Contributors

Ben Lindsay OBE is Founder and CEO of Power The Fight, 2023 Charity Times, Charity of The Year launched in 2019, tackling the issue of violence affecting young people. Winner of the Charity Times 2023 Social Media Leader, 2022’s Rising Leader Award and bestselling author, Ben is an experienced presenter, trainer and facilitator with more than 20 years spent working with high-risk young people in the field of gangs and serious youth violence.

Lucy works for Resurgo, a Christian charity helping young people enter employment. Previously she was youth worker at Saints Youth. She's passionate about sustainable fashion and runs a charity shop supporting local charities. She is also passionate about getting a dog as soon as possible!

Emma has worked for the Church of England Birmingham for 7 years, and her current role is the Growing Younger Advisor, supporting churches, volunteers, and employed workers with their youth and children's work. She develops training and resources and enjoys meeting up for coffee and helping people dream ‘what’s next’ for their youth and children's ministry.

Throughout his twenty years of experience ministering to young people and training youth ministers, Darin has grown increasingly restless with answering questions about the Christian faith that very few young people are asking! That’s why he developed a pre-evangelism tool called the Stir Course and founded Start to Stir, along with his wife Joy. Stir exists to equip Christians with practical tools that overcome indifference to the gospel.

Carolyn has a wealth of experience as a practitioner, resource writer, lecturer and trainer at local and parachurch level. She is passionate about children and young people growing in their knowledge and love of God, and is enjoying her new role developing training and ministerial formation for all those engaging with children and young people for the Church of England. She loves a wild swim, good coffee and belly laughs

Dylan Barker has been working with young people for almost 20 years. He has experience in running church projects, statutory youth projects and detached work. Currently, he lives and works on an estate in Weston-Super-Mare and is part of a missional community that focuses on youth work in the area. In addition, he works for Frontier Youth Trust where he delivers resources and training for youth work on the margins.

Ali Campbell is married to the lovely Lisa, has two teenage daughters, and has been involved in youth ministry for 37 years. In 2022, Ali established Paraklesis - The Association of Children's, Youth and Families Ministers. He particularly enjoys hanging out with his family, mentoring youth and children's workers, drinking good coffee and listening to Jazz (though not all at the same time).

Matt is the Salvation Army’s Youth Specialist for Leader Development for the UK & Ireland. His role aims to support local youth workers and their work with young people through the development of resources and training. Most recently Matt has been involved in projects addressing boys mental health, LGBTQ+ and has developed local street-based youth work projects through an online network and training during the pandemic. Matt lives in Banstead with his wife and three young boys, he attends Sutton Salvation Army Corps where he volunteers as a youth worker.

Pete founded the 24-7 prayer movement in 1999 which has impacted the lives of thousands of people across the world. For eight years Pete served on the senior leadership team of Alpha international and HTB, a large Anglican church in London. He’s also an award-winning author of 'How to pray' and 'God on mute', as well as being host of the Lectio 365 daily devotional used by more than 270,000 people. Pete is currently Senior Pastor of Emmaus Road church in Guildford. He loves art galleries, live music and knocking down walls.

Paul is the Youth & Community Work Lecturer at Moorlands College and Director of Training & Innovation at The Bridge Youth Project in Salisbury where he lives. His passion is to equip the local church for ministry with young people. He drinks black coffee, reads nerdy books and is often found exploring the outdoors.

Andy leads Moorlands, a Bible College about 10 minutes drive from the Bournemouth beach - what's not to like? He has spent the last 15 years investing in youth workers to be deep theologically, passionate spiritually and robust practically, and is author of Looking Good Naked: Youth Work and the Body of Christ.

Hannah has been an Innovation Specialist at Youthscape for almost 5 years. She thinks young people are absolutely amazing and it is the biggest joy to her that she gets to spend my days thinking up new and creative resources for them and their youth leaders. Outside of work, she lives in Scotland with her husband and dog and is happiest when hiking mountains.

