Mission
Be encouraged by stories from parishes across Derbyshire and see how you can pray for children, young people, families, schools, and church communities across the Diocese of Derby.
If you have any quesions regarding resources or funding mentioned in the below stories, get in touch at GrowingYounger@derby.anglican.org
04.08.2025 - Interview with Revd James Lee from the North Wingfield Team
Q: Hi James, can you tell us a bit about yourself?
James: My name is Revd James Lee and since last September, I’ve been Team Vicar in the North Wingfield Team, which is a team of five churches just south of Chesterfield.
Q: What was your motivation for starting your new service?
James: Of our five churches, four meet on Sunday mornings, but St Barnabas Danesmoor has been a small afternoon congregation for many years, meeting at 5pm. Soon after I started I had a strong sense that there was a brilliant opportunity here for a family-friendly afternoon service for the many families who access the St Barnabas Centre throughout the week. I found that others I spoke to felt the same – and the scale of opportunity was confirmed by seeing 92 people (including nearly 50 children) come to our Christingle service last December.
And so a small team of us began working to launching this new service, which we decided to move to 4pm (as a better time for families) and call ‘St Barnabas@4’.
Q: What does the service look like now?
James: We launched St Barnabas@4 in February and it’s been a fun roller-coaster ride ever since. If you were to walk in on a Sunday, you’d find us sat round tables in a relaxed style, with paper for drawing/doodling covering each table, with pens, fidget toys and a craft available, as well a play area at the back.
But as you stay, you’ll find that we seek to incorporate many of the normal parts of a regular service – songs, confession, Bible reading, prayers and a short talk – but with a very clear communication that it is ok for children to make noise, run around and play. This has been the most frequent comment from parents – that they’ve been able to come and relax and enjoy it, because they’re not constantly stressing about the noise their child is/could make.
Q: How have you seen your ministry grow? What do you think was the catalyst for this?
James: We were blown away by having 71 people there on our first week, though I was always aware that ‘regular numbers’ would likely fall off from that. We’ve settled into an average of around 40-45 people each week, about half of whom are children, which is great.
But more than just numbers, it’s been really exciting to see a sense of community and belonging begin to grow – we’ve recently seen our first baptism, with interest in thanksgiving services too. We’re looking to grow our team as well, encouraging people to consider how they might be able to get involved.
As to a catalyst for growth – I think the excellent connections developed over many years at the St Barnabas Centre have been a big part of it, as well as the importance of sharing food together at 5pm each week too! It’s been really encouraging to see people start to invite their own families and friends to come along too!
Q: What is your recent success?
James: Aside from the blessing of having a baptism a few weeks ago, we’ve had some big highlights over recent months, particularly having a live donkey (and a horse) with us on Palm Sunday and having a big Easter Party with over 100 people coming along!
Q: How has this impacted your wider church community?
James: It’s been an encouragement within our Team of church to see so many children and young people coming along, with St Barnabas going from our smallest congregation to nearly the largest, and is helping us think through what more we can be doing to engage with children and young people across the team.
It’s also given us a closer connection point between the brilliant work of the team at the St Barnabas Centre, and all they do for the community, and St Barnabas Church.
Q: Do you have plans going forward for your current ministry, or anything new starting?
James: My key watchword for St Barnabas@4 is ‘sustainable’ – it’d be very easy to come in, do a flashy new thing and then fizzle out after six months, but we’re determined to build something stable and faithful to last for many years to come – still looking to make things good quality and staying fresh, without going in for gimmicks etc.
Our focus at present is building something to last, though we are always considering how to adapt and make things better. Our hope is, in time, to introduce a simple celebration of communion, and explore whether those who attend might be interested in a smaller bible study group. There’s lots of other possibilities too – the challenge is being patient to see what God is calling us into next!
Q: What has challenged you or your team, or continues to challenge you?
