Saints is a new worship community formed by a partnership of St George’s Edgbaston and St George’s Church of England Primary School.
Each Wednesday after school, children gather for worship, food, prayer and creative activities, making space for faith to be explored in ways that feel open, welcoming and authentic.
Led by Beth, Creative Schools Missioner at St George’s, Saints was established as part of the Church of England’s FLOURISH pilot project, which aims to create worshipping communities within existing school and college settings.
For Beth, one of the most powerful parts of the journey has been seeing the confidence and honesty of the children themselves.
“I think I’ve really seen Jesus in the prayers of our children and young people,” she says.
“We didn’t need something written down. They were perfectly capable of praying aloud. And that’s where I really saw Jesus.”
The children describe Saints as a place where they can learn about God, take part in activities, pray together and feel part of a community.
“I like the activities because there’s so many different things we could be doing each week,” one student shares.
Another adds, “I like starting prayers. People get a role each time.”
Alongside supporting children in their faith journeys, Saints has also helped St George’s build new relationships with families in the local community.
“We’ve made relationships with families that we haven’t seen before,” says Beth. “It’s been a real privilege because they’ve come through the doors of the church for the first time as a result.”
The impact of the project continued during the summer holidays through Saints Does Summer — a week-long programme hosted at the church featuring worship, prayer, crafts and hot meals provided by volunteers.
Over the course of the week, the church building became a familiar and comfortable space for the children.
“We watched the children become comfortable in church and really make the space their own,” Beth reflects.
Emma Sargeant, Growing Younger Lead at Church of England Birmingham shared more about the impact of the FLOURISH programme: “It has been a real privilege to watch Beth and her team at work, nurturing and inspiring children to become leaders of faith within their schools.
“Because of the success of our first two pilots in Edgbaston and Bentley Heath, we are excited to be launching two new FLOURISH sites this year in Erdington and Yardley Wood.
“FLOURISH is showing us what can happen when children are given the space to lead, and how powerfully God works through them. We can’t wait to share more stories that will encourage and inspire parishes as they engage with children and young people in their local schools.”
The Growing Churches video series shares stories of impact from local church communities across Birmingham and the region.