Unexpected youth club thriving in Gloucester

When Gloucester City deanery started a focus on finding new ways to engage with secondary aged young people, they had no idea that by the end of the year God would have given them what they needed to start a thriving and expanding youth club.

At the start of 2023, Barrie Voyce, Senior Youth Connector for the Diocese of Gloucester, visited the deanery to help them think around ways to connect with youth and teenagers in their area. Together, they hit upon the idea of ensuring that the excellent relationships the church has with primary school children were not lost as they got older. The deanery decided to prioritise being there for the Year 6s as they dealt with all the challenges of transition and ensuring that they had a safe space to meet with their friends.

Inspired by this idea, the Revd Rachel Beck, Vicar of Gloucester St George’s Tuffley, paid particular attention to a couple of Year 6 children who came along to their church’s family drop-in and attended the summer holiday club.

Led by Laine Lewis, ordinand on placement, the church invited them back for games, chat and doughnuts on Monday evenings in September. The initial plan was to trial a group for four weeks, chat to the three or four children they’d invited and see if there was an appetite to meet more often going forward.

Barrie says, “What started out as a simple conversation with the deanery about connecting with teens in our parishes has grown into something much bigger. Showing these young people that the church cares about them and wants to provide for their needs has seen the group of young people grow and grow! It’s fascinating to see how God has worked through the personal invitation given to these children to speak to ever-growing numbers of young people.”

Every week, more and more 11–14-year-olds turned up – the original group inviting their friends and those inviting more. For an hour each Monday evening, the church hall is full of youth playing games, making things and chatting to the encouraged, if slightly surprised, volunteers.

Rachel says, “We’ve accidentally started a youth group! We are full of praise and thanksgiving to God for this, of course, and are very excited by it, whilst also having a few challenges and questions about how to sustain it and help the young people as they develop in faith.”

Barrie popped along to visit at the beginning of December, to meet the team and young people as they think about next steps.

Three of the young people from the club explain why it is so popular.

Barrie says, “It’s so exciting to see this group developing, and to hear the enthusiasm of the team. This is a safe space for the youth to come, where they can be themselves and know that there’s always someone here to listen.”