Children, Young People and Families
Our vision
The team of Discipleship Enablers exists to support parish engagement with children, young people and families across the diocese, as well as engagement in the wider church, community and local schools.
Working with the Disciples Together vision and strategy, the team have a heart and passion for this ministry. They look forward to working with you and your church community in supporting, encouraging and nurturing the next generation.
Our resource page lists the best ideas and resources that we have come across to help you in your own ministry. Scroll down for the latest government guidelines on children and youth groups.
Disciples Together
It is time for the Church to re-engage with children, young people and families. There has been a growing gulf between our work and the reality of life for young people and in the culture at large. Disciples Together explores how we can embrace change for the benefit of God’s work in the world and outlines steps for our future ministry.
Meet the team
Revd Tina Molyneux
Head of Discipleship and Social Justice
Tina has worked across various roles in vocations and discipleship for the diocese over the last four years. She grew up in St Helens, Merseyside, and has a degree in politics from University of Leeds. Tina’s passion has always been encouraging people to grow in confidence and fulfil their potential. Her role allows her to serve and support parishes in our work to ‘see the whole people of God enabled to be contemplative, compassionate and courageous disciples, who feel equipped to live out the Good News of Jesus for the sake of God’s world’.
Tina was ordained in 2010 and has lived in Berkshire for over 20 years. Prior to ordination, Tina was a management consultant, specialising in organisational design and HR development in both the public and private sector.
Tina is a mum of triplets, who are now at university, and she’s saving up for their 21st birthday in June!
Get in touch with Tina on 07443 534010 or tina.molyneux@oxford.anglican.org.
Ian Macdonald
Discipleship Enabler (Berkshire Area) and Youth Ministry specialist
Ian is Discipleship Enabler in the Berkshire Area Team for 50% of his time, retaining his specialism in youth work across the whole diocese for the remainder. Ian thinks teenagers are brilliant and is passionate about youth work. Over the years, he’s seen the difference it makes to young people, how much we have to learn from them and the absolute privilege of being part of their journey to adulthood.
He is passionate about laughter and the way it can connect us more fully with our self and with others. To this end, in his spare time he teaches a happiness course, is a laughter yoga instructor and a stand-up comedian. Whilst taking comedy very seriously, Ian retains a sense of humour and playfulness in his approach to theology, mission and spirituality.
Along the way, Ian has been to bible schools in Lancashire and Austria, become a professionally-qualified youth worker and gained a Masters degree in theology from Kings College London. He has one wife, three quirky, wonderful, grown-up children, and one dog; these have been some of his greatest teachers. He failed his cycling proficiency test when he was ten but is largely over this now.
Get in touch with Ian on 01865 208253 or ian.macdonald@oxford.anglican.org.
Yvonne Morris
Discipleship Enabler (Dorchester & Oxford Areas) and Children’s and Family Ministry specialist
Yvonne is the Discipleship Enabler across Oxfordshire, encompassing both Oxford and Dorchester Archdeaconries, and continues as diocesan children and family ministry specialist for the other half of her working week.
One of Yvonne’s passions in life is to be shown new things about God by children. She loves gently enabling them to connect their story with God’s story and God’s story with their story through playful wondering. Yvonne also likes helping adults to open up to the mutual spiritual growth that can occur when safe spaces are created with children. Two of the biggest influences on Yvonne’s ministry have been becoming a Godly Play practitioner and being on the delivery team for the Partnership for Missional Church.
Yvonne has a husband, two teenage children and three guinea pigs. Her other great play is running, particularly enjoying muddy cross-country races and peaceful early morning runs.
Get in touch with Yvonne on 01865 208255 or yvonne.morris@oxford.anglican.org.
Angela Curran-Smith
Discipleship Enabler (Buckingham Area) and Mission with Schools specialist
Angela has been working for the diocese since September 2019 and started as a Discipleship Enabler in 2021. Angela supports parishes across Buckinghamshire in their work with children, young people and families, whilst retaining her mission with school specialism across the whole diocese, working with church communities to reimagine, create and build sustainable relationships with their local schools.
Angela has a heart for every child to experience life in all its fullness, with a desire to help them fulfil their God-given potential and be able to say with confidence, ‘It’s good to be me’.
Angela has a background in education and is a qualified headteacher (NPQH), in addition to holding an MA in Education. Schools under her leadership have achieved ‘Outstanding’ in both their SIAMS and Ofsted inspections. Angela has also previously held positions in large benefice offices and is on the leadership team of her home church.
Get in touch with Angela on 07552 247904 or angela.curran-smith@oxford.anglican.org.
Olly Shaw
Pioneer Youth Worker
Olly is passionate about youth work and the church. For the last 14 years, Olly has been employed as the youth worker for St Leonard’s Church in Eynsham.
Olly has been described (by Ian) as “a terrier”, meaning that once he thinks something is a good idea, he doesn’t easily give up on it. Olly is convinced that churches of all shapes and sizes have the capacity and responsibility to build relationships with the young people in their communities. To this end, he has been working with the Department of Mission on a part-time basis to support churches (particularly smaller, more rural ones) who are looking to make and sustain meaningful connections with the young people who live near them.
Olly has a young family so sleep is a distant memory, and he also loves mending things and running (just not as far as Yvonne).
Get in touch with Olly at olly.shaw@oxford.anglican.org.
Bev Higgs
Administrator for the Children, Young People and Families Team
Bev is the team administrator and grew up in North Tyneside, working for the NHS before moving to Oxford to work for the University Central Offices.
Bev has worked for the diocese for four years and prior to this was employed as a school secretary at a primary school and at a school for children with physical disabilities. She lives with her husband and has two grown-up children and a very active dog! She understands the joys and challenges of family life and would describe herself as friendly and approachable. Probably not widely known by colleagues, she is also a qualified hairdresser – although would say this skill is rather rusty!
She loves to travel and visiting places of interest and swimming (when COVID allows) and spends a lot of time out and about enjoying the fresh air dog walking!
Get in touch with Bev on 01865 208252 or bev.higgs@oxford.anglican.org.
Government Updates
Young people and children’s groups as of 2 December
Visit our resource page for help and advice during this time.
The national Church of England website brings all the guidance for ministry among children, young people and families together, including an update on parent and toddler groups.
There is also Church of England guidance on outdoors worship.
Other exemptions can be found here.