A few months ago, a student sat down opposite me and quietly admitted that the things she was saying to herself were harsh and critical. Over the following weeks, I watched her begin to challenge that voice and learn to encourage herself instead.

Moments like these are why mentoring has become one of the most precious parts of my role at Step, and I have come to see it as both powerful and a real privilege.

All my opportunities to mentor have come about organically. They are students I have met through my lunchtime club, or through the Leadership Foundations course. Because of this, there is usually already a natural rapport between us.

Each student I meet is unique, with their own specific set of issues they would like to explore. Because of this, I have had to lean into God and trust Him to give me wisdom, as there have been times when I have felt a bit out of my depth!

Some students I have journeyed with have needed confidence-building skills, others have been walking through a season of grief or change. Some simply needed a listening ear to process the challenges of being in a busy and overwhelming school environment.

Listening and giving them space to talk things through is powerful and often helps them see things more clearly for themselves.

And whilst the issues they come to me with are different, the overarching response I choose to offer is a “safe space,” where they are completely accepted.

I usually start my sessions with a game or some icebreaker questions to get things off to a positive start. For some students I set goals and targets, for others I work through resources like our 'Tough Stuff' or 'iMatter' journals. Sessions are planned and focused but allow room for a conversation to go in a different direction or to just have a laugh together.

If a student shares my faith, I will often close our time together in prayer, committing their issues to God and praying a blessing over them. I also pray for them regularly in my own prayer time, and it has been encouraging seeing God answer some of the requests I have made.

Overall, it is a huge privilege to walk alongside a young person and enter into a deeper, more meaningful relationship with them than just meeting them in a classroom for a lesson. I have seen real fruit from some of the students I have worked with. As well as the student who learnt to quieten her inner critic, another learnt the value of apologising to friends and parents when mistakes have been made, and another has begun the journey of healing after a bereavement, simply through talking and sharing memories of their loved one.

Every mentoring journey is different, but each one reminds me of the importance of being present, listening well, and helping young people recognise their value. It is a privilege I never take for granted, and I am grateful that, through Step's work, these opportunities continue to make a difference in young people's lives.

Amy

Our Christian Worship lesson really is so full of goodness! I had the opportunity recently to go into Beaumont School and teach two year 10 classes (with the help of our wonderful work experience student) about what worship is and show them examples of different styles of Christian worship.

For me, one of the best parts of this lesson is seeing the surprise on their faces when you  show them an example of young people passionately worshipping Jesus at a summer festival and then ask 'is this what worship looks like to you?' You can tell that for some of the students this is not what they expect worship to look like. If you’ve been a Christian for a while you might be aware that there are lots of different ways to worship but for someone who doesn’t go to church, this lesson can be an eye-opening experience.

We go through the definition of worship but I think the next thing that catches the eye of the students is the photo of English football supporters cheering and a photo of Taylor Swift fans at her concert with the quote below that says:

“There is no such thing as not worshipping. Everybody worships. The only choice we get is what to worship” (David Foster)

I really like to let that one sink in because it gives them a chance to reflect on what it is that they are worshipping and whether they think this idea is true. Does everybody really worship something even if they don’t have a faith?

We also discuss Jesus’ conversation with the Samaritan woman about how the worship that God wants is worship done in Spirit and in truth and how Christians believe that worship is one of our main purposes in life - to glorify God and to enjoy Him. These are great conversations, but the fun part is actually getting involved and trying out some of the different ways of worshipping.

In his book ‘Sacred Paths’ Gary Thomas speaks about 9 different pathways that help us to connect to God. We base the rest of the lesson on experiencing 7 or 8 of these different pathways (Traditional, Enthusiast, Activist, Contemplative, Naturalist, Intellectual, Caregiver and Ascetic). My classes enjoyed learning that Christians connect with God in different ways because we are all unique. I think overall their favourite pathway was Enthusiast which involved them listening to a Christian song about joy whilst drawing a picture with crayons of something that brings them joy (Do this yourself - it’s fun!). It’s a very simple activity but it was so good to be able to go round the class asking them about what really makes them happy.

The other activity that I noticed they really got into was giving them a list of feelings and corresponding bible verses for them to look up. I heard them chatting to each other saying ‘OK if you feel sad/scared/lonely/worried you should read this...’ I loved how they were choosing a feeling that they related to and reading the Bible to each other. This is actually something that brought me a lot of joy - seeing young people who don’t necessarily read the bible often reading the bible to their friends to encourage them.

At the end of the lesson we give them a calming listening activity and are able to hand them back to their teacher relaxed and happy. I hope that the information helps them with their GCSE RS but more than that I hope that by giving them a bit of space, it’s sparked some contemplation of their own about some of the deeper questions that the lesson brings to light.

Steph

Last week I had the opportunity to complete my work experience with Step, where I took part in a wide range of activities and projects. Throughout the week I was made to feel incredibly welcome and was given a great insight into what it is like to work as part of the Step team.