Jenny is part of the Youthscape Resources team. She really enjoys creating resources and new ideas for young people, youth workers and the adults supporting them. Alongside that, she is a Psychotherapist in the West Midlands and works with a charity offering consultancy for special schools around trauma. In her spare time she likes paddle boarding, knitting and cooking.

Katie Boyes is a contemplative activist and passionate communicator, she sits on the Advisory Board at JustLove and has led seminars and performed spoken word poetry at national conferences such as Soul Survivor, Proximity and ISAAC. She really loves Jesus and is hungry to see his Kingdom come.

Bob Hartman has been a professional storyteller for 30 years. An ordained minister, he has written over 70 books, for both children and adults, many of them retellings of Bible stories and passages. He is also the author of YouVersion’s Bible App for Kids. His passion is to help people of every age find their way into the Bible, engage with it, and discover the God who inspired it. Bob is married to Sue, has two married children, Kari and Chris, and five grandchildren: Malachi, Leah, Jacob, Remy and Sloane.

Laura is the National Ministries Director for Youth for Christ. She oversees Youth for Christ’s outreach and evangelism teams and has also led the development of some of YFC's resources including Yeti and the Good News Bible - The Youth Edition. She speaks widely on youth work and young people as well as helping lead the youth work in her church. Laura is married to Andy who is Associate Pastor at Lifecentral Church, Halesowen.

Originally from Bristol, Justin has worked in a variety of social work and youth work settings for over 25 years. Most recently before joining the charity in 2010, he worked for the largest children’s charity in the UK. Previous to this, he worked in a range of local authority roles; most latterly at senior management level within a metropolitan borough council in the West Midlands. He has also served as a church Pastor and is a passionate advocate for justice and authentic leadership.

Amy is Worship Pastor at St Saviour's in Finsbury Park. She’s also part of KXC Worship, having been part of Kings Cross Church in London for many years as a worship leader. She also works in the criminal justice sector for a prison reform charity, and volunteers at her local prison chaplaincy. She previously worked in Parliament for an MP and continues to lead worship at the chapel services for politicians and their staff in Westminster.

Natalie Williams grew up in relative poverty in the deprived seaside town of Hastings. She became a Christian at 15, which changed her life completely. Natalie has been involved with Jubilee+ since its first year, and became chief executive in April 2021. Natalie is the co-author of four books, including A Call to Act (2020) and Invisible Divides (2022). She is passionate about the church being a place of overflowing mercy, especially for those trapped in poverty.

Ben Mizen from Ideas Alchemy Consulting Limited employs inventive approaches like LEGO® Serious Play® to enhance team dynamics, strategy, and leadership. His main aim is to foster divergent thinking for heightened productivity and life satisfaction. Furthermore, Ben teaches part-time in Business and Management at Solent University. Previously, he spent over 25 years as a church youth worker and diocesan advisor across various locations including Gloucestershire, The Netherlands, the UK, and Portsmouth.

Susie lives in Chorley with her magnificent pup, Betty. She has worked in parish, school and diocesan fixtures in youth work over the last 35+ years and is still going! As a Youth MHFA and Suicide First Aid instructor she spends a lot of time exploring the relationship between mental wellbeing, faith and church as part of her role with Manchester Diocese. Susie loves Hunted, airports, superior stationery and quality crisps.

Mark is an author, foster carer and Director of RealityBites based in Leeds. He has spoken at conferences all over the world and his work is focused on how storytelling can help Christians in both discipleship and mission.

Chris Curtis has been working with young people for more than forty years, much of it leading Youthscape. His work has focused recently on helping churches get going in youth work and finding ways of placing young people at the heart of church life. He's married and lives in Luton where, in his spare time, he continues to be a Mac nerd and member of the Magic Circle.

