HCYT Newsletter – Christmas 2025

Autumn term update from Adam, Schools/ Youth Worker 

We start our newsletter, as usual, with a termly update from Adam Norton, Schools/ Youth Worker.

After my old employer Label of Love closed at the end of July, it was agreed with the HCYT trustees for me to work on their behalf as a self-employed school’s worker and continue the work at South Hunsley after the summer break. 

God’s provision of designated space

I started in September and to my surprise the school now have a designated room in which I can work from, along with other external organisations. Previously I’ve often been passed around the school and put into any room they have available, including for a couple of weeks, a storage cupboard. However, I now have a lovely space. They have converted an old staff room into a wellbeing room, with sofas, soft lighting, and enough room for group work as well as one-to-one sessions. 

I carried over work with some students over the summer into the autumn term and began work with them straight away. It was great to hear about their summer and hear comments like,

“It’s good to see you sir, I’ve been looking forward to talking to you again” 

It often takes a few weeks to get into the new year but by October half term I was at full capacity, working with eight individual students and also had a small group of four. 

At the end of the final session with students I asked them their thoughts on the sessions and how it’s helped. Here are some quotes from what they said…

“I missed it (sessions) in the summer, I didn’t realise how much I valued talking to someone.”

“It’s been good, yeah, helpful, I mean I don’t worry like I used to.”

“You’re not like teachers sir; you actually listen and want to help.”

Lunchtime walkabouts

I’ve continued to do my ‘lunchtime walkabouts’ where I spend time on the school playground and talk to students. asking them questions about life, faith and current affairs. This term we covered a number of topics, including Charlie Kirk, is there an afterlife? War in Gaza, abortion and who was Jesus. 

 Christmas assembly videos

In December I produced a Christmas video for assemblies at South Hunsley School. In it I used spoken word videos from YouTube explaining Jesus divinity and that all things are created by Him and for Him. The next video showed the telling of the Nativity story and sharing the Truth that Jesus came for everyone and the third video spoke about why Jesus came to earth. A student commented after it was shown in assembly that it was

“A bit long but interesting”.

They didn’t know that Jesus was there before Christmas or why He came to earth, it was great to able to share the Truth about Christmas with him. 

There continue to be talks about ‘Simo’s Circle’ the lunchtime group for young male students, however this hasn’t materialised as yet, until then I’ll continue seeing students during lunch on my ‘walkabouts’. 

Primary school assemblies

In September and November, I had assemblies at Elloughton Primary School – one on amazing people and the other on team work. I walked to the students about Joseph from the Bible and Jesus disciples. I’ll be back again in January with another assembly. 

Thank you for continuing to prayerfully and financially support this vital ministry. It’s becoming increasing harder to share the good news of Jesus in any school context, so it’s vital that HCYT continues to be a light in the dark, Jesus’ hands and feet and an encouragement to the down-trodden. 

Merry Christmas to you all, I pray it’s filled with love and laughter. 

Adam 

Schools/ Youth Worker 

Please do pray for us !

There’s lots to thank the Lord for, and lots that we would ask you to join us to pray over:

• Thank the Lord for all the opportunities Adam has already had this school year to share his faith – see his report above – and especially via Christmas assembly video material.
• The individual and group students who Adam is able to mentor.
• Lunchtime playground “walkabouts” at South Hunsley.
• That the Lord would provide Adam with meaningful opportunities to share his faith with students, staff and others.
• For teaching and support staff as they start the spring term.
• That the Lord opens the right doors for us in regard to offering support to more of the primary schools in the Hunsley area.
• For the Trustees at HCYT to know the Lord’s guiding for our work going forward.

For details of our termly prayer meetings see our “home” page.