Home > Family Ministries

See Also

Family Ministry Team

Activities for young families at St Mary Greenhithe are run by the Family Ministry Team. The overall leader of the team is Gretel Ikediashi, a qualified Children and Families Social Worker. The other leaders are Lucy Arkell, Mandy Holloway, Christian & Isabel Miller, Jen & Ben White. Between us we have a wide range of personal and professional experience relating to families and young children. We as leaders have made personal commitments to Jesus and apply his teaching to our lives.

What is our aim?

Our aim is to work together as a team to support and nurture families in contact with St Mary church and out in the wider community.

What are our values?

  • We believe that families and children should be made to feel welcome and wanted in St. Mary church. We believe that being ‘family friendly’ is core gospel teaching and central to the calling and work of the Church.
  • We believe that every family is unique and loved by God. We encourage every family to participate in our groups and activities, regardless of their background, culture, faith, nationality or circumstances.
  • We believe that families function best when they are given opportunities to build links and relationships that ‘matter’ within their local community. We recognise that parents face huge pressures in our society at present, and we believe that they deserve support and chances to grow so that they are the best they can be for themselves, their children and for Christ.
  • We believe that every child has the right to feel safe and secure at all times. We make it our priority to ensure that this is the case when children attend St. Mary Church and any Church based activity.

What do we do?

We offer a range of groups and activities aimed at supporting families with pre-school children. These include:

  • Sticky Fingers, Tuesdays 9h30-11h30 (term time only). A parent/carer toddler group open to children up to 5 years. The group offers free play (book corner, slide, climbing frame, home corner, dressing up), set snack time with fruit and drinks, a different craft each week, a safe baby area and a time for singing. Cost £1.50. Venue: Church Hall.
  • Baby & Me, Fridays 9h30-11h (term time only). A parent/carer and baby group open to babies under the age of 18 months. The group offers a safe play area with bouncy chairs and baby gyms for younger babies and a home corner, book corner and lots of toys for toddlers. There is also a set healthy snack time, and also a song and rhyme time at the end. Cost £1. Venue: Church Hall.
  • Refresh!, Wednesdays (fortnightly). A bible study group run by mums for mums. A time for mums to encourage each other spiritually, emotionally and spiritually. Please ask for more details.
  • Daddy & Me, 9h30-11h30 on the 2nd and 4th Saturdays of every month. A toddler group for fathers, grandfathers and male carers with children under 5. The group offers free play, craft activities and healthy snack time. Cost £1.50. Venue: Church Hall.

To find out exactly when these groups are running, please see the diary.
For further details on any of the above groups, please contact Gretel Ikediashi on Ikediashi01@aol.com or 01322 383157.

We trust our groups will give practical help and support to you and your child, but please remember we are here in other ways too – if you would like to be prayed for or just need a listening ear, please contact us.