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!

Graeme Thompson

My name is Graeme Thompson. I live on the outskirts of Millisle with my wife and three children. I have been a member of Millisle Baptist Church since 2009.

The church I have been placed in this year is Comber Baptist, which is a Christ-centered, gospel-focused fellowship who love to worship, pray and praise together.

From my initial meeting with Neal, the pastor, I could see that he was a busy man, who leads and directs the preaching, teaching and visitation ministries in the fellowship. Through these ministries he has given me the opportunity to serve the Lord within the church's weekly programme, through which I hope to be an encouragement to him and the church family.

The church members from the outset were an encouragement to me and showed an interest in my studies at the College, just as I took an interest in their lives, hobbies, work and families. This mutual encouragement is an important ingredient in any church and has helped me to get to know them and make long-term friendships.

The biggest blessing was seeing the brothers and sisters with real friendships, who were committed to the work inside the building and outside in the streets and local community.  It was really good to see how the church was a welcoming place for people from all classes, backgrounds and cultures. It was also a blessing to see several unsaved people come to the special events at Christmas and on a testimony night.

Please pray for the church at Comber, that they would continue to be faithful in their gospel outreach and in their love for their Lord Jesus Christ, knowing that “their labour for the Lord is not in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:58). Pray also that my seven months with them would have been a blessing to them and that through their example of faithfulness that I would, “grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18).  

 

Placement Blog – James McAuley

Hello! My name is James McAuley, and I’m married to Jenny. We recently welcomed our daughter, Lila, in October 2024—right at the start of my second-year placement. We are members at Emmanuel Baptist Church in Lisburn, which is the church I grew up attending.

This year, I've had the privilege of being placed at Carr Baptist Church, located on the other side of Lisburn towards Carryduff. Carr Baptist is a warm, welcoming, and family-oriented church. It has been a great joy to serve there alongside Pastor David Cameron, who has been faithfully ministering at Carr for just over two years (previously serving in Magherafelt).

My main role during placement has involved regular preaching, typically once a week, alternating between Sunday services and Wednesday prayer meetings. This experience has provided me valuable opportunities to grow practically in preparing and delivering sermons. I've learned so much about how important faithful preaching is to the life and health of the local church.

Alongside preaching, I have also met weekly with Pastor David. These times have been especially beneficial, offering me the chance to discuss real-life ministry scenarios, reflect on sermons preached, and receive practical guidance and encouragement. Additionally, I’ve joined Pastor David regularly for pastoral visits. These experiences have shown me the often unseen yet deeply significant work of pastoral care.

One of the greatest blessings during placement has been the incredible warmth and encouragement from the congregation. Their support has helped to affirm my calling and spurred me on to become a more faithful preacher and servant of Christ.

Yet, placement has not been without challenges. Balancing weekly preaching responsibilities, theological essays, and family life has been demanding. Learning to juggle these commitments has stretched me, reminding me of my need for reliance upon God’s strength each day. Through this, I have gained a deeper appreciation for the significance of local church ministry in providing hope, guidance, and encouragement through the faithful teaching of God's word.

As I continue at Carr Baptist until June, please pray for me. Pray that I will finish well, maintaining commitment and passion in preaching, and seeking clarity from the Lord for future ministry plans.

I am deeply grateful to Pastor David and the whole church family at Carr Baptist for their generous support, kindness, and care during this formative season of ministry.

 

Tom Kanwischer

My wife and daughter, Karis and Eden, and I belong to Strandtown Baptist Church. We like long walks and hikes and trying out different Asian restaurants—though Eden isn’t ready for that as she is only 3 months old! I personally enjoy cycling, reading, and trying to grow fruit & vegetables.

We’ve been at Bethany Baptist Church in Bangor since September 2024 for my second-year placement. My involvement has been in preaching and teaching, leading services, and visitation, as well as occasional youth work. I’ve enjoyed working alongside the pastor, Richard Blayney, and the elders.

Eden’s birth halfway through my placement with Bethany has brought both the greatest blessing and the greatest challenge. The church family at Bethany have been a wonderful encouragement to us as we have begun our parenting journey. We have seen and benefitted firsthand from the generosity and loving support of a church family in this church. Also, Richard, the pastor there, has been understanding and made sure I didn’t have too many responsibilities in the early days after Eden arrived.

That said, this change for us has brought its own difficulties. Trying to balance the academic demands of second year, the responsibilities of a church placement, and the upheaval of welcoming a baby into the world has been a great challenge. We have needed to make adjustments to our regular activities and commitments, to manage our own expectations, and to learn far more to depend on God’s grace than ever before.

If we might ask, please could you pray for us this coming summer? We intend to travel to Southeast Asia from May to June to explore the possibility of long-term service to God’s church. Please pray for Karis and I to have peace of mind as we take a four-month-old overseas. Ask God to protect all three of us as we travel. And please ask God to lead us and speak to us about His plan for us as we seek to discern His will.