Our Staff Team
Dr Sarah Holmes
Director of Research
Sarah is CYM's Director of Research, seeking to explore together how we can equip and empower the church to enhance ministry opportunities amongst children and their families through research-informed practice. Sarah has been involved in ministry amongst children and families for over 20 years, and has a passion to find innovative and effective ways to equip children to get closer to Jesus. After completing a Geography degree at Liverpool University (with the aim of being a weather girl or earthquake predictor!), she worked as a church-based children's worker on the Wirral, and then as a Children and Family Pastor in Altrincham, Cheshire. Alongside this work, she really enjoyed studying at Cliff College: First to gain a Level 5 Diploma in Children's Evangelism and Nurture, and then an MA in Evangelism Studies. She then took some time out of this work to be a stay-at-home mum, but in the midst of this season completed a PhD exploring the role of family in children's faith journeys. Sarah also holds a part-time role teaching Early Childhood Studies at Liverpool Hope University, and researching the topic of children's faith and spirituality.
Current Teaching/Responsibilities
Sarah's supports our undergraduate and postgraduate student in their dissertation research projects.
Research Interest
Anything about children's faith and spirituality, particularly in the early years; the role of family; church ministry amongst children and families, with particular interest in neurodiversity.
Contact Details
Email: sarah.holmes@cym.ac.uk
Address: CYM, 16 Commerce Square, Nottingham, NG1 1HS
Phone: 0115 777 0102
Lyndsay Millar
Operations Co-ordinator
Lyndsay is the Operations Co-ordinator for CYM and manages the administration of the charities operations. Lyndsay is typically the first point of contact for enquirers and partners. She provides support to navigate your way through CYM training pathways, qualifications and CPD programmes. Lyndsay also supports the staff team and trustees with the operational requirements that keep CYM fit and healthy.
Contact Details
Email: lyndsay.millar@cym.ac.uk
Address: CYM, 16 Commerce Square, Nottingham, NG1 1HS
Phone: 0115 777 0102
Nigel Roberts
Lecturer
Nigel has worked in youth work and education for 38 years. He led several local centres for Youth for Christ before joining head office as Education Advisor. Nigel continues in this role as he tutors students at the Institute for Children, Youth, and Mission, where he has created and contributed to many of the CYM chaplaincy courses and developed working standards for Chaplains with children and young people. Nigel is a qualified drama teacher and was a community chaplain in a secondary school for 17 years. Nigel also works for the Saltley Trust, developing chaplaincy initiatives in Further Education across the West Midlands. He has a passion for drama and its place in youth work and ministry and led the professional theatre company Red River Theatre for 15 years, winning several awards and performing around the country and in front of the United Nations.
Nigel has contributed to several books and journals, including:
- Core Standards of Christian with Children and Young People, CYM, (2019) Nigel Roberts & Rev. Dr. Sally Nash & Dr. Paul Nash
- Drama and Faith: Using the Arts to Communicate the Christian Faith, Grove, (2022)
Research Interest
His research interests focus on the theology of chaplaincy and models of chaplaincy, particularly in education. He is also interested in spiritual development in schools and colleges and how it is taught and evaluated. He continues to research the use of drama in youth work.
Contact Details
Email: nigel.roberts@cym.ac.uk
Address: CYM, 16 Commerce Square, Nottingham, NG1 1HS
Phone: 0115 777 0102
Robin Smith MA
Director of Training
Robin is an educator in community-based Practical Theology and has over 13 years of community youth work experience in various contexts. As Director of Training, Robin overseas our formal academic programme (currently in teach-out) and informal training and CPD programmes. Robin completed his degree at London Bible College and his MA in Youth and Community Work and Applied Theology (The Centre for Youth Ministry) from the University of Gloucester, Cheltenham. Robin has qualified teacher status in Secondary Religious Education from Leeds Trinity University and has tutored several ministry training courses over the past 15 years, including the Oasis College of Higher Education London and Nazarene Theological College, Manchester. Robin is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy Distinction Advance HE: York and is currently completing his doctoral studies exploring the intersection of faith-based work and a broader application of spirituality in society. Robin also holds a part-time role at Leeds Trinity University in supporting students academic development.
