5 Fantastic Prayer Resources for Families

In our Children and Families Ministry we are passionate about equipping young people and their parents, guardians and families with tools to develop their relationship with God prayerfully and spiritually.

Our pastoral team and team leaders are regularly asked how best to bring prayer and worship, God’s love and Jesus’ teaching from church on Sundays into everyday life.

This is what the Orange philosophy is all about; bringing the church and the home together (If you’re brand new to the Orange philosophy, click here to read about what it is, why we have adopted it and what it means for you and our young people!).

To run alongside our latest talk series ‘Deeper’, I’ve put together some incredible resources for you and your family to use to connect with God at home.

101 Ways to Start a Conversation with God

Via Parenting for Faith

One of the ways we encourage our young people to develop their relationship with God in our Kids ministry is through Chat and Catch.

Not sure what Chat and Catch is? Read our article on it here!

There are endless things you can talk to God about in our lives, but sometimes this amount of choice can make it difficult to start the conversation!

Parenting for Faith has put together some great ideas of topics for young people to talk to God about, to catch and to receive. These ideas are great for prayerful conversations over breakfast, in the car or anywhere you might want to spend some time talking to God.

Read 101 Ways to Start a Conversation with God here

Creative Ways to Pray with your Kids

Via 24-7 Prayer

As anyone who has or has worked with children will tell you, no two kids are the same.

This rule applies to praying with our kids too!

If you want your kids to develop in their relationship with God, finding ways to pray that best suit their interests, skills and personalities is a great way to start.

I think this creative prayer article from 24-7 Prayer is a really good guide for this. It’s got some great things to think about around engaging kids in prayer, and how you can incorporate prayer into your day-to-day life in a way they can connect with. 

Read Creative Ways to Pray with your Kids here

Engaging Kids in Worship

At Sutton Vineyard we aim to create a space for Kids of all ages to feel welcome, safe and to grow in their understanding of faith and their relationship with God.

We want our Kids to feel the power of worshipping God and enjoy developing in their faith alongside friends and leaders. Engaging Kids in church can sometimes be challenging, and worship can be one of the greatest hurdles for us to navigate as leaders and parents.

To equip us to help our young people connect with God I put together an article discussing some of the challenges in engaging Kids in worship and how we can encourage participation.

Read our article on Engaging Kids in Worship here

Devotional Dippers Prayer Sticks

Making prayer fun is a really good way of encouraging our kids to connect with God, and I personally find products like these devotional prayer sticks really useful.

Prayer sticks like these normally include a theme, a verse, a question to discuss and a prayer point to encourage our young people to speak with God.

Find a time that works for you to pick a short devotional with your family. It could take as little as 5 minutes and helps you to turn your focus to God as a family.

If you’d like to give these prayer sticks a go but the cost would be a barrier, please send me an email at kids@suttonvineyard.org and we would be glad to buy a set for your family!

Devotional Dippers Prayer sticks are available here

Help! My Kid Won’t Pray!

Via Raising Prayerful Kids

Our kids might not always want to pray at the time or in the way we would like. 

It’s normal for our children to resist if they’re asked to do something they don’t feel like doing. 

This article from Raising Prayerful Kids gives some ideas of things to try if prayer feels like a struggle in your house including encouragement, perseverance and making prayer fun!

Read Help! My Kid won’t Pray! here

There are plenty of fantastic resources for families to encourage our young people in developing their relationship with God prayerfully. 

If you want to chat about any of these resources, or are keen to learn more about equipping your young people, please feel free to drop me an email at kids@suttonvineyard.org!

S.O.A.P: A Simple Way To Meditate On Scripture

Meditation is such a popular topic these days, but did you know it is also ancient and Biblical!?

In the Psalms, King David wrote, 'I meditate on your words day and night.'

Meditation, at its core, is a simple yet powerful practice. It involves focusing your thoughts and directing your concentration. And, it's a practice that anyone can engage in.

