Souled Out!
A weekly meeting for 9-18s
The group started in March of 2006 (after the Children’s Ministry Conference) in my living room in Pembroke in Wales, with eight children. We started the group for 9-13s but within six weeks had moved to a local church lounge and had opened the group to over 14s as well, who call themselves Souled Out! Xtra. The church lounge became a bit cramped and we had to move into the actual church where we still are now. Numbers have varied over the years but we have an average of twenty five.
 God called me to children’s ministry before there was an opening in our church! So it really was a leap of faith when three of us (not the church's then children’s workers) decided to attend the Children’s Ministry Conference for the first time in 2006. From that weekend on my life was turned upside down! As we came home, back to our church we wondered how on earth we could start what God had told us to do when there were no openings!
Then before our very eyes the children and youth work in our church came to a standstill! We are still amazed by the events buts thats another story!! The outcome was that I approached the leadership on behalf of God’s newly formed team and told them what God was telling us to do. Our journey then began and the meeting that is Souled Out! is only a small part of the vision, current work and future. I am now the Children and Youth Co-ordinator and we are still only a short distance into the full vision God gave us for the children of our church. The vision was in the shape of a triangle! God was very clear that our starting point, the point of the triangle was the children we already had in our church, that they were the foundation of any future outreach and evangelism.
God warned us not to start an outreach project for community children (which always feels the natural thing to do) as this would neglect the kids in our church, from Christian families who are struggling to live with their faith. The first thing I feel we learnt was to listen to God, to really pray and have faith in his instruction, especially when its not what you’re expecting.
Therefore Souled Out! is a meeting of interactive Bible teaching and modern worship. We are blessed to now have leaders who are musicians but we used to use CDs when we were few. The children were like sponges and still can’t get enough of God’s Word. The evening starts at 7pm but they are often there at 6.30 waiting for us to arrive! We start with cold drinks and biscuits and the kids chill and chat. The evening can take different forms but usually we then have worship and the children have become very enthusiastic vibrant public worshipers! A leader then teaches from the front, a bit preachie but very interactive, getting them involved. Then we simply finish with worship! Sounds boring but the children are on fire for God. We have learnt from this that a meeting needn’t be all singing all dancing but can be a simple time that is honourable to God in Spirit and truth.
The meeting ends at 8.30pm for the under-14 yr olds. However the over-14 yr olds, Souled Out! Xtra, stay for an extra hour. They put the kettle on and get out the hot chocolate. We vary this hour and go along with them, sometimes they want to pray, sometimes worship, sometimes debate issues they’re facing and sometimes study. The good thing about this hour is that they tolerate the young ones in Souled Out! knowing that their time to themselves is coming! We have encouraged the older teens to see the younger ones as their ministry as they’re looked up to and are examples. This works well. I don’t believe Souled Out! would work without the mixed ages as the younger ones adore being with the older ones! Its true they copy them in worship etc but this is the start of their spiritual journey and it gives them confidence and encouragement.
 The church building we hire hasn’t got a youth group and so we invited their youth to Souled Out! This too has worked well. Souled Out! is now also their youth group. However, its not a joint church project. We felt it was important to keep our identity and ownership of the group but be open to working together. As the numbers from their church grew we invited someone form their church to join our team and become a leader. So we have a link leader! Therefore the children and youth from the other church have a youth leader in their own fellowship, someone they can go to etc who is also on our Souled Out! team. We think this is a good example of churches working together without the accountability politics that so often hinder this.
 I could go on and on! But just to say God has really blessed us and the group really glorifies Him. The children and young people make such a difference on a Sunday, their enthusiasm and commitment inspire the rest of the church. The most amazing blessing and privilege for us as leaders is that we have had ten children and youth baptisms in the last year (in the sea of course)! Our desire is to see children and young people experiencing and enjoying an intimate relationship with an awesome God, through the exploration of the bible, freedom of worship, the power of prayer and the reality of the Holy Spirit in their lives, and in so doing, equip them for the future God has planned for them.
Steph, Mount Pleasant Baptist Church, Pembroke
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