Youth Group

God Squad

The Circuit Youth group, GOD SQUAD, continues to meet at the Spire on alternate Sunday evenings in term-time and attendance averages 8-10. Snooker, table tennis, table football as well as chess and board games are popular pursuits. we also regularly undertake art and craft projects. At each meeting we also spend some focussed time considering Christian themes or teaching. Sometimes we lead these sessions "in-house", but also welcome visitors to lead our "God Slot".

Do contact us if you know of secondary school-aged young people who are already involved in church, or would like to be.

The group meet fortnightly on Sundays in term-time, 6:00-7:30pm at The Spire, Poole in Hall 1.

Upcoming meeting dates for 2025 are as follows:

• 7th September
• 21st September
• 5th October – 3Generate in Birmingham. No meeting at The Spire.
• 19th October
• 9th November
• 23rd November

If you have any children 11-18 or about to turn 11 in your churches, do get in touch – they would be very welcome to join God Squad.

Summer 2025

Body Percussion with James Devenish: a brand-new skill for everyone! As always, the young people picked it up with ease... while the leaders did their best to keep up!

Summer Outing to the Allotments: We were warmly invited by Paul and Jill from Poole Methodists to visit their local allotments. It was a lovely afternoon spent learning about the seasonal rhythms of allotment life, harvesting fresh produce, and enjoying a relaxed picnic under the summer sun.

God Squad Summer Break: God Squad is off on summer break -- time to swap Bibles for beach balls! Our final session of the term is on Sunday 6 July, and we'll be back refreshed and ready for more fun on Sunday 7 September. Have a fantastic summer -- see you soon!

Spring 2025

A Special Visit at Our April God Squad Meeting: At our April God Squad gathering, we were delighted to welcome Rachel Bending, our District Chair. The evening was full of fun and fellowship as we tested Rachel's table tennis skills, enjoyed treats from our pop-up ice cream parlour, and even managed a few games of chess. It was a fantastic evening of laughter, connection, and community.

Mocktails, Music & Methodism: Our May God Squad session brought the sunshine indoors with a vibrant Tiki Bar experience! The young people had a blast mixing their own non-alcoholic mocktails, featuring creations like the "Wesley Mojito" and "Tropical Dream" (see menu attached). With Hawaiian shirts, garlands, and plenty of dancing, the atmosphere was full of energy and fun.

We were also joined by Karen James, who led our God Slot with a powerful reflection on the connection between Methodism and the pursuit of justice. She highlighted the historical roots of temperance in the Methodist tradition, tying it beautifully to our alcohol-free theme. The evening rounded off with some lively games and lots of laughter – a fantastic time was had by all!

Easter 2025 – Best Wishes to All, from the God Squad

We send our best wishes to everyone from God Squad for Easter, and would like to encourage friends to call into Wesley's and take a look our Easter display on the Inspire art wall within Wesley's Café at The Spire.

Lent 2025 – The Journey Through Lent

At our Explorers' Service Poole Methodists focussed on "The Journey through Lent". We had a display on each of the tables depicting 6 different milestones. Shrove Tuesday/Pancake Day was our pre-Lent starter, and then the children labelled them and put them in time order as follows: Ash Wednesday; Palm Sunday; Maundy Thursday; Good Friday; Easter Sunday.
(Props provided by the very talented Paul & Gill Stigwood.)

December 2024 – Festive Quiz & Supper Evening

Thank you so much to everyone who supported our young people's Festive Event again this year. Together we raised a whopping £405.50 for The Genesis Centre homelessness project in Poole.

October 2024 – 3Generate 2024

Our 2nd year attending 3Generate, the Methodist Children and Youth Assembly.
3Generate is a vibrant weekend of fun and worship and this year saw over 2000 children and youth leaders attending. It started on Friday evening with icebreakers and a welcome session which set the tone for the weekend. Throughout the weekend speakers, artists and musicians shared their inspiring stories and encouraged those taking part to share their own.
Would you like to join us next year?

December 2023 – Festive Quiz & Supper Evening

Thank you so much to everyone who supported our young people's Festive Event this year. We ended up with 50 people there, and – the icing on the cake – we raised £239.40 for our "Kids Go Free" school holiday meals scheme – £93.40 from supper donations, and £146 from our gift stall. Looking ahead at the spring term dates, we'll be back at God Squad on Sunday 7 Jan.

Merry Christmas from God Squad!

October 2023 – 3Generate 2023

We attended our first 3Generate, the National Methodist Youth Assembly, held at the NEC in Birmingham as a sort of indoor festival, complete with indoor camping! We linked up with a group from Eastleigh and had a fantastic time. We had an excellent weekend and hope to go again next year... and hope you can join us too!

May 2023 – The King's Coronation Celebration

A good time was had by all at God Squad's Coronation Open Evening over the Bank Holiday weekend. Young people were paired with older folk for a hard-fought table football tournament, royal headwear was donned and lovely party food and drink enjoyed by all!