Amy Shephard

Being born into a family that was a part of a large Methodist church, I guess there was never any doubt that I would still be part of that church 30 years on.

I tried university after 6th form and decided it wasn't for me, so I returned to York just 9 weeks after starting. Since then, I've dabbled in many different roles, both paid and voluntary, including a home care assistant, a nursery practitioner, a steward and a senior steward. In 2017 I was one of 10 young people who took on the ONE Opportunity Internship, and through that, I started to develop a real sense of my calling to youth ministry. I decided to study at Cliff College whilst taking on a part time role in the York Circuit as a youth worker, and graduated with a BAHons in Mission and Ministry on the Youth Pathway in 2021. The course gave me great insights into the world of a youth worker, but I also gained so much experience through my job in the circuit!

I have enjoyed being in this role for over 6 years, whilst also dabbling in some other interesting work such as running the ONE Opportunity scheme for the Yorkshire West District for a year, being a community worker for a church community spread across 6 sites, and being a youth worker in a secular setting. I have developed a real sense of my calling and passion to youth work and, more specifically, to building intergenerational spaces for faith formation, giving all ages the chance to explore their faith and grow as individuals in Christ.

Outside of work, I enjoy crocheting (I enjoy this during work too, I'm always working on a simple crochet project to focus my mind in meetings!), cooking/baking, all things Disney, developing the Community Garden in Haxby & Wigginton, and spending time with my family and friends, especially my 1 year old nephew Finley!

Amy is our Circuit Youth Worker. From September 2026 Amy will be working full time for the Circuit.