Meditating on scripture can be as simple as 4-20 minutes (or though feel free to make it longer) of intentional thought using a structure like SOAP to help you reflect and pray. SOAP stands for Scripture, Observation, Application, and Prayer. If you are familiar with the practice, it's like a condensed version of a Lectio.

Regardless of whether you are new to this or not, it has served me well as a way of helping me concentrate my thoughts and prayers in devotional time with the Lord, and it may help you, too.

Here is a quick guide to help you get started:

Scripture: 1-5 mins

Sit down in a quiet place, invite the Lord to speak to you as you settle yourself, being mindful of our ever- present Heavenly Father. Ask Him to quiet your heart and speak to you through His Holy Spirit. Plant your feet firmly on the ground, open your Bible, and read through your selected passage of scripture once very slowly. Breathe slowly while allowing yourself to linger over the words. Take your time with this process. Don't try to interpret the words; just read them and take them at face value.

Observation: 1-5 mins

Read the passage again, but this time, allow yourself to stick to a few words. Perhaps a few words will seem more important as you read. Trust the Holy Spirit to help you see deeper beyond the surface reading. What are you observing as you read? Pay attention to the words that stick out to you and take a moment to reflect on them further.

Application: 1-5 mins

Ask the Holy Spirit to help shape what you have observed in your reading into action. What have you observed that you need to put into practice? Is it a new line of thought? Is it something you need to do to live out the scripture? Is it something that you need to be mindful of throughout your day?

Prayer: 1-5 mins

Finally, turn what you have read and observed and what you need to apply and turn it into a prayer. Ask the Lord to help you enact what you have read. Ask the Holy Spirit to empower you as you walk deeper with Him. Ask Him for the things upon your heart and for His help to be mindful of the time spent with in His presence.

You may wish to keep a journal as you reflect. It's amazing what God can begin to reveal during these times, and it's important to try to capture these moments, even with a little note reminding you of anything significant that you have read.

As you practice some simple meditation on scripture, may you know Him deeper, and may you walk closer to Jesus.

Much love,

Julian

Vineyard Theology Training at Sutton Vineyard

Have you ever felt a desire to grow in your understanding of the Bible and its relevance to your everyday life? Perhaps you've considered a more formal theological education but have been discouraged by the time commitment or cost. If so, then Vineyard Theological Training could be the perfect fit for you!

What is Vineyard Theology Training?

Vineyard Theology Training is a programme offered by Vineyard Churches UK & Ireland that provides high-quality theological education in a flexible and accessible format. It’s designed for people from all backgrounds, whether you have engaged in theological study before or are exploring it for the first time. We will be running it here at Sutton Vineyard for anyone who would like to get involved!

How Does Vineyard Theological Training Work?

Vineyard Theology offers a variety of filmed modules that cover a wide range of theological topics. These modules are designed to be watched and discussed together in a learning environment where you can connect with other believers and grow together. We will be running it throughout the year, and will be asking anyone who would like to attend to sign up per 8 week module. There will be the opportunity to sign up to each module individually.

To access the content, Vineyard UK&I charge £30 per module, or £12.99 a month. There will be one video to watch prior to each session, and one for us to watch together followed by discussion together.

If you would like to get involved but this cost would be a barrier for you, please contact us. 

Vineyard Theology at Sutton Vineyard

We are excited to announce that Sutton Vineyard will be offering Vineyard Theology starting this autumn! We believe that this is a valuable resource for our church family and a great way to equip believers for ministry.

How to Get Involved!

If you are interested in expressing an interest in Vineyard Theology at Sutton Vineyard, please fill in the form below so we can shape the programme around your availability:

We are looking forward to exploring Theology deeper together! 

Be Baptised at Sutton Vineyard

On 23rd July we had the privilege of baptising two amazing members of our Sutton Vineyard church community.