Current Teaching/Responsibilities
Robin oversees CYM training and supports students in their learning and discipleship journeys.
Research Interest
Robin is currently completing a Professional Doctoral in Education.
Contact Details
Email: robin.smith@cym.ac.uk
Address: CYM, 16 Commerce Square, Nottingham, NG1 1HS
Phone: 0115 777 0102
Our Associate Team
Dr. Graham Bright
Associate Fellow
Graham was formerly Director of Research, Senior Lecturer and Practice Co-ordinator with CYM. He has been involved in youth and community work for over 30 years and is a qualified counsellor. Graham has worked in schools, colleges and universities where he taught various programmes at undergraduate and postgraduate levels, including Childhood and Youth Studies, Early Childhood Studies, Counselling, Education Studies, and Sociology. He completed his PhD in Youth Work at Durham University in 2021.
He was part of a team which planted The Well Methodist Church in Darlington, where he now serves as Community Pastor. The Well is situated in an area of socio-economic challenge; it is a church committed to working creatively with its local community to bring change and to developing discipleship and expressing worship intergenerationally. Graham maintains a strong relationship with CYM, offering dissertation supervision, consulting on research and teaching occasional modules. His previous research and ongoing interests relate to Growing Faith, Intergenerational Church, Community and Youth Work.
Graham is the author and contributor to several books and journals, including:
- From Neoliberalism to Neopopulism: How Grassroots Faith Communities are Resisting Division and Crossing Borders (2021)
- Journal- Radical Community Work
- Child and Young Person-Centred Approaches: The Handbook of Counselling Children and Young People (2018)
Research Interest
Graham's Ph.D. focussed on Searching for Meaning: Learning from Youth Workers' Lives, Formation, and Profession in Austere Times- a Critical Narrative Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis.
Contact Details
Email: graham.bright@cym.ac.uk
Address: CYM, 16 Commerce Square, Nottingham, NG1 1HS
Phone: 0115 777 0102
Ali Campbell
Associate Tutor
Ali Campbell has worked in children’s and youth ministry for 27 years. After a career in the Ministry of Defence Ali studied for a Certificate in Youth Ministry with OASIS (1996 - 98). Ali went on to be a youth minister at a large church in West London during which time he was also leading children’s and youth work at the New Wine summer events. For nine years Ali was the Adviser for Children’s and Youth Ministry for the Diocese of Chichester, during which time he gained a Masters in Reflective Practice and Applied Theology. In 2014, Ali established The Resource - a Youth and Children’s Ministry Consultancy, to serve the local church through training, equipping events and mentoring and support for those working with children, young people and families. Ali has taught at various academic institutions over the last decade including, Reign Ministries, St Mellitus, Emmanuel College and Cliff College (where he was an adjunct tutor from 2019 - 2023). In July 2022, Ali was the founder of Paraklesis - The Association of Children’s, Youth and Family Ministers. Ali is married to Lisa and they have two teenage daughters."
Contact Details
Address: CYM, 16 Commerce Square, Nottingham, NG1 1HS
Phone: 0115 777 0102
Paul Fenton PFHEA
Associate Tutor
Paul is an experienced youth and community work professional, organisational leader, academic and consultant with thirty years experience in the social sector, having worked in public, private and charitable settings. He has a track record of leading organisational development, building sector-wide networks, facilitating learning and influencing public policy discussions. He currently manages a mixed portfolio of contracts across the social sector that support a range of national, regional and local organisations through short-term contracts that involve research, evaluations and strategic reviews. Paul is a Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, Visiting Professor for Captiva Learning and Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.
Someone to Lean On - Accompanying Young People on the Journey of Faith (1998)
Current Teaching/Responsibilities
The ethics of youth work and working with young people; The rights-based approach to youth work; and Group Work Theory and Practice.
Research Interest
Young People's Political Literacy; Leadership in Charitable Organisations; Funding for Good.
