Children and Youth

We will let you know here when our Children and Youth activities may resume.

We normally welcome children to all our church services, and our welcome team are happy to provide you with Activity Bags, containing age-appropriate books, etc.  During term time, children are also invited to attend Friends and Heroes during the service, and return towards the end for communion or a blessing. A new Group - Toddler Praise started in January 2020 (for pre-schoolers). See

FRIENDS AND HEROES
For younger children - will meet at 10.30am in Church on Sundays during term-time. We will walk together to the Vestry Hall for fun and games - back to church in time for communion!  Click here to email 

TODDLER PRAISE:
A new group which started this year - will meet at 9.15am in Marden Church when permitted.

All our group leaders and helpers are checked by the DBS.

Youth

JAM

'Jesus And Me'  for secondary school aged children.
Normally three Sunday evenings per month during term time, 6.00 – 7.00 pm in the Vestry Hall.
For more information: Click here to email

YOUTH CAFE
A space for any young people in Yr7 and over, to come and chill out....catch up with friends....
Free hot chocolate  - need we say more?!
Will be once a week: Friday 4.30-5.30pm in the Vestry Hall,  term time only.

For more information: Click here to email

Confirmation
Preparation for this important step is readily available, please contact Kathy

Holy Communion
Preparation for this is readily available, please contact Kathy

Charitable Giving

To help encourage the children in the habit of regularly donating to charity, we will be collecting loose change at our JAM meeting, for our chosen charity: Children in Need. Thank you for any donations of coins your youngsters make - helping to support others is important, it develops compassion and hopefully we will see over time, that even a little can make a difference.

Youth and Children’s Work

Video Conferencing during COVID-19

Safeguarding 

Marden Church had hoped to set up an on-line group to reach our JAM members and Kathy Young and Judy Noakes had started to liaise about how to set this at the commencement of the lock-down. 

Guidelines were then issued by the Church of England on the 30th March 2020 and passed on to us by the Diocese on 1st April 2020, advising that whilst this is an exciting opportunity that would not have been available ten years ago, there are potential safeguarding challenges that must be managed.  

If you wish to read the guidelines they are available here:

(the link to Guidance for dioceses and churches for the safe use of video-calling with young people can be found towards the bottom of the page). 

In the light of this information we feel that safeguarding everyone, especially our young people is of paramount importance and we will therefore be unable to proceed with this initiative.

This decision has been endorsed by our Safeguarding Officer, Gay Adam and Church Warden, Carol Walker.