“I KNOW YOU! YOU’RE THE HALLOWEEN LADY!”
“I KNOW YOU! YOU’RE THE HALLOWEEN LADY!”
Charlie Macdonald paused, trying to place the boy’s face. Then it clicked. Each year, her church puts on an alternative community event on 31 October – handing out sweets, chatting to families, and sharing leaflets about church life. The boy had been there. And now, here he was, sitting on the floor of a local church in Tower Hamlets, with his classmates, watching a film about Jesus’ death and resurrection.
“It struck me,” says Charlie, who leads London City Mission’s schools team. “This is what we’re praying for – that children would know someone who follows Jesus. That they’d make that connection between the Christian they meet in real life and the person of Jesus they’re hearing about.”
Moments like this capture a big part of the vision behind the Life exhibition. It’s not just a one-off experience – it’s a chance for local believers to be seen, to be heard, and to build bridges between the church and the school gates. And to share who they believe Jesus is.
“MANY CHILDREN STILL GROW UP NEVER REALLY HEARING THAT JESUS IS THE SON OF GOD”
“The RE syllabus varies a lot by borough,” explains Charlie. “Some will be really clear about who Jesus is and others less so. But many children still grow up never really hearing that Jesus is the Son of God who loves them and gave his life for them.”
That’s where the Life exhibition comes in. It’s an interactive, immersive experience for primary school children – hosted in church buildings, led by local believers, and designed to communicate the gospel clearly, respectfully, and engagingly.
When a class arrives, they start with a video exploring what other children believe about Jesus. Then they rotate through three interactive zones – one looking at prophecies pointing to Jesus, another unpacking his miracles, and another exploring his teaching through the parable of the Good Samaritan.
After that, they watch a film about Jesus’ death and resurrection, before finishing with a fun multiple-choice quiz in the “café tent.”
Partner charity Counties provides the materials and technical setup – LCM missionaries are there to serve the church: gathering and training a team, building relationships with local schools, and modelling how to share the gospel with care and clarity.
“There’s something powerful about hearing someone say, ‘This is who I believe Jesus is, and here’s how it’s changed my life,’” says Charlie. “That’s not something children often get to hear. Especially in communities where few would call themselves Christians.”
Sometimes, the impact is immediate.
“I remember a Muslim girl putting up her hand during the Q&A and asking, ‘Why did you choose to become a Christian?’” says Charlotte. “That was huge. She’d realised it was a choice. Not something you’re born into, but something you decide for yourself. And then she turned to another volunteer and asked, ‘Why did you become a Christian?’ She wanted to know our stories.”
In another tent, a boy listened closely to the story of the paralysed man.
“Jesus forgives his sins first, and then heals him to prove he has authority,” Charlotte recalls. “The boy – again, from a Muslim background – said, ‘Well of course they were angry. Only God can forgive sins.’ And that’s exactly the point the story is making. You could see his mind ticking over.”
This year, LCM supported churches to host six Life exhibitions, including two in brand new boroughs:
In total, 2,296 children and 229 teaching staff heard the gospel in a way that was engaging, accessible and locally grounded.
In Romford, LCM helped churches follow up with all four visiting schools – through assemblies, RE lessons, and lunchtime clubs. In Lambeth, where schools outreach is more limited, a local school asked if Christians could come in and speak to the younger year groups too.
Other churches have invited children and families back for pancake parties or Easter egg hunts – keeping the door open for more connection.
At Manor Park Christian Centre in Newham, the Life exhibition has now run twice – and increasingly, it’s the church team themselves who are leading it.
“The pastor told us the whole church caught a vision for mission,” says Charlie. “They want to run it every year now.”
The target is that by 2030, the Life exhibition would be running in every one of LCM’s 22 priority boroughs. Not as a one-off, but as a rhythm. And this is just part of LCM’s bigger vision to reach young people – from primary school to young adults – with the good news of Jesus.
LCM shares the gospel alongside the local church of London, equipping everyday Christians to lovingly bring a message of hope in Christ to those least likely to hear it.
Registered Charity No. 247186