James: One of the challenges has been starting with a relatively small team, without a long lead-in time before we launched. But alongside that, it’s been encouraging to see people getting involved in helping out in lots of different ways too.
Also, building community takes time! Many of those who come along have little history of attending church and there are weeks where the number of people there fluctuates a lot, which is normal – I have to keep reminding myself not to judge things solely on numbers!
Q: How would you encourage churches who are thinking of starting out with a children’s or youth ministry?
James: I would encourage all churches to have ‘Growing Younger’ as a key part of your discussions at PCC and as a church team – to think through what will best enable you to reach children and young people in your area.
Also, have courage to try things! We had no idea how things would go with St Barnabas@4, no idea if anyone would turn up, but we felt this was the opportunity God was leading us towards – so we went for it!
Q: We would love to pray for you, what specifics can we pray for?
James: Please do pray for us as we continue to get established, for God to be at work to bring more people along, as well as building us into a loving, caring, welcoming community of people who are getting to know Jesus better together.
Please pray as well for us to continue to find creative and engaging ways to help both adults and young people to be engaging with God’s Word, and to be able to build something that is sustainable for the long term.
If you have a story to share and encourage others, please get in touch at growingYounger@derby.anglican.org
Parenting for Faith
Right from their very earliest days, we can help our children to meet and know God. On Wednesday afternoons in June, we will be running the Bitesize Babies and Toddlers Course, which will equip you with confidence and practical ideas to do this. The course is a mixture of short videos, a chance to reflect on your own and to chat with others.
The call will be open from 1.15pm and the content will be from 1.30 - 2.30pm. Don't worry if you can't make every week or have little people running around or are in the office on your lunchbreak, come just as you are!
When churches or groups sign up, they can invite as many parents/carers of under-fives as they like to join their group. The course is suitable for those new to faith or just exploring, so do invite families you know from baby and toddler groups or other community activities. You can meet in person, online or a hybrid. For the discussion times, you will have your own breakout room. If you have lots of participants we can add extra breakout rooms, free of charge.
If you're not part of a church or group, sign up for an individual/couple ticket. We'll pop you into a group with others in the same boat for the discussion times. This will be the same each week so that you can get to know each other and feel safe to share and support each other.
Click this LINK to find out more and book onto the course.
The Kitchen Tab
le Project is an initiative from Care for the Family
Just 50% of children growing up in Christian homes keep their faith as adults.
Parents and churches – we can change that! Find out more and see their resources (many of which are free) through this link.
Messy Church
It’s church, but not as you know it.
Messy Church is a way of being church for families and others. It is Christ-centred, for all ages, based on creativity, hospitality and celebration.
Follow this link to find out more and start your own journey to starting a Messy Church in your parish.
Our Diocesan Vision is that the Kingdom of God is good news for all, and that fundamentally includes Children, Young People and Families. A key priority of our Parish Support Team strategy is to support and enable parishes to Grow Active Young Disciples. The Growing Younger team has been put together around this priority and a lot of our work is based around the national Church of England movement that is Growing Faith.
Growing Faith is the movement that exists to change the culture of the Church of England, so that everyone instinctively puts children, young people and families at the heart of all the ministry and mission of the Church.
Growing Faith involves churches, schools and households working together to help children, young people and families have life in all its fullness.
As a diocese we are adopting Growing Faith as the basis for our strategic plans to grow younger.
Why is Growing Faith needed?
Jesus (Matt.19:14) and the early church (1. Tim 4:12) placed immense value on the place and role of children and young people in the kingdom of God.
Children, young people and families are vitally important to the church, not merely for our survival into future generations, but because a church that cares about children and young people is indicative of a healthy church.
In this report from the House of Bishops in 2019, there is recognition that ‘it is not always clear that the church is sufficiently focused on the engagement in ministry with children and young people.’
This is despite it being well acknowledged that the vast majority of Christians today have come to faith before the age of 18.
As a church and as a diocese, we have to confess that historically and at present children and young people have not always been intrinsically part of our ministry and mission.
