The Small Fish Podcast Children and Youth Department of The Salvation Army

In our final episode, we encourage every new Year 7 child to be themselves. We acknowledge that they have private thoughts – after all, every child has a spiritual life – and hear from two children who take comfort in prayer. We also think about who they will meet in the big pond and prepare to make a difference by looking out for others. Our final Bible story re-visits the child who thrived by sharing their packed lunch (Bible quote from Mark chapter 6 verse 43).

This episode will make you hungry as Faye tells us that the cooks are better than at primary school. We go one step further and look at lunchtime as an important time of the day, not just for eating but for socialising too. The story of Paul reminds us that sometimes we need to see things in a new way (Bible quote from Acts chapter 9 verse 18).

In this episode, our child experts tell us that the first year goes very quickly so nobody remains the youngest for very long. We also hear good news from a teacher about bullying, before Mark reminds us about a moment when the youngest person actually solved the biggest problem (Bible quote from Mark chapter 6 verse 43).

The big pond is a world of opportunities, many of which can make a difference to your wellbeing. With dance, games, arts, drama and sports, this could be your chance to let your hair down and try something new. Finding other friendship groups is another bonus, and we re-join Jesus and his fishermen friends as they let their nets down after a day’s work (Bible quote from John chapter 21 verse 6).

Secondary school can be a time for a fresh start and joining teams can be a very easy way to make friends. In this episode, Charlotte discovers that she actually likes PE because they do more of it in the big pond. We try to see PE in a brand new way, helped by the story of Paul (Bible quote from Acts chapter 9 verse 18).

This episode is about finding a strategy that works for you. Homework diaries and school planners will be given out by schools to help you, but this is also about creating your own boundaries with social media. Using time wisely is the key, especially remembering that making time for others matters (Bible quote from Romans chapter 12 verses 15 and 16).