Prayer Letter

New Term

For the first time since March CheckPoint has been back in schools! It has been amazing to be able to do both assemblies and Spotlight Clubs in the schools again.

Things have obviously been different. I am limited on what I can take into the schools, with the children not allowed to touch the things I bring in. This means I haven’t been able to use the dressing up clothes that I would so often use as part of my story telling. This has been a challenge, but I feel it has pushed me to be more creative in the way I present my assemblies and the talks at the Spotlight Clubs.

In the assemblies I usually just have one class in front of me and then it is either recorded and shown to the other classes at a later date or it is live streamed to the other classes via Zoom. In the assemblies I have been looking at the book of James. I looked at: not only listening to God’s word but putting it into practice (James 1:22),  not making some people favourites (James 2:1-9) and how are deeds show our faith (James 2:14-17).

As well as doing assemblies in schools I have also done some via Zoom from my office. These, whilst not quite as good as being in the school, do offer a chance to still be interactive with the children and ask them questions. Praise God that we have the technology to be able to do all these things!

In the Spotlight Clubs we have had reduced numbers, with the children needing to be from the same class. This has been helpful in some ways as I can tailor the club to that specific age group. We have also been without sweets, biscuits and the strawberry lace challenge. Which the children were initially disappointed about but that hasn’t stopped them really enjoying the sessions. At the clubs I have been looking at, several questions about Christianity, such as: What is a Christian? What does a Christian do? Why do Christians pray? This has given me a great opportunity to explain the Gospel and why I chose to follow Jesus in my life.

I have also been producing recorded assemblies that can be watched on YouTube. This led to one of my highlights of the half term. As I arrived at a school for an assembly the children told me they had been watching me on the ‘big screen’ earlier in the week and had done the challenge I had set as part of that particular assembly. I then asked them if they could remember the message of the assembly. One child then quoted me, pretty much word for word, the two Bible verses I had used as part of the assembly. I was amazed that they had remembered it so well and it was a great encouragement to me that even when I was just on a screen the children were taking on board the things I was saying.

I also want to take this opportunity to thank you so much for all your support during these last few months. Thank you for all your prayers and the donations you have sent it. I was incredibly humbled at the Trustees meeting last week when we came to look at the finances and saw that CheckPoint is in secure place financially, despite all the uncertainty around at the moment. Please join me in praising God for this!

Thank you again for your continued support,

​

Joe

​

November      2nd

9.30am     Bitterley, Class 3 Zoom  Assembly
10.00pm   Bitterley, Class 4 Zoom Assembly

2.50pm     Kingsland, Assembly
3.15pm     Kingsland,  Spotlight Club

3rd

3.20pm     Pembridge,  Spotlight Club

4th

9.00am   Dilwyn,  Assembly
 

5th

 3.30pm     Bodenham,  Spotlight Club

6th

10.45am   Bodenham, Assembly 

9th

9.30am     Pembridge,  Assembly

1.00pm     Bitterley, Class 2 Zoom Assembly

2.50pm     Kingsland, Assembly
3.15pm     Kingsland,  Spotlight Club

10th

8.40am     Bedstone,  Assembly

10.00am   Bishop Hooper, Assembly
3.20pm     Pembridge,  Spotlight Club

11th

9.30am   Kimbolton,  Assembly

12th

10.20am   Ashperton, Zoom  Assembly 

3.30pm     Bodenham,  Spotlight Club

13th

10.45am   Bodenham, Assembly 

16th

9.30am     Bitterley, Class 3 Zoom  Assembly
10.00pm   Bitterley, Class 4 Zoom Assembly

2.50pm     Kingsland, Assembly
3.15pm     Kingsland,  Spotlight Club

17th

3.20pm     Pembridge,  Spotlight Club

18th

9.00am   Dilwyn,  Assembly
 

19th

 3.30pm     Bodenham,  Spotlight Club

20th

10.45am   Bodenham, Assembly 

23rd

9.30am     Pembridge,  Assembly

1.00pm     Bitterley, Class 2 Zoom Assembly

2.50pm     Kingsland, Assembly
3.15pm     Kingsland,  Spotlight Club

24th

8.40am     Bedstone,  Assembly

10.00am   Bishop Hooper, Assembly
3.20pm     Pembridge,  Spotlight Club

25th

9.30am   Kimbolton,  Assembly

26th

10.20am   Ashperton, Zoom  Assembly 

3.30pm     Bodenham,  Spotlight Club

27th

30th

9.30am     Bitterley, Class 3 Zoom  Assembly
10.00pm   Bitterley, Class 4 Zoom Assembly

2.50pm     Kingsland, Assembly
3.15pm     Kingsland,  Spotlight Club

December       1st

3.20pm     Pembridge,  Spotlight Club

2nd

9.00am   Dilwyn,  Assembly
 

3rd

 3.30pm     Bodenham,  Spotlight Club

4th

10.45am   Bodenham, Assembly 

7th

1.00pm     Bitterley, Class 2 Zoom Assembly

2.50pm     Kingsland, Assembly
3.15pm     Kingsland,  Spotlight Club

8th

8.40am     Bedstone,  Assembly

10.00am   Bishop Hooper, Assembly
3.20pm     Pembridge,  Spotlight Club

9th

9.30am   Kimbolton,  Assembly

10th

10.20am   Ashperton, Zoom  Assembly 

3.30pm     Bodenham,  Spotlight Club

11th

10.45am   Bodenham, Assembly