Diary of a die-hard (apprentice), The ‘ex-apprentice’: a few years on

Diary of a die-hard (apprentice)

Over the next few issues we will be following the experiences and exploits of a new apprentice - Stephen Boon. We have an exclusive insight into his life as an apprentice at St. Nicholas Church, Sevenoaks.

I have been an apprentice for nearly two weeks now, and I have already learnt some very important lessons. For example, I now know for sure what I had often suspected: I am not built for moving chairs. I am a complete weed. Standing sideways, my physique is the sort that could probably hide behind a lamp-post quite effectively. Unfortunately, being an apprentice seems to involve quite a lot of moving chairs, and not a lot of hiding behind lamp-posts. I have also discovered that I have the Sisyphean task of removing the surface of the church car-park from the gutter at one end of it each week, and placing it back at the other end, from whence it came, only for the rain to spend the rest of the week washing it straight back into the gutter again. Still, for someone who has spent the last few years ‘studying’ philosophy, such tasks represent a huge leap forward in terms of usefulness to society.

In fact though, being an apprentice does seem to be more like being a student than having a real job. I don’t mean that I keep nicking traffic cones or eat nothing but baked beans, although one of those is close to the truth. It’s the ‘ organising your time’ aspect I was thinking of. At university I had a handful of lectures that I was supposed to be at (I was a philosopher, remember) and then lots of other things to do that I could fit in whenever was convenient – like lying in the bath thinking deep thoughts, or stroking my long beard (I was a philosopher, remember). As an apprentice, there is the occasional staff meeting to go to (there have been two so far, of which I have remembered a very respectable fifty per cent), but most of the jobs that make up my day (sweeping leaves, preparing Bible studies, and just to keep my hand in, the odd bit of beard-stroking) I just fit in where I can.

I am extremely good at planning my time efficiently, utilising every minute of the day in accordance with Biblical principles of good stewardship. My diary is a textbook in the ancient arts of commitment balancing and task prioritisation . Unfortunately, my life bears no relation whatsoever to what it says in my diary, which is why, when my diary thinks I have been in bed for the last half an hour, I have in fact been writing this. I shall deceive it no longer.

Diary of a die-hard (apprentice), The ‘ex-apprentice’: a few years on, Top

The ‘ex-apprentice’: a few years on

Apprenticeships are designed to provide good experience of full time gospel work in a church context. But what happens to apprentices when they finish? Do they have an automatic place at theological college booked for them? Do they automatically become vicars? We take a look at two ‘ex-apprentices’ to see what they are doing now, and how they got there.

Interviewees: Rob James and Fiona Hamilton

When and where were you an Apprentice/Lay Assistant and how long for?

Rob St Nicholas Church, Sevenoaks for one year from 1997

Fiona I was at St. Helen’s Church, Bishopsgate for 1 year in 1991.

Is there one thing that stands out most that you learnt from your days of being anApprentice?

Rob The experience and wisdom of the more senior people in the Church

Fiona The privilege of being part of a church staff team made up of diverse people united with the same aim, and the amount of behind the scenes work it takes (chair moving and loo cleaning) to enable a gospel talk to go ahead.

Did you know what you wanted to do as you prepared to finish your Apprenticeship?

Rob Yes - I had a job before I started the year as an Apprentice/Lay Assistant

Fiona No, but I very much enjoyed the year.

Did you sort anything out for the future while you were still an Apprentice?

Rob No - see above

Fiona No, I was very unsure about what I wanted to do and the year went by very quickly.

What are you doing now?

Rob Jobwise, I am an accountant in a construction company just south of Glasgow

Fiona I am full-time at a church in Leicester as a pastoral worker with women (Bible study etc).

What path did you take? (eg. Did you go straight in to what you are doing now or did you do some other things first?)

Rob I trained to be an accountant with Ernst & Young first in Leeds, then in Glasgow

Fiona I trained and worked as a midwife, then did the Cornhill Training Course, before getting a paid job with a church.

What are your future plans?

Rob At present, I am just trying to learn how to live life with a one year old around!

Fiona I am happy where I am.

What advice would you give to:

-someone considering being an apprentice in the future?

Rob It will be far more than what you expect

Fiona Do it. It is very good experience whatever you decide to do next and it is good training for being part of and serving in a church; whether you are being paid or not.

-a current apprentice thinking about life after their apprenticeship?

Rob Don’t be afraid to ask others for advice.

Fiona Don’t be in too much of a hurry - my experience was that it was good to get another qualification and spend some time in a ‘normal job’ before moving to a job in a church. I started church work quite in a low key way - one day a week unpaid. It expanded as opportunities arose and increased.

Diary of a die-hard (apprentice), The ‘ex-apprentice’: a few years on, Top