Food for thought

I blog with a heavy heart. Last session felt like hard work. It was an important learning curve and I take heart that the best way you can learn is by having a go.

Things got complicated a couple of days before when I discovered two of my regular helpers couldn't make it. After a very restless Tuesday night, thankfully, two new people were able to help (one a parent) but neither of them knew how to work the oven (the oven has amind of its own – something to do with the way the timer works or doesn't work!?) and neither were the sort of people to take charge if the kids are getting giddy and I can't be in two places at the same time. Don't get me wrong, I am VERY grateful for their help – it couldn't have happened without them – but I think I am just reflecting back the pressure of me as the overall leader when there are new volunteers who have never been before.

I was also too ambitious in what I asked the kids to make. Hamburgers and salad. And of course I realise in hindsight, the more complicated the recipes, the longer and louder everything takes and the more paraphernalia that needs clearing/washing up after. My 3 new kids seemed to really enjoy it but that of course added to the complexity of the session. In hindsight, it all seems so obvious that I planned too much but I think my stress about volunteers made me partially blind to this.

I also learnt from this session that making napkin swans doesn't really work with paper napkins (cloth napkins with an iron works best) and that children find it hard to remember dates in their heads if they aren't next week. Fair enough. I've had a few confused parents ask about the end of term meal assuming that is was this week from what their kids told them rather than the date I announced of march 25th.

I'm very glad of the regular contact I have with the kids and their parents at the school gate. It takes the pressure off the sessions themselves to get to know people as well as the cooking. I've had lots of short but good conversations with parents about how well their kids are doing. They tell me their kids absolutely love it which is so good to hear – it makes it all worthwhile!

I do think the team/volunteers thing is an interesting issue. I've heard it said that when something is your idea, it's always difficult to get help from others. It all makes me wonder if I missed a trick at the beginning of the process by not embarking on a more consultative process that other people would feel was their idea as well. As it was, Abi the curate and I dreamt it up together. I wonder if anyone would have wanted to get involved in the dreaming stage, even if I had asked them?!?

An older lady at the church made comment that those members of the congregation who are older have served the church faithfully for many years making tea, doing flowers, washing linen, children's work etc. A lot of them feel its time for the younger ones now. Problem is there are precious few younger ones and many of them work as well as raise families.

Suddenly it all seems very bleak for small churches if they want to start something new. I realise that my club is just one stage of a much-needed longer process of engagement. If I read Singlehurst (SRK) or Lings (arches) right, ideally any further stage (or stages) has to happen while the first stage continues too (running concurrently). Suddenly, that feels like a massive amount to sustain for a small church.