The main project I worked on was helping to create a new Space Mat. The theme we chose for the new space mat was “Big Questions.” The mat contains 14 sections filled with activities and resources designed to encourage people to think about some of the biggest questions of the world and help young people reflect on them. I particularly enjoyed helping to develop creative ideas and activities for the project.

During the week I also attended Step lunch clubs and helped support several lessons in schools. This gave me valuable experience of seeing how Christians work with children and young people in education settings.

Another event that I enjoyed this week was helping at the volunteer training day, where I learnt new skills like how to tell stories and leading activities, and presenting confidently in front of others. I also enjoyed meeting and speaking with many of the volunteers throughout the day.

Overall, my week at Step was a really valuable and enjoyable experience. I gained confidence, developed new skills, and took part in lots of engaging activities. I would definitely recommend work experience at Step to other students, as it provides a welcoming environment and teaches skills that can be useful in many different careers.

Thanks Step!
J (STAGS) 

Last week I had the fun of bringing the Space Mats into Katherine Warington School for the first time as a part of their Diversity Week. I had been asked to run an activity representing Christianity, and it felt like this would be an exciting space to offer a glimpse into various world and societal issues for which Christians seek to make a positive difference.

It was a new venture in the school, and we were given space in their meeting hall to spread out the mats and resources, 12 stations in total, each themed around an area of justice and containing an engaging acivity for the students to try. There were some convenient benches at one end where the students could sit whilst I briefed them on how to get the best out of the Space Mats.

Notably on the day, one class, who had been overly chatty when I had previously met them in their classroom, gave their full attention on the mats and seemed absorbed with the activities on offer.

3 different classes came and spent time with us with lots of contemplation with a very different style of learning from our typical Step lesson in a classroom or youth group. I’m sure many words and thoughts were whispered by the Holy Spirit, if only I had time to find out how God had spoken to each young person.

Jez

We recently had the privilege of spending two fantastic days with the Year 10 students at Nicholas Breakspear, with around 90 students taking part each day. What unfolded was a rich mix of fun, honesty, and some genuinely meaningful conversations.

When illness meant they were unable to return for the second day, our team had to quickly step in and lead the sessions themselves. What could have been a challenge instead became a real highlight. The space allowed for some thoughtful and honest discussions, particularly around big questions of faith and the existence of God. It was a great reminder that sometimes the unexpected moments create the deepest impact.

One of the standout sessions was the Life Auction, where students bid on things they valued—before being invited to reflect on their own worth. This led into powerful conversations about identity and value, concluding with the message of how deeply each of them is valued by God.

We were also encouraged to see clear next steps, with five students signing up for the upcoming Haven Hope course in school. It’s always exciting to see young people choosing to continue exploring these questions beyond the day itself.

I wonder what the words 'escaping reality' mean to you - lying on the beach on a tropical island? Maybe hiking or rafting in the mountains, admiring stunning views? Perhaps reading a book with a cuppa? Or maybe something completely different?

This was the theme that a group of Year 12 students explored at their ALPS conference at Verso Vineyard last week. For them, however, the focus was not on hiking or holidaying somewhere remote, but on escaping the reality of their mobile phones, which pervade every aspect of their lives.

Created as a conference by students for students, the event brought together over 250 Year 12s from across the Alban Learning Partnership Schools - Townsend, Marlborough, STAGs, Loreto, Nicholas Breakspear, and Samuel Ryder Academy.

It was a highly successful day, with each school’s student leadership team delivering sessions around the theme of the day. There were also opportunities to have fun together in the 'Fun Zone', where students could enjoy time on the inflatables, participate in an egg drop, or relax with some colouring, among other activities.

Students explored the pros and cons of AI in depth and challenged each other to 'escape' by spending time on their hobbies and passions, and by prioritising real-life relationships rather than focusing solely on communication via their phones. It was encouraging to see so many students presenting to their peers with confidence and skill. They had researched their topics well and demonstrated a refreshing awareness of the challenges posed by social media and AI.

It was wonderful to see students from all the schools collaborating so effectively, and there was a real buzz and sense of excitement throughout the day. Helena and Mr Tominey from Townsend deserve a special mention, as they worked tirelessly behind the scenes to help organise the event and ensure students had everything they needed - from prizes and eggs for the egg drop to inflatables, pens, and paper.

Overall, it was a really positive day, and it is exciting to think that this conference is now set to become an annual event in the academic year.

Amy :)

Youth Alpha is a brilliant course which we run across multiple schools and with multiple churches. This academic year we have delivered the course in Loreto and Townsend, with ongoing conversations on how more schools can be involved next year.

On top of this, this year, we have launched an area wide Youth Alpha, with Illuminate, St Paul's Church and Young Life. We launched this as a 'next step' invitation, off the back of the Illuminate Cathedral event in February.

It has been a fantastic course so far, with around 8 students attending each week, including the majority coming along to the Alpha Day.

