Curate at St Faith’s

During my time at St John’s, I navigated a challenging period with no training incumbent, bishop, or archdeacon. With three out of four neighboring parishes also vacant, my bishop offered me the chance to move to another parish outside the deanery for more structured input into my training. Eager to make the most of this opportunity, I accepted, knowing external input would be invaluable in shaping my ministry.

At St. Faith’s, I am learning ministry within a more traditional context, collaborating with a larger clergy team, and leading the church during my Training Incumbent’s three-month sabbatical.

New-to-Faith Courses

I lead our new-to-faith courses, including The Start Course and Christianity Explored, as well as Talking Jesus and The Bible Course. These courses provide meaningful opportunities for people to explore faith in an accessible and supportive way. We have seen several people join St. Faith’s as a result of this program.

Building Development

I am part of the church’s building development group, leading efforts to explore potential radical changes to our building. This has included conducting a community survey, engaging in discussions with the DAC, collaborating with an architect, and exploring funding opportunities to support the vision for the church's future.

Christmas Tree Festival

Last Christmas, I led a highly successful Christmas Tree Festival at St. Faith’s, attracting thousands of attendees over several days. The festival featured over 40 decorated trees from local businesses and community groups, along with food stalls, a ticketed live nativity, a carol concert, and wreath-making workshops. We are expanding on the event this year. It serves as a vibrant community celebration and a key highlight of our church’s outreach, demonstrating that we, our faith, and Jesus are alive!

Administration

I am helping the church become more organized by adopting planning software to store personal information, manage member contacts, and schedule rotas more efficiently. This ongoing work is reducing the administrative burden on staff, freeing us up to spend more time with people and focus on missional endeavors.

National Online Service

Shortly after arriving at St. Faith’s, I had the opportunity to plan and film a service for the Church of England’s national YouTube channel. The service explored the theme of faith in tough times, featuring stories from members of our congregation. Despite not knowing the community well at that point, I was able to involve a diverse range of participants from St. Faith’s.