Date: 25 August 2022
We are committed to a vision of ‘Transforming Church, Transforming Lives’ across our diocese. This is focused on three key areas – Growing disciples, Growing diversity and Growing community. There are already many great examples of our parishes and schools working in these areas, and over the next few weeks we are proud to share some of those stories with you.
Lego is St Mary’s Thorpe’s trump trick in attracting many more families to use church.
“At the end of the COVID lockdown we needed to do something to bring families and children together for a time of prayer, worship and bible study that would be a little different,’ says Father Damian Harrison-Miles, vicar of St Mary’s.
So the church created Lego Club. Once a month families come, they have their own table, a pot of lego or they bring their own. The meeting hears a bible story, sings a song and then they make a lego creation based on the afternoon’s theme. After admiring everyone efforts the club ends with food chosen by the children attending. “Next time its peas and chips. Just peas and chips,” says Damian. “It’s their choice.”
Lego Club was intended initially for St Mary’s church family. But over the months the church has welcomed families who have had nothing to do with the church before. Damian thinks this is, “Because they come as a family to share in the experience. And that’s what we’re really trying to do, grow the family ministry of our church in a new way.”
Lego club is a great example of one of the Diocese’s key themes, Growing Community, which Damian hopes will play into another, Growing Disciples.
“We hope we can encourage new people to discover something new about Jesus Christ and that a seed of faith may them be sown in their lives. Be it the parents or the children themselves,” he says.
To find out more about our vision, visit our Transforming Church Transforming Lives page or check out our Transforming Church Transforming Lives playlist on YouTube, which also includes a video interview with Damian.