The Alpha Day is a chance to spend slightly longer with the young people, looking specifically at the Holy Spirit. Conversations include questions about:

• Fruits of the Spirit
• What image comes to mind when thinking about the Holy Spirit
• The Holy Spirit being a helper

I had a brilliant conversation with 2 young girls, as they asked multiple questions about speaking in tongues, with one of them asking if I could teach them to say ‘Hello’ in tongues! As amusing as this was, it was a great question and opportunity to discuss more about the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

The session concludes with an opportunity to pray ‘Holy Spirit, Come’. This again was a beautiful and peace-filled moment, which led to honest and open discussion about waiting on God and being filled with faith that the Bible says, ‘Anyone who asks receives!’

Mary

You may be aware that this year, we have a fundraising campaign called ‘Love Your Enemy for Step’. The premise is to be sponsored to wear your rival’s football shirt for a day. It has so far raised over £6,000 and captured the imagination of so many people. It has also sparked numerous conversations with young people in schools about what Jesus’ instruction to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute you mean and how the world needs to hear and respond to this now more than ever.

On Easter Sunday I wore an Arsenal kit for the second and (most probably) last time. As the founder of the campaign, I decided I would emphasise the link to Jesus’ words by undertaking the challenge on both major Christian festivals. After a more private occasion on Christmas Day, where only my family and a couple of friends witnessed it in person, Easter Sunday was a different experience. Walking through Dunstable, chatting to neighbours and attending my own church definitely felt a lot more awkward.

I had a few weird and very shocked looks from people who knew I was a Spurs fan, while others who justifiably assumed I was an Arsenal fan consoled me about Arsenal’s loss to Southampton the previous evening (including a Southampton fan visiting the church). Apparently, I was very brave to wear it had I been an Arsenal fan- but even braver as a Tottenham supporter.

I was very uncomfortable but then loving our enemies can feel a bit strange and uncomfortable. It can be costly - with Jesus’ death on the cross the ultimate example of the sacrifice loving our enemies can demand. Maybe wearing a rival’s kit isn’t that bad after all.

This time, I decided to do something a little bit more. I committed to praying for all the Arsenal fans I knew for the following week, especially those who ‘persecute me’ for being a Spurs fan (friendly banter in my case, but it’s definitely not always friendly in the footballing world). I should also add that a couple of fans from other clubs also got some prayer!

I received specific prayer requests from some and I shared Bible verses or encouragements that came to my mind as I prayed. I also decided to pray for the players and staff at Arsenal, especially those who are following Jesus so passionately and openly. Although I didn’t quite manage to pray for them to win any silverware, I’d like to think my heart has softened towards the people associated with the club. Maybe that’s the aim Jesus had for us as he instructed that we pray for our enemies.

I wonder what would happen if all of us decided to pray for our enemies – not just our footballing rivals, but those who have really hurt us, annoy us or we just don’t like. How might God change our heart if we took Jesus’ words seriously and loved our enemies and prayed for those who persecute us?

Thank you to all those who have already given to this campaign. If you haven’t but would like to, it’s not too late to sponsor me (or another team member who has undertaken the challenge). Simply go to https://www.justgiving.com/team/loveyourenemyforstep 

Geoff

The Journey of an SJL Student

We took some time as a team recently to reflect on the different sessions that we run in our schools, what has worked well and what areas of the work could be done better. As part of this, I reflected on the journey a student might take with Step throughout their time at school and what they learn about God. It is amazing to see the opportunities we get to share Jesus, consistently with them. Each school looks different but here is the example of an SJL students’ journey with Step:

Year 7:
I am Connected – We meet them first in Life skills – a session to help them creatively think about their new classmates, help them recognise their similarities and how important the connections we have and make are. This introduces God as relational.

Who is Jesus/Parables – They then get to have two of our core Jesus Curriculum lessons. Learning all about Who Jesus is and what He achieved. They are also offered a gift of a Youth Testament from Good News for Everyone.

Culture Day – The last time we see them in Year 7 is on our Culture Day! A day full of fun, helping them recognise that differences are to be celebrated. Showing them that God cares deeply for each person.

Haven – Some students come on the Haven Hope course, and we have 6 weeks of encouraging and supporting them. This course has a liturgy at the end of each session, bringing God into the centre of our wellbeing.

Lunch club – We currently have around 8 regular year 7 students coming to our lunch club (mostly those with no faith and some Muslim students too).

Year 8:
Walk through the Bible – They get to start the year off with another fun session – a chance to act and see the bigger picture of the Bible. They see God as creator with a plan and a purpose.

Prejudice – A chance to look outwardly and be challenged to love our neighbours. Showing God as someone who cares deeply for humanity.

Year 9: 
Ultimate questions – Is God real? How was the universe created? What is the purpose of life? Is there an afterlife? Some huge questions and brilliant conversations happen, challenging the young people to have a reason for their beliefs.

Christianity through Art – An opportunity to reflect on how art and culture around us can be a way to worship God.

Year 10:
Church Visit – The students have now chosen to study RS and get to come for a day at Verso church. They are shocked at the start of the day with Secret church, recognising that people die for believing in Jesus and then throughout the day learn what it is people are so passionate about. This day helps students see God as present, not just stuck in an old building but relatable to them today.

