A growing number of children are receiving lunches during the school holidays provided by a ‘Places of Welcome’ network supported by churches in South Tyneside, as families feel the impact of the cost of living crisis

The number of children baptised at a London church has grown threefold after it introduced a new worshipping community for young families, using puppets and song to help tell Bible stories and talk about the Christian faith.

Around 20 children attend an after-school ‘Choir Church’ mid-week at St George-in-the-East church in Shadwell, east London, where they take part in a choral Eucharist, sing hymns, and learn Mass settings and anthems dating back hundreds of years. 

St Leonard’s Church, Scawsby, in Doncaster launched ‘Messy Church’ before lockdown and within six months, a new church community was established – which continues to thrive today. More than 80 percent of those attending did not previously come to church on Sunday. 

A music producer-turned-priest is using dance music to connect with people, spread the Christian message and attract the younger generations into church. 

More than 400 families struggling to make ends meet have been helped by a church-run project set up last year to support new parents who cannot afford essentials for their babies.

Drop-in sessions at a Church of England parish, set up to provide a ‘safe space’ for people feeling anxious or lonely in the wake of the pandemic, have proved so popular that they are being expanded to cater for demand.
 

In just a few years, a patch of once unused land in the middle of the Quarrendon estate in Aylesbury, Bucks, has been transformed into the beating heart of the community by the local church.

A weekend of night walks on the beach, survival techniques and worship around the campfire helped a group of young people from across a city switch off, connect with friends and learn more about God  
 

When Revd Danny Driver became the parish vicar at Christ the Redeemer, Barnwell, he used sport ministry to build new bridges between the church and the community.