Could you tell me a bit about when you studied at St Mellitus College - what programme were you in and what did that look like for you?
I began studying a St Mellitus in 2013 as an undergraduate on a Theology and Youth Ministry course, as it was back then. And I did that for three years alongside being part of my youth work placement, and I absolutely loved it. I decided from there to just stick around for a little bit longer and do an MA in Theology, Ministry and Mission, which just opened my eyes up a little bit more into theology and how it applies into our everyday lives and in our own context.
What are you doing now, vocationally?
So, I’ve always been involved in youth work. Throughout the three years of my undergraduate degree, I worked for a Christian charity in London, working on estates and in schools. During my master’s, I moved from there into church-based youth and children’s work, which I absolutely loved. It was wonderful because it gave me a very clear sense of direction—like, “Oh, this is how my theology applies in this context”—because the work was approached from a very ministry-focused perspective.
Since then, I’ve moved into working for the local authority, while still doing youth work. That has been a real eye-opener in terms of understanding the differences: how the work functions day to day, but also the cultural differences between a church or faith-based setting and a local authority. It has allowed me to reflect more deeply on how theology is embedded in my vocation now. I’m no longer working in a faith-based context, where theology might be more obvious, but it is still very much there.
I’ve had the opportunity to reflect on that, especially now that I’m not just doing everyday youth work but exploring digital youth work at a national and international level. It has made me think: how does this work within theological thinking? It has been a really interesting journey throughout my theological learning, considering how theology applies in a context where Jesus is not necessarily the focus of the space. There will be people there who do follow Jesus, but that is not the main focus for the majority of those I work with. So, how do you navigate that? It has been a real blessing to be in this space and to be open about that with people.
How would you describe your time at St Mellitus. What resonates most with you?
I have such good memories of being there. I love it so, so much. I could not sing the praises of St Mellitus more highly, because it was just such a wonderful place. There are things from my time studying there that have stayed with me to this day, including quotes from different lecturers that have helped to shape my understanding.
For example, I remember a lecture—I think it was on my very first day at St Mellitus—when they said, “For those of you who have come with questions, hoping to get answers from theology, I’m really sorry to say that you’re going to leave with more questions.” That could not be more true. But I love the fact that, as part of the learning, there was a real emphasis on reflection, with worship at the very centre of it. That helped to shape how I approach my life going forward, whether in my day-to-day life or in my vocation. It reminds me what this is all about and has helped me to feel comfortable asking questions.
I think that was one of the most valuable parts of St Mellitus: its generous orthodoxy and the freedom it gave us to question and explore ideas. We could ask difficult questions, agree or disagree, and discuss things more deeply. That experience has helped me to feel comfortable speaking with my colleagues and with those in leadership over me. Although the power dynamics are different, I still feel able to question and ask difficult questions in ways that help to further the work we do and deepen my own understanding.
So, I love St Mellitus. Every time I return to do guest lecturing, it is so exciting because being there brings back so many memories. It is a wonderful place of learning that I will not forget any time soon.
What did formation look like for you while you studied art St Mellitus College?
I was studying Theology and Youth Ministry, and so I thought, “We’re going to look at theology in the morning and youth ministry work in the afternoon.” It took me a bit of time to realise just how crucial it was to integrate the two. It wasn’t the case that they were separate; they were intertwined. Then, when it came to the master’s, it was like, “Okay, let’s look at how theology is intertwined even further, not just within your work context, but in everyday life.”
That is something I really appreciate as part of my formation: learning to recognise God in everything I do and in everything I witness. It has helped me to recognise, especially from my time in the charity sector, that there are going to be moments—particularly in youth work—when your heart is broken. There are going to be some really difficult challenges, and you then have to grapple with those difficult questions: Where is God in all of this? How does this make sense?
But I think one of the beautiful things about being at St Mellitus was that there was such a clear understanding that theology is not separate from our everyday lives. Our understanding of God is embedded in everything we do, in the very fabric of all that we see and experience. In those difficult moments, that gives you a certain sense of comfort. I appreciate that I’m not going to know all the answers. I’m not always going to have an answer, because God knows, but I feel comfortable knowing that God is there in the midst of it, even when I may have more questions than answers.
Let’s hear more about your current work in digital youth.
So, my role is as a district youth and community worker. Generally, my role is to support the local community in delivering good-quality youth work. But since COVID, I’ve also ended up leading on digital youth work. It’s an unofficial title, but I’ll take it.
What’s really exciting—and this only happened yesterday—is that I’ve just started my own consultancy in digital youth work. I’m also off to Italy tomorrow to speak with youth workers from different countries about what I’ve learned through digital youth work. So, God is taking me in a really unexpected direction that I never imagined I would go in.
