Amy Shephard, Church & Communities Worker
I was born on a Sunday morning in 1995, and the news of my birth was announced just a couple hours later at the morning service of my parents' local church, so I guess it's no surprise that I feel at home there! I grew up there, surrounded by a wonderful, supportive and loving community where people knew my name, asked how I was, and genuinely cared about the answer. This support network has nurtured me, encouraged me, and, yes, held me accountable a time or two, but I would not be the person I am today without that church community!
My journey to working for the Methodist church has been anything but simple - it involves an attempt at normal university life, a few jobs in childcare, home care for the elderly and retail, plus some volunteering and interning for the local church I grew up in. Finally, I realised what I was moving towards was a career in youth ministry, which saw me finally complete a BaHons in Mission and Ministry (Youth Pathway) and begin working for the York Methodist Circuit as Circuit Youth Worker.
So, how did I get to be here, as a community worker, I hear you ask! Well, whilst I felt extremely supported by my church community growing up, I realised that not everyone has this same experience, and I wanted to know why I had been uplifted where others had been let down. I wanted to know if I'd just lucked out on the church I was born into, or whether there were other factors at play - which led me into the world of intergenerational ministry! I found myself fascinated by my own local church, why had I been one of the only young people from my youth group who stuck around after A-levels, why was I the only one looking at a career in the church, why (and how) was I still being engaged with and encouraged by the church community?
Intergenerational church has become a passion of mine, and I believe community work is at the heart of it - our communities are made up of people from every generation, people with stories to tell and wisdom to share! The one place left in society where people of all ages can come together is the church. Whether that is church on a Sunday morning, or church in the local coffee shop on a Tuesday night is still to be figured out - but our churches are places of welcome for every age, and I believe that this kind of community work and intergenerational ministry will move the church (the Kingdom of God) forward!
I still love my youth work, I still find so much joy in working alongside young people and helping them discover what their own faith journey looks like, just as my church community did (and still does) with me, but I know that God is also calling me into the intergenerational and community sphere now!