Christian worship – We help them take Worship out of its box! Broadening their view of what it means to worship God with our whole lives.

Stress – The students are given a session to wind down and find ways to manage their stress. This reveals God as someone who cares for them in their lowest moments and provides comfort.

Forgiveness – A challenging lesson to help them think through what forgiveness means. They get to see God as just, fair and forgiving.

Year 11:
Identity – We help the students engage inwardly, recognising and learning more about who they are. This shows God as creator, caring deeply for each person.

Grill a Christian – This session helps them see how much God is relevant and alive for Christians today!

Year 12:
Job – They experience a session on suffering, grappling with these questions and seeing God as someone who is judge but ultimately has a plan for the world.

Year 13:
Grill a Christian – We finish with the students with another grilling. We show that God can handle their doubts and questions, that this is a good thing and He wants them to understand Him more.

Ultimately, a young person’s journey with Step introduces them to a picture of God that is loving, kind, just, relational and revealing Him as someone trustworthy, logical and who cares deeply for every single one of us.

On 5th March 2026, exactly one year after our Christianity Day last year, we had a fantastic day with the new Year 7 students at Verulam, supported by a team of 16 Step staff and volunteers, who delivered 24 lessons before lunch.

Our Who is Jesus lesson asked the question whether Jesus was telling the truth about his claim to be God or whether he was lying or crazy. Together, we examined the evidence, including fulfilled prophecies and miracles that demonstrated his authority over nature, illness, sin, and even death. One of the joys of working with young people is they see perspectives I've never considered before. In one lesson, a boy reflected about Jesus turning water into wine and said "I bet he was invited to lots of weddings after that".

The remainder of the day was filled with a variety of engaging activities. During the Parables session, students explored the stories of the Lost Son and the Good Samaritan, reflecting on ideas such as forgiveness, grace, and the importance of loving others. In the interactive Fairtrade lesson, they considered issues of injustice around the world and discussed how Christian faith encourages people to respond through their choices and actions - even in something as everyday as shopping. The programme also included an Alpha Taster session and an inter-form Kahoot quiz, where a team of four boys from Brampton House took first place and won the prestigious prize of a Cadbury Creme Egg each.

Every student was given a copy of the Good News for Everyone New Testament (formerly Gideons) to use during the day, and as was the case last year, almost all of them chose to keep their copy as a gift.

We’re excited to continue journeying with this year group throughout their time at Verulam starting with a series of lessons next week on Jesus' resurrection through the story of The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe.

We are super excited about the upcoming Illuminate Big Questions event, where two fantastic speakers from the Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics will be coming to answer young people’s big questions about faith and life.

Starting with a short talk exploring cancel culture, we will then dive into two sections of Q&A where young people can send in their questions via a platform called Slido and then vote for the questions they would most like to be answered in the time. There will be a break between the Q&A times for the young people to discuss and process what they’ve heard.

The speakers from OCCA are always phenomenal and these events have always gone down very well before.

Tickets are just £5 and will include snacks. Please book any interested young people via the link below:
https://illuminateyouth.co.uk/@illuminate/e/bigquestions

The Step Leadership Conference has now become a firm fixture in the Step Calendar and whilst the past three conferences have been brilliant, there was something special about this year’s event, and it really did feel like God was with us with in an extra special way.

Not only was it an exceptional year because we reached several new schools for the first, time, two of which were from schools beyond our usual remit of St Albans and Harpenden, but also because we had an increase in the number of students attending, growing from around 70 young people to over 90 this time.

We also grew in the number of sessions students could attend – with five exceptional speakers and topics to choose from instead of just four. This year, students were able to learn about servant leadership, conflict management, how to find your tribe, The Careers Equation and how to use your influence to make an impact.

All the seminars were delivered by highly experienced, inspirational Christian leaders and we are so grateful to all them for giving up their time to pour into our young people. A particular highlight was the keynote speaker at the end of the day, a third-year student from Warwick University, Isaac, who brought so much joy, laughter and energy with him. Isaac spoke about the key qualities of great leadership, before explaining how and why he chooses Jesus as the best leader ever to follow.

There was so much energy throughout the day, and we all commented on how friendly and mature the students were. I met a student who had attended the conference a few days later when I was visiting her school and she enthused eloquently about how much she had got from the day, how she had met over twenty new people from other schools and how much fun it had been.
 
I even had the unexpected joy of walking into the youth auditorium at lunch time to find a group of students singing “hallelujah” round the keyboard Isaac was playing, another on the drums, and a further group gathered round a lad with a guitar – it was like a worship jamming session!

It is hard to sum up this event in just a few paragraphs, so many “God conversations” happened, so much “God networking” occurred and so many seeds were sown. It was a wonderful day.