There needs to be a cultural shift.
Growing Faith envisions children, young people and households coming to faith, growing in discipleship and contributing confidently to the Kingdom of God through the community of faith.
It is about how, as members of the whole people of God, children and young people are encouraged and how the whole Church is equipped to think intergenerationally. (A useful summary can be found here )
The Growing Faith Principles
Growing Faith provides a helpful lens for assessing our current practices and potential opportunities.
As we, as churches and as a diocese, seek to give children, young people and families a chance to explore and deepen their faith, it is helpful to look for the meeting places between churches, schools and households.
Alongside our diocesan vision, "The Kingdom of God – good news for all" we are inviting church communities to ask themselves what it would look like to be good news for young people in churches, schools and households.
Three principles are shaping our approach to Growing Faith:
Connected Communities - looking for the meaningful connected community of faith in the intersection between church, school and households.
Spiritual Encounters - engaging in conversations about and expressing faith as people encounter God as individuals and together.
Imaginative Practices - searching for 'a new way of being church' and creating new thinking and new doing in relation to children, young people and households.
FAQs
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What is the current picture? +
Numbers are not always the best way to measure how fruitful a church/ministry is, but they can be a useful tool.
An estimated 95,800 under 16s attended Sunday church before the pandemic, with 1100 in the Diocese of Derby.
Most recent provisional national statistics for mission imply this has dropped by as much as 40% between 2019 and 2021.
Many of our churches are rebuilding their ministries and there is lots of potential across the diocese, but sadly children’s, youth and families ministries were most impacted by the pandemic.
However, the reality is that there are many opportunities to be good news to children, young people and families, especially since the needs for many have increased.
We are supporting and encouraging innovative children’s and youth ministries across the diocese. -
What about small congregations with fewer children? +
Growing Faith is a vision for all churches, large or small.
Every congregation can pray for their community and school(s).
Children, young people and their families need a friendly welcome and the chance to be involved, even if they are just visiting. -
How should we identify opportunities for Growing Faith? +
A key recommendation from the national growing faith movement, is that churches are encouraged to do ministry with and not just for children, young people, and families.
Listening to the voices of children and young people is key if a church is to serve them, but moreover young people are the church of now and we encourage all churches to experience the rich blessing that comes from involving young people as much as possible in all aspects of church life, including decision making structures. -
What is the Church of England doing nationally to develop Growing Faith? +
Details of the Growing Faith Foundation can be found online.
Lucy Moore (formerly of Messy Church) now heads up the team. The work in progress includes:
• Encouraging networking and shared story-telling across dioceses through growing faith champions.
• Learning hubs – investing in 12 learning hubs across the country to foster growing faith in different contexts. As a diocese, we have successfully applied for one of these learning hubs commencing in May 2023.
• Training programmes – developing the pathways for youth, children’s and family workers so that more can explore it as a vocation and progress in it for longer.
• Research - 13 Growing Faith research projects are underway to further our understanding of growing faith in the intersections between households, schools and churches. -
How will the church(es) I’m linked with be part of Growing Faith? +
It’s likely that there will already be areas of GF that are part of your church life.
Perhaps someone visits and helps in the local school, maybe you are engaging with young people in your community through various ministries, or have ways of involving children and young people in your Sunday worship, or perhaps there is a Toddler group or other activity to support carers and parents.
Growing Faith is about prayerfully seeking ways to further develop ministry in schools, homes and churches, so that as many children, young people and families have the opportunity to explore and grow their faith. -
How can we pray? +
Prayer underpins all our local, diocesan and national efforts to reach the younger generations with the good news of the Kingdom of God.
In line with the national bold outcome to double the number of young disciples in the church by 2030, there is a weekly national prayer meeting on zoom every Tuesday 1-1.20pm.
The aim is for 1000 people to pray weekly.