Kay is co-founder of the Additional Needs Alliance, is the disability and additional needs advisor to Keswick Ministries and Spring Harvest and a wearer of many other ministry ‘hats’ - all to do with disability and additional needs. She was previously a children’s evangelist and before that a children’s nurse specialising in disability and additional needs. She is married to Steve, uses four wheels to get around and loves to crochet.

Paul lives in Scotland and has three part-time roles; he runs Youth Work Journeys which trains, supports and mentors Christian youth workers, He is Head of Operations for a youth work project called KYTHE and teaches youth and community work at the Scottish Baptist College. He recently completed my PhD into sustainability of youth workers. His hobbies are hill-running and playing traditional Scottish music in the pub.

Hannah is a Senior Researcher within Youthscape's Centre for Research. She has a research background in education policy and young people in local authority care and specialises in qualitative research. After receiving her Doctorate from the University of Birmingham in 2022, Hannah spent time working as a secondary school Family Support Worker before joining the Centre in January 2024. She is sometimes accompanied by her dog, Luna, to the office.

Gemma loves Youth Work and Research and therefore has the best job in the world because she gets to do both together! Her default question is ‘What can we learn from this?’ which can be helpful and frustrating in equal measure. Outside of work she is a volunteer youth worker, a Town and Borough Councillor and shares her home with a husband, three adult/teenage boys and an excitable spaniel.

Tolu is deeply passionate about the real-life teaching and true practice of Jesus’ way to the church and those looking in. She longs to make the practice of Jesus’ teaching an integral part of discovering and defining one’s self against society’s arc narrative of self, success and satisfaction.

Aaron is Head of Mission for Fusion, a worldwide movement of student mission. He is passionate about catalysing the local Church to be at the forefront of student mission and to see a generation find hope in Jesus.

Sarah have been working with young people nearly all her working life and is passionate about their right to grow up safely, have every opportunity to achieve their potential, and be equipped to deal with things life may throw at them. Having worked in drug prevention for many years, she knows that this, alongside good quality youth work, can be highly effective in helping young people make drug-free choices.

Rachel Gardner is a youth worker, speaker and writer, and Director of Partnerships at Youthscape. Perhaps best-known for founding Romance Academy, Rachel has written several books, most recently ‘The Sex Thing’ and she is passionate about helping young people overcome big life challenges. Recently she’s moved north with her husband and family to help lead a church in Blackburn. But wherever you are, you’ll still be able to hear her on the Youthscape Podcast!

John Roberto has spent a lifetime working in faith formation—teaching, writing, researching, consulting, and developing programs. Among his publications are Lifelong Faith: Formation with All Ages and Generations, Families at the Center of Faith Formation, Seasons of Adult Faith Formation, Reimagining Faith Formation for the 21st Century, Generations Together, and Faith Formation 2020. He has a masters degree in religious education from Fordham University and a honorary doctor of divinity from Meadville Lombard Theological School.

KXC Worship is based at King’s Cross Church (KXC) - a church in the heart of London. The vision of KXC is to serve God’s purpose to make all things new, by recklessly giving themselves away to God in worship, each other in community and the people of King’s Cross and beyond. Their mosts recent album is 'Show Us Your Glory'.

Kenda is Professor of Youth, Church and Culture at Princeton Theological Seminary in the USA. She is the world’s leading expert in youth ministry innovation and one of the world’s best-known writers about young people and the church. He books include The Godbearing Life: The Art of Soul-Tending for Youth Ministry, Practicing Passion: Youth and the Quest for a Passionate Church and Almost Christian: What the Faith of Our Teenagers Is Telling the American Church.

Megan DeWald (she/her) is the Director of the Institute for Youth Ministry at Princeton Theological Seminary, where she oversees research, facilitates training, creates community, and designs resources for people engaged in youth ministry. She is also the new co-author of the revised version of The Godbearing Life: The Art of Soul Tending in Youth Ministry, with Kenda Creasy Dean and Ron Foster. With over two decades of experience in youth and young adult ministry, Megan is passionate about nurturing authentic connection and friendship among people from different social locations and equipping leaders to understand and navigate systems, structures, and relationships.

