Hello

My name is Jordan Lambert, Uttoxeter's Christian Schools Worker

Since 2016, I have been serving the schools of Uttoxeter and the surrounding areas as a Christian Schools Worker dedicating my efforts to supporting the growth and well-being of children in Staffordshire and Derbyshire. Over this time, I have had the privilege of working with 24 schools in the area, assisting them in fostering emotional, social, and spiritual development in their students.

The story so far...

In 2016, the Methodist Church and the United Reformed Church came together with a vision to serve the school communities of Uttoxeter by launching a Christian schools worker role. A local headteacher also shared a similar vision and joined the effort to launch the role. The role was officially launched in September of the 2016/2017 academic year and began serving three first schools.

Over time, the number of schools served by the role grew, and by the end of the second year, the project was serving nine schools. Additionally, the number of churches that also supported the role has increased over the years as we welcomed Renew Church to the project in 2019 and the Church of England in 2022. Despite the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic, the role was able to continue serving the local school communities through Zoom and video worship, and through small worship team group work.

The Christian schools worker role works closely with school leaders from headteachers to governors to support the development of Christian distinctiveness throughout the school community. The role offers a variety of projects and initiatives to the schools it serves, including Worship Assemblies, Conquerors Club, Think Tank, Worship Team, Chaplaincy, Oasis and more. The role has also helped connect schools with the wider community through local projects such as food bank collections and international charities. Local churches have been involved within the role and have often partnered together to run large service projects in schools including Christmas gift campaigns or site renovations.

Since its launch, the Christian schools worker role has served 24 schools in the wider area of Staffordshire and continues to expand its reach, positively impacting even more students, schools, and communities.

What we do

Worship

Collective worship assemblies provide a space for students and staff to come together and reflect on their beliefs and values. Led with inclusiveness and inspiration in mind, these assemblies communicate the teachings of Christianity through relevant stories from both the Bible and daily life. Students and staff are invited to join in the worship experience by participating in the assembly, offering prayer, or taking on a meaningful challenge.

Conquerors

Inspired by Philippians 4:13, Conquerors Club is an exciting programme designed to teach children about Christian teachings and values in the Bible. Through a combination of song, sports, challenges, stories, and prayer children participate in an interactive learning experience that brings the Bible to life. In a supportive and inclusive environment, children will be able to explore faith and be challenged to live out the Christian values in their everyday lives.

Think Tank

Think Tank is a courageous advocacy program that empowers students to make a real difference in the face of global injustice. Students learn about poverty, its causes, and the impact it has on communities around the world. Through partnering with local charities, students are tasked to raise awareness and to fundraise for vital causes locally and globally including food bank usage, ending child slavery, orphan care, period poverty, and toilet poverty.

Worship Team

Student worship teams play a crucial role in delivering worship within the school community. Our focus is on equipping these teams to lead inspiring worship services, create prayerful reflection spaces, and advocate for Christian values within the school. Student worship teams help the school community foster a deeper connection to faith through worship.

Chaplaincy

Operating in a Chaplain role is something designed to spiritually support whole school communities. The role often consists of spending time on both the playground and in the staff room at break times and lunch times in addition to specifically working with small groups of students throughout the school day. The aim of this role is to offer support and be available to listen to students and staff.

Oasis

The Oasis programme introduces students to prayer and reflection. Through activities, storytelling, games, and discussions, students are challenged to incorporate prayer into their daily routine and their schools. Students learn that they can pray about anything, anywhere, at anytime and they don’t even need to be in a church to pray. Students discover the impact of praying prayers of thankfulness, facing worries, praying for the world, and praying for themselves.

Philosophy Club

'If elephants rules the world, what would it be like?' and 'What does the sun sound like?' are some of life's big questions. Philosophy club creates an environment where children can explore these questions. Through reflection, reasoning, and re-evaluation, Philosophy club aims to deepen our understanding of the world, ourselves, our experiences, and others. Sessions provide a space for students to develop complex thinking skills while exploring concepts and ideas within the Christian faith.

Youth Alpha

Youth Alpha, designed by Holy Trinity Brompton, is a program for young minds to explore life's big questions in a safe and welcoming environment. Through discussions, videos, and activities, students embark on a journey to learn more about the Christian faith.

Mrs E Sowden

Windsor Park Middle School

Jordan works tirelessly to provide an inclusive, safe, warm and welcoming environment to all he works with and meets. Jordan inspires the children to engage with and truly understand the nature of Christianity.

Alex Wolvers

Mission in Schools Enabler and Christian Distinctiveness Adviser

Jordan enables those he works with to see Christianity as the active and living world faith it is. At the same time he challenges the young people to consider the part they can play in this shared world.