LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT YEAR – LDY

Developing spiritually, personally and professionally
“It’s all about becoming the best version of you, doing what you were created to do and knowing the next steps to get there.” 

WHAT’S OUR VISION?

FFMC is a vibrant church in north Preston that has an inspiring past and an exciting future. Our vision today is based on our passionate belief in the good news of the Christian gospel. We long to see every life bearing fruit for Jesus. We are an expanding church, with many ministries in place and growing. We’ve also recently launched a new vision for church with exciting new projects planned and are excited about the future as we grow and impact of community more. This would be a key time to join us to play your part in all that God is doing!

Ian Winter – Senior Pastor

WHAT’S THE PURPOSE OF THE LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT YEAR?

Our Leadership Development Year is a 10-month gap year programme for 18 to 25 year-old Christians. We believe in raising up leaders in all areas of church who are equipped to fulfil the dreams God has given them.  You will work closely with the staff team and be challenged and stretched to discover the giftings and talents God has already placed within you. You will also grow weekly through a combination of weekly teaching and practical ministry experiences. This will also include dedicated leadership teaching which will include resources from the John Maxwell leadership materials. John Maxwell is a Christian global leadership consultant who provides leadership training resources for companies such as BAE.

The year will include:

  1. Opportunities to develop your existing gifts and explore new ones such as leading, serving, speaking, worship, organisation and administration, etc. God has given you strength and skills; we want to give you the opportunity to use them to make a difference!
  2. A programme of pastoral support and discipleship for your personal growth via both a dedicated personal teaching program and weekly teaching session with high quality speakers and trainers.
  3. Input from a mentor who will be outside of the staff team who will invest in your development, growth and success.
  4. We will focus on three key elements of your development:
  5. Spiritual development
  6. Personal development
  7. Professional development

DATES AND DETAILS

2nd September 2024 – 20th July 2025

(with half-terms and holidays matching the Preston school calendar)

WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE FOR YOU?

  • Each intern will have an individual mentor who will aim to meet with you every two weeks. The mentor is there to pour wisdom into your life and to build you up throughout the programme.
  • The staff team will be your biggest encouragers over the year. We will expect you to work hard but we will provide the support and encouragement you need to be your best!
  • Being part of a forward thinking ministry that is making a lasting difference by leading people to become fully devoted followers of Christ.
  • You will take part in learning and developmental opportunities that include individual study, book discussions, learning sessions, other events for FFMC staff and at least one leadership conference during the year.
  • Work in a team environment under highly talented ministry leaders who encourage personal and professional growth.

WHAT’S THE TEACHING LIKE?

  • You will have daily individual study using an online study platform with daily review with your fellow LDY interns and a member of the staff leadership team. Once a week you will all come together in person and explore what it means to develop spiritually, personally and professionally through exploring leadership, evangelism, theology, our Christian identity and more!
  • There will also be amazing teaching from our staff team as well as guest speakers who will enthusiastically share their wisdom and experience with you.

WHERE CAN I SERVE?

You will be involved in a range of ministry areas over the year. All interns will have the opportunity to lead and implement new projects in church. You will be fully supported to enable you to succeed – you really will be making an impact!

Areas of service include:

Kids

We run an awesome kids church ‘Energize’ on a Sunday morning at our two services with a heart to do more. We love our children and long to see them encounter Jesus and grow as His followers. If you’re passionate about seeing children know God more and want to invest in the hearts and minds of the young, then this is for you.

Youth

Our youth today need God more than ever and we are single minded about raising a generation of young people who be the leaders of today and tomorrow. Who will influencers in their worlds, our city and beyond. If this is your passion too then serving within the Youth Stream is for you.

Operations 

You may have a more operational mind and wonder how you can serve God through the logistics of running a big church. Do you love organising and planning? Then this could be the stream for you. The outwards workings of a church need talented and gifted internal operators, without these people big things don’t happen. Could you be one of our behind the scenes champions?

Creative

If you’re a creative type and get fired up by anything creative, be it music, production, photography, videography, graphic design or social media then this is the stream for you.

Worship

This isn’t a dedicated stream but we have several awesome worship bands in church who are passionate about enabling church to deeply worship God each week. In the worship team we have music production experts, highly qualified tech team members and amazing musicians of course! If you are a musician then this could be something which you be involved in too.

Many other areas to be involved

There are also many other areas you could get involved in from FFMC life ministries, stewarding, hosting, outreach, coffee teams etc…You will have set hours as part of the volunteer intern programme but it you want to volunteer more widely in your free time then we’d encourage you to do so.

As part of the application process, we will discuss with you your interests, passions and giftings so that where you are serving is right for you and church.

OUR EXPECTATIONS OF YOU:

We want our LDYers to be able to say:

  • I’m up for whatever God want to do to this year; whatever he wants to teach me and however he wants to change me.
  • I’m committed to this team so that all members of the team can flourish.
  • I will be on time, work hard and prioritise my spiritual growth throughout my volunteer intern year.
  • I’m ready to share my journey of faith with others as God works in me.
  • I’m willing to be challenged out of my comfort zone! (you will always have the support you need to do this from staff who know you and are cheering you on!)

WHAT ABOUT FINANCE?

There is a charge for the year of £500. This will cover training materials, recommended books, attendance at a leadership conference and travel costs. 

This can be paid at the start of the year or in smaller instalments over the year. We want to ensure that anyone can access the Leadership Development Year here at Fulwood so there are bursaries available for anyone in need of financial assistance. Please let the program leader know when you first contact church if this is something which you would like to discuss.

SERVING / TEACHING TIME

  • Each ‘LDYer’ will spend between 24 – 40 hours a week serving (this includes individual and group study/learning time).
  • There will be flexibility in the programme for those volunteer interns who are self-financing their year and need to work part time. This will be discussed as part of the recruitment process.
  • All LDYers will have two days off per week – when may depend on the ministries an LDYer is involved. All LDYers are free to volunteer and serve church in addition to their volunteer week in the same way other church members would do.

WHAT SUPPORT WILL THERE BE?

Each LDYer has a study mentor and a pastoral/supervision mentor. The intern programme leader is responsible for the course and the overall pastoral care of the LDYers and will be your first port of call when you apply, and throughout the year if you have any questions about the year.

If you are applying from outside the Preston area, then we may be able to help support you in finding accommodation for the year.

HOW DO I APPLY?

Fill in an application form, which you can download below and email it back to the address below. We can’t wait to hear from you!

Apply as soon as possible, the final deadline is 7th June, 2025.

To apply, use the application form below and return to church via lucys@fulwoodfmc.net.

If you’ve any questions or want to discuss further the Leadership Development Year then please contact the LDY Program Lead: Lucy Sutton via lucys@fulwoodfmc.net or call 01772 861597 to arrange a time to meet up and chat with any questions you may have.

We look forward to hearing from you!

 

Download Application Form