To celebrate this incredible moment in their lives and the life of the church we’re reminding ourselves of the power of our latest baptism service:

If our latest baptism service has nudged you and you’re thinking of being baptised at Sutton Vineyard, we would love to explore that with you!

There are a few ways you can begin your baptism journey with us:

• Speak to Libby or Julian Arnold in person or email admin@suttonvineyard.org to be put in touch

• Talk to your small group leader about their experiences and how they can help you take your first steps on your baptism journey (if you’re not in a small group don’t worry, find information on joining one here!)

Our next Baptism service will be on 20th October 2024.

If you’re interested in being a part of our next baptism service we would to help you take your next step in your faith.

Email admin@suttonvineyard.org or talk to us on Sundays!

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Meet Claire, our new Community Pastor!

It’s such an exciting time for our community projects across Sutton and beyond.

Lighthouse is helping more and more families from across the borough access the clothing and equipment they need. Warm Welcome is bringing those people seeking fellowship and friendship together in an inclusive, welcoming space every Monday. Wendy House is welcoming young families into a space where kids can develop and have fun and parents can meet and make friends. And our connection to Sutton Community Works and Food Bank has been growing and growing.

This amazing work has meant the need for a dedicated Community Pastor to lead our community vision and work closely with our incredible volunteers has become clear.

We are so excited to announce the appointment of our first Community Pastor Claire Dowdeswell!

To celebrate we spoke to Claire about what drew her to this new role and what she’s so excited about in our church and local community.

We are deeply grateful to those who have already contributed to the Community Pastor Fund, however we are still a bit short of our fundraising goal. Although we have some reserves to support this role, we aim for it to be sustainable and long-term, given the importance of our local community.

If you haven’t yet donated to the Community Pastor Fund and would like to, you can do so on our fund giving page here.

If you would like to contribute regularly to the church to support and expand our ministries and projects, or if you wish to increase your regular giving, you can do so on our giving page.

We are incredibly grateful for your generous support, both financially and through the time many of you dedicate to serving at Sutton Vineyard. Thank you for your continued commitment and generosity.

Meet Claire, our new Community Pastor

Can you introduce yourself to us?

Hi, my name is Claire and, with my family, I've been attending Sutton Vineyard since 2012. I'm married to Jon and have 3 children Amelie, Isla and Jesse. 

Tell us something fun that most people wouldn't know about you!

I love helping people move house! Bizarre I know, but I just LOVE it! 

What led you to applying to the role of Community Pastor?

I've felt God nudging me in this direction since last September, a sense that I needed to do less of my current job and more in the community but I wasn't sure what that would look like.

I've co-led Lighthouse for a number of years and I have been really excited in the lead up to us starting Grace Advocacy at Sutton Vineyard, so I was excited to maybe do more of these things.

Over the last few months I've had people sharing pictures and prophetic words for me who had no idea what I had felt God was saying - these were so affirming and helped me to trust that I had heard God right and I just needed to be patient. I had no idea that all this would culminate in this new job, but when it was advertised I knew I had to trust and just apply. I'm so excited that God has been speaking over these last few months and where it's led to!

Why are you passionate about the community?

I LOVE serving our community and I'm really passionate that the Church can have a huge impact. I love how just a smile or a kind word can change the course of someone's day, and we see this so regularly in our community ministries. So many people in our local area are struggling in so many different ways, and as a Church just by being kind, generous and showing God's love we can make such a difference.

I want to see people's lives changed by introducing them to a loving God. 

What are you most looking forward to about starting your new role?

I'm excited that as a Church we will have have so much more time dedicated to our community ministries and I'm excited to see where God leads us next. I believe by starting Grace Advocacy we are going to see people's circumstances significantly changed and I can't wait to see the impact that will have.

I'm excited to be able to spend my working hours having an impact for the Kingdom, what a privilege!

What can people be praying about for you?

I'd really appreciate prayers for peace as I adjust to a new this new role! It feels like a really big but exciting change. And prayers of protection for our family would be great, thank you!

