It wasn't allowed to be a Christian group, but I was a Christian running it. Each week the children played, the mums drank tea, and we shared life together. I listened to their struggles, celebrated their joys, and invited them to church events. Again, some came.

Over time I became known as "the Christian mum."

Far from putting people off, it often opened doors. Teachers invited me into classrooms to share Bible stories and answer questions about Christianity during RE lessons. Parents knew they could talk about faith with me. Some even asked me to pray for difficult situations in their lives. Sometimes it was a light-hearted, "Can you have a word with the man upstairs?" But other times the requests came from a place of genuine need.

Perhaps the greatest encouragement came a few years later.

The school allowed me to run an evangelistic Bible study for mums. An invitation was sent through the school's email system, and three women came. Two attended regularly. They had never read the Bible for themselves before. They didn't agree with everything we discussed, and they asked plenty of challenging questions. But week after week they encountered Jesus through his word. One has since come to church for the first time in her life.

Looking back, there was nothing particularly impressive about what I did. I wasn't running large events, I’m not massively eloquent. I was simply a mum who kept showing up, building relationships, and looking for opportunities to point people to Jesus.

Of course, every school and every family situation is different. Not everyone will have the same opportunities. But if you're wondering how you might connect with your local school, here are three simple ideas:

1. Pray intentionally

Pray for the children, parents, teachers, and support staff. Ask God to help you see people as he sees them and to open doors for gospel conversations. You could pray for staff to be open to Christian witness as school, to be teaching truth in their classrooms. You can pray for families at school that you would speak graciously to them and love them.

2. Build genuine relationships

Make time to chat at the school gate, volunteer where appropriate, or attend school events. People are often more open to conversations about faith when they know you care about them. I volunteered at school fairs before they trusted me in their classrooms. Schools can often do with extra support at these events and staff may be more relaxed (or stuck next to you on a stand) which can help build relationships.

3. Be open about your faith

You don't need to force conversations. Simply mentioning church, asking if you can pray about situations (and then telling them you prayed, how did it go), or sharing what Jesus means to you can make a bigger impact than you realise. One time someone asked me why I was relaxed despite having thee small kids and I simply said, ‘because Jesus helps me, I couldn’t do this without him.’ I didn’t have a gospel outline or much time to speak but I was hopefully able to show them something of the beauty of knowing Jesus.

Can I really make a difference?

Today, I work with London City Mission's Schools Team, partnering with churches to reach children and young people across the city. I regularly see how eager many young people are to engage with the Christian faith. I've heard pupils ask questions like, "Can I read the Bible?" and "Who is Jesus to you?" These encounters remind me that God is already at work.

Yet I also know that many Christians reading this may feel exactly as I did all those years ago: busy, tired, and unsure what difference they can make.

That's why I'm encouraged by the words of 1 John 5:3: "In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome."

Following Jesus isn't always easy. Loving people takes time. Conversations can feel awkward. Life can feel overwhelmingly full. Yet God has placed each of us in particular communities for a reason. And living for Him is not a burden.

So as the new school year begins, who has God placed in your path? Which parent do you see every day? Which teacher, teaching assistant, or member of staff could you encourage? Which child or family could you pray for?

The school gate may seem ordinary, but God delights in using ordinary people in ordinary places to make Christ known.

Will you join me in praying for the children, families, and schools of our city?