Monday 29-Friday 2 October/November 07

Hello.

So it's the end of half term today and back to normal routine next week. I'll keep it short this week, here's what's happening;

Tuesday- Assembly at Parkway Middle, yr 8.

Castle Manor Christian Lunch.

Meeting at Castle Hill Middle followed by a lesson with a yr 7 class.

Thursday- Parkway Rock Solid, yrs 5 and 7.

Friday- Parkway Rock Solid, yrs 6 and 8.

This week is Halloween so please being praying for safety and understanding for the young people and children of Haverhill. Pray also for the light parties happening, the younger children's one at the Salvation Army hall and the one for young people being held at the Methodist Church.

Have a good weekend.

Monday 22-Friday 26 October 07

Hello! I trust this finds you well.

What a week, another busy one with some great things going on! we had an excellent meeting with Kat and Sophie from 'Collective' who will be doing a missions week with us, it is looking like such an exciting time ahead and it only gets more exciting the more we prepare for the week!

We also had our Annual Genral Meeting, thank you to Downslade baptist church for hosting us and thanks to all of you who came.

I trekked down to London on Tuesday for the Youth For Christ leadership Tour which provides an opportunity to catch up with what is going on in YFC and with other centres from this part of the country whilst also keeping up to date with the new initiatives and resources out there.

I came away from the day feeling really positive with what we are already achieving in Haverhill and Clare but also seeing so much potential.

I have seen many of the resources that YFC provide and if any of you want any advice or help finding resources appropriate for your church groups or any schools work you may offer please do contact me and I will be more than willing to help you where I can.

a key thing to me which came from Tuesday is the aspect of Extended schools work in Haverhill. This is an initiative set up by the government which is requiring schools to open there doors from 8am-6pm and during schools holidays. The government our encouraging faith groups to offer support to schools. This got me thinking about Haverhill and how we can offer support. I am hoping to speak to our Extended Schools Officer to ask how we can help. If anyone is particularly interested in the ideas of Extended schools and you have any gifts you feel you could offer, be in sports coaching, dance, arts or help in a general after schools club I would love to hear from you, I would love to offer more support to schools but we need help from volunteers to make this more viable!

Please pray as we see how we can offer support to schools in this area.

We have also made contact with Castle Hill Middle-praise God! And we will be meeting with them after half term to see what we can do to help them. This is a true answer to prayer and we are so excited that we are now in all of the Middle and Upper Schools!

This coming week is half term, so lots of planning and praying for the coming weeks. Please keep praying for the young people in Haverhill and district, please pray that during half term that God will stay close to them, for some being at home can be a lonely place.

Please also pray for staff that they will have time to rest, also pray for churches doing holiday clubs, pray for protection and for wisdom and that they will have great fun spreading the good news.

I hope you all have a great weekend, dare I say lets pray for our England Rugby team as they represent our nation on Saturday in the World Cup Final!!! Enjoy the match if you watch it!

Monday 15-Friday 19 October 07

Hello.

What a week, and it's not quite over. It's been a very busy week and I'm looking forward to relaxing tomorrow. Lessons went well at Clare though there was a mix up with one so I'll be back there next week to finish the last lesson.

This week is busy again, so here's what to be praying for...

Monday-We are meeting with Kat from 'Collective' the girl band coming to us in February for a mission week. This is our first meeting and we will be meeting with Parkway also.

Monday night is the HSI AGM at the Baptist Church.

Wednesday-We have a morning assembly at Westfield Primary.

Thursday-Final year 8 lesson at Clare Middle.

Friday-Rock Solid-there are many school trips away this week so we are planning on having one lunch time club rather than the two, for this week only!

Friday after school is mudflaps.

Have a great weekend and I hope to see some of you at the AGM on Monday.

Monday 8-Friday 12 October 07

Hello.

I hope you have had a good week. I'm back in the flow of things after my week away. We've had a good week with clubs and assemblies. We have delayed starting Youth Alpha at Samuel ward until after the half term holidays.

On Sunday I will be visiting Church in the Field for their morning service to shed some light on my work which will be good.

Apart from that this is how the coming week is looking-
Monday-we have our first of four year 8 lessons at Clare Middle on 'Growing Up As a Christian', I did these lessons last year so I'm looking forward to them again, this time team teaching with Diana for a couple of them.
Monday evening is our Exec meeting.

