Monthly Family Cafe

Your name and church
Jennifer Fellows, St Paul’s, St Albans

How did you use the Parenting for Faith materials?  
As a Family Cafe- with children and parents attending the group together. The hope is that parents take away a “bite size” chunk from the Parenting for Faith course.

Why did you choose to use the sessions like this?
Many of our parents have done the Parenting for Faith course before and this format allows them to have a quick reminder of the session. It also allows them to practically outwork the tools in activities with their kids. It was also easier for single parents and parents with non-Christian partners as childcare did not have to be sorted.

What day and time did you choose and how often?
Fridays, once a month

Did you have to adapt the material to make it work for your sessions? If yes, can you tell us what you did?
Yes – I watched the videos and picked up one or two points I wanted the parents to take away. I then worked out how to present this in an “All Age” format and came up with 6 or 7 activities for families to do together.

What went well?
It gave families a chance to meet together and lots of people came (we provided a dinner on a Friday after school). It also provided reminders for people of what they’d learned before.

What didn’t go so well?
It’s lots of work to organise. Sometimes it goes horribly wrong!  You can’t go into as much depth.

Would you use the material like this again?
Yes!

Do you have any top tips for others who might want to use the sessions like this?
Not at the moment!