ANGELA YOUNGMAN looks at how the Church of England is helping young people find their calling in the church…
Norwich, UK
How do you know if you have a calling to be a minister or not? Or whether some other form of ministry is more suitable? For young people it can be a difficult question to answer – and why an innovative ministry scheme is helping provide those solutions.
The Church of England’s Diocese of Carlisle has become one of the latest areas to begin participating in what’s known as the Ministry Experience Scheme. It has set up the Northern Young Leaders Project, linked to another diocesan partner, the Norwegian Mission Society, to provide internships for young people wanting to explore their vocation. Those taking part spend a year volunteering in parishes and undertaking pioneering projects across Cumbria.
Norwegian Mission Society’s cohort in summer 2022 at the launch event. PICTURE: Courtesy of Norwegian Mission Society.
Rev Andy Smith, of the Northern Young Leaders Project, explains that the diocese wants to engage with young people and young adults.
“[T]his is a way of addressing their needs,” he says. “We are creating a pipeline of leaders who can work with them, who understand the people we want to reach. They have energy and enthusiasm.”
“The aim is for the interns to explore their calling and see where it leads them. It could be ordination, lay ministry, family ministry or none at all.”
– Rev Andy Smith, of the Northern Young Leaders Project.
Smith adds that the aim of the project is for interns “to explore their calling and see where it leads them”.
“It could be ordination, lay ministry, family ministry or none at all. This is the first year that Cumbria has been involved in the scheme. I was running it in Southampton for several years and have now moved to Cumbria. We are looking for people who want to grow in faith and calling, who are wiling to learn and be stretched in their faith and activities.”
The project has already proved highly popular within the diocese. Smith indicates there is a long list of Cumbrian churches keen to be involved, and the aim is to match interns to the right church. Applications are now being sought for 2023-24, and Smith expects to be talking to people on a rolling basis over the next few months.
Eve Brett, intern in Carlisle.
Cumbria’s first intern is Eve Brett, who joined the diocese in September following a week long introduction in Norway.
“I was working in Germany as an au pair and had a video call with my mother who said I ought to look at opportunities in the Church of England,” she tells Sight. “I had a feeling God was trying to tell me something and the Northern Leaders scheme appealed. Most of my time here involves working with youth and children at St James Church, and I will be getting involved in diocesan conferences as well.”
A key feature of the Carlisle program reflects the diocesan links with Norway – as Smith explains.
“Our interns have an initial session in Norway among interns from other countries, discussing what it all means, reflecting on their reasons for becoming involved and what they hope to get out of it,” he says. “At the end of the year, they have a further session in Barcelona where they reflect on what they have learned. It is a time when they can talk to others in the same situation, and get different perspectives on what mission and ministry mean.”
Reflecting on the introduction she received in Norway, Brett comments: “I had never heard of the Norwegian Mission Society before but it was really nice to be with other young people, seeing something of Norway and exploring ways of ministry. I’ve kept in touch with other people I met on the course and it was really good experience.”
Judging by the numbers involved in the wider Church of England Ministry Experience Scheme, the concept of internships is definitely proving appealing. Over the past five years, more than 450 people have taken part. This year there are 90 people based in 21 diocesan schemes including Salisbury, Gloucester, Blackburn, Newcastle and London as well as on the continent in churches like Heidelberg, Geneva, Gibraltar and Utrecht.
Depending on location and interest, interns can become involved in a wide range of activities. Katie, an intern at Heidelberg, for example, has undertaken preaching and leading Bible studies as well as attending a council of Anglican and episcopal churches while Marie, from Utrecht, participated in placements within London churches.
The scheme was originally set up over a decade ago as a way of encouraging young people aged 18 to 30 to explore their calling. For some interns, the experience is the first time they can discover exactly what it is like to serve in a diocese. Diverse and multi-ethnic, the scheme seeks to appeal to as wide an audience as possible within an ‘academic’ year lasting from September to the end of the following June. Participants come from all over Europe to work within participating dioceses.
The coronavirus pandemic did lead to a slowdown in numbers, but now the intention is to substantially increase the number of participants. Interns can apply to any participating diocese, thus encouraging them to travel and explore. There are never specific numbers of vacancies; it depends entirely on applications and what churches are suitable matches.
“This is an opportunity for young people to work with other people of a similar age, make connections, discover ministry and reflect on their future,” says Smith. “Interns work within teams and alongside other people. They learn basic theology, helping them to put into words what they are thinking about religion within a very supportive environment that crosses boundaries and communities.”
Judging the success of the scheme is not easy. It is not simply a matter of numbers of people seeking ordination.
“We are not looking for everyone to become a minister. Everyone will have a different outcome,” Smith notes. “When I ran the project in Southampton, we found that not everyone entered the ministry. Some years there were more women than men or vice versa. Some interns have been ordained and are working as curates. Others have gone off to do other things including becoming a midwife and a chef. The program helped them discover their calling.”
Mary, an intern in Devon and member of the 2021/22 cohort of the Church of England Ministry Experiences, speaks at a church service in Salcombe. PICTURE: Courtesy Church of England Ministry Experiences.
Cumbria, a northern diocese of the UK, has long been linked with the Norwegian Mission Society in a variety of joint projects. The society is rooted in the Church in Norway, and sends volunteers to work in many countries including Laos, Madagascar and Mali.
Kristian Mjølsneset, leader of international volunteering at NMS, says there are around 25 applicants every year.
“We have interns from Norway and also from our partner churches in Europe, Taiwan and Brazil. Every year we have around 16 interns altogether, this year we have 19.
“During the launch session our focus is to prepare the interns for living in another culture, training them in Bible and mission and team building. In the closing session in Barcelona at the end of the year, it is mostly for them to debrief and to make a space for them to talk about their experiences, and also help them bring their knowledge back home.”
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Over in the Diocese of Bath & Wells, Richard Kelley has been co-ordinating the Ministry Experience Scheme there since 2018. Several participants have since entered the ministry or have taken on different roles linking to their vocation.
Kelley explains how the diocese has adjusted the program to suit its own needs.
“We combined Ministry Experiences with an existing volunteer program within the diocese,” he says. “The aim was to make it beneficial for everyone – interns, diocese, community, congregations. We have widened it out to be more as a discipleship than a ministry by focusing on the four pillars of community, teaching, mentor and placement. It has proved really successful, attracting people not always under 30, who wanted to explore their faith and vocations.”
He continues: “Last year we had a doctor in the last year of his specialism training who wanted to explore his faith, alongside his medical training. We found a way for him to do this by attending a fortnightly teaching program, away days and working in the community. He is now running a young adults ministry involving around 50 young people.
“This year’s group includes another doctor, a 20-year-old guy working in an antiques auctioneers, some nurses and health care workers. We met recently to share testaments for the first time, and it was wonderful to see God’s hand in their lives, and how they are already speaking more deeply about God. They learn to articulate a call that they could not do before. We have found that where interns are working in a congregation, new vocations follow. It nourishes new vocations, new people and new leaders. People realise if an intern can do, then they can do it too.”
