About
We are a group of stirrers and shakers.
We believe the gospel is beautiful and leads to full life.
We want to help the Church stimulate curiosity in new ways.
Hi, we’re Darin and Joy.
We spent the last twenty years ministering to young people in schools and churches in Oxfordshire and training theology students with Reign Ministries. We are regular facilitators of Bible, Theology and Youth Ministry courses with ForMission College.
Over the years we’ve spent a long time learning how to have gospel conversations with young people, friends and neighbours who seem completely indifferent to matters of faith. What we’ve found out is that many people are not against God, rather they have absolutely no sense of how He is relevant to their life. Their questions are not so much theological or ‘apologetical’, but rather, incredibly practical. So we are working on how to overcome the relevancy barrier and have better conversations that open the door for the gospel. We can help you and your church prepare to launch a new mission initiative, plan pathways from social spaces to spiritual conversations, and learn how to overcome the relevancy barrier by stirring up spiritual curiosity and helping people discover the presence of their soul.
Meet our Trustees
Colin Piper
Colin Piper has over 40 years' youth ministry experience in around 70 nations. Previously Colin studied law in England, launched a national youth ministry organisation that trained and supported youth ministers and, alongside his wife Melissa, helped to lead a church in London. Now, in his role as the Executive Director of the Youth Commission for the World Evangelical Alliance, he draws youth ministries and organisations from across the globe together for the purpose of partnering and developing national and regional visions.
Allen Moxham
Allen is a communications professional with over 30 years experience in the communications industry and Christian charity sector. He has previously served as Head of Communications for the Evangelical Alliance and Open Doors and now leads Spirit Level Communications where he helps organisations articulate their vision and sharpen their brand engagement. Allen has serves on the leadership team at Cogges Church and is a great husband to Lynn, and dad to two teenage children.
Dave Williams
Dave chairs the Board of Trustees for Start to Stir, drawing on many years' experience as a local church Minister as well as his extensive experience as a charity trustee. Dave now works part-time managing a foodbank warehouse in Folkestone. He is also husband to Cathy and dad to four grown children and enjoys being a granddad plus gym visits and long walks up lots of mountains.
Beth Ann Hunter
Beth Ann has served young people for over 20 years through her and her husband’s roles with Young Life UK. She currently serves as a Young Life Area Director in Welwyn Hatfield, Hertfordshire and has been running the Stir Course in her local secondary school. Beth Ann is passionate about building relationships where the gospel can be graciously demonstrated and is mum to three teenage children.
Matt Mason
Matt is a qualified accountant with over 20 years of experience in the profession. He is currently the Chief Finance Officer for a premium UK domestic appliance manufacturer and a board member of the UK trade body. Matt has served on the leadership team of Cogges Church for the last 2 years as well as previously serving on the Board of Trustees for a charity working in Malawi. He is husband to Liz and dad to three sons.
Meet other stirrers
Emily Spicer
"I’ve used the Stir Course in our work at the secondary school. It has been the perfect resource to help un-churched students begin to explore Christianity. It creates a level playing field for young people to explore faith for themselves."
Emily Spicer
Youthworker
John Prockter
"Stir has made a massive impact on our local youth ministry. Both the resource and the ethos behind it have been transformative for us. Recently we asked older young people who have grown up and left school what made the biggest difference to them while they were with us. Each of them spoke about the freedom to express their thoughts, safely as they learnt about their connection with Jesus.”
John Prockter
Director of Catalyst Youth Trust
Author of Stuck in the Mud: Stories of Hope For When You Are Stuck
Rebecca Gyateng
“What I find helpful about the Stir Course is that it is suitable for church context but also for outside the church - especially because the language of the Stir Course is not full of church language and church terms. Our groups are made up of young people who come from various backgrounds. The Stir Course provides a positive starting point for young people from other faith backgrounds as well as those who have no faith background.”
Rebecca Gyateng
Youthworker & Church Planter
Hamburg, Germany
Tom Rogers
"We use the Stir Course in two different community-based youth groups because it starts out asking basic questions that everyone is asking rather than being too complicated.
It’s great for the youth leader who doesn’t have a lot of time, but still wants to run a youth group, because it does a lot of the planning for you."
Tom Rogers
Youth Pastor
The Gate, Reading
Articles
Start learning why & how to stir
Beginners guide one
Why is it so difficult to share faith?
In our ministry to youth outside the church, we grew tired of answering questions nobody was asking. We felt like giving up. Why was everyone so indifferent to God?
As we searched for clues, we finally understood why we felt so stuck and found that we were not alone.
Read more
Beginners guide two
Should we try a new starting point?
As we reached out into our schools and community, we felt that unless we found a different way to present the gospel, we could not keep going.
We finally learned the questions people today are asking and the way they decide what answers ring true.
Read more
Beginners guide three
How Do We Stir Curiosity?
We wondered if we could stimulate spiritual interest by helping our teenagers experience their soul in action. We experimented by stirring up several emotions and longings, called attention to them as spiritual and highlighted the desire to connect with Someone greater.
It sparked curiosity and we were soon starting by stirring.
Read more
Beginners guide four
WHEN WILL WE TALK ABOUT JESUS?
Simply helping people to become aware of their true spiritual nature was not enough. It was only a starting point. We had to learn how to use this awareness to introduce them to God, help them encounter Jesus and then invite them to make a faith commitment.
Could this new approach actually work?
Read more