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Discover more from Sutton Vineyard

New talk series "Shadowed Paths & Radiant Roads: The Secrets of Joy from Philippians"

This month, we began our new series, 'Shadowed Paths & Radiant Roads: The Secretes of Joy in the Book of Philippians'.

We have a lot in common with the 1st century Philippi church, the people whom Paul writes to in Philippians.

In this series, we examine how to live out our faith and our lives with an eternal perspective. Through Philippians, we are encouraged to see the bigger picture, overcome challenges, believe the best in one another, and learn to walk in unity and joy with Christ and each other.

If ever there was a series to help you look at your eyes through Heaven's eyes, this is it. My prayer is that over the coming weeks, we will be challenged personally and as a church community to walk with a greater sense of purpose as we fix our eyes on the bigger picture.

May you live with the hope of eternity, the joy of knowing Jesus, and the excitement of rising above and overcoming the shadows that fall on your path of life.

I'd encourage you to use the Book of Philippians in your devotions and read along as we go through this series, half a chapter at a time. In doing so, may you be set on a radiant road of hope and joy.

Catch up with the series on YouTube:

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Discover more from Sutton Vineyard

What is prophecy and why does it matter?

At Sutton Vineyard, we believe in the gifts of the Holy Spirit, given to us to be used in our daily lives (1 Corinthians 12:8-10). Prophecy is just one of those gifts that we all have the opportunity to experience. But what exactly is prophecy, and why is it exciting news for each of us? I want to take some time in this post to unpack it a little bit, share some stories, and let you know about an exciting opportunity to develop more in this area of our spirituality. 

We do not believe that prophecy is reserved for a chosen few. Instead, we believe that all believers can hear from God. These messages, taking the form of words of encouragement, correction, or even glimpses into the future, are God's way of actively speaking to His people today. Imagine prophecy not as booming pronouncements from a mountaintop but as a gentle nudge, a whispered message from the Holy Spirit directly to you. It can of course come in other forms, but we usually experience nudges, prompts, words or pictures. 

The prophetic should usually encourage and edify. It is a beautiful way that God uses each of us to spur each other in our own faith journeys, as individuals and as a church family. All of us can hear from God, and as well as receiving words for others, we should also weigh up words we are given against scripture. At the heart of all we do, including the prophetic, love for one another should be at the heart.  

If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.

1 Corinthians 13:2

As we get to know God better, we learn to hear the voice of God and the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Prophecy is a gift for all, a beautiful invitation to play a part in the vibrant symphony of the Holy Spirit's work within the church. So open your heart, listen closely, and get ready to hear God's voice in you and through you.

If you would like to explore the prophetic more, we have a Prophecy Training day on Saturday 6th July, our next Development Day! We would love for you to join us - find out more here

Below are a few encouraging stories about experiences of prophecy from some people at Sutton Vineyard: 

Julie

Our small prayer group, Walk the Walk, visits churches in Sutton to pray for them; it was put on our hearts to be visible, to lay hands on the buildings and to pray that the Holy Spirit will reign in power, grow His church, blesses its leaders and that love will seep from His house into the community.  

Three of us recently visited some churches, praying for protection and to be a blessing. At one church, which we felt we should visit at the last minute, the words "unfinished project" wouldn't leave me. We were delighted to find the church was unlocked and the vicar was present. We prayed for him, his wife, and the new curate. My team members offered beautiful prophetic words, but I felt compelled to share what God had put on my heart – to deliver a message about revisiting and completing a shelved project. It felt mundane compared to the words brought by my team members, but the vicar shared that he would not normally be there on a Friday and he had only come in to revisit a project that had been shelved and to look at the finances to see if they could commence some hefty, much needed  building work, so I hope we helped with that decision!  

This showed us the power of being a team, and the power of prayer. The vicar referred to our prophetic prayers in his sermon on the Sunday, recounting “a visit by three angels". It is amazing to see how our prayers aligned with God's plan for the church.

