Earlier this year the Church of England launched a new network of 40 worshipping communities. The new FLOURISH network will establish partnerships between schools or Further Education colleges and their local churches, aiming to engage a large number of children, young people, and their families. In Bath and Wells, we were successful in securing funding to launch some FLOURISH worshiping communities on in St Mark’s Church of England Secondary School in, Bath, one across the Lighthouse Multi-Academy Trust and one at Combe Down Church of England Primary School, Bath.
Combe Down Church of England Primary School have got off to a flying start! So far, the project has used its funds to purchase a gazebo which has been pitched in various locations around the school playgrounds. The children voted for the name of the tent and chose: “The Sanctuary”. I have tried to open the sanctuary as often as possible at break/lunch and before and after school times. It has been a joyful place to be, and the children have used pebbles, drawn on cardboard and used blackboards and magnetic words to create prayers and pictures for God.
The school are using some of their land to create a prayer garden, which will include a shed that the school are hoping can become their Godly Playhouse.
The FLOURISH lead, Claire Morrish is in the process of identifying families, children and staff who are interested in helping to lead some worship gatherings, with the aim of starting these at the beginning of 2025.