And I can’t finish this article without mentioning the huge team who helped make the event happen – too many amazing people to mention by name, but without such a collective effort this kind of event simply can’t happen. I am so grateful to everyone who served so willingly, whether by collecting over £400 worth of sandwiches from M & S, moving a lot of tables and chairs around, leading seminars, taking photos, welcoming students, serving refreshments, to hoovering and sweeping, to name but a few roles. Everyone’s contribution was essential in making the day the huge success that it was. Thank you all and thank you God for blessing us so much!

Amy

Over the last 5 weeks we have been with a great bunch of Yr12 students at St George’s School doing the Leadership Foundations course. I have been so impressed with the students so far, they have been enthusiastic and engaged, really wanting to learn as much as they can about being a great leader.

We have done 5 sessions so far. The topics have been teamwork, skills and qualities, influence, identity and character. This week we will be looking at the topic of perseverance. Each week they are not just learning tips on how to be a good leader or how to give a good speech or reflection, but we are encouraging them to learn about themselves to help them be the best leader that they can be.

The week that really stood out to me was the identity week and the activity that we did with the hats. During this week we were looking at our beliefs about ourselves, others and the world around us, our values and our personality and how these things can impact how we show up in the world and as a leader.

The students absolutely loved the activity where they had to choose a hat for each person in their group and tell them how it represented that person. They were so good at encouraging one another and thoroughly enjoyed receiving these positive words. The insight that they had about their fellow students even though they may have only journeyed with them for a few weeks was very perceptive.

One of the students exclaimed ‘This is such a good activity!’. This excitement reminded me that we often need encouragement just like a plant needs to be watered. Young people (in fact all people) really thrive when they are spoken to with words of encouragement and truth.

Sadly, we tend to remember the negative words spoken about us more than the positive (negativity bias), so I love that we get the chance to build the students up with our words and that they also get to practice this vital skill with each other.

One of the most important things about identity that I hope the students took away with them was to stay in their own lane - we shared this quote with them from Brené Brown:
“Stay in your own lane. Comparison kills creativity and joy.”

It is so hard when we are talking about who we are not to look to the left and the right to check out the competition but hopefully after these wonderful students have finished the course they will know that we have all been designed in such a unique way and that they are all a perfectly shaped piece in a puzzle and this knowledge will help them to stay away from comparison and be who they truly are.

Steph

Last February, Young Life launched their new St Albans club hosted at Marshalswick Baptist Church and a year on, it is going from strength to strength. It currently meets fortnightly as well as engaging in Illuminate events such as the Cathedral event at the end of the month.

For those who aren’t aware, Step has been working with Young Life to help them establish a link here in St Albans. Their new worker, Gizzy, is also a Step volunteer and joins us in our two lunchtime clubs at Sandringham and other activities. The group is blessed with many leaders including two from Step and we are regularly getting nearly 20 young people attend.

Last week, I got the privilege of leading the talk for the first time (Mary’s already done two!). I was asked to look at the Incarnation of Jesus so kicked off with a question- how would you explain a smartphone to someone from Roman times? It definitely sparked a lot of engagement and was the perfect hook to exploring how God would help his creation, whose brain couldn’t comprehend the complexity of a divine being, know him better.  

The talk focused on Jesus healing the paralysed man and how this account provided evidence that Jesus was God in human form (power over sickness and a claim to have power over sin) but also revealed what God was like (caring, compassionate and merciful).

Conversations flowed as we finished with discussions in groups about what they thought God was like considering all the stories they knew about Jesus.

Our hope is that more young people from local schools will become connected with this group and that the relationship between Step and Younglife continues to be positive.

Geoff 

Step recently supported the Head Boy, Head Girl and student leadership hustings at Nicholas Breakspear Catholic School, followed by a leadership morning hosted at Verso.

We listened to 15 candidates deliver thoughtful and courageous speeches, outlining their hopes for the school community if elected. Students spoke passionately about greater support for SEND students, expanding sports spaces and clubs, developing charity weeks, and faithfully being the voice of their peers. The care shown for others and the desire to serve was both clear and encouraging.

Following the hustings, the candidates joined Step for a Leadership Bootcamp, exploring leadership through a Christian lens. Practical challenges - including a scavenger-style team activity, drawing without touching the pen, and building structures from spaghetti and bagels - created space for collaboration, creativity and problem-solving.

The building challenge became a powerful picture of leadership. With limited and imperfect resources, students had to decide how to create something strong, balanced and dependable. Those who succeeded did not rush to take control, but listened, tested ideas, noticed the strengths around them and adapted when things didn’t go to plan. It echoed a key truth of Christian leadership: leaders do not build alone, and influence is shaped by how well we steward what we have been given.

Throughout the morning, students had moments to reflect on Jesus, whose leadership was marked not by status but by service, humility and sacrifice. Candidates were encouraged to name good character in one another, recognise their own limitations, and consider how leadership is expressed in everyday faithfulness, not just visible roles.

Reflecting back to the school was genuinely challenging because the standard across the group was so high. Some students will make excellent Head Boy and Head Girl, while many others will form a strong and balanced leadership team around them. While it is natural to hope for the top roles, Christian leadership reminds us that the body is made of many parts, and that significance is not defined by title.

