The Early Early Show has given young people an opportunity to share their voice in a new way and we hope to develop it in future series to encourage others to do the same.
The Early Early Show began at the start of 2021. The vision was to have a weekly chat show, produced by young people and for young people, to encourage them to connect during lockdown, engage with different topics, explore faith and have some fun. The very first presenter to take on the show was Tom and towards the end of series 1 we also introduced Priya to the show. In the next series of The Early Early Show, not only do we intend to have Tom and Priya working together but we hope to se other young people start to get involved too. Tom and Priya are already dreaming up new ideas and topics for future shows and it won't be long before we can share the new series with you all!
But just who is Tom and how did he come to be involved?
We asked Tom some questions to find out a little more about him...
How did you first come into contact with Urban Saints?
I first came into contact with Urban Saints when I found out about Spree. My first Spree camp was in 2013 when I was 7 years old. It was at the Frontier Centre in Northampton. I’ve been every year since and for the last two years, I have helped to DJ in the silent disco. We were just about to be part of a new Urban Saints Group starting locally but it couldn’t start properly because of Covid-19 so we met weekly online with everyone instead which was still good fun.
Why did you first want to get involved in The Early Early Show?
I wanted to do something fun during lockdown and be part of something that could inspire people or make people laugh. It is good to make people laugh or have some enjoyment through lockdown because people were starting to feel low and miserable, and some people had lost friends and family, so I wanted to do something to help.
Tell us a bit about your own faith journey - when did you become a Christian?
My family are Christian so I have been brought up in a Christian household and have attended church for as long as I can remember. I gave my life to God when I was 9.
What’s the best and the hardest thing about being a Christian?
Sometimes in high school you get mocked for believing in God. That can be tough. The best thing is knowing I can talk to God. That helps me, especially if I am upset because I know he is with me.
What do you think it means to be an Urban Saint?
You are part of something bigger and you belong. You get to go on cool trips and make friends with people from other groups and places. Being an Urban Saint means I get to step out of my comfort zone and do adventurous things.
What do you hope young people will get from watching The Early Early Show?
That they will realise that they can do anything. They may hear something that is helpful or gives them hope and makes them feel better during this difficult time. I hope that people enjoy the show so that they still want it to continue after the lockdown has ended and then we can even interview people face to face!
Which Bible character would you most like to interview if you could, and why?
I would like to interview Jonah. I just want to know what was it like inside that fish, was he really in there for three days? What did he drink while he was inside the big fish and did it stink?
If you've missed The Early Early Show first time around, you can catch up again via:
...or why not visit all three?!
Series 2 of The Early Early Show will be released later this year and you'll be able to find it at all the links mentioned above.