To get the login information email growingyounger@derby.anglican.org
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Lighthouse Ministries
Andy Saunders from Lighthouse Ministries is joining with us again to share his experience and expertise with growing a younger church!
Book now:
>> Friday, 10 October, 7pm - 9pm, St Barnabas Centre, Danesmoor
>> Saturday, 11 October, 9:30am - 12:30pm - St John The Evangelist, Ilkeston
>> Saturday, 11 October, 2pm - 4:30pm - All Saints Heritage Centre, Aston on Trent
>> Monday, 20 October, 7pm - 9pm – online on zoom
Reach out to GrowingYounger@derby.anglican.org with any questions.
Delivered by Ridley Hall, free and fully funded by the Church of England, Catalyst is a dynamic training course which aims to equip and connect those who work with children and young people in the local church. It’s for anyone, whether you are experienced or new to working with children and young people.
Starting this October, you will gain new knowledge and skills, connect with others, and also have the option to complete an assignment and gain 20 credits at level 4 qualification if you would like to.
Find out more, and sign-up on their website here.
God is on the move and can use each of us to reach our friends, communities, workplaces, but how do we play our part? Come and be equipped, inspired and encouraged with how God can use you as The Message goes on tour.
The evening will be packed with challenging teaching from Andy Hawthorne, powerful worship and prayer, as well as loads of stories that will encourage you about what God’s doing across the East Midlands and the Midlands as The Message steps out on mission.
Tickets are free, and it’s not to be missed. You can book yours today by clicking here.
- Thursday 30th October
- Reach Church, Riverside Court, Pride Park, Derby, DE24 8HY
- 7:30pm - 9:35pm
The National Youth Ministry Weekend (NYMW) is an annual event for all Christians involved in supporting young people and helping with church youth work – whether you are a youth leader, church leader, paid worker or volunteer.
At NYMW you’ll find inspiration, encouragement, practical advice and the latest new resources. You’ll join more than a thousand others in our main sessions hearing from some of the leading youth ministry practitioners from around the world. You’ll be able to attend seminars on almost every aspect of Christian work with young people. Above all you’ll find an amazing mix of fun, encouragement and refreshment. It’s a weekend for everyone who loves young people and wants youth work to thrive in their church.
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After finishing university and moving back home, I wanted to gain experience working with children and young people whilst also accessing some further training, so Future Youth was perfect for me.
It also gave me the chance to experience a different type of church and create a new Christian family compared to my normal church that I have grown up in.
Although based at Derby Cathedral, I have been able to explore other youth ministries within the deanery.
I would not have been able to do this scheme if it had not been paid.
Due to travel expenses and the climbing increase of living costs, it would not have been viable for me to start, never mind complete.
It has given me the life experience of working a full-time job and helped me become more independent.
The highlight of my year has been the increase of children attending Sunday morning service and that of messy cathedral.
Bringing part of who I am to the role has been great, including my agricultural background as I brought a lamb to the Easter Messy Cathedral.
Asking colleagues at the Cathedral, they have all commented on how my input has led to an increase Messy Cathedral attendance and sustainability as well as the Sunday school.
I am proud that being a part of this scheme at the cathedral has led to an increase in youth connection and outreach.
How green are we?
How is your parish doing in its quest to become carbon net zero by 2030?
How is the Diocese of Derby doing as a whole?
To know the answers, we need facts and figures.
We track those details using the Energy Footprint Tool that is available to all parishes.
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How green are we?
The Energy Footprint Tool, available to all parishes provides the facts and figures.
This easy-to-use tool will tell your church what your carbon footprint is annually, based on the energy you use to heat and light your buildings. The tool is provided for free!
It is a great feeling to know that you are making a difference and reassuring you that you are on the right Practical Pathway to Net Zero 2030.
All over the diocese, PCCs are moving to green-energy suppliers, others are moving away from fossil-fuel heating systems, some are moving towards more energy-efficient lighting, and all are considering how they can reduce their energy consumption.