Our prayer is that every candidate - whether appointed to the most visible positions or not - will recognise the value they bring, continuing to lead with faith, integrity and generosity wherever they are placed.

We refer to it as our Volunteer Training Day, but it’s much more. Once a term we make a date to gather our volunteers together for a day, with our latest being on Tuesday 13th Jan. We tend to have a ‘soft start’ to help everyone navigate traffic, so the coffee is on from 9.30am and the first session begins at 10am, with a warm welcome and a reflection.
 
Each time we meet the pattern is roughly the same, but the content is variable depending on the time of year. In September we run refresher courses for Safeguarding and Cultural Awareness, as mandatory before volunteers go into the new school year. In May we will run a refresher course for Step Up Days (transition from Primary to Secondary School) that will be delivered in the Summer term.
 
For this Spring term day, we opened with a session on Christian Nationalism. For some of our team this was new, for others it provided additional information, other perspectives, an opportunity to begin an ongoing discussion and signposting to other resources to upskill ourselves.
 
This was followed by participation in our Christian Worship lesson which has been updated and we have bookings to deliver it in schools up to Easter. After lunch we ran two seminars at the same time. One was Identity as part of our Blueprint lessons for year 12 and 13 (6th form) to showcase the content and how it is delivered in school. The other was investigating lunchtime engagement, specifically themed cafes and their potential impact.  
 
Our volunteers are good at letting us know what they think. They have told us how much they enjoy being able to gather (fellowship), share food, have the time to chat to Schools Coordinators about what is coming up and to chat with each other about what they have been doing with Step.

They felt it was helpful to have the updated lesson run for them, challenged by the discussion about Nationalism, and encouraged by how much Step can do in school. Lots of the team appreciated the jacket potato lunch on a cold day!
 
If you are interested in joining us as a volunteer, please contact our Volunteers Coordinator on Terrie@stepschoolswork.org.uk

We have some exciting news that we are looking for an additional member of the team to help us grow our work in local secondary schools. Don't worry, no one is leaving!

More information about the job, including a job description and application form can be found here. We are keen for as many people as possible to hear about this exciting opportunity, so please pass this on to anyone you think would be interested. The deadline for applications is 1pm on Wednesday February 11th.

We would welcome anyone who is interested to speak to us or offer them the opportunity to visit to help them decide whether to apply.

Thank you for your support and please get in touch if you'd like more information about this post.

The last few weeks we have been loving running our latest Wonderland space all centred around Christmas! With ten activities all Christmas related it has been a perfect addition to many of our recent Step Days. Students get to spend five minutes at each of the stations which have a range of different activities from deigning a decoration with the theme of joy to matching the prophesies of Jesus to their fulfillments. Along with immersive dives into the gifts given by the Magi to matching Christmas traditions to their country of origin. There has been something that can engage everyone and all have found different parts they’ve enjoyed most.

We have also loved seeing some wonderful heartfelt messages for people in Care Homes, Asylum Seekers and Food Bank Guests which were written in one of the activities. These messages aim to bring light and hope to those who receive them. 

It had also been fantastic to run some of the stations as Cafe spaces during lunch times at schools as part of a themed week. I was in Marlborough in the first week of December and then have been in Townsend this week and have had some fantastic conversations with students whilst running the activities and it’s been really nice to get to know some of the young people better.

It has been an enjoyable space to create. I particularly enjoyed creating the track for the immersive space looking at the gifts given to Jesus and painting all the little boxes for the gold, frankincense and Myrrh to go in. Mary has done a fantastic job at creating all the other spaces with an incredible attention to detail. We look forward to running the last one next week and will be excited to see how many more schools we could run a themed week cafe in next year. 

Helena :) 

Last week, I had the privilege of speaking at Verulam’s annual Abbey Thanksgiving Service. The focus this year was kindness, which tied in beautifully with Step’s own mini-theme of loving your enemy.

Alongside mentioning my upcoming challenge of wearing an Arsenal shirt on Christmas Day - something that will feel very unnatural for a devoted Spurs supporter - I also reflected on the story of Joseph in the Old Testament. Despite the way his brothers treated him, Joseph responded with love, kindness, forgiveness, and a deep desire for reconciliation. In the photo, I’m holding the gift that contained our multicoloured “Joseph coat” from our Walk Through the Bible lesson, which I ended up wearing for most of the talk. If any photos surface, I’ll be sure to add them here.

I ended by reminding everyone that God has never stopped loving His enemies - humanity - and that through Jesus, He demonstrated love, kindness, forgiveness, and a reconciling heart.

The talk was very well received, but the true highlight for me was watching many of the boys from our lunchtime group and our Leadership Foundations course step forward with confidence to give speeches, readings, and prayers.

Geoff

The wonderful Step team recently spent a weekend at Youthscape’s National Youth Ministry Weekend (NYMW) 2025, themed The Upturn — and we came away feeling both refreshed and quietly challenged.

