Meet Emma Ingle - Wimbledon Youth Leader
Emma Ingle recently joined the Everyday Church Staff Team, so we thought we'd ask her some questions to get to know her a bit.
You've recently joined the Everyday Church staff team so we'd love to get to know you – What are your hobbies?
I was raised in a family that LOVES country music! So I taught myself to play the guitar when I was a teenager in hope that one day I might become like all my favourite people; Dolly Parton, Shania Twain and mid-00’s Taylor Swift! When I’ve got the time and space away from my little ones, I love to sing and song write. A friend and I are in the process of writing and recording a version of Psalm 22 – with heavy country vibes, of course.
I was raised in a family that LOVES country music! So I taught myself to play the guitar when I was a teenager in hope that one day I might become like all my favourite people; Dolly Parton, Shania Twain and mid-00’s Taylor Swift! When I’ve got the time and space away from my little ones, I love to sing and song write. A friend and I are in the process of writing and recording a version of Psalm 22 – with heavy country vibes, of course.
Tell us about your story of coming to faith.
I grew up in a village just outside High Wycombe and my parents took me to a Newfrontiers church when I was a child and into my teens. But when I was 13 my parents divorced and both stopped going to church. This was a crossroads moment for me as I got to decide whether I still wanted to be there. I had got stuck in within the youth group there already and had amazing youth leaders who supported me through this really hard time and became spiritual mothers and fathers to me. They taught me the gospel, and they also showed it in the way they knit me into the church family and patiently discipled an emotionally fragile and broken 13 year old!
I experienced being filled with the Holy Spirit for the first time and many times after that, particularly at Newday and as I started to read the Bible for myself at home. I came to London in 2011 to do a Theology degree and Freddie and I got married here at Everyday Church Wimbledon in 2017.
God has been very faithful over the years, putting older and wiser people in my path who have guided and steered me back to dependence on him time and time again.
I grew up in a village just outside High Wycombe and my parents took me to a Newfrontiers church when I was a child and into my teens. But when I was 13 my parents divorced and both stopped going to church. This was a crossroads moment for me as I got to decide whether I still wanted to be there. I had got stuck in within the youth group there already and had amazing youth leaders who supported me through this really hard time and became spiritual mothers and fathers to me. They taught me the gospel, and they also showed it in the way they knit me into the church family and patiently discipled an emotionally fragile and broken 13 year old!
I experienced being filled with the Holy Spirit for the first time and many times after that, particularly at Newday and as I started to read the Bible for myself at home. I came to London in 2011 to do a Theology degree and Freddie and I got married here at Everyday Church Wimbledon in 2017.
God has been very faithful over the years, putting older and wiser people in my path who have guided and steered me back to dependence on him time and time again.
"They taught me the gospel, and they also showed it in the way they knit me into the church family and patiently discipled an emotionally fragile and broken 13 year old!"
You've started as the Everyday Wimbledon Youth Leader – what does that actually mean?
It means I oversee the team that look after the young people here at Everyday Church Wimbledon. Myself and our wonderful team of youth leaders, run a few ministries for the young people here including, ‘Nightlife’, - the Friday night youth club that gathers teenagers from across the Everyday Church venues and their friends, ‘Deeper’- youth bible study and prayer groups that meet on Sunday mornings at the Wimbledon venue, and ‘Newday’ a Christian camp that we take a group of them to each summer.
With me on staff, I can make a lot of the organisational aspects of these ministries happen behind the scenes so that our team of youth leaders can focus on befriending and discipling our young people.
It's also a joy to bring some vision and direction for our Youth Ministry. I spend a lot of time thinking and planning how we can best present the gospel to the next generation in our youth activities and disciple them well in their faith after that.
It means I oversee the team that look after the young people here at Everyday Church Wimbledon. Myself and our wonderful team of youth leaders, run a few ministries for the young people here including, ‘Nightlife’, - the Friday night youth club that gathers teenagers from across the Everyday Church venues and their friends, ‘Deeper’- youth bible study and prayer groups that meet on Sunday mornings at the Wimbledon venue, and ‘Newday’ a Christian camp that we take a group of them to each summer.
With me on staff, I can make a lot of the organisational aspects of these ministries happen behind the scenes so that our team of youth leaders can focus on befriending and discipling our young people.
It's also a joy to bring some vision and direction for our Youth Ministry. I spend a lot of time thinking and planning how we can best present the gospel to the next generation in our youth activities and disciple them well in their faith after that.
Tell us about your journey to applying for the role?
I have been working with teenagers in my secular work in Universities for many years and enjoy being around the energy and enthusiasm young people have. But it wasn’t until January 2024 that I felt a strong sense from God, our life circumstances and the wisdom of friends, that it was time for our family to make some big changes.
We had been living in the Kingston area for a few years while we were part of Everyday Church Kingston and so moving jobs and area again was a big decision for us and our children. But everything pointed towards this being the right job for me to apply for.
God reminded me of how he had saved me through the youth group when I was a teenager, and it felt like he was leading me to partake in discipling this next generation. What could have been major hurdles to starting this job, including selling our flat very quickly, and finding somewhere affordable to live in Wimbledon, God has provided for.
I have been working with teenagers in my secular work in Universities for many years and enjoy being around the energy and enthusiasm young people have. But it wasn’t until January 2024 that I felt a strong sense from God, our life circumstances and the wisdom of friends, that it was time for our family to make some big changes.
We had been living in the Kingston area for a few years while we were part of Everyday Church Kingston and so moving jobs and area again was a big decision for us and our children. But everything pointed towards this being the right job for me to apply for.
God reminded me of how he had saved me through the youth group when I was a teenager, and it felt like he was leading me to partake in discipling this next generation. What could have been major hurdles to starting this job, including selling our flat very quickly, and finding somewhere affordable to live in Wimbledon, God has provided for.
You have a wonderful family – how do you juggle work and family life at the moment?
I work 3 days a week for the church, but lots of those hours I do in the evenings and on Sundays when my husband Freddie, can look after the children. So don’t be surprised to receive emails from me outside of the normal 9-5!
I work 3 days a week for the church, but lots of those hours I do in the evenings and on Sundays when my husband Freddie, can look after the children. So don’t be surprised to receive emails from me outside of the normal 9-5!
How can we pray for you?
Please pray for me that the way I lead would flow from a close relationship with God and not in my own strength or giftings. Please pray that every young person at Everyday Church would make a personal decision to follow Jesus. Please pray that we would create a culture that encourages our young people to be real about where they are at, so we can support them in their journey.
Finally, please pray for our youth leaders, that God would give them supernatural energy and patience as they give a huge amount of their free time to love and serve our young people.
Please pray for me that the way I lead would flow from a close relationship with God and not in my own strength or giftings. Please pray that every young person at Everyday Church would make a personal decision to follow Jesus. Please pray that we would create a culture that encourages our young people to be real about where they are at, so we can support them in their journey.
Finally, please pray for our youth leaders, that God would give them supernatural energy and patience as they give a huge amount of their free time to love and serve our young people.
Find out more about Everyday Church Youth here, or email emma.ingle@everyday.org.uk