MISSION FOCUS – KEITH JEWELL

All across our region, thousands of children, young people and staff are heading back to school for the new academic year. Some will be excited to link up with friends again, some will be nervous about new classes, new schools and new people, and others will be wondering just what this new year will look like as they continue on their journey through this strange land called ‘school’.

This will be my eighth year working full time with PACE (Programme for Applied Christian Education) a charity that was set up 30 years ago to provide positive Christian input to assemblies, RE lessons and pastoral support networks in primary and secondary schools across BCP.

My role is focused specifically on primary pupils and I have the privilege of visiting 40 different schools during the course of a typical term. The most exciting part of this work is telling Bible stories in an engaging way to 12,000 children each half term, many of whom will not have heard some of these stories before, and almost certainly not from someone who believes they are true and are God’s way of revealing who He is, what He is like and how He wants us to live our lives.

There’s nothing quite like seeing an assembly hall full of children sitting cross-legged, listening intently as the story is told. It is an amazing joy and privilege to be able to do this.

I also teach RE lessons which not only provide the opportunity to help the children understand what the Bible has to say about all sorts of topics on their syllabus, but they also provide excellent  opportunities for Question and Answer sessions that really help the children to explore and understand what the Christian faith is all about.

This work is only possible because of God’s generous provision through the support and prayers of people just like you. I currently send out a monthly news and Prayer Update to over 100 email/postal addresses. If you would like to receive this please email me on keithjewell@pacetrust.org.uk .

My role is funded by the generous giving of supporters who have set up a Standing Order, or give occasional one-off gifts. If you would like to find out more about becoming involved financially in this vital work, please email me (on the same email address).

The photo above was taken during an assembly when I was telling the parable of the Lost Sheep (if you look carefully you may be able to spot it on my shoulder!). As these visits to schools take place, our hope and prayer is that each and every child would know that they matter to God and are loved by Him, even to the extent that God seeks them, so that they might be found not lost, and that there would be much rejoicing as they come to know His Son for themselves. 

Keith Jewel