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Interested in training for youth work?

Meet Robin Barfield. He is joining the Oak Hill team and bringing a wonderful blend of experience and theological reflection to his new role teaching Children’s, Youth and Family ministry modules.

It takes a lot more than having a load of energy and some games up your sleeve to develop a biblical youth and children's work. You need to be wise in the handling and application of Scripture, clear on the gospel and Christian theology, and alert to the pressures and challenges of our culture.

That's our vision for Children’s, Youth and Family ministry training here at Oak Hill and so we're thrilled that Robin Barfield will be teaching our Children's, Youth and Family ministry modules for us next year. Robin brings a wonderful blend of experience and theological reflection to the role. He is Associate Minister for Children and Families at Christ Church in Winsford, an industrial community in the North West, and a PhD candidate at Spurgeon’s College researching child spirituality, considering the place of Godly Play within an evangelical pedagogy. He is the author of Sunday DIY, a training course for volunteer leaders and he has been chairing NWYouthworks for the past 7 years.

Robin says “There is often a divide between church and academy, between practice and theory, not least in Children’s, Youth and Family ministry. My passion is to encourage mutual service between the two, in particular in theological reflection and engagement with the wider church and academy. I would love to see a deepening desire for further theological training within Children’s, Youth and Family ministry. I love seeing the church family and the biological family working together to bring the next generation through to Christian maturity, and enjoy working this out in my own context.

I love the theological rigour of Oak Hill and its residential setting for enabling students to be prepared for a lifetime of serving Christ’s church and I am excited to be able to contribute to the forming of Children, Youth and Family ministers. I want to bring a practical rigour from the experience that I continue to have in the local church, coupled with a theological depth that stretches and trains the student. I long to see humble and gracious hearts which enable students to go beyond just knowing what to do and instead to learn to be flexible in various settings and able to continue adapting to the changing worlds of children and young people.”

Robin will be teaching the Children’s, Youth and Family ministry modules during our summer intensives in 2021. You can read more about the Children’s, Youth and Family ministry modules and how they are integrated in our undergraduate programme here and you can find out more about studying at Oak Hill or apply here.

 

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