At St John’s we firmly believe that children are not just the church of the future, they’re the church of today as well. So we try to reflect that in our 11.00am contemporary service.
Every service begins with all ages worshipping together, then, during term time, children, up to the age of 14, usually go off to their own groups to learn about the Bible in an age-appropriate way. All groups include a mix of Bible stories, games and crafts.
| Scramblers | Age 3 – end of Reception year |
| Climbers | Year 1 – 3 (primary school – 5-8 yr olds) |
| Explorers | Year 4 – 6 (primary school – 8 – 11 yr olds) |
| Challengers | Year 7-9 (secondary school – 11 – 14 yr olds) |
| Youth Group | Year 9 + |
Youth Group / SAS – School Year 9+ (age 13+)
Teenagers worship in the service with adults on a Sunday morning and then meet together on a Sunday evening from 6.30-8.00pm. There’s always Bible teaching, fun and refreshments.
Creche
For children under 3 years there is a specially designed area where they can play with toys and read books with their parents. The room has a window allowing adults to see in to the service and a speaker, which relays the sound so you can still feel a part of the service.
All Age Services
Once a month and in school holidays we have All Age Worship when the service is designed for all ages to worship together for the whole time.
Toddler Group – Midweek
Pram Club meets on a Monday morning for pre-school children and their carers.
There is time to play with the toys, do a bit of craft and have a sing song.
Safeguarding
We take safeguarding and keeping children safe, very seriously at St John’s. Every Sunday school Leader and Helper is fully CRB checked.
View our Safeguarding Policy or see the main menu for more information about Safeguarding.
Daily Bible Reading Notes for Children & Teenagers
The Sunday School leaders and helpers really miss not being able to teach the children in Sunday School due to the COVID pandemic. So we’ve listed just a few of the daily bible reading notes that are on the market, which you might like to try with your children to help them to keep reading the bible and growing in their knowledge and faith of Jesus.
There are many resources out there – but we’ve just listed a few that we know are widely available.
| Name | Age Group | Published by |
| Everyday with God | 6-8 yrs | CEF |
| Exploring the Bible 365 days | 6-12 yrs | Crossway |
| Snapshots 365 | 7-11 yrs | Scripture Union |
| XTB (Explore the Bible) | 7-11 yrs | Good Book Company |
| Discover | 11-14 yrs | Good Book Company |
| Airlock | 14-18 yrs | Scripture Union |
| Engage | 14-18 yrs | Good Book Company |
| Table Talk | whole family | Mitchell Alison |
Buy through a local Christian Bookshop
Swindon – Rainbow Bookshop
Tel: 01793 694 583 or see their Facebook page.
Highworth – Lighthouse Bookshop
Tel: 01793 763 337 Email: info@lighthousebooks.plus.com
Buy online
Here are just some of the websites through which you can buy the above bible notes:
Eden / Essential Christian – eden.co.uk
Good Book Company – thegoodbook.co.uk
ICM books Direct – icmbooksdirect.co.uk
Resources from the Bible Society
The Bible Society have also created some resources for children aged 5-11 years. They could be used either as a homeschooling RE lesson or a mini Sunday School at home.
Easter Craft
Why not try this easy Easter Craft at home – all you need is a sheet of paper!
What else can you make with a sheet of paper?