Contact Details
Email: paul.fenton@cym.ac.uk
Address: CYM, 16 Commerce Square, Nottingham, NG1 1HS
Phone: 0115 777 0102
Dan Hayter
Associate Tutor
Dan has taught theology on theological training courses for a decade. He is currently the LEAD course manager for Relational Mission’s Leadership Training course and leads the Biblical Theology component of the course. He also has local church ministry experience, and has regularly preached in local churches. Dan holds a first class degree in Theology and an MA in Biblical Studies with distinction, both from King’s College London. He is also finishing a PhD in New Testament at King’s College London.
Contact Details
Address: CYM, 16 Commerce Square, Nottingham, NG1 1HS
Phone: 0115 777 0102
Dave Horsfall
Associate Tutor
Dave has been leading on the development of our online modules in biblical studies. Dave is the Director of Leeds School of Theology, which delivers informal theological education to Christians in local churches. He also lectures at St Hild Theological College, teaching Introduction to New Testament, and previously taught a Level 5 Christology Module for CYM. Dave was in senior church leadership for seven years with Mosaic Church Leeds. In 2017 he completed a PGDip in Theology, Mission, and Ministry with Durham University and then an MA in 2020. Dave is a Ph.D. Theology Student at Durham University, focusing on New Testament studies.
Current Teaching/Responsibilities
Dave teaches and tutors Practical Theology and Biblical Studies at the Institute for Children, Youth, and Mission.
Research Interest
Dave's research interests are New Testament studies and Biblical studies in general. He is currently working on a thesis looking at Mark's Gospel as an apocalyptic narrative and how this affects the way the familial pericopes in Mark are best understood.
Contact Details
Email: dave.horsfall@cym.ac.uk
Address: CYM, 16 Commerce Square, Nottingham, NG1 1HS
Phone: 0115 777 0102
Jaz Potter
Associate Tutor
Jaz is a seasoned leader with a distinguished career, currently serving on the senior leadership team at Gateway Church. With a wealth of experience in various leadership roles, she has demonstrated exceptional skills in guiding and inspiring teams towards achieving their goals. Jaz holds a Masters in Missional Leadership from Newman, showcasing her commitment to understanding and navigating the complexities of mission-driven organisations.
Currently pursuing a Doctorate at Asbury Seminary (USA), Jaz continues to deepen her academic knowledge, bringing cutting-edge insights to her leadership role. Her involvement in leading Christian organisations reflects her dedication to advancing the mission of faith-based initiatives. Jaz is a respected leader within her community and a sought-after speaker and host for Christian organisations and churches.
Contact Details
Address: CYM, 16 Commerce Square, Nottingham, NG1 1HS
Phone: 0115 777 0102
Rachel Turner
Associate Lecturer
Rachel was formerly a Senior Lecturer with CYM. Turner has worked within family, youth and children’s ministry for over 18 years. After serving full-time in multiple churches, she then went on to found Parenting for Faith in partnership with BRF. Through her and her team’s work, they have created multiple online courses, resources and podcasts to enable parents and carers to disciple their children and for church leaders to create a parenting for faith culture within their communities. She is an international speaker and the author of ten books. In her work, she has consulted and partnered with national denominations and regional networks to enable growth in intergenerational church, robust family ministry, and church culture change. With a BA in Cultural Anthropology and MScEcon in Critical Security Studies, she has guest lectured with Cliff College, Moorlands College and St. Padarn’s.
Rachel is the author and contributor to several books including:
- Parenting Children for a Life of Faith (2010)
- It Takes a Church to Raise a Parent (2018)
- Parenting as a Church Leader (2020)
- Healthy Faith and the Coronavirus Crisis (2020)
Current Teaching/Responsibilities
Lecturing on leadership, intergenerational theory and practice, and household faith.
Research Interest
Rachel is interested in researching culture change within churches from an anthropological perspective, unique parenting contexts, and discipleship as culturally embedded patterns.
Contact Details
Email: rachel.turner@cym.ac.uk
Address: CYM, 16 Commerce Square, Nottingham, NG1 1HS
Phone: 0115 777 0102