What I’ve really loved about digital youth work is recognising—and this came very much from my studies—that we serve a very creative God. Because we serve a creative God, there is a real importance in trying to tap into that creativity, regardless of how crazy we think our ideas might be, and beginning to ask the question, “What if?”
When it came to digital youth work, it was still very much in its infancy. So, the question was: what if we could engage with young people through games, for example? How could we have meaningful conversations simply by playing a video game? From there, it grew. We began looking at what a virtual space might look like and how we could work within it safely and effectively.
Some of the best conversations I’ve had have taken place in digital spaces, and that has come from a sense of creativity and imagining the possibilities. I think that was especially significant because I was so focused on eschatology in my studies, particularly the ideas of imagination and hope. We have a creative God who created this world, so how much more creativity are we going to see in the kingdom to come?
That really shaped my practice by encouraging me to bring innovation into my work and to see the fruit that has come from it. It has led to some unique opportunities, including supporting national guidance on digital youth work, delivering training, and speaking at events. Now, I’m also beginning to do international work in Europe, which I never imagined would happen. But here I am.
Why would you encourage someone to study theology?
I think, at its core, studying theology allows you to really wrestle with questions, while also building your relationship with God in ways you probably would never expect. You think you know God, and then you realise there is so much more to know.
What I really enjoyed was learning from incredible people who had such in-depth knowledge and who opened up areas I had never considered, as well as questions I never thought I would ask. It is a privilege to be able to ask those questions and wrestle with them before God in a way that feels both beautiful and raw, and that allows me to feel so much closer to him.
I remember studying theology at university, and even now, I can see something and it becomes an act of worship for me. I might be reading a book, and something will suddenly strike me, and I’ll think, “Wow, that’s amazing. I’ve never thought of it like that before.”
I think theology is a wonderful way to build a relationship with God and to create space to understand him more, while still having plenty of questions. Because of that, it also helps to shape how you approach daily life, whether that is in the workplace or elsewhere. It has meant that my perspective is increasingly centred on God: How do I understand God? How does that relate to me and to what I do? How can I recognise God at work in different ways?
For me, that has also meant being really creative in how I see God and what he can do, and not allowing the barriers around me to limit what God may be doing. Things can still emerge from those situations, and you begin to see the fruit of that work.
Can you share a story about how you've been seeing God moving in the context in which you serve?
Yeah, so I have so many different stories. One of the things we often talk about, especially in a church context, is wanting to serve the lost and the broken. For me, I’ve always had a real love for understanding and supporting those who go out, and for encouraging the Church to enter areas it has never been to before—even high-risk areas where persecution was significant and death was a very real possibility. From an Old Testament perspective, you might think that Israel was the place to be and nowhere else, so there was something significant, geographically, about going out. When it came to doing online youth work, though, I didn’t fully appreciate how much of an impact it would have.
We had one young person who was a young carer and had caring responsibilities at home. When they first joined, they had never accessed any of our services before. They were very quiet. They didn’t show their face on Zoom, turn on their camera, or use their microphone. Every so often, they would communicate through the Zoom chat function.
Over a few months, they began to contribute more through the chat. Then, over time, they started speaking verbally and occasionally turning on their camera. They began sharing things about their life, including stories about their hamsters and everything else. It was a wonderful moment because we started to see more of their personality come through, even though we had never met them face to face.
Then there came a point when we held an in-person event at one of our youth centres. We were really surprised to see them there. As part of what we were doing, we asked the young person, “Why did you feel comfortable coming here? We’ve never seen you attend anything in person before.” They were part of our video gaming club, and they said, “If it wasn’t for the video gaming club, I would never have had the confidence to come to a face-to-face setting.”
That is just one of many stories. We have also heard from parents who have seen their young people’s confidence grow and their social skills develop because we have been able to meet them in a place that feels comfortable for them. We haven’t tried to bring them to us; we have tried to go to them.
The online world can be seen as unsafe and risky, but God still works in that space. He is not restricted to geographical or physical locations; he is present online as well. There is a beauty in that, because we are seeing wonderful moments that perhaps were never thought possible.
That is just one of many stories. I could go on for hours, but it has been wonderful to see what can happen when we do something as simple as stepping into an online space. We are not necessarily going to have all the knowledge or know everything that can be done online, because it is so vast and expansive. But we can bring a little bit of hope to young people who feel lost, isolated, or broken because they haven’t had anyone to talk to. We can provide a space for them in a way that works for them.
I’m so passionate about it. It is amazing to see how God works through it. These are wonderful moments, and my heart just grows. I’m so thankful to God when young people begin to realise just how much has changed for them.
