Childrens and Families' Worker 

Hello I’m Marcus and I took up the post of Children and Family Worker with the leek and Meerbrook Team Ministry in April 2012

I was born in Liverpool and brought in a Christian family; my dad was a vicar so I attended church and grew up being involved in church activities from an early age.

Following the death of my dad when I was fairly young my mum made the decision to send me, and later my brother to boarding school in Terrington, a little village in North Yorkshire . I look back with fondness to this time and I particularly enjoyed the chance to do sporting activities most afternoons. Whilst at boarding school my mum was accepted for ordination and was ordained as Deacon and eventually Priest. Her ordination as Priest, one of first group at York Minister was a great privilege to witness and her subsequent ministry has inspired me, particularly her pastoral care.

By the time I had finished boarding school we had moved to Acomb, York where mum was vicar. It was in Acomb that I first started to work with children as a teenager, preferring to help out in Sunday school rather than sit through the services.

Following Secondary school I went to Agricultural College to complete a NVQ and National Diploma in Horticulture. I then spent almost a year in Holland working on a nursery that grew Kentia palm tree. Following a brief spell working with the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers I worked for a small garden landscaping company for around eight years.

With my mum remarrying and the prospect of her taking early retirement I began to consider a change of career, and having enjoyed working in the children’s groups at Scripture Union’s Abersoch Beach Mission in North Wales, something I continue to be involved in I decided to take the plunge and retrain as a children’s worker, undertaking an Applied Theology Degree and Children ministry course at Birmingham Christian College. Over the duration of this period I was on placement with a number of different churches gaining a great deal of practical experience to complement my academic studies.

Following the completion of my studies and a final year placement at Knowle Parish Church near Solihull  I was offered the post of Assistant Children’s Minister, my current position which I leave at the end of March after around three and half years.

I will be sad to leave Knowle and some good friends, but I believe the time is right for me to move on and I look forward to working with your churches, building new friendships and seeking to draw children and their families into a relationship with God, and a life of Christian faith.

Outside work I enjoy baking cakes, walking and doing a bit of gardening and cycling., I am also keen on sport particularly cricket and although I do not play much other than on Beach Mission, I try to follow England’s fortunes.

I would really appreciate your prayers as I seek to settle in quickly, I look forward to getting to know many of you over the course of time and hope you will introduce yourselves to me.