Tuesday-second lesson with the year 8's in Clare.

Thursday- I have two lessons at Clare this time without Diana as she will be running Rock Solid at Parkway whilst I'm doing the lessons.

Friday- Rock Solid at Parkway and Mudflaps in Kedington.

It will be a busy week but I'm looking forward to starting off some lessons this year. Please continue to pray for us, it is very much appreciated.

Take care, have a good weekend.

Monday 1-Friday 5 October 07

Hello!

This will just be a short one as I have just returned from the depths of Derbyshire and after a 5 hour journey in heavy traffic and rain I'm feeling pretty tired-though the week was very good, but I shall write more about that sometime next week!

Prayer requests for the things we are doing this coming week;

Tuesday-
An assembly at Parkway Middle.
Castle Manor Christian lunch, Diana is sharing her testimony.

Thursday-
An assembly at Parkway Middle.
Rock Solid at Parkway.
Samuel Ward Youth Alpha begins.

Friday-
Rock Solid at Parkway.
Mudflaps in Kedington.

Sunday-
Church visit to Church in the Field and Youth Alpha for Haverhill Methodist.

Please keep us in your prayers. Sorry for the brief blog, but I'm back with you next week so I'll be adding more!

Monday 17th-Friday 21st September 07

Hello.

Well Diana and I are preparing for lots of work ahead of us as we return back to normality!

This week is looking good with some old things continuing and new things starting. if you want any more details on any of the things we are involved in please don't hesitate to leave a comment and we'll get back to you.

Here's how the next week is shaping up...

Sunday evening- We are running a Youth Alpha with the Methodist church for 13+ in the evening. If you know of someone who would really like to come to this please get in touch with me via haverhillschoolsinitiative@gmail.com or phone 07875 485520. Youth Alpha is similar to the adult Alpha course but done with young people's culture in mind, it's fun and relevant and leaves space for lots of questions. Diana and her husband Jay, myself and my husband Simon will be running this. For more info on Youth Alpha check out http://uk.alpha.org/youth/

***Another Youth Alpha course will be starting at Samuel Ward College from Thursday October 4th from 2.45 until 3.25 meeting in the Conference room.***

Monday-I'm off to Newmarket Youth For Christ to meet with my mentor in the morning.

Tuesday-Castle Manor's Christian lunch starts back (note chnge of day), this is an opportunity to meet with other Christian staff and students, to encourage one another and discuss different things. We meet from 12.45.

Thursday-An assembly with the year 5's at Parkway Middle, and the start of Rock Solid again, meeting in the gym, year 5 & 7's.

Friday-Rock Solid at Parkway for years 6 & 8.

I will be heading for Cliff College to do a week of study later in the afternoon, please pray for safe travel.

There will be no update on the blog next Friday as I will be away, Rock Solid will continue with Diana whilst I am away.

Please pray for the work in the schools this year as we are taking on more and our diary is filling up, we appreciate all the support we recieve. Please encourage any young people you know who may also want to attend any of these activities.

Have a great weekend.

We're back!! September 2007

Hello and welcome back to the HSI blog. It's been a while but we have been resting up for the summer and recharging the batteries for the new school year!

Over the summer, other than resting and enjoying a good holiday, Diana and I have been plugging HSI out in Haverhill at the Big Day Out which was back in July on the Rec in Haverhill. It was a great day, if not a little windy. We met with lots of young people and families through playing the game 'The Price is Right' just for a bit of fun to encourage people over. Hopefully it will have raised awareness of what HSI does to both children and their parents.

This term we will have Rock Solid up and running very shortly in Parkway and will be back in Castle Manor for the Christian lunch. We hope to get CU's and Rock Solid's into other schools as well as lots of assemblies and lessons.

As well as all this I am going to be undertaking some part time study with Cliff College, I will be studying for an MA in Emerging Church so if you have any ideas and thoughts it would be great to hear some! Hopefully this will help me explore some of the ways in which we can engage young people, in a quite contrasting culture with the true concept of Church.

Well, more on what's happening week by week later, please keep us in your prayers and pray for the staff and children back at school now.

Take care.