The Faith in Action Team is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr Jo Griffiths as the new Head of Children, Youth and Intergenerational Discipleship (CYID).
Jo, who will begin her new role on 1聽July, joins the United Reformed Church from Ridley Hall, Cambridge, where she served as Director of Studies and Children’s and Family Ministry Tutor. She brings more than 30 years鈥� experience in youth work to her new role.
The Revd Jenny Mills, Deputy General Secretary (Faith in Action), said: 鈥淲e are delighted to welcome Jo into the team. She brings a wealth of experience to the role, working with children and young people and those that work with them.鈥�
Jo holds a PHD is from Brunel University, where her research explored the professional identity formation of newly graduated Christian youth workers. Her MA, also from Brunel University, was in Youth and Community Studies. Jo has a BA (Hons) in Youth and Community Work with Applied Theology from Oxford Brookes University. She is also JNC-qualified (Joint Negotiating Committee for聽Youth聽and聽Community聽Workers).
Before joining Ridley, Jo worked in churches as a children and youth worker, with a particular passion for developing intergenerational worship and community-focused initiatives. She also worked within local authority youth services, managing teams and creating programmes that supported young people facing adversity. Across all her roles, her heart has remained the same: helping people flourish and building communities where children, young people and adults genuinely belong.
Jo first joined Ridley Hall in 2005 as Assistant Centre Director at what was then the Centre for Youth Ministry (CYM), becoming Centre Director in 2010. She later served as Director of a children, youth and families project based at St Andrew鈥檚 Church, Enfield, before returning to Ridley in 2020.
Jo said: 鈥淚 am absolutely thrilled to be stepping into this new role, and I am really looking forward to meeting everyone.鈥�
In her free time, enjoys spending time holidays in Somerset and walking 两性色午夜 Exmoor. Jo has three grown-up children and lives in North London with her husband Steve, a vicar, and their dog, Jess.
During the vacancy period, the CYID and the CYDO+ teams will work together to oversee the ongoing work.