Heather

At a recent online prayer meeting, The Fireplace, I had an amazing experience. We were in breakout rooms of three, and during our prayer time, the other women shared incredible things about me, even though they didn't know me beforehand.

The first lady said I was like a "carpet layer," weaving vibrant prayers in all directions. She said I play a key role in God's plans, praying strategically and connecting heaven's power to situations.

The second lady called me a "special fracker," meaning my prayers break ground and pave the way. She even saw my prayers as a giant web catching all the bugs, flies and nasties before they could cause harm.

How gracious of God to encourage me in my praying and with the words I get. I don’t know what happens when I give out the words I get or to the prayers I pray. But given these encouraging words from ladies who don’t know me, don’t know anything about me, It had to be the Holy Spirit, it was awesome.

Tana

Giving a Word:

I recently participated in a student weekend as part of a prophecy team. While praying for a student, the word "Thumbelina" popped into my head. It felt strange, but I trusted the feeling and shared it. The student was incredibly touched! It turned out she'd been asking God for confirmation about becoming a nursery teacher – working with little ones, just like Thumbelina. My word felt like a direct answer from God to her.

Receiving a Word:

Just a week before retiring from my 40-year career, I participated in a virtual prayer group. During the session, someone shared a powerful image with me. They saw me in a tiny, dark room with locked gates. But when you pushed them open, there was a beautiful meadow bathed in sunshine, with meadows and birdsong! It felt like God was saying I'd been feeling boxed in, but a time of newness and transformation was coming, a big open space. Sharing that I was retiring soon from a 40-year career, it felt like a clear message about a new, exciting chapter filled with freedom and light.

Two months in, I can tell you – it's true! I am experiencing this beautiful new way of life described in the picture and looking forward to continuing to move forward into all that God has in store within this new freedom.

Susanne

At a prophetic meeting, called the Fireplace, I attended, I had one word that the Lord gave me which was "tapestry", which led to the word "weaving" for a lady I was praying for. I felt that the Lord wanted her to know that He saw her and that she was weaving Gods' love in all the lives she touched and everything she did. 

He gave me Colossians 2:2, a verse about being woven together in love. The lady then showed me a basket she had woven!

Another time, I was at the theatre with my sister and brother-in-law beside me; the woman in front kept blocking my view by hunching over and straightening up. It was infuriating! But during intermission, I felt convicted when I saw her struggling with crutches! I apologised to God for being grumpy and judgmental. He nudged me to pray for her, even though it felt awkward - a stranger, in the middle of the show! I agreed, only if the opportunity arose.

Luckily (I thought), the play started right after intermission, and I thought I’d avoided needing to pray! But then, leaving the theatre, there she was, waiting by the wall. My heart thumped. It felt like God was giving me that chance. "You did promise me Susanne if the opportunity arose, you would pray for her," a voice inside me whispered. Right, I had. My sister, bless her, disappeared into the toilet just then, leaving me alone. Taking a deep breath, I approached the woman. "Would you mind if I prayed for your back?"

She readily agreed. Right there, in the crowded hallway, I placed my hands on her and prayed for healing and peace. She shared that in 15 years of attending church, no one had ever prayed for her like that. When we step out in faith and bless others, we too are blessed. She even said she'd share the story with her church family.

An Invitation to Vision, Prayer & Faith

We hope you had a wonderful time celebrating Easter. It was our joy to spend our first Easter with the Sutton Vineyard family, sharing in the most significant celebration of the year for those of us who follow Jesus.

One thing we have been finding helpful is how we live our lives in rhythms. There is a rhythm to the year's seasons, the cycles of the day and the ebbs and flows of life. There were rhythms in Jesus' day, too. In the New Testament, we see Jesus attending regular feasts, doing Passover and holding various customs.

