2023 REPORT FROM SCHOOLS MINISTRY BILLERICAY
Firstly, a huge thank you from the staff and trustees to all our supporting churches; this work could not be done without you!
A brief run down of the current shape of SMB:
☻ 4 staff members (Sue, Hannah, Sally, Ruth), each employed part time and responsible for specific areas of the ministry ☻ The work is additionally supported by volunteers in school and charitable trustees☻ Serving 16 schools across the Billericay educational area
☻ Supporting/resourcing all ages of school life
☻ ;Office base in Burghstead Lodge (next to Billericay Library)
During the past year SMB have enjoyed
delivering all the regular ‘mainstays’ of our schools work; assemblies, lunch clubs, lessons and
mentoring (thankfully all of these are fully in person again!); alongside seasonal highlights of
harvests, amazing Christmas workshops and transition sessions for Year 6s. We have continued to
School Pastor (in relationship with Billericay Street Pastors) in the two secondary schools.
Particular highlights in the past year have been:
☻ Oour 30th anniversary celebration service at Emmanuel Church
☻ Through the Bible lessons to Year 5 & 6
☻ Approximately 580 children/staff attending a Wellbeing Prayer space hosted by SMB at Billericay Baptist Church
☻ The new ‘Live Club’ at The Billericay School launching, growing and thriving
☻ Completion of the first IF Menitoring matched relationship (and th mentee helped through some fairly choppy waters!)
We have continued to update our supporters and churches with church visits, Facebook posts, newsletters and prayer calendars, alongside Ruth’s participation in the CTB church leaders’ meetings.
The staff have been built up and refreshed through three team retreat days and various training events including topics such as play therapy, additional needs and adolescent brain development.
As we reflect on the past year we have particularly noticed God’s grace for our supportive team dynamics, continued good relationships with our schools and re establishment of some of this post-covid, and God’s constant ability to bring the ‘right’ children along to a club or relational interaction at the ‘right’ time.
We have been specially encouraged by this teacher feedback of a Year 5 & 6 NT Walk Through lesson:
Q1: What went well? Excellent subject knowledge of the presenters and the variety of presentation techniques ensured the children were engaged throughout.
Hand signs, as always, ensured the children were engaged and able to remember what they had been taught.
Opportunities for children to volunteer and be actively involved.
Q2: How could these sessions be improved? I am sorry, I can't think of anything.
The sessions were excellent.
Q3: Rating?I would rate these lessons as Excellent.”
And extracts from this letter sent by a child who attended the well-being prayer space:
“Thank you for letting us come to the church. Children across the school have deeply enjoyed this time, where children still days laterare discussing it. In addition, we would like to thank you for continuing to teach us about God and the work He does”.
And comments from a parent of an IF Mentoring mentee:
“As a mum I will say I felt a weight off my shoulders all through last year. T having a mentor has helped us both through a very tough year. Thank you and grateful”
Looking ahead particulars
☻ We will very soon be hosting many year 5 and 6s to The Life Expo at Billericay Baptist Church (in
March}. We are so looking forward to this wonderful event being in Billericay again.
☻ SMB’s own AGM is in April.
☻ Sally will be training in NT Walk-Through the Bible lesson delivery
☻ The strengthening and development of the IF mentoring project (secondary age).
Ruth Strickland
READ REPORTS TO THE 2023 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
2023 AGM Meeting Minutes
Schools Ministry Billericay (SMB)
Billericay Foodbank (BFB)
Street Pastors {SP)
Forging Men (FM)
CTB-Associated Events
Christmas Day Lunch