We are delighted to have 12 participants enrolled on the Church of England Ministry Experience Scheme this academic year. They will be serving a range of churches across the Diocese of Leicester and engaging with a breadth of ministry including children and youth work, social action, community engagement, schools, worship and creative media.
Bishop Saju recently welcomed the participants to the diocese as part of their induction. As well as asking them about their favourite chocolate bar, he shared a framework for discipleship based on the acronym ‘bells’, encouraging them to ‘bless, eat, listen, learn and (be) sent’ by God this year.
This year’s cohort are from all over the world and across the UK, including Leicester and Leicestershire.
We got to know a little bit about them...
Anisha
"Hello, my name is Anisha and I’m from India. This year I’m serving St. Andrew's Church in Jarrom Street, Leicester. I'm really looking forward to learning and enhancing my theological understanding, experiencing practical ministry and furthering my personal development. MES will also give me the space and time to test God's calling in my life."
Fudge
"Hi, my name is Fudge. I’m from Walsall, just outside Birmingham. This year I’m serving at Emmanuel Church in Loughborough. I serve in many different parts of church life. I am really looking forward to seeing where God is going to call me, and how I’m going to be used for his will throughout the year. I’m excited to get stuck in and see what happens!"
Daniel
"Hi, my name is Daniel. I’m from Ghana. This year I’m serving Holy Trinity Leicester Church as part of the Compassion Ministry Team. I’m really looking forward to the experience of helping people in need - the homeless, people struggling with addiction - and sharing God’s word with people I encounter."
Rebecca
"Hi, my name is Rebecca. I am from Germany. This year I’m serving at Holy Trinity Leicester Church as part of the church planting and youth work team. I'm really looking forward to growing in wisdom and confidence and discovering my spiritual gifts."
Freddie
"Hi, my name is Freddie. I’m originally from Milton Keynes and now live in Syston. This year I’m serving St Luke’s Stocking Farm and Christ the King Church in Beaumont Leys, as part of the children’s ministry team, as well as getting stuck in wherever I can! I’m looking forward to hopefully discerning the calling God has for me in life, and teaching and learning within the local community!"
Jack
"Hi, my name is Jack, and I'm from Leicester. This year I am serving at Holy Trinity Leicester Church as part of the student team. I am looking forward to supporting students in their faith whilst at university and gaining experience in other areas within the church."
Ana Julia
"Hi, my name is Ana Julia. I’m from Brazil. This year I’m serving Holy Trinity Leicester Church as part of the Worship Team. I’m looking forward to growing in worship, outreach, going deeper in God’s word and knowing Him."
Mary
"Hi, my name is Mary. I’m from Leicestershire. This year I’m serving Holy Trinity Leicester Church as part of the kids and youth team. I am really looking forward to learning how to lead groups and seeing how God works through the kids and youth so powerfully and boldly."
Eloise
"Hi, my name is Eloise. I'm from Staffordshire. This year I'm serving at Holy Trinity Leicester Church as part of the media and production team. I'm really looking forward to having the opportunity to be creative as well as growing in confidence over the year."
Mariana
"Hi, my name is Mariana. I’m from Brazil. This year, I’m serving at St Luke’s Church in Thurnby, helping the church in whatever is needed, but mostly with youth. I’m really looking forward to seeing their lives transformed throughout this year, and deepening my faith in Jesus, as I experience community in a different country."
George
"Hi, I’m George and I’m from Chesterfield. This year I’m serving at St John the Baptist Church in Clarendon Park with a particular focus on students, youth and evangelism. I’m really excited to see God at work amongst young people!"
Matt Long, who leads the MES scheme in Leicester as part of his role as diocesan Youth Engagement and Intergenerational Communities Enabler, said:
“The Ministry Experience Scheme provides young adults with fertile ground to go deeper with God, dust-off gifting and discern vocation.
“Over and again, we have seen young adults flourish as they grow in confidence and competence, through serving their local community and immersing themselves in the richness of Christian community.
“This flourishing has led to young vocations in our diocese and mission-minded leaders taking up roles in every sector; from maritime engineer to freelance photographer, worship pastor to teaching assistant in a local primary school.
“I’m so excited to see the journey God takes these young adults on throughout the year, as they discover more about who God is and who they are. It’s such a privilege to walk with these young adults and learn from them!”
MES is going from strength to strength
Up and down the country, young people aged between 18 and 29 are beginning a year experiencing ministry in churches in record numbers, with 23 MES schemes and 120 participants in total, including 28 taking part in the Future Youth scheme. This brings the number of participants to more than 1,000 since the MES began over a decade ago.
Could your church offer a placement and give an MES student the chance to realise their calling whilst sharing their gifts with your worshiping community?
Get in touch with Matt on matt.long@leicestercofe.org to find out more.
The Ministry Experience Scheme runs from early September to mid-July. Click here for more information.
A report from Matt Long on the use and impact of the MES Development Grant for 2024-2025 in the Diocese of Leicester
In recent years, MES participant feedback has regularly highlighted the importance of shared experiences outside of the placement, as crucial to wellbeing and a sense of belonging to something bigger.
In 24/25, we used our MES development grant to subsidise a new termly rhythm to develop ‘community’ and ‘curriculum’ for our MES/FY cohort. Each term we gathered our MES participants for a specialised training day, a retreat afternoon and an end of term social event.
• Specialised training included unconscious bias training, Myers-Briggs and love languages.
• Socials included bowling, Christmas meal, board games afternoon, Nando’s, a local hike and afternoon tea (all democratically chosen by the MES participants!)
• Retreats were guided by MES coordinator and local clergy.
The aim of these gatherings was to build deep-spirited relationships across the MES cohort and supplement study programmes with specialised training and space for reflection.
The impact on participants has been tremendous, with comments including:
“These times were such a highlight for me!”
“I loved connecting with other MES participants during the retreats, sharing cakes (such a sweet memory!), and swapping stories about our journeys”
“One of the best moments for me was the retreat day alone, where I spent time with God in nature, listening to audio scriptures. It gave me a real sense of peace and was so helpful as I came to the end of my placement.”
“I tried bowling for the first time and doing it with friends made it so much fun!”
“Ordering food and eating together reminded me how hospitality brings people closer. I felt found and connected with people in a deeper way, discovering how much we have in common. These experiences brought joy, laughter, reflection, and a real sense of closeness.”
“MES created space for me to discover how God can use me in powerful ways. It’s more than just a placement. It’s a journey of faith, formation, and purpose. Highly recommended!”