I am passionate about the opportunities that can be created to allow children and young people to explore their faith

Sam Dennis - ordained deacon in June 2021 - to be ordained priest in July 2022

I have been training with the All Saints’ Centre for the last three years in preparation for ordination as deacon. 

My study has been part-time; some in Derby during the evenings and residential weekends in Crewe. 

I have been studying alongside working full-time. 

My day job is working for the Diocese of Southwell and Nottingham as their deputy director of education. 

I have worked in Church of England schools throughout my teaching career and am passionate about the opportunities that can be created to allow children and young people to explore their faith and ask those ‘big questions.’

I worship at All Saints’ Parish Church in Sawley and have done so since I attended the Sunday School as a young child.   

I have been very involved with children’s work in the church over the years and am looking forward to continuing to develop the skills I have learnt during my training in other areas of parish ministry during my curacy.  

I will serve my curacy at All Saints’ as a self-supporting minister and also continue working. 

I am married to Phil, who is a butcher, and I have two daughters and a step-daughter. 

All the girls are grown up now and our eldest had a baby last year; we are really enjoying being grandparents. 

We have two rescue dogs, who have been living their best life during lockdown as I have been working from home since the middle of March 2020.   

It goes both ways though and I have also been very grateful of their company over the last year or so.  

Having been a half-hearted knitter since my children were little, I have recently learnt to crochet and am really enjoying making some baby clothes for my granddaughter – it is surprisingly easy. 

We also enjoy taking our dogs out, walking along the River Trent which is on our doorstep.

Favourite bible passage I don’t have a passage that has stood the test of time as ‘always a favourite.’  Passages seem to speak to me more at sometimes than others, but Philippians 4:13 is one I often return to ‘I can do all things through him who strengthens me’

Favourite hymn It is hard to choose …  ‘Thorns in the Straw’ by Graham Kendrick …