Alice oversees Launchpad, Youthscape's project equipping church leaders to see youth work start, and flourish in churches across the country. She's spent most of her adult years working with young people and helping and equipping Christians who work with young people. In her spare time, she's ordained as a Deacon in the Church of England, and leads the older youth in her parish. She has an obsession with tea, dahlias and Desert Island Discs….

Alex has been a part of Youthscape since 2010 with a few years in Australia. She is Director of Training, helping resource the church in their training and formation of Volunteer Youth Leaders, which feels like such a critical current task for the church.She's one of those people who discovered wild swimming a few years ago, so she spends most weekends dipping in ponds and rivers and looking very glamorous – not!

Lusa Nsenga-Ngoy was consecrated as the Bishop of Willesden in January 2022. Lusa was ordained in 2008 and served as an Assistant Curate in the Diocese of Canterbury, before becoming Vicar of St Aidan, Gravesend in 2012. In 2017 he was appointed BAME Mission and Ministry Enabler in the Diocese of Leicester, wherein he oversaw an increase in representation and participation of those from UK Minority Ethnic (UKME) backgrounds in the life and structures of Leicester Diocese. Lusa is a trustee of St Mellitus College, Church Army, and deputy chair of the Board of Initiatives of Change UK. His interests include ethical leadership, storytelling, and poetry. Lusa feels strongly about issues of social social justice, and has worked with Making Herstory: an organisation working to end gender-based violence.

In her role as Relationship Manager, Megan works to engage, equip and support the next generation of philanthropists on their giving journey. Megan joined Stewardship in 2020, where her passion to see lives transformed through the power of generosity has been ignited. She loves to be hospitable and uses this passion to create safe spaces for relationship and connections to flourish. Megan lives in North West London with her husband Josh, where they attend a local church and lead a connect group together.

Mike is the Director of children's charity the267project, which exists to 'resource, grow, celebrate' youth and children's ministry wherever it sees it. Mike has been involved in paid youth and children's ministry for more than 25 years. He has spent time serving a church as a youth and children's worker, then as a youth and community worker, and also served in the US with Young Life. He's married to Kirstie, they have an 8 year old son, and together they love exploring and adventures.

Shem Pinnock is a Youth Leader at Ruach City Birmingham and Mayoral Officer at the Greater London Authority. Seth is one of the hosts of the Difference course.

Gemma is Head of Youthscape’s Luton team and also leads the youth ministry team at her church. She’s passionate about encouraging young people to explore faith in both church and community settings, and has been doing so for the past 15 years. When she’s not hanging out with young people she loves to read, write, spend time with her family, and go for walks in the countryside.

Liz (she/her) is the Assistant Director of the Institute for Youth Ministry, where she oversees the Certificate in Youth and Theology Program and develops training and resources for youth workers. Liz has more than a decade of experience in youth ministry and pastoral leadership, most recently as a church planter with the Vineyard. A sought-after teacher and preacher, Liz is passionate about listening prayer, sustainable ministry, and social change. Liz is also an accomplished cook and believes in the profound connection between ministry and hospitality. She holds a BA in Religious Studies from Trinity College in Connecticut and an MDiv from Duke Divinity School.

Kiera works for Archbishop Justin Welby in his Reconciliation Ministry; where she is Director of the Reconciling Leaders Network and is developing a global movement of peacemakers. Previously she worked at Tearfund for over a decade; pioneering a lifestyle response to global poverty and leading their engagement with an emerging generation. Kiera also holds a Theology Masters from Birmingham.

Claire is Director of The Haven, a charitable project based in St Albans, that helps young people build up their mental resilience. Claire has helped lead youth work at St Helen’s in Wheathampstead for many years, alongside being a part-time youth worker for Hertfordshire Christian charity the267project. She loves redbush tea, getting creative and has recently rediscovered a love of swimming under the sea!