Joining the Journey at St Paul’s - By Ollie Greenfield

Hi, my name is Ollie, and I am the new Children and Youth Team Leader at St Paul’s Ireland Wood.

I am really excited to be joining the community here at St Paul’s, along with my wife, Sarah. The warm welcome we have received so far has been so encouraging, and we cannot wait to get stuck into life here at St Paul's.

About us

Sarah and I have been married for almost a year, celebrating our 1st anniversary later this month, in fact! We live over in Kippax, but I am originally from Ilkley, West Yorkshire. Sarah is from Tamworth, Staffordshire, but has been in Leeds since she started university.

I have always had a love for working with children and young people, and this has led me to pursue a calling after many ‘nudges’ from God and some wise discerning people who have helped guide and grow me. This has taken me from leading children’s and youth work in Ilkley, All Saints, to joining a charity in Leeds, Missional Generation, where I supported multiple churches and team members.

Sarah and I have had a very busy year, from getting married to moving into our first home together, and among that, we felt a real strong calling from God that there is something more for us to step into and serve. So through some more ‘God nudges’ we found St Paul’s! It has not always been easy to hear God’s voice, but we have been continually sustained and reminded of God’s care for us through Matthew 6:26: ‘’Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your Heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?’’

This Bible passage has also unlocked a new admiration for birds, which might be added to by the fact that we live near an RSPB reserve, St Aidan’s. I’m a particular fan of the heron!

Get to know us

We’d love to get to know everyone at St Paul’s, so please come and say hi to Sarah and me. We’ll always be up for a chat about almost anything, but The Great British Bake Off is a great place to start - we’re rooting for Jasmine this year! I’m also a football fan and support Liverpool. Sarah is a keen brass bander and is completing her PhD in music and disability studies.

Things to pray about

As we get to know you all, we would love for you to pray for us to:

• Continue to settle and build relationships with people at St Paul’s

• Explore what serving in a local church looks like for us