Reducing consumption has the obvious benefit of reducing bills. But knowing your carbon footprint may support applications for funding to help you on your Net Zero journey. Reduced energy consumption means you really are caring for God's creation, helping to sustain a greener environment to live and work in, etc.
You are helping the diocese to fulfil elements of its vision – becoming greener, and ultimately challenging climate injustice by reducing inequalities, making the world a better and fairer place. Good news for all!
We should be immensely proud of our continuing efforts to reduce our carbon footprints and being able to demonstrate it with the hard evidence you can get from the Energy Footprint Tool.
The tool makes use of data that the CofE already holds about your church buildings, and that means it needs very little additional input from you.
It was designed to be simple. If you need assistance we are here to help, so get in touch.
All you need is to have your 2024 electricity and gas/oil bills to hand and input the figures to the Energy Footprint Tool by Monday, 30 June 2025.
This will make a huge difference to your church, the diocese, and the CofE.
For further help with the Energy Footprint Tool, contact the Net Zero Carbon Team
Will Rolls
Net Zereo Carbon Program and Project Manager
Are you raising money for projects to help you cut your carbon footprint?
You could access a matched grant of up to £10k
Give To Go Green is a match-funding project from the Church of England helping you double your locally raised donations for carbon-cutting projects.
The scheme is available only in certain dioceses, including the Diocese of Derby!
Through a targeted digital fundraising campaign you will be able to engage your community in building a sustainable future for your church and the world around you.
Applications have re-opened with the following timetable:
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Funding is available for churches that want to carry out small to medium sized projects that will reduce their carbon footprint and cost between £5,000 - £20,000.
Churches can access a matched grant of up to £10k towards their project if they can raise the same amount through digital giving (through Give A Little) during a targeted six-week campaign in the autumn.
Ideally, this should cover the total cost of the project so you can get straight on with implementing it after you receive your grant.
>> Start by downloading the application pack
What can be funded?
- Carbon-cutting projects in churches and church halls.
- Eligible measures from the Practical Path to Net Zero.
- Eg: quick win projects to improve heating efficiency, fixing broken windows, heated seat cushions, solar PV (if you’ve done other efficiency measures), insulation, electrical upgrades, LED lights, pew heaters, draught proofing etc. A list of eligible measures can also be found in the Project Pack
- Other measures not on the list can be considered, if it has been recommended for your church to reduce energy and carbon.
Please note if your project will require a faculty or planning permission it will be very challenging to complete this in the required time. Please speak to the DAC office as early as possible to find out what permissions you will need.
What do you need to do?
- Read the Project Application Pack to find out whether your project could be eligible.
- Set up a small project team, and set up a Give A Little account if you don’t have one.
- Think about your project, ideally you’ll need to get three quotes – but if you have a good project and only estimated costs please consider applying.
- Complete the Energy Footprint Tool (see page 8 of the application pack)
- Submit your application by the 16 March 2025.
- If accepted, attend the onboarding webinars and plan your fundraising campaigns.
- Run your fundraising campaign between 17 May - 28 September 2025.
- Deliver your project and spend the grant within 12 months of receiving it.
Apply here
>> Use this link to access the Diocese of Derby application form (opens in a new window)
>> Read the Give to Go Green Privacy Policy which relates to the data collection of these forms.
>> If you need it, you can download a Sample Application Form for reference.
Growing Faith in Churches – Youth Ministry Resources
The wording around the national aim to grow and nurture active young disciples is important. As we strive to develop youth ministry across the diocese, this is about more than numbers in a room, or ticking a box for those who have responded to an altar call, but rather we are about making space for faith to grow and life-long faith journeys to be begun.
Please get in touch by emailing growingyounger@derby.anglican.org
Emotional and mental health resources
For those who have been affected by the recent TV series 'Adolescence', our colleagues at the Diocese of Leeds have collated some useful resources for young people, leaders, and parents to help form positive discussion around mental health and wellbeing.
