Helping churches grow younger — together.

Growing Younger Together is an initiative from St John's, Upper Norwood, that equips and supports churches in the Church of England's Diocese of Southwark and London to build thriving children's and youth programmes from the ground up.

PARTNER WITH US

EVERY CHURCH CAN GROW YOUNGER.

Too many churches feel stuck when it comes to children and young people. They want to reach families. They want the next generation in the pews. But they don't always know where to start, or have the capacity to start alone.

In 2018, Sunday attendance for under-16s in the Church of England dropped below 100,000 for the first time. The decline continues, and it's happening at nearly twice the rate of adults. 85% of the children now coming through St John's doors had no previous church connection. And many of their parents aren't strangers to church either, they're people who grew up going, drifted away, and had quietly assumed that chapter of their life was closed. Growing Younger Together reaches them too.

At St John's, Upper Norwood, we've spent years developing and testing programmes that work. Within six months of launching, average weekly attendance of under-18s at Sunday worship grew from 7 to 45. PlayTime! and Messy Church now regularly welcome almost 500 children and families each week.

Now we want to share what we've built. Not just the resources, but the training, the visits, the funding support, and the lessons learned along the way.

This is what Growing Younger Together is built for.

A pathway from birth to young adulthood.

Our programmes form a connected journey, designed so that a child who starts at PlayTime! can grow all the way through to Youth Church and beyond. Each one is tried and tested at St John's, and each one is ready to be replicated in your church.

PlayTime!

A weekly session for 0–5s and their parents/carers. Ninety minutes of playful worship, creativity, and prayer, woven around the liturgical year. Open to all families, regardless of faith background.
PlayTime! Disciples

Taking the warmth of PlayTime! into Sunday worship. PlayTime! Disciples is a gentle, age-appropriate session that runs during the main service, helping young families feel at home in church from the very start.
Discover Communion!

A joyful and structured six-week First Communion preparation course for ages 7–11, designed especially for children coming from Messy Church with little or no prior church experience.
Pentecost Camp

An annual residential camp built around the feast of Pentecost. Pentecost Camp gives young people a space to encounter faith in a fun, immersive, peer-led environment, and for many, it becomes the highlight of their church year.
Youth Church

A monthly gathering for young people aged 11–18, whether they're committed churchgoers, curious, or somewhere in between. Youth Church makes space for games, creativity, big questions, and honest conversations about faith and life, with snacks, of course!
Messy Church

A hands-on, faith-filled afternoon for families. Messy Church brings together crafts, science experiments, storytelling, singing, and a shared hot shared meal. It's church for families who might never otherwise come through the doors, creative, joyful, and open to all.

In partnership with BRF
Messy Meals

A free weekly meal for families, served with warmth and no strings attached. Messy Meals offers a nourishing two-course dinner, board games, and easy conversation in a relaxed, welcoming space. It puts food on the table and community around it, especially for those who need it most.

In partnership with BRF & TLG

Want to bring these to your church? Find out how →

Growing Younger Together Training Visits Resources Funding Support

We don't just share what we do. We help you do it too.

Becoming a Growing Younger Together partner church means you're not on your own. We walk alongside you at every stage.

Support includes:

Practical, hands-on training for your team, shaped around the specific programme you're launching.
We come to you, see your context, and help you adapt what works.
Everything you need to run each programme, developed and refined over years of delivery.
We know budgets are tight; we work with you to explore what financial support is available.

PARTNER WITH US

Mother Helen Harknett, St Philip's, Avondale Square

“It’s rare to be part of something that feels as much like a gift as this. As we begin planning the launch of Playtime!, we’ve already been overwhelmed by the support - ideas, generosity, and people quite literally rolling up their sleeves to help build something together. The energy from the St John’s team is infectious and deeply encouraging. It feels like a moment of spiritual renewal: a reminder that with God, all things are possible. Like the disciples, we are sent out together, and it is a joy to be alongside others so committed to sharing faith with future generations. We are getting ready. We are slightly terrified of what the Holy Spirit might do through this! But most of all, we are excited and expectant.”

— Mthr Helen Harknett, St Philip’s, Avondale Square

St John's Upper Norwood Growing Younger Together

Rooted in St John's, Upper Norwood.

Growing Younger Together is an initiative of St John's, Upper Norwood, a Church of England parish in South London with a long-standing commitment to children, families, and the wider community.

St John's launched the programme in February 2023 with just seven children attending Sunday worship. By Christmas Eve 2023, over 1,050 adults and children filled the church across two identical services. We believe what we've built shouldn't stay within one set of walls.

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