It was wonderful to be worshipping together as a team and with so many others too. It was so good to find space in our busy diaries serving young people in schools, to find space to stop, listen, sing, and simply be present, it was exactly what we needed.

The weekend programme offered a good mix of main talks, seminars, and interactive sessions. I was most inspired by Justin Brierley, who spoke during the interactive keynote for The Upturn. He reflected on what he’s learnt from years of interviewing people across all kinds of belief systems - about faith, doubt, the church, and young people. His gentle probing and humility really resonated, reminding us of how rich and messy faith conversations can be.

We also benefitted from the richness of the wide-ranging seminar tracks. From trauma-informed youth ministry to evangelism, contemplative prayer, leadership, and one-to-one discipleship - there was something for everyone. These specialist-led sessions stretched us in different directions, and reminded us that youth ministry isn’t one-size-fits-all.

One of the most practical take-aways came from the three give away resources and also the conversations in the exhibition hall, where the generous offering of free resources gave us fresh ideas for our work in schools. We’re already thinking about how to weave some of them into our lessons.

Beyond the sessions, we loved the relational space the conference created. It was wonderful to reconnect with people who genuinely feel like family — even if we don’t see them often — including Andy and Emma Winmill, Charlotte Barton, and Yener Yenerenski. Those conversations of encouragement, shared vision, and friendship are always a powerful part of NYMW.

Of course, none of this would have felt as restful or freeing without our incredible Terrie Bourner. She managed every single detail of the trip — organising transport, booking, amazing food, logistics, and more — so that we could simply receive. Her leadership allowed us to come without the usual burden of responsibility, and it meant everything.

We came home from The Upturn tired from high energy weekend, but very encouraged, equipped, and reminded of why we do this. We’re now looking forward to putting into practice the insights and resources over the coming months.

Chris

We’ve been trying some different approaches with re-launching our Christian Explore lunchtime group in Katherine Warington School.

In an exciting moment before half term, the group conversation was unfolding as we discussed some of the potential discrepancies between Science and Faith. One of our work experience students asked a younger participant:

“What caused you to become a Christian when all of your family are atheists?”

The young person took a deep breath, I think she momentarily considered the depth of what she was about to share, and the cost of sharing it with relatively new acquaintances and then proceeded to tell us her heartfelt testimony of how God had broken through into her life at a point when she needed him the most.

It was amazing and wonderful to hear, not just a sincere reminder of the faithfulness and power of our God, but a young person put into words in front of a handful of their peers, just what the Lord’s work had meant to them and how much it has changed their life.

Our work experience student was stunned at the honesty and eloquence of the words and noted how just one question had led to this. They’d seized the moment to do something a youth leader typically would, and seen the powerful results.

Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect…

It was these wise words from 1 Peter 3:15 that I read to Year 11 students at Samuel Ryder at the start of our Grill a Christian lessons last week. I made it clear that as Christians we are called to speak to others about our faith, but always in a respectful and peaceful manner. It helped set the tone for the rest of the lesson, and from there myself, Graeme and John asked the students to write down any questions they had about the Christian faith.

The students were brilliant, asking questions that ranged from deeply theological (around the nature of the Trinity) to practical ones about why there are four gospels in the Bible about Jesus, to personal ones where we were asked why and how we chose Christianity over other faiths.

Here is a sample of the questions we were asked:

How is God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit?

Do you believe Jesus will come back to earth one day? If so, do you think it would be for a specific time/reason or come at a random time?

What was the main thing that brought you into Christianity and not any other religions?

Does God give us control or control us?

Do you think life is always a gift or do you think it can be unfair at some points?

It was amazing to see the young people thinking deeply and pushing into topics that are weighty and profound, and it was a privilege to be given a chance to speak to them about what we believe. John, Graeme and I took turns to give answers to specific topics, as well as chipping in when we felt we had more to add to each other’s answers.

My favourite moments were when I was able to share how I encountered the Holy Spirit for the first time, and also a one to one conversation with a student who told me they were a Christian, but they were struggling with accepting themselves. I was able to share Ephesians 2:10 with them and encouraged them to listen to a particular song that has helped me in the past. It was a precious moment within a profound lesson.

Our final encouragement was when the teacher who had been with us during one of the sessions told us afterwards that one of the students in the class told her that last year they had read the entire Bible, and that they were changing and growing in their faith. The teacher said that she felt our lesson with him would hopefully help him on his journey! What a wonderful way to affirm the value of these sessions!

Graeme, John and I left feeling Samuel Ryder feeling encouraged, uplifted and certainly not as though we had been “grilled” by the young people, despite the title of the lesson!

Amy

Is loving your enemy an optional extra?

This is the question that helped launch our apologetics event, introduced by myself wearing a Manchester United t-shirt (as a Liverpool fan!) in aid of our ‘Love your Enemy for Step’ fundraising campaign running this year.

We welcomed our friends Cristo and Victoria from the Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics (OCCA) to Townsend, for an event with around 50 sixth formers from 3 different schools. The event helped students bring their big questions of faith to the table, with experts in theology answering their questions.

