Growing presence and connection

The group had noticed kids from the local school sitting on the church wall at Tonbridge Road. There had been previous discussions about opening up the church to them and creating a welcoming space specifically for their needs. While the idea had been considered before, it had not been developed considering capacity and priorities. However, the Growing Good course offered a valuable opportunity to revisit this vision, prompting reflection on how a partnership with local schools might be built, and sparking renewed enthusiasm for volunteering and community engagement.

A participant shared “we were becoming a bit inward looking and a lot of activities were for church members so it was a good idea to be more outward looking.”

Encouraged by conversations during Growing Good, Revd Naomi Oates reached out to local schools with information about plans to start an afterschool club. A local school Chaplin responded, describing this as a real answer to prayer, and worked alongside volunteers at Tonbridge Road to shape the club’s format and organise the required sign-up forms. The Drop In was launched in September 2024 and now runs every Monday and Wednesday. It has connected with young people who had never been into the church before. The Drop In team are committed to creating a space at Tonbridge Road Methodist for these young people.

In addition, momentum has grown around another community initiative that aligned with Growing Good’s themes of presence and participation, the bi-monthly litter pick. After volunteer Linda responded to a council call for local litter-picking efforts, the team has expanded to include participants ranging from as young as 4 years old to those in their 80s. The activity has created meaningful opportunities for connection, with conversations and a shared sense of care for the church building and its grounds. Passersby have expressed their appreciation, and the team is eager to welcome more people as word of the initiative spreads. As a volunteer shared “doing things around the outside of the building shows there’s life here beyond Sunday!”

Reflecting on this experience with Growing Good the Revd Naomi Oates shared:

“Intergenerational work is part of the fabric at Tonbridge Road Methodist. Our Brigades had been running for 70 years, with generations passing through- young people who grew up, had their own children, and brought them along. Due to the pandemic, our Brigades closed. We wanted to do something for young people again, but we needed a clear vision for this. Using Growing Good as our Lent course helped us crystallise what we could offer and shape that vision.

We had noticed children sitting on the wall outside the church after school and began thinking about how we might start something inside the church to invite them in. We wrote to local schools seeking partnership, and it was the chaplain at one of them who showed real interest, helping us launch the Drop In and spread the word.

The opportunity to do something again for young people has been fantastic. We have a volunteer team who are deeply committed to this work, each bringing their own unique skills. When we launched the afterschool Drop In, it coincided with the restart of our junior church, sparked by a new family beginning to attend. Having these activities for young people, supported by our more mature volunteers, has been energising, bringing generations together in a meaningful way.

As part of growing presence in the community we also discussed the issue of litter during the Growing Good course. There was motivation to establish a litter pick as an opportunity to take care of our local area. We’ve done a number of litter picks now in our high vis with Tonbridge Methodist on the back and we’ve seen impacts already as people walking by stop to chat and thank us, it’s lovely that people take the time to do so.

I would recommend Growing Good to any church that wants to plug into the local community, understand it better, and find ways to serve. We’ve found it really helpful.”