I’m in Bradford and I’ve been invited to visit Church@5. I can’t find any information about it on the church website and it’s safe to say I’m intrigued so I hop along to find out more.
I walk into Church@5 at the same time as a group of lads who were hanging around outside and we’re greeted with warm smiles. Each young person is known by name and Adie, the local youth worker, asks them about important details in their lives.
“There’s a relaxed atmosphere in the room”
There’s a relaxed atmosphere in the room, some families are already sitting at tables or standing chatting to volunteers. I join the game of frog tiddlywinks on the floor in front of me and enjoy some good natured banter with my new friends as we play. Then after a few fun minutes we’re gently shepherded to a table covered in colouring sheets, pipe cleaners (for fidgeting) and some frog related word searches. The evening proceeds in the same unhurried but organised fashion. We’re never left to ourselves long enough for boredom to creep in but we don’t ever feel rushed or forced into the next activity.
Chris joins my table and tells me a little more about Church@5. He is a retired church leader and he and his wife Margaret wanted to create a space for people from the local community who might find more traditional ‘Sunday church’ hard to access. They meet every Monday evening in the church community hall and there’s always food, freshly prepared by a generous team of volunteers. Adie works for Emerge, a local youth project, and she’s the one who connects with and invites most of the young people and their families who attend.
Before we eat, the whole room is invited to stand and decide how we would rate our day on a scale of 0-10. The numbers are called out, starting with zero and we sit down when our number is reached. Everyone knows that if their day has been a 10 they will be called on to share why. I’ve had a good day but I sit down at 9 so I can see what goes on. A few remain standing, they’ve clearly had great days! 7 year old ‘Lizzy’ is celebrating because some friends played with her at school today. ‘Jack’ went to college and learned to cook curry. ‘Dylan’ is attending a Pupil Referral Unit (PRU) and he’s happy because today they went on a trip. The community enthusiastically shares their joy but you know that those who sat down at 0 or 1 will also be noticed and gently drawn alongside.
“Next it’s time to eat. We’re served a hot, healthy meal and there’s plenty of it with fruit and a pudding to follow.”
Next it’s time to eat. We’re served a hot, healthy meal and there’s plenty of it with fruit and a pudding to follow. The reason for the mysteriously frog themed games soon becomes clear as Adie stands up to deliver a short talk. She highlights the 5 values of Church@5 which are beautifully displayed on a colourful felt board next to her: Fun, Food, Family, Friends and Faith.
Today we are thinking about the word Faith and Adie leads us through a simple group discussion. Each question is displayed on the screen at the front of the room and on a large-print hand out on each table. Not everyone is sitting silently but you can tell that most are listening and engaging in the way that best suits them. The talk ends with a froggy acronym that defines faith as being Fully Reliant On God, accompanied by a printed bible verse – Isaiah 26:4 “Trust in the Lord for ever, for the Lord, the Lord himself, is the Rock eternal.”
“The talk ends with a froggy acronym that defines faith as being Fully Reliant On God (FROG).”
There’s been some debate on our table. Each week, someone is interviewed and prayed for at the end of Church@5. Dylan has convinced Adie to interview him but noone is quite sure if he’s going to answer the questions genuinely or just mess around.. there’s clearly history here! In the end he surprises us all. Most of the questions are simple: Favourite food? “Hot dogs and chilli.” If you could go anywhere, where would you go? “Morecambe.” But Adie finishes by asking how we can pray for him. Dylan asks for prayer for his transition from the PRU into his new mainstream school and also healing for his back. His friends gather around him and we pray heartfelt prayers for both.
As we finish, it’s Lizzy who takes control. She’s devised some intricate challenges for us all involving stamps and bouncy balls and the teenagers generously take part to allow her to have her moment. I speak to Lizzy’s mum, ‘Karolyn’ as we help to clear up in a sea of bouncing balls and raucous laughter. She comes to Church@5 with her family because “we tried Sunday church and it weren’t for us.” She says that in Church@5 her children can be themselves without her having to worry. Adie knew Karolyn and her mum when she was young, as a family they feel known and safe here.
“In Church@5 her children can be themselves without her having to worry.”
Throughout the evening, a name that I hear more than any other is Donald. Donald was an 85 year old volunteer who would come to Church@5 to sit and chat with the young people and regularly pray for them. Last year he was diagnosed with cancer and eventually he had to stop coming along. The day before Donald died, Jack, Dylan and ‘Tyler’ visited him, sang some Christmas carols and prayed for him. He urged them not to let his death stop them from trusting God and being part of the Church@5 family and this experience has clearly impacted them deeply. Journeying with Donald and witnessing his faith in Jesus in life and death has created deeper connections and a sense of belonging within the whole community, a beautiful legacy of a loving, faithful life.
It’s time for me to leave but not before I’m given a frog shaped chocolate to take away with me. As the room slowly empties and chairs are cleared away, the volunteers gather at the end of the session to debrief and pray. This wonderful group of people come from all walks of life including long standing members of the church family and an Iranian refugee with the warmest of smiles.
“A dedicated team of people demonstrating the love of Jesus for everyone who walks through the door.”
I’ve loved my time here. It’s inspiring to see how this small, dedicated team of people are making a huge difference to the lives of the young people and families they serve, demonstrating the love of Jesus in the way that they uniquely know and care for everyone who walks through the door. The team have clearly worked together to instill boundaries that help to create a safe space where people can be seen, accepted and given a gentle introduction to faith and genuine community.