Jonathan Richardson is the Children, Youth and Families Development Officer at the Diocese of Norwich. Jonathan has worked for the Diocese for the past 10 years, helping children and young people to connect with the gospel message and support them on their journeys of faith.
Having been ordained in 2025, Jonathan will be stepping into a new role in the benefice of Redenhall with Scole – a group of 7 churches.
The Bishop of Thetford, the Rt Revd Ian Bishop said:
“I am deeply grateful for the work that Jonathan has done to encourage youth and children’s ministry across the Diocese. His commitment to seeing young people find faith in Jesus and to growing a younger Church has driven many important and creative initiatives that have been transformational. His own deep trust in Christ is always in evidence and I know as he moves into parochial life he will continue to prioritise mission and evangelism to young people.”
Jonathan writes:
“Over the past 10 years I have seen so many inspirational projects that are enabling children and young people to connect with the gospel message and start their own journeys of faith It’s been exciting to have such a varied role which has include things such as developing a team chaplaincy project, launching ‘Encounter’ regional youth worship events, securing funding to enable youth and children’s workers and sports ministers to be employed, supported workers undertaking further training at Ridley Hall, trained curates and clergy and grown the use of the diocesan resource centre. Some of the highlights of my year have been supporting the diocesan presence at the Royal Norfolk Show, the CYF One Big Day Conference, and events we have run in Norwich Cathedral such as our 12 hour overnight Cathedral@Night events!
But it’s not just been the big events, a recent highlight for me was meeting someone who I first met when they, as a teenager, were attending a young leaders course we were running. They are now stepping into help lead a church youth group. So much of work with children and young people is done over the long term, and we only occasionally see the results. I am reminded of Mary’s comment to Jesus when he first starts his ministry at the wedding in Cana “When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no more wine.” (John 2:3 NIV) I wonder what her tone was – was it one of exasperation? Having treasured all the miracles around his birth in her heart (Luke 2:19) was she so desperate to see him step into his potential – something we constantly pray to see with the children and young people in our churches. Working with children and young people draws on so many of the gifts of the holy spirit love, joy, peace, patience… All the projects I have worked on, visited or heard about only happen because of the commitment and determination of a huge band of volunteers, who continually inspire me – I pray that you will continue to have the abundant blessings of all those gifts.
It would be wrong of me not to acknowledge the huge input of all those I have worked with in the Children, Youth and Families Team, over the past 10 years – to Revd Liz Dawes, Revd Julia Chamberlin, Beth Grimshaw, Bonnie Wilson, Matt Beckett and the one person who has managed to work with me the whole time, Anna Main – thank you, it has been a joy and a pleasure.
In 2018 I started my journey of exploring ordination, particularly in relation to how ordained ministry could enrich my work with young people. It was a real pleasure recently to lead communion with a group of young people on our Soulshaper youth weekend. Having trained and started my curacy in a part time capacity alongside my fulltime role as Children, Youth and Families Development Officer, I have increasingly been feeling God call me to put some of the theory I talk about when advising churches, into practice! So now I step into a new role in the benefice of Redenhall with Scole – a group of 7 churches that serve Billingford, Brockdish, Harleston, Needham, Redenhall, Scole, Thorpe Abbotts, and Wortwell, with two primary and a secondary school in the benefice. It is with some excitement and trepidation that I look to see what God will do…”
Jonathan will be leaving Easton at the end of April and his licensing day will be announced soon.
If you want to get in touch with the Children, Youth and Families team, please continue to do so here: Children, youth & families – Diocese of Norwich