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
​
Diary Dates
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
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