Second Year Placements 2024/25

Each year our second year students spend several months on placement with a different church to work alongside them and gain experience in a different pastoral setting. We asked them to share about how they got on!

Nathanael

My name is Nathanael McIlveen. I am a 23-year-old living in the countryside outside Ballynahinch. In November of next year, I will be getting married. My fiancée Kate is from Annalong and is training to be a radiographer. For the last seven years, I have attended Emmanuel Baptist Church in Lisburn, where I am currently a member.

However, I have been on placement at Ballykeel Baptist Church since October. Ballykeel is a rural church between Annahilt and Dromore. Andrew Campbell has been the pastor of Ballykeel for the last four years. It is a large church with nearly 200 members and approximately 350 people attending the Sunday morning worship service. The church consists of a range of age groups with people from various church backgrounds.

The elders at Ballykeel have been gracious in giving me a variety of opportunities to serve. I have been preaching around three times a month, working through Paul’s letter to the Galatians. I have been able to accompany some of the elders as they visited church members. On a few occasions, I have attended the youth fellowship and established relationships with many of the young people. From October to November, Ballykeel ran the Christianity Explored course which I was able to help with. I am grateful for the many opportunities I have received to serve and encourage the church.

Placement at Ballykeel has blessed me in numerous ways. One particular blessing has been working with the elders. The church has an excellent team of elders. I have benefited greatly from their wisdom in conversations about church life and shepherding God’s people. One thing that has challenged me on placement has been the size of the church. Placement has made me realise that my brain isn’t very good with names! The main thing that I have learnt on placement is how to show greater care for people outside of the pulpit. The elders have shown me the importance of remembering what is going on in people’s lives and following up in conversations. This requires effort and intentionality, but I believe that I’ve grown in this respect over the last few months.

Please continue to pray for me as I finish placement and head into my final year of College. Pray for Kate and me as we begin married life; particularly as we make decisions about the future and begin ministry.

 

Rebecca

Hello! My name is Rebecca, and I’m a member of Antrim Baptist Church. I’ve lived in Antrim for the last three years, but during term time, I live at College. My weeks are usually packed with college assignments, Hebrew homework, and professional placement. To stay even busier, I also play rugby and serve coffee at The Fat Gherkin in Moira.

At the end of my first year, I had the opportunity to discuss my professional placement, and I requested to be placed at Windsor Baptist Church in Belfast. I knew that being part of a larger church would give me more opportunities to serve in a variety of ministries and connect with a broader range of people from different cultural backgrounds. There are certainly many benefits to being involved in a bigger church. Windsor offers more resources and the ability to provide ministry opportunities that would be harder to come by in a smaller church setting.

Serving in Belfast has been a great experience so far. It’s been wonderful to meet so many different people. Windsor Baptist attracts people not only from the Belfast area but also from far beyond, so I’ve had the chance to meet individuals from various parts of the country. It’s so interesting to learn why people make the effort to travel such long distances to be part of this church community, but now that I've spent time in the church I can see why they do.

I’ve primarily been involved in Windsor’s intercultural ministries. On Thursdays, I help lead an intercultural small group, where we gather to share a meal or tea and tray bakes. After some time of fellowship, we move into a time of praise, which I often lead, aiming to incorporate an intercultural element into the music. We then dive into a Bible study. This term we’ve been reading through the Gospel of John. It’s been incredibly encouraging to hear the insights of some of the women in the group. One lady, in particular, stands out to me. She’s from Korea and came to Christ last year through the ministry of the church. Despite being a relatively new believer, or as she often refers to herself, a “baby Christian,” it’s been amazing to witness her deep engagement with God’s word. Her wonder and awe at the person of Christ has been truly inspiring. Just this month, she was one of five internationals baptized at Windsor, all of whom have been attending our intercultural small groups. It’s such a joy to see God at work in this way, and I’m grateful to be part of it.

In addition to my small group work, I’ve had the privilege of leading a couple of services and overseeing praise during Sunday morning services. This has, at times, been nerve-wracking, especially considering that the morning service regularly attracts around 400 attendees. Nevertheless, it’s been a rewarding experience, and I’ve felt so encouraged by the support of the church community.

As I look ahead, I would deeply appreciate your prayers as I seek God’s guidance on how he might want me to serve after College. Currently, I’m feeling led to consider cross-cultural missions, though I’m unsure of where or for how long. Please also pray for me as I work to finish my studies well this term and complete my time at Windsor on a high note.

Thank you for your continued prayers and support.