Find them here.
Below are a series of links for starting, developing and growing youth ministry in your church.
Confirmation Resources
Our colleagues at the Bath and Wells and Bristol Diocese have produced some excellent downloadable confirmation resources. If you have a young person or a group of young people you are preparing for confirmation and would like to use this resource, then click here to have a look and download your own version.
Youthscape Podcast
A fantastic resource for any Christian working with young people, the youthscape podcast has several years-worth of episodes covering a range of areas so there will be plenty for your context to learn. Find on any major podcast platform or here https://www.youthscape.co.uk/podcast
Youthwork Resources
Various fantastic organisations exist to support churches in running activities for young people with varying levels of faith involvement. Some of our recommendations include:-
Youthscape – originally working Luton, YS now has a national focus and is leading the way in research and innovation for Christian youthwork - https://www.youthscape.co.uk/
Scripture Union – in addition to their decades of church based youth and children’s resources, they are focussing most of their work resourcing churches to reach the 95% of children and young people nationally who have no connection with church - https://content.scriptureunion.org.uk/resources-activities
The RSCM – for more traditional contexts church choirs can provide a way of engaging with young people, including developing them as young leaders. https://www.rscm.org.uk/learn-with-us/
Urban Saints Energize - Thousands of engaging and adaptable biblical sessions, training articles and support resources - https://www.urbansaints.org/what-we-do/online-resources
Living Out Love – a youth group resource
Our colleagues in Birmingham diocese have created a series of short films to help young people think through issues of sexuality, gender, relationships, and justice based on the six pastoral principles which are:
- Acknowledging Prejudice
- Speaking into silence
- Addressing ignorance
- Casting out fear
- Admitting hypocrisy
- Paying attention to power
They come in two versions a 30 min and 60 min versions, they can be used all together or as stand-alone sessions. To download your free copy click here.
Bishop’s Youth Council
The Bishop’s Youth Council exists to hear the voices of young people in the decision-making processes of the diocese. It is made up of 16-25 year olds across the diocese and is invited to feed recommendations into Bishop’s council and Diocesan Synod. The council is overseen by Ben Martin (Lay Pioneer and Bishop’s Council Member). As well as having their voices heard, members are invested in as young leaders in the church.
If you or a young person you know are interested in hearing more about youth council then email growingyounger@derby.anglican.org
Local partners
Valley Cids - an independent Christian charity based in Derbyshire, committed to serving children, young people and families through out-reach work in schools and the wider community. https://www.valleycids.co.uk/
The Peak Centre – A Christian-run activity centre in the Peak district that gives preference to young people - https://www.peakcentre.org.uk/
Training
As a diocese we seek to facilitate training of youth leaders, both paid and volunteer. We are keen to invest in potential youth leaders. For training opportunities and events click here
Alternatively, members of the diocesan staff are ordained/licensed lay readers and can come preach/speak to churches/PCCs about the place of youth ministry in the church. If you would like to do a training day with your volunteer team(s) or to discuss options, then contact growingyounger@derby.anglican.org
Networking with other churches
Across the diocese we are setting up or supporting regional networks of paid/volunteer youth workers. If this would interest you then email growingyounger@derby.anglican.org
We also work with Missional Church Youth Network – an organisation seeking to enable local schools, churches and community projects to work together to reimagine church with young people. They facilitate a Learning Community in order that youth leaders and volunteers can come together for training, encouragement, prayer and support as they build for the future. https://www.mycn.org.uk/
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This page is under development
All ministry needs to start with prayer. We grow in faith as we connect with God’s heart for people. As we pray for schools and their children, our heart for the children and the staff at the school grows and we see God move.
Matthew 7:7-11
Ask, Seek, Knock
7 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
9 “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11 If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!
Pray For Schools to see inspiration and resources, and start praying for the schools near you.
24-7 Prayer also have useful guides on praying for schools, staff and students.
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