What is the CROSS Initiative?

The CROSS Initiative is a network of churches, parachurch organisations and individual Christians across Bristol who have a heart to reach out to and serve the schools of our city.

There is no doubting that schools have a significant impact in the lives of our young people. Young people's experiences at school, both positive and negative, will help shape not only their identity but also their ambitions for the future and the decisions they make.

Schools are increasingly being charged with the responsibility of ensuring the well-being of the children on their attendance roll, as well as supporting members of the wider community. We would like to see churches supporting schools as they undertake this massive task: offering themselves practically and pastorally in whatever need the school can identify.

CROSS aims to help and support Christians across Bristol who are doing any form of schoolswork, and also to resource those who want to get involved. This is through

• Facilitating city-wide prayer events
• Providing information on schools resources and training events
• Offering a consultation service on anything from latest education policy to how to plan an assembly
• Providing networking opportunities for Christians involved in schoolswork

CROSS wants to open mind and imagination to the huge possibilities there are for churches to bring the light of God’s love into our schools – impacting both staff, pupils and their families. CROSS wants to sweep out the mindsets that say ‘Christian Schoolswork is assemblies, isn’t it?’ and offer a vision for what we could do in our local schools: from the very simple acts of kindness to being involved in the education system of the school.

The CROSS Initiative is a collaborative project between South West Youth Ministries, Scripture Union, The George Muller Foundation, Youth for Christ, Redland Education Centre, Woodlands Church, Bristol Diocese and Christchurch, Clifton.

HOME