We had questions about the differences between the Catholic and the Anglican churches, the trustworthiness of the Bible, the God of the Old Testament, Sin, Sanctity of Life and much more.

As the event finished, we heard one boy say ‘Well, that was much better than a free period’ and Chris was able to have a conversation with a group of students about what they would be willing to give up their life for.

As I mentioned at the start of this latest news, I was wearing a Manchester United t-shirt, as we introduced the event with thinking about loving your enemy. I shared that although I felt uncomfortable wearing the shirt, for me when I first put the shirt on my thought wasn’t how much I ‘hated’ Manchester United, it was how much love I have for my friends and family who support the team. Because although we are different and don’t always agree or have everything in common, they are deserving of my love and respect. This led to a further thought later in the session about how we can disagree well with people of different viewpoints, by honouring them as individuals first.

Phillip Ioannou, as a Manchester United fan also joined in the campaign this weekend by wearing a Liverpool shirt on Sunday to church and while watching the Liverpool v Manchester United game.

If you would like to sponsor either Myself or Phil (or one of the other team members completing the fundraiser later in the year) please follow this link: https://www.justgiving.com/team/loveyourenemyforstep

Mary 

I made the slightly bonkers decision to run two Leadership Foundations Courses in the Autumn term but what an amazing time it has been so far! After the success of last year’s Leadership Course at Townsend it was a definite we were going to run one this year but we also got the exciting opportunity to run one at Marlborough for the first time. This has meant putting together two fantastic teams, remembering which team I need to email which information to and making sure I’ve worked everything out with two sets of teachers. What could be a recipe for disaster has been an absolute blessing so far. Watching the students growing, improving and developing each week, in both schools, has been an absolute pleasure. The Leadership Foundations course has become one of my firm favourites and working with a fantastic team of experienced and dedicated volunteers at both schools is a pure delight.

Helena :)

It was such a blessing to gather with lots of our volunteers last week at our volunteer training day, getting ready for the year ahead.  Even though I don’t normally work on a Tuesday I always come in for these days, as I find them such a valuable space to get to know the team a little better and to learn some new skills and remember why we are all part of Step.

After a bit of breakfast and refreshments we started the day with a wonderful, calming guided reflection led by Daniel from High Street Methodist Church based on the scripture in Mark 6:30-46. We also focused on the parts of the story where Jesus takes himself off to a solitary place to be with God and we were encouraged to practice this as often as we can.

In September we always do our safeguarding refresher, which Helena is an expert at delivering. I have worked in schools for years and have lost count of how many safeguarding trainings I have done, however I still learnt something new. Now safeguarding isn’t always the most popular session as it deals with very sensitive and sad topics, but it is essential so that we can continue to work safely and be helpful to the school communities and young people that we work with. After the refresher as part of our cultural awareness training we looked at some aspects of youth culture that might be helpful for us to be aware of as we work with the young people in our care.

Next up Geoff led us in an excellent session about apologetics and the Grill a Christian lesson. We were split into groups, and each group prepared answers to some questions as part of a mock lesson. We took turns at being on the Grill a Christian panel and part of the audience. Some of us really got into the role of being a teenager asking tricky questions rather too well. I think this session was a real eye opener to many of us. It helped us see that it’s not as scary as it sounds and that we could be a part of it. We were encouraged that not everyone has to answer every question and that sometimes you might get a list of the students' questions before the lesson to help you prepare. I would certainly feel more confident to be part of this lesson now and as Geoff simply said ‘just give your reasons for why you believe what you believe.’ You don’t have to be the philosopher of the year to be able to join in with this lesson but what is helpful is taking time to think through some of these topics so that you are ready to give an answer for the hope that you have.

After a tasty lunch provided by Terrie more fun was had learning the ins and outs of the Fairtrade Lesson. Jez was able to bring the Fairtrade lesson to life and gave us some great guidelines and tips on how to run the game. I also helped in this session by advising the bankers on what to do (which isn’t a sentence I ever thought I would say with my dislike of anything to do with maths!). After being given an overview of the game we were split into teams of about 4 people and Jez led us through a shorter version of the game to give us a taste of what it is like.

There were also 2 bankers whose role it was to add up all the scores and keep on top of the fast-paced game. The aim of the game is to make as many trainers (with paper) as you can so that your team/country wins. However the game is unfairly favourable to the UK and the USA and so by the end of the game the other countries really feel the injustice of the situation. The teams that we created were surprisingly competitive and only a few people cheated (mentioning no names). A lot of fun was had and again I think the session helped us to feel more confident to lead or be part of a session in the future. It is so good to be able to experience some of these lessons and workshops before we commit to being part of them.

We are always looking for new ideas about what would be helpful for our volunteers to learn or do on our volunteer training day, so if you have any thoughts on the matter please don’t hesitate to share them with us.

Thank you to everyone who came along to the day it really does make a difference and we can’t wait to see you all again at the next one!