Similarly, we have a rhythm in our church throughout the year. Alongside key celebrations like Easter, Pentecost, and Christmas, we plan our church calendar alongside academic terms. There are three terms to a year and we are about to head into the summer term after the Easter holidays.

At the start of each term, we will hold a Vision Sunday where we will reflect on what the Lord is saying to us as a church and share the direction of His leading. Our Vision Sunday this term will be on Sunday 14th April and we would love you to join us to hear what the Lord is saying to us. 

We then invite you to join us to gather in prayer at one of our Prayer Gatherings. In these gatherings, we will seek the Lord together, thank Him for all He has done and pray for all He has in store for us. These gatherings will take place on Wednesday 17th and Thursday 18th April, as well as our Family Prayer Trail on Friday 19th April. 

We will also gather at the start of each term for an evening of worship where we lay our hearts before the Lord. This will be on Saturday 27th April. 

Throughout the term, our women's and men's ministries put on various events for us to meet, be encouraged and go deeper spiritually. There are also a number of vibrant ministries that help you deepen your faith, such as our monthly Discovery prayer nights, Prophecy sessions, Powerful Conversations and SOZO.

Additionally we've introduced Development Days once a term where we look at different topics to help sharpen the gift and call of God in your life. This term's development day will be on Saturday 6th July where we have Mark Iles visiting to do some Prophetic Training. Watch out for more details coming soon! 

It's not always possible or practical to attend everything we do at Sutton Vineyard, so please don't feel the pressure to fit everything in your diary. Look at engaging in the things that will help you thrive in your faith, wherever you are on the journey with Jesus.

You can always find details on all our events on our 'Whats On' page on our website - www.suttonvineyard.org/whats-on 

We would love to encourage everyone to try and attend regularly in person on a Sunday morning and join one of our Small Groups. If you are unable to attend on a Sunday you can catch up online with all our services and talks on YouTube. 

Praying God's best for you in the next season,

Much love,

Julian and Libby.

"Alive" Preaching Series Starts Sunday 21st April

Is Jesus alive?

This is the question that we, alongside many other churches across the UK, want to ask over the coming weeks through our preaching series ‘Alive’, through our small groups and beyond!

Easter may be over, but the story doesn’t end with the Resurrection! From Sunday 21st April over 5 weeks we will be exploring the Resurrected Jesus, and unpacking more about what it means for us today that our Saviour is ALIVE! 

The Talking Jesus research suggests that 45% of people in the UK do think that Jesus is alive and that he came back to life after he died on the cross. Surprised?

We are joining with other churches across the nation to ask the question ‘Is Jesus ALIVE?’ Hope and their partners have produced a range of resources to take people on a journey as they explore the question for themselves.

On the ALIVE journey, we will meet some of the people who met the alive Jesus and whose lives were changed as a result; people like Mary who experienced love, the disciples on the road to Emmaus who had hope restored to them, Thomas who needed peace, Peter who found freedom and Paul who was given a new purpose. Many people today are looking for the same things; love, hope, peace, freedom and purpose. The ALIVE series and the resources we are using aim to build a bridge between felt-need now and what the ALIVE Jesus offers.

If you have been looking for a Sunday to invite your non-Christian friends, this would be a great time! This 5-week series and the midweek sessions in small groups will be great discussion starters for those of us who have been following Jesus for a long time, as well as those who do not yet know Him. 

There is also a book that you might be interested in purchasing alongside the series called Alive by Dave Smith. 

For families with children of primary school age, there are free downloadable Snack Sheets and I Spy Sheets that you might like to use. Why not invite friends for an after-school snack or walk and use the sheets with them? With videos to watch via, a QR code as well as things to think, chat about and do the sheets are easy and fun to share!

We hope that you will enjoy joining us on this next series, exploring the Resurrected Jesus, and the impact that has on us today!

Join us on Sundays from 10:00 for refreshments before our main service at 10:30-12:00

What is Youth Small Group?

