Meet the leaders guiding our youngest members at Sheffield Cathedral through all sorts of fun and games, as they learn about their faith in our new Diddy Disciples group!
Our new group for the youngest members of our congregation or as we like to call them our ‘Diddy Disciples’, follows Revd Dr Sharon Moughtin’s Diddy Disciples course. Sharon’s course uses 7 principles to guide children through faith and worship: movement, repetition, our voices, spirituality, church, learning, and our emotions. The sessions use song, dance and crafts to help children worship together and grow in confidence, as they hear how much they are loved by God.
The group began when Dean Abi and Helen, who is now one of our leaders, wanted to do something fun and educational for the children of our Cathedral.
Who better to tell you all about our new Diddy Disciples group than our lovely Diddy Disciples Leaders? We asked them some questions about the group and all they’ve been doing…
First up is Niall, one of our Ministry Experience Scheme Interns, who joined us this September:
So, what is Diddy Disciples?
“Diddy Disciples is a music-based children’s church which takes place in the first half of the 10:30 service on a Sunday, mirroring the worship done but in a simpler and more messy way! We love to use singing, creative tasks and drama to make Bible stories something which can be impactful, however young those taking part may be.”
What’s been the best part of leading Diddy Disciples so far?
“It is such a fun way to communicate the love that God has for everyone to children. We love to see the kids beaming afterwards and showing parents the arts and crafts they have made. It is really special to listen to what they think stories and different events mean.”
Secondly, we spoke to Beth, who runs our Rhythm Time toddler group which meets at 10am on Thursdays:
What do you feel the importance of Diddy Disciples is to our Cathedral?
“It gives children within our church family the opportunity to explore their faith in their own personal way and connect with the importance of what the adults are doing in the service in a way that they understand.”
It’s been amazing to see people from all parts of our Cathedral community be part of this team, including Emily who is one of our Choral scholars and also works regular shifts in our coffee shop.
What training did you have to become a Diddy Disciples leader?
“The founder of Diddy Disciples came to the Cathedral where we had a 2-hour meeting with her on the structure of Diddy Disciples sessions and how to lead well. I then did a leadership and safeguarding course before leading my first session. There was lots of support, so we were prepared for our first session as a team which meant leading the sessions was a breeze.”
We also spoke to Anjali, who is another of our Ministry Experience Scheme Interns, and asked:
How has it been to lead Diddy Disciple sessions so far?
“It’s been a meaningful and joyous experience with the children so far. The varied sessions have enabled the children to learn more about Jesus in a Fun-filed atmosphere. The leadership team has been instrumental in getting the best outcome from these sessions.”
Join us!
Our Diddy Disciples group is growing week by week, with the children ready to learn and grow together in a nourishing environment. If you like what you’ve heard, why not bring your little one along every Sunday at 10:30am to join the fun with our wonderful Diddy Disciples team!