Imagine for a moment if you will, you arrive at a church with your toddler, child or young person. How welcome are you made to feel as you enter the church? I hope you are greeted with a smile and made to feel comfortable.
Are you given the information that you may need, such as there is a crèche, or nappy changing facilities? Are you told that there is a junior church that would welcome your child should they wish to join in, or may be a active youth group on a Sunday morning for your teenager? It might held them to realise that they are not the only teenager who comes to church on a Sunday morning.
That is one small aspect of the Child Friendly Church Award. If your church has children and young people engaging within it, why not find out more? There is an easy-to-complete application form, and you do not have to answer "yes" to all the questions to receive the award.
The award itself is a National Ecumenical Church Award which began in the diocese of Liverpool, and has been taken up by the Methodist and the United Reformed Churches as well.
I am delighted to say we have two churches within the synod that have gone through the process and received their award: St Andrew's Monkseaton and St John’s Kingston Park - the first Local Ecumenical Partnership and the first church within the Anglican Diocese to obtain this. I am led to believe other churches are now hot on their heels, and I look forward to celebrating with them.
If you think your church could be next, then why not contact me?
Hannah Middleton
Synod Children's Officer