“For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.” Matthew 18:20

To commune with God in fellowship is practically commanded of us in the Scriptures. Time and time again we see the disciples gathering together to share stories and challenge each other’s faiths. It should be no different for us in our personal journey with God and one another, including our young people. 

In 2024 we kicked off our Youth Small Group to give our young people who have dedicated their lives to God to delve deeper into the Bible and their faith.

So what’s our Youth Small Group all about, and how does it help them in their faith and everyday lives? 

What is Youth Small Group?

Much like an adult small group, our Youth Small Group is a space twice a month for our youth to gather, play a game or two and then head into a topic exploring God, christian faith or practising ministry.

In 2023 we were blessed to have so many youth being baptised, which gave us the opportunity to evaluate how we support our young people in their personal faith journeys. 

Youth Small Group has been created as a space for youth to delve deeper into their faith in a meaningful way, crucial at their development stage. We want to equip our young people with a fuller understanding of doing the Christian journey together and help shape their experience of church which will prepare them for when they are adult believers and out in God’s kingdom.

Like the wider church, there is so much power in personal invitation. This new small group gives our Youth Pastor Hannah Raden a space to invite young people ready to dive deeper together, whilst having plenty of fun along the way!

Why is togetherness so important for young people?

Young people have to process all manner of life experiences; bullying, university choices, peer pressure, exams…

Add a constant stream of information from social media, and it doesn’t make for a promising environment for faith development. 

Youth Small Group helps young people take a step back and be with real people in a real space, helping them to solidify their identity as beloved believers and to go out to every corner of society for the gospel. 

Small group offers our young people the opportunity for perspectives to be challenged and personal journey’s to be encouraged.

It allows them to grow together.

One of the fundamental values of youth work is participation.

At the core of what we do is the youth voice.

Although we have kicked started the life of the Small Group with a programme looking at creative prayer, we are really looking forward to jumping into some of the topics and books of the Bible that interest our young people. 

By letting their voices be heard, it allows young people and adults alike to hear more of the ways God is moving in our lives.

More information on Youth Small Group

Our Youth Small Group is aimed at older Youth who have been baptised, committed their lives to God or are ready to delve deeper into scripture.

For more information on Youth Small Group email Hannah Raden at hannah.raden@suttonvineyard.org or speak to us on Sunday!

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Want to help young people develop in their faith and relationship with God? Serve on the Sutton Vineyard Youth team! Email hannah.raden@suttonvineyard.org or speak to one of our team on Sunday about how you can get involved.

What are Development Days?

As a church family we believe in people development to empower new leaders across our ministries and wider community.

2024 will see the introduction of Development Days. They are designed to drive conversation across key topics and to bring through new leaders through faith and encouragement.

Contents

1. What are Development Days?

2. Why do we run Development Days?

3. Who are Development Days for?

4. When is our next Development Day? 

What are Development Days?

Development Days run once a term (3 times a year) on Saturday mornings and afternoons. With a variety of guests and in-house speakers, these 1-day special events (with lunch) take place with a combination of teaching and discussion around topics that will help you develop your self- and external leadership skills.

These dynamic sessions will cover a variety of topics that will focus on helping you self-reflect, learn new skills and create a thinking space for how you can apply them to your life. Each session will be engaging and thought-provoking, followed by a discussion, allowing you and others to discuss the material.

There will be 4 sessions delivered over a morning and afternoon, with lunch at 12:30pm and some breaks between sessions. These sessions will generate ideas around a topic, invite people to share their experiences and be challenged in our thinking and approach to serving others and God effectively.

Why do we run Development Days?

The word 'leader' puts people off, but we believe that everyone is called to lead themselves well.

We want to use these days to help people grow in their calling and competency as they seek to serve God, whether in and through our local church community, workplace, university or beyond.

You don't have to be a team or ministry leader or carry a title to come along. Each of us is called to be an influence for the Kingdom of God, and this is just one of the ways that we can explore topics to help us be equipped for growing in our abilities and continue exploring God's purpose for us as we do so. 

