This year the work of CICS celebrates 20 years since the initial meetings to look at how the church in Calderdale supports our schools.

20 years on and the Trustees and Workers sensed that we needed to evaluate the work of CICS in a changing educational and cultural environment.

We realised that the main need in schools is around pastoral support.

In one local High School we have successfully mentored over 100 young people and are now integrated into the life of that school offering mentoring, Question Point, support for the staff team and occasional lessons and assemblies.

In another local area CICS is involved in the running of ‘Open The Book’ in Primary Schools, the distribution of ' It's Your Move' as the young people make the transition and then lunch time activity, Question Point, group mentoring and occasional lessons within the High School.

Moving forward we believe this is a far better model.

To this end we are looking to change the way we work. Our heart is to become an integrated part of High Schools in the Borough as we see that better fits the needs of schools and young people. This will take time - but do please continue to support, pray and stand with us as we work this out!

CICS will, however, continue to work across the whole of Calderdale as, partnering with local church communities, we distribute 2,000 copies of 'It's Your Move' books to Y6 children each year and encourage church/school links with this and 'Open the Book'. Where invited we will still aim to offer assemblies, faith days and lessons in High Schools.

For further information, comments, offers of support (e.g. running one of our 20 events in 2020 to raise awareness / pray / raise funds) please

e.mail:office@cicscalderdale.org.uk
phone: 07725501465 or 07890414468
find us on facebook, twitter or cicscalderdale.org.uk

Many thanks for your continued support...

Download a PDF of this

This is the first event to celebrate 20 years since the launch of CICS (we were a working group from 2000 - 2003 and launched in 2003). Purchase your tickets via the PayPal link below...

It was great to welcome nearly 40 people to the CICS Supporters Evening at The Engine Room Cafe in Dean Clough. The evening included our Annual General Meeting, stories from our schools workers, contributions from Scripture Union and local church communities. We also heard plans for 20 CICS events in 2020 starting on Sunday 2nd February with Halifax Young Singers in concert at Christ Church, Pellon. 

Below are a few pictures from the evening, the various papers that made up the Annual Report and an article for church magazines. 

​Article for Church Magazines (please do copy and paste):

20-20-Vision - Twenty Years of CICS

This is an invitation to join us at the launch event of our 20th Anniversary Celebration!

CICS (Christians in Calderdale Schools) was born as a result of a millennium vision for young people in Calderdale, so the year 2020 is our 20th anniversary.

To launch our celebrations we are arranging a concert with

The Halifax Young Singers

Sunday February 2nd 2020 at 3pm  at Christ Church Pellon Halifax

Tickets £8 & £6 (children and concessions)

Tickets can be obtained from office@cicscalderdale.org.uk or at the door.

Can we take this opportunity to ask you and your church to pray for CICS as we seek God’s way forward for our celebration year and on into the future? With the help of our supporters we hope to put on other events during 2020. So far we have a Quiz Night and Garden Party & BBQ promised. If you of your church could offer a prayer event, fund or profile raising event please contact us.

Just to let you know what you would be supporting here are a few of the events and people who have featured in the year 2018/19 

Chris Mason and Sarah Stone work part time in schools around the Halifax/Brighouse area and Nancy White in the Todmorden area.
 
We have 9 trustees and vacancies for more!

In schools exciting things are happening:

• Question Point, a lunch time activity to promote conversation and discussion was run in three schools by staff and volunteers.
  
  
• Religious Study lessons and an Alcohol Awareness Day were delivered as schools requested.
  
  
• CICS staff offers a one-to-one mentoring support service which is highly valued by participating schools.
  
  
• New for this year in Todmorden was a Prayer Labyrinth Workshop with Y6 children to help with transition to secondary school.
  
  
• We are delighted that once again over 2,000 copies of ‘It’s Your Move’ books were distributed to Y6 pupils throughout Calderdale. Many thanks to the volunteers who helped with this.
  
  
• ‘Open the Book’ Bible story assemblies are happening in all parts of the area. 
  
  
• We held two prayer events.
  
  

So it has been a busy and productive year. As it came to an end we had to say goodbye to Neil Harris, who had been with us since 2015. Neil has taken up new posts in Middlesbrough. We have been very blessed to have Neil on our staff and he goes with our love, thanks and prayers
​
CICS was a Churches Together vision and we cannot continue without our supporters and the church in Calderdale. So thank you for finding room in your magazine for this article. Please add your prayers for the future to ours and thank you in advance for any help you can give. 

​Our website is cicscalderdale.org.uk or facebook.com/cicscalderdale 

As the school year comes to an end our team reflects on the last few weeks...

Neil writes: The team have had a fruitful term with input in both Primary and High Schools.

In Primary Schools, both staff and volunteers have been actively involved in the It’s Your Move program, as a now well established part of Year 6 Transition in many Calderdale schools. Great comments from staff and parents were received on the newly revised books and how attractive they were. One school receptionist even asked for one for her daughter who goes to a school out of the area.

Neil and Sarah had an invite to take part in the RE week at Parkinson Lane School. We delivered a workshop on the work of the Church in local community. The students particularly enjoyed acting out the Parable of the Good Samaritan.

In High Schools, the staff team have supported Religious Studies in Ryburn School. In preparation for GCSE revision, we did some workshops to help students understand some more difficult topics. In Year 8 classes we worked on the subject of “What does being a Christian mean to us and how do we apply our faith to everyday life annd with nine Year 7 classes looking at the Church and local mission. We are able to explore different organisations like Street Angels, The Gathering Place and Bus Oasis as local expressions of this. 

When the team lead lessons we always allow time for questions at the end and this term had insightful ones including “What is God like?” And “How does God speak to you?” 

Let’s thank God for this year and pray next year will be even greater for us.

Here is an Assembly based on the Trinity for use in Primary Schools

Here is 3 Lesson Plans based on the Trinity for use in Primary Schools

Both of these are developed by Nancy White, the CICS worker in Todmorden