Embracing the Joy

Torbank School is one of my favourite places in the world. It’s a school for children with complex and special needs and my daughter goes there.

Over the years of Lucy’s education we have met the most amazing people who work there as teachers, classroom assistants, therapists and receptionists. We have met incredible inspirational pupils and their parents, and there’s a few things we have observed over the years.

It’s a place where people make time and listen to you. Even though everyone is incredibly busy and stretched on all sorts of levels, they make time to listen to each other.

I notice how committed the staff are to the children in their care. Whether it is bus drivers or care assistants on the buses, whether it’s receptionists or staff, they know pupils and parents by name. Regardless of what might be going on in their own lives, they greet you with a smile in the morning and come out of school with a smile on their face at the end of the day.

They might have had the most intense and stressful of days, but they want to pass on information about how things were in school and see if there is anything we can do together to make our children feel more comfortable, or work through challenging behaviours that can present at various points.

They are, perhaps, the best community I have ever come across for throwing parties. Perhaps, it comes from a sense of realising that life is precious and health is precarious, but they have a capacity to plan the most amazing parties for our children, tailored around activities or characters that our children love to partake in.

As the last week of term is upon us, I don’t know where they get the reserves. The physiotherapists ran a special trike challenge to enable the children to make their way around the school on specially adapted trikes for children with special needs. They got medals, certificates and the trike manufacturers came to see the tour de Torbank.

They had a colour run where children’s faces and hair were coloured as they underwent various sports and challenges.

Ruffles, the amazing therapy dog, celebrated his first birthday, and the children did sugar craft and got pictures to celebrate the beautiful gift this wonderful dog is to the multi-sensory community in the school.

Two children in the class have summer birthdays and there is an Aussie Christmas themed party to celebrate. It’s the phenomenal attention to detail, the crafts, the themed birthday cake and the games, that take so much time to create and prepare, that remind each of our children that, as far as the staff are concerned, they are loved and cherished more than they could ever imagine. It never ceases to move and inspire me that this is the spirit that this incredible place has created.

What can the church learn from this?

As a man who takes himself perhaps too seriously at times, I love the way this place takes fun so seriously.

We don’t have to look too far to observe the many challenges our world is facing at the present time, from global wars to climate change to a cost of living crisis, these are worrying times. We can’t pretend otherwise but, at the same time, when there are moments of joy to celebrate, we must embrace them and make the most of them.

The staff at Torbank will dance as if no one is watching, wear ridiculous costumes, get themselves covered in art materials, food colourings and all sorts of other things to bring a smile and generate some joy in our children’s lives.

What are we doing in the church to celebrate the joys in people’s lives? If it’s a birthday or an anniversary, if it’s Children’s Day, as it was last Sunday, how special to recognise and acknowledge the special gift our people bring to our churches.  Whether they are young or old, just beginning a journey of faith, or coming towards the end of their earthly life, how beautiful it would be to be able to communicate to people that they are beloved and precious to God, sons and daughters of the King.

How can we show the poor, the sick and those on the margins that we care about their suffering, and that they are not forgotten? One way is through our weekly prayers at Wednesday communion or Thursday over Zoom, as we lift people into God’s healing presence and ask for His help. It’s a great encouragement to others to know that they are remembered and being prayed for.

This coming Sunday, we are offering those in a position to do so, the opportunity to contribute through The Bishop’s Appeal a gift to support those suffering so terribly in the Middle East. The funds raised are being channelled through Tearfund working with many displaced people, and a hospital run by the Diocese of Jerusalem in Gaza City, serving the whole community regardless of their background.  

Don’t forget this Saturday is our monthly work party if you are around between 9 and 11 am. We love to get those monthly tasks done around the grounds and the hall.

Don’t forget our very special concert next Wednesday 2nd July when we welcome the choir of Wadham College, Oxford to sing at 7.30pm in the church as part of their tour of Northern Ireland. It should be a beautiful evening. Admission is free, but there will be a retiring collection to contribute towards the choir’s costs.  

Can I ask you also to hold in your prayers the family of our dear friend, Pat McCurley, who died after a short illness while on holiday visiting her daughter in England. We await details of the funeral arrangements, but please hold the family in your prayers at this very sad and difficult time.

Looking forward to speaking again soon.

Much love to everyone,

Jono.

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