Who are Development Days for?

Development Days are open to everyone. But if you are responsible for others in any capacity, then these days will be of real value to you.

If you are at the helm of a team, generously contribute your time as a volunteer, or play a vital role in ministering to others, these transformative days are crafted to help grow your individual potential and strengthen us as we extend the table.

When is our next Development Day? 

Our next Development Day is on Saturday 24th February and will focus on mental health self-care.

This term we welcome Pastor and licensed Psychotherapist Justine Caswell who will guide us through the realm of mental health self-care - focusing on burnout, boundaries, anxiety, depression, and resilience.

For more information and to sign up click here

What is the Orange Philosophy?

If you wander down the Kids corridor at Sutton Vineyard Church on Sundays you will see a lot of orange.

That isn’t an accident!

Our Kids leaders wear orange because in our church we follow the Orange Philosophy. 

But what is the Orange Philosophy, what does it mean for our kids and how can it help support faith development at home?

What is the Orange Philosophy?

Take the Church and the home.

Think of the Church as yellow.

And think of the home as red.

The idea of orange philosophy is to bring together the church, represented by the colour yellow, and the home, represented by the colour red.

If you mix yellow and red, you get orange. If you combine the church and the home and if they work together, they can have a far greater impact than solely relying on one. If the purpose of both the family home and the church is to build God’s Kingdom in the hearts of our children and young people, neither one can do it without the other.

The red home

If the red home tries to raise children who know and love Jesus without the church, they miss out on a community of supportive fellow Christians, their children miss out on learning what it is to do life with other followers of Jesus and the weight and the responsibility of raising the next generation is just too much for a parent to handle.

Much of our society today tells us to keep ourselves to ourselves, to keep our problems private and to battle through parenthood alone because ‘your kids and your life aren’t my problem’.

But orange fiercely challenges that train of thought. 

Jesus fiercely challenges that train of thought. 

We were never designed to go it alone in any areas of our lives let alone parenting! If you are a friend of someone with kids, an auntie or uncle, a Kids or Youth leader, a teacher or if you work with Kids - whether or not you have your own kids, you are a vital part of those children’s lives. Without you demonstrating the love of Jesus and modelling Christianity to those children, the chance of them growing up to know and love God are slim. 

We need our village, we need our church around us.

The yellow church

On the opposite side of the red home you find the yellow church, trying to raise men and women of God without input from the home.

That doesn’t work either. 

Statistically, a child who is a regular church attender spends around 40 hours a year in church. That means our teams only have 40 hours with our kids to teach them

• what it means to be a Christian

• who Jesus is

• to guide them in knowing how to talk to God and listen to Him

• to worship with them

• to share God’s word with them

• to pray for and with them

• to introduce them to the Holy Spirit 

• to cultivate a strong relationship between them and their father in Heaven

Imagine trying to do all that with 40 hours a year. It just isn’t possible!

In contrast, the number of hours parents and carers have at home with which to influence their children is 3000. 3000 hours seems like a more reasonable time frame for those things! We fit as much as we possibly can into those 40 hours we get with kids at church but research has shown that the number 1 influence on a child’s life is their parents, carers and guardians.

As a parent, carer or guardian this may sound overwhelming, but don’t feel pressured! The church and the home are both comprised of broken, imperfect people through whom God has chosen to tell His story. We’re all going to get it wrong sometimes but if all of us at church commit to supporting families with youth and kids and if all of the families commit to taking the lead in their child’s walk with faith with our support, if we add a whole load of grace, love and divine power, we’ve got the best chance of seeing our children grow up to know and follow Jesus. 

That’s something worth putting the effort into. 

That’s what the Orange philosophy is. 

The home and the church coming together to raise the next generation of Christians. 

If you have any questions about the Orange Philosophy and how we encourage and support faith growth in our young people at Church and at home, email kids@suttonvineyard.org