Jane Smith - part time Family and Children's Worker for the Covenanting Churches

from the September 2008 Parish magazine
Family and Children's Worker: Leatherhead Covenanting Churches, Anglican, Methodist and United Reformed, Leatherhead Parish have joined in appointing a part time Family and Children's Worker for two days a week. She is Jane Smith, already known to many in Leatherhead through her leadership in the churches Annual Holiday Club. Jane will be managed by a small team drawn from all three sponsoring Churches. Her role will complement the work already being done by Jay Bristow and the Leatherhead Youth Project at the BFree Cafe.

The Family and Children's Worker's main responsibilities will be: to build and develop further the Churches' relationship with our Church School, Leatherhead Trinity; todevelop a programme of ecumenical family friendly Church life complementing what the Churches already offer-, and to review and recommend for change what is already on offer through the Churches for families and younger children. We wish Jane every success in this new role.
David Eaton

from the October 2008 Parish magazine
From your Family and Children's Worker I hope most people have now heard that I have been appointed as a part time Family and Children's Worker for the Covenanting Churches: Leatherhead Methodist, St Mary and St Nicholas Parish Church and Christ Church (UR). I am grateful for the many expressions of support I have received and am looking forward to an exciting challenge.

Over the next few weeks I hope to speak to as many people as possible who are already doing children's work in the churches and wider community, to identify how my time would best be spent. I have no intention of reinventing the wheel!

There are two main "mission" elements to the post. First of all, there are a great many families who are involved in activities on the fringes of our churches, such as the toddler groups, Holiday Club and uniformed organisations. I'd like to explore ways in which we could make it easy for them and their children to have a deeper experience of church in its widest sense.

I will also be spending some of my time developing our churches'relationship with Leatherhead Trinity School. In partnership with the school management, I'm hoping to identify creative ways in which the churches and school can work together. This is not about imposing our beliefs on anyone, but offering children a positive example of the way that Christians live their lives and supporting them as they explore matters of faith and belief for themselves.

I will try and use the church magazines nes to keep people informed about my work. Much of it will be out in the community, notnecessarily on Sunday mornings.

Please be reassured that things are happening even if you can't see them! And if you have ideas, comments or suggestions, don't hesitate to get in touch. You can reach me at the LMC office, 01372 362145. J Smith