Whilst UK children may ‘learn’ about Christianity in school as just one of many religions, few hear about Jesus in a way they can understand and respond to. Many families are indifferent to church, or come from other faith backgrounds and least-reached people groups. It’s a challenge for UK churches to reach these young neighbours and their families. In the West Midlands area, two OM kids’ workers are inspiring and empowering churches to do just that. Meet Laurie and Ruth, in action over the half-term holiday.
At Harborne Baptist Church (HBC) in Birmingham, Thursday 30th October 2025 is Day Two of the ‘Lionheart’s Detective Agency’ holiday club, presented by OMer Laurie McEwen (a.k.a. “Kids ‘n’ Things”). Across three days, Laurie and HBC volunteers are introducing 15 primary-age children to Jesus through a fun two-hour programme packed with Bible stories, games, memory verses, crafts, quizzes, songs, dramas and puppetry. Laurie prepares and runs each element, so even the smallest church has only to provide a venue and a few helpers; this approach is enabling HBC to run its first holiday club since 1998. So far in 2025, Laurie has partnered with two other West Midlands churches to run clubs in the main school holidays.
As well as partner churches integrating young guests into their existing children’s work, Laurie hopes they will gain confidence and skills to run their own clubs in future. And the Kids ‘n’ Things ministry goes beyond enabling local one-off events: Laurie has developed a range of trainings and resources, many online. His vision is to empower churches and Christian workers anywhere to bring kids, with no previous knowledge of Jesus, to a simple heart response to Him.
Firstly, there are 26 short videos on YouTube, featuring ‘The Church Street Crew’, puppet ‘children’ whose fun, relevant adventures address daily life issues, and introduce kids to Jesus. Accompanied by downloadable activity sheets, the videos can be readily used by churches for holiday clubs or year-round activities like Sunday School.
Secondly, Laurie loves to train churches through online or in-person workshops. They can select from 10 varied subjects, such as using puppets effectively, storytelling, working with kids who have additional needs or safeguarding. A favourite forum of Laurie’s is ‘The Dudley Hub’ network; local churches and Christian workers meet every term for mutual encouragement and equipping, and serve together at Christian festivals in the Black Country through puppetry and more.
Also in the Dudley area, Laurie helps local churches create and deliver puppet-based school assemblies to several primary schools. Throughout the year, by invitation, he brings assemblies exploring different aspects of Christianity, and explains the truth behind Christmas, Easter and other festivals. Hands-on involvement from local churches strengthens their existing connections with schools, creating a platform for ongoing interactions of their own.
While Laurie empowers churches regionally, his OM colleague Ruth is equipping her own congregation at Foleshill Baptist Church (FBC) in Coventry to bring the Good News to least-reached kids.
It’s Friday, 31st October, and the FBC Light Party, nearly two hours of fun and gospel truth for primary-age kids, has reached mid-point. Around the church hall, helpers are distributing trays of fruity snacks and drinks amid the chatter of over 40 children; there will be time again later for games such as hoopla and basketball, and crafts like biscuit decorating.
These have been interwoven with gospel-themed activities led by Ruth, FBC’s Youth and Children’s Worker: action songs and a fun rap-style drama about Jesus and the man born blind. “That man had ‘eye disease’,” Ruth tells the kids, “but we all have ‘I disease’ – ‘I want this or that, and I want it NOW!’”
Although very few are from ‘church’ backgrounds, most children snigger in recognition of this truth; when Ruth declares that Jesus can heal us too from this ‘I disease’ of sin, many young voices agree with a loud “Amen!” At home time, there are kids’ Bible portions and tracts available to take, along with goodie bags of sweets and little gifts. After the last kids have been collected at 20:00, Ruth and her team of helpers gather to pray a blessing on them.
Foleshill is one of the most deprived areas in Coventry, with much social housing and an ever-changing population from around the world, many seeking asylum: the Light Party guests exemplify this diversity. Just a handful attend FBC itself, or other local churches which have little or no kids’ work. The rest come from other faith backgrounds, yet are ‘regulars’ at FBC’s holiday clubs at Christmas, Easter and during the summer holidays. As families arrived tonight, their repeated contact with FBC folk was evident in the warmth of mutual greetings.
During her dozen years as Youth and Children’s Worker, Ruth and the church have worked hard to develop relationships throughout the community, without compromising the church’s clear witness. Parents of first-time attenders may hear of the Clubs through the local Families Hub, council Family Information Service, local primary schools or library, etc; others have been former FBC Toddler Group mums. Ruth co-leads this group: the 20 or so current mums are predominantly Muslim, drawn by word-of-mouth from their peers.
From a congregation of less than 80 people, about a quarter get involved with youth and children’s work, whether it’s holiday clubs, the Sunday morning ‘Sunday Club’ for church kids, Toddler Group or Youth Group. Looking to the future, Ruth encourages teens from the Youth Group to take leadership and evangelism training opportunities, and live them out: eight or so teens assisted at tonight’s Light Party, and invite their school friends to Youth Group for serious exploration of what faith in Jesus means.
Ruth would love FBC to run a Messy Church or weeknight Kids’ Club to further serve tonight’s unchurched kids, and prays for more adults who could commit the time and energy to take on that. It’s all about providing a consistent presence — discipling and nurturing young lives long-term.
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