiet environment in which connections to Christianity and where they can socialize, just be themselves and the passages come from. enjoy their lunchtime. For so many young Peterborough Regional College people such a space can often be vital to As the summer term ends, we finish get through the week. up at the Peterborough Regional College The King’s School for the academic year. We We’ve had around 20-25 regular have had a lot of fun and growth, looking attendees at our lunchtime club ‘Park at different bible passages and parables Breathe RE days Up’ this term. We asked the students to and discussing what it might mean Opportunities to take Breathe into share some of their thoughts on ‘Park in our lives. During this time we have schools for collapsed timetable days Up’ and what it means to them. They said seen some great growth in one of the just keep on growing. This summer term ‘Park Up’ is important to them because students who attends, who said we took Breathe to Thomas Deacon ‘it is like a community’, ‘it is a place to their first prayer out loud in the prayer Academy for the first time delivering come at lunch to discuss your problems room and then proceeded to pray at 15x lessons over 3 days with Yr. 7 and 9, and play games’. One person simply said The Point. It has been a great year for us and also to Stamford Welland Academy it is important because they ‘love it.’ It’s at PRC, and we pray that we would see delivering 2x lessons with Yr. 8. Both really great to get alongside them, talk growth in numbers and also schools were hugely welcoming and were to them about what’s going on in their in spiritual development as we start massively impressed by the way the lives; and support them through it as Alpha again in September. students were engaged and absorbed by well as playing games! It is such a special Nene Park Academy the activities. As always we ensure that community to be a part of! This year it has been great to take one of we have time at the end of each session We were back with ‘Morning Prayer & the gappers, Emily, with me (Jen) to the to stop the students and discuss what Praise’, a voluntary worship opportunity group mentoring at Nene Park Academy. they thought of Breathe, what stations that sees students with or without a It has had a positive impacting on the in particular got them thinking and why. Christian faith attend. It has been a girls we have been working with, to see The plenary session at Stamford was fantastic experience this term, with a positive relationship being played out probably the longest we’ve seen with more students from ‘Park Up’ choosing whilst looking at self-esteem and healthy student after student reflecting on to attend. We have presented different relationships. It has been rewarding to be what they had discovered or thought thought-provoking themes, including able to work with a number of different most deeply about. One Yr. 8 student ‘doubts’, ‘knowing our identity in Christ’ groups of girls this year (Yr. 10 & 8’s) and was moved quite profoundly by the and exploring the ancient spiritual to have the opportunity to listen to their forgiveness station and declared their discipline of ‘Examen’, thinking back fears and struggles whilst supporting resolve to live differently. They said: over the day and what God was saying them and giving them practical tools to “The Forgiveness station really helped and doing through it. We’ve used sung help strengthen their self-confidence. me today. I’ve decided I’m going to stop worship, prayers, bible readings, videos Lightbulb, our NPA Christian Union, bottling everything up inside, I’m going and reflection times to help all the has remained small but has kept its to talk to people, I’m going to live free.” students in starting their day in a loyal members. Whilst from the outside The Breathe stations really do help Christ-conscious way. Lightbulb might look like refresher students to raise spiritual questions During The King’s School Activities bars and heated games of Uno, it is that may have gone unvoiced, or been Week in July, CROPS team led 2x not short of real conversations and bottled up. Pray that we would continue workshops for 150 Yr.8 students from explorations of the Christian faith. to be able to have more opportunities the school, on two separate days over Whether our exploration looks like a to lead Breathe in order to have these at Ely Cathedral. In this gorgeous and group bible study, a video and discussion discussions and share the relevance of inspiring setting students took part or tangents that go into all sorts of the Christian faith for today. in experiencing our Breathe resource conversations, our most loved part of OBA – Hot Chocolate Club as well as our newest resource Open. Lightbulb is how our conversations This term we’ve continued going into Open is a very hands on resource with around faith are so genuine, real and Ormiston Bushfield Academy for Hot students engaging with objects from applicable to life today.

Autumn Edition | 7 Schools and Youth Work

Oundle Support ‘down time’ with plenty of time for food prepare young people going off to Prince William School Christian Union and social activities. It really has become university and is done so by a video has continued with Matt Price running this a place of journey and discovery. As lead session with breaks for discussions alongside Ben Wilson (St Peter’s Church, always, young people come to sessions all and questions. Over the four sessions Oundle), and Jason Royce (Souster Youth, in different places in their lives and faith we looked at The Start, The Culture, a new project in Oundle/Thrapston). The but nurture group has seen young people The Opportunities and The Legacy. group continued to engage students attend from both ends of the spectrum, Through the programme young not from a church background as well as which we have loved! Due to how the people are asked to think about the supporting young Christians in the school. sessions are structured the content works worries or excitements they have, the CROPS has handed over this work (and for both those exploring faith and those pressure they think they might face, Nurture group) to Ben and Jason from who have been Christians their whole who they want to be at Uni, and what September 2016. lives. We have seen all young people learn opportunities they want to make the This summer term the nurture group in from, and be challenged by one another most of. It’s a great space to voice Oundle has been a smaller number due and it has been beautiful to watch the concerns as well as discuss practical to exams and Yr.11 and 13’s finishing early, growth that has come from that. ways of avoiding potential mistakes. A but has remained a place for honest Fusion – Prep for University Life main theme through the programme is questions and explorations into what the With the end of this term bringing big how you can be a Christian at University, Christian faith is about. The sessions take change for our year 13’s we held four whilst giving advice and practical a different form each week from videos Fusion sessions for those planning to suggestions on how to navigate as a and discussions, to anonymous question go off to University in September. Christian through these years of change times, from group tasks, to reflective Fusion is a resource created to help and learning.

The Point

young people through 3 steps. They were to ask God for an object, to ask God whom that object was for, and then what God wanted to say to that person. They were then able to share the words they It has been an exciting term at The Point (LifeChurch Youthworker), Newton got for that person. (our monthly youth gathering) where Gatambia Kibiringi (Werrington Parish Please continue to pray for the young numbers are continuing to grow. This Church Youthworker) and Mike Pilavachi people who attend The Point. Pray for (Soul Survivor, via a streamed video). term we have had some great teaching the year 6 children who will be joining from our guest speakers: Hannah Silcock The highlight of the term was May where us in Year 7 that they feel welcome and (Christian Aid), Grace Lewis-Donaldson Grace was speaking. She led us in an safe to worship and encounter God when evening about hearing from God and they come to The Point. Also, pray that how God can speak to us for different the leaders will be listening to God in the people. She started by talking to us work we do through The Point. about hearing from God and then it got In August we don’t have a normal ‘Point’, even more exciting! The young people however building on Point in The Park had the opportunity to hear from God for from 2015 – we held another of these other people! Everyone got into groups outdoor Point events at Ferry Meadows for about 5 and each group was given a and had a wonderful dry-ish afternoon/ tray with objects on them. The objects evening of games, BBQ and outdoor were random and varied, such as a coin, worship seeing 70 young people from a train ticket, or a cup. Grace talked the church youth groups.

8 | Autumn Edition