Many churches have good provision for small children and for adults but there is a great need where young people are concerned. Too often it is assumed they have learnt the stories, done the activities and so they have passed the test. This is the time for the exodus. If we lose our young people, we are losing the hope of a truly healthy Church.

These young people need to know they are genuinely wanted and can be truly useful. They still need teaching ? as we all do ? but they do need to be integrated into the main body of the Church as useful members. They need listeners and interpreters to help them on their journey of discovery and to guide them in their adventures. Above all else, they need to know that the Church needs them and that they also need the Church.

The Torches teaching in the Searchlight programme aims to strike just the right note. For each weeks of the year we start with an aim, followed by a list of readings from the Bible, a teaching idea to read as written or adapt as fits the ability of the teacher, a worksheet which is easily photocopiable and includes fun activities such as wordsearches and drawing pictures, then there is a prayer written out and each session ends with a song. There is also space for any notes the teacher might want to make. The teaching is designed to reflect the concerns of young people and so to enable them to integrate into the adult Church community; it is also firmly rooted in the Sunday readings of Common Worship, Year A.