At the Connect Youth Project we have offered chaplaincy work to the local schools. We partner with local churches to serve our schools and share resources. We have run several Reflective Spaces, Tayview Primary allow us to take over their library space for a week and have a week long timetable of almost all the classes visiting – in the region of 275 pupils.  

As a team we pray on the lead up to the week and ask our prayer team at church to do so also.

To pick prayer stations, some years I have followed a theme like the beatitudes and others just browsed through the website resources and felt lead to certain activities that would work well in the space that we have to set up the stations. There may be current issues that you can tie in (cost of living crisis, carbon footprint) or ask the school if they want a particular theme covered. 

Learning we made was initially we timed groups being at each station but we have found it is better to allow children to explore the stations for themselves and to opt out of stations they don’t feel they connect with.  We also have a colouring table for the odd pupil who doesn’t want to engage. Be prepared to have to pass along any safe guarding concerns that may be disclosed to you or written on a post it notes, also any pupils who may have experienced trauma ie Ukraine pupils. 

It’s always been a really positive experience for our team and we don’t receive much negativefeedback, vastly good wanting us to run the space more often. We love running a Reflective Space and would highly recommend it is worth the planning and hard work that goes into running them.

Featured Prayer Activities Below (click on the title to open)

Finger Print Prayers

Pray for the world

Thankful ribbons