YOUNG PEOPLE ARE AT THE HEART OF WHAT WE’RE ALL ABOUT.

We are a multi-generational church, called to the unchurched young people of Reading… who don't go to church.

Jesus is our life and the young people are our passion.  We are called to be church shaped together with unchurched young people at the centre.  We live to share the Gospel with those God is calling us to, to live the story of being far off from God, but that He runs to meet us and throws His arms around us.

We organise various activities with young people, as an overflow of this belief and calling. In all of this, it's our relationships with young people that we prioritise; and ultimately we hope that they will encounter Jesus.

'By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another' - Jesus (John 13:35).

If you want to know more about what we're up to at the moment and how you can join in, please contact Megan (Youth Worker) at megan@stleading.org.

  • Wednesdays @ Blessed Hugh Faringdon, 1:15-2:05pm

    Soulscape's Lounge is a student-led space for year 7s to come as they are and take a break from the pressures of the school day. We know that young people today face 24/7 pressure from all sides, and don’t get much time to stop, reflect, relax and just be themselves. This has implications for their development and mental health. Schools are also under pressure to get their students through exams, and time and budget constraints can mean that more creative, reflective subjects get squeezed from the timetable which is where we hope to help with The Lounge.

  • Mondays @ Saint Laurence, 4-5:30pm

    Monday Club is an easy point of access to the church community for young people. It's an open space to build relationships with each other and with safer recruited (DBS checked and safeguarding trained) adults and to explore the other opportunities available to them at Saint Laurence. There are plenty of things to get involved in, from PS4, pool and table tennis to board games and crafts or just a relaxed space to sit, chat and unwind after school!

  • 4-6 times a year, usually around school holidays

    With our young people we are trying to make a conscious effort to push into more voluntary opportunities to serve our community and those less fortunate than us. This new initiative was sparked when a group of us attended New Wine in the summer of 2023 and were excited by a conversation with some representative from a charity called Barnabas Aid. We have since visited Barnabas Aid and spent half a day packing food parcels with them which we thoroughly enjoyed. We hope to visit them again and also get involved with other local organisations.

  • Various days and times during school holidays

    We love spending time with our young people so much that we plan extra things during school holidays. These activities are a mixture of volunteering, cinema trips, bowling, ice skating, pizza making, trampolining, aqua parks and much more... If you have an idea for what you'd like to do, we're open to suggestions!

  • Sundays @ Saint Laurence, 4:30-6pm (no FUEL on the 1st Sunday of each month)

    This is an informal 'service' with our young people after the main service. This time is for young people to worship together, learn about Jesus and talk and deepen their faith, often with a few silly games in the mix for good measure!

  • Every other Wednesday @ Saint Laurence, 6-7pm

    We spend this time learning about the Bible, the things God has done with His people in the past and discovering what He might have in store for our futures. There's lots of discussion and silliness and we spend time praying for each other at the end.

  • Twice a year, usually in spring and autumn

    These weekends are great times for young people to take a break from normal life, escape to the lovely Oakwood centre in Bracknell and spend time building relationships, worshiping and learning about Jesus, eating great food and having lots of fun together!

  • Decided on an individual basis

    The one2one programme is a key way in which young people are encouraged to proactively engage with faith and with the life of the community at Saint Laurence. A one2one relationship between an adult and young person is about supporting, encouraging, challenging, discipling and empowering young people as they grow into young adults. Our hope is that, as young people develop their faith and their relationships with new adults, this knits them into the life of the church community in new, meaningful ways.