Discipleship year

Then Moses said to him, ‘If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here.’ – Exodus 33:15

If you're 18–25 years old, we'd love to invite you to journey here at Saint Paul’s Hammersmith with a small community of young adults who are hungry to encounter God and grow as disciples of Jesus. You will spend a year going deeper in your faith through biblical teaching, character development, ministry experience, mentoring and growing a greater hunger for His presence through our weekly rhythms of prayer and worship. Our aim is that it will be a year in which you come alive and one that sets you on fire to follow Jesus for the rest of your life!

We offer two streams: part-time & full-time.

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  • The Discipleship Year is made up of 5 core elements:

    1.     Presence – Everything we do at Saint Paul’s Hammersmith is marked by a hunger to live lives full of the presence of God. Monday evenings we are at The Worship Room, which is a weekly gathering that makes space for extended worship and devotion to Jesus.

    2.    Teaching – Wednesday Evenings we gather for teaching on the Bible, discipleship, identity, revival history, spiritual formation, leadership and much more! Our hope is to equip you in your understanding of the Bible and of a Christian worldview in order give you greater confidence in your walk with God. We have two weekend retreats, in which we take time away to go deeper in your relationship with God and with each other - they are always highlights of the year!

    3.    Servant Leadership – You will join one of our amazing teams serving on a Sunday at either the 10:30am or 5pm service. These teams include Youth, Kids, Connect, Production, Worship or Home Team. (There are also several midweek serving opportunities that could also be explored in your interview.)

    4.    Mentoring – You will be placed with a mentor from the team at Saint Paul’s Hammersmith who will journey with you throughout the year, helping you to reflect, learn and grow in both the practical and spiritual aspects of life. You will also be placed in a DY Small Group which will be a feature of our Wednesday Evenings – making space to gather with a small group of peers and a leader to journey deeper with God and each other.

    5.    Assignments – As part of processing and reflecting on the Wednesday night teaching, there will be monthly assignments including book reviews, presentations & follow-up homework.

  • We have sought to create a Discipleship Year stream that can fit alongside a busy job or student life. It runs two nights of the week; involves serving fortnightly at a Sunday service and attending termly DY Weekend Retreats and Socials.

    DY Part-Time Weekly Rhythm

    Monday – The Worship Room (7:30-9pm)

    Wednesday – DY Teaching Nights incl. Dinner (6-9:15pm)

    Sunday (fortnightly): Serving at one of our Sunday services (10:30am or 5pm)

  • We also run a 3 day a week Apprenticeship stream for those who would like a more intensive year gaining ministry experience, that can also work alongside a part-time job. This involves joining a ministry area and apprenticing alongside one of our staff team (placement lead), gaining invaluable ministry experience, training and serving alongside the Staff team here at Saint Paul’s Hammersmith.

    Placement options:

    ·        Worship*

    ·        Youth

    ·        Kids

    ·        The Fold & Young Adults

    ·        Alpha & Evangelism

    ·        Community Outreach

    ·        Social Media & Comms*

    ·        Discipleship

    ·        Operations & Events

    ·        Sports Ministry

    ·        The Way UK (see below for a separate application process)*

    *previous experience required

    Find out more about placement options here

    We highly recommend finding a part-time job alongside to help support yourself throughout the year, or you can be based full-time with extended time spent in your placement area.

    We have limited placements and applications include an additional interview process with the placement lead.

    DY Full-Time Weekly Rhythm

    Monday – The Worship Room (7:30-9pm)

    Tuesday – Staff meeting, DY Family time incl. lunch and placement related meetings (9:30am – 5:30pm)

    Wednesday – DY Teaching Nights incl. Dinner (6-9:15pm)

    Sunday (weekly) –  Serving at one of our Sunday services (10:30am or 5pm)

    + 8 hours elsewhere in the week depending on your placement area

  • The Way UK exists to reach every young person online with the good news of Jesus. We pursue this vision by creating faith-filled social media content, resourcing the local church, and running evangelistic events alongside mission-focused organisations across the UK.

    In partnership with St Paul's Hammersmith, we are offering a Discipleship Year for young creatives and communicators who want to grow in faith, develop practical ministry skills, and help shape digital evangelism in the UK.

    We are currently recruiting for students who are particularly interested in:

    • Camera Operating

    • Editing

    • Social Media Managing

    This is an opportunity to be discipled spiritually, trained professionally, and equipped to use creativity and media to share the gospel with the next generation.

    The Way UK will cover the full course fees for this placement for successful applicants.

    Application link coming soon.

  • September 2026 – July 2027  including:

    -       3 x 12-week terms

    -       2 x Weekend Retreats

    -       1 x Church Weekend

  • For Full-Time DY students, who are accepted onto the programme, we are able to connect you with families from Saint Paul’s who have lodgers at a reduced rate. However, these are limited, are offered on a first come first served basis and not guaranteed. 

    Part-Time DY students will have to organise their own accommodation, but we can add you to our Saint Paul’s ‘Spare Room’ WhatsApp group to help in your search.

  • Full-time: £1,600

    Part-time: £1,100

    A termly payment plan is available, and a limited number of bursaries.

    The course fees cover the Wednesday dinners, teaching, retreats, socials, books and materials.

  • Applications are made by the online form, and we will require references from your Church. One of the team will be in touch with you to arrange an interview within 2 weeks of your application. There are limited places available and not all applications will be successful. We will notify you within 2 weeks of your interview and references with the result of your application. The Full-time DY application process is slightly longer, including an additional interview with the potential placement lead.

    Before you begin, please make sure you have the following ready:

    • A clear photo of yourself

    • Your video application (here’s an example of the video application - suit not required!)

    • A basic understanding of the two course options and which you’re applying for (Part-Time or Full-Time)

    Application closing dates

    • Full-Time: 31st July 2026

    • Part-Time: 16th August 2026

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  • We welcome applications from international candidates for the Discipleship Year. 

    Applicants must already have: 

    • a valid UK passport, or 

    • a visa that grants the right to work in the UK, including participation in this programme. 

    Please note: 

    • Saint Paul’s Hammersmith is not able to sponsor visas. 

    • All applicants will be required to provide evidence of their right to work in the UK as part of the application process. 

    • It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure their visa permits participation in the programme. 

    • If you are unsure whether your visa allows this, we recommend seeking independent advice before applying. 

  • Email dy@sph.org

  • I couldn’t recommend doing DY enough! It’s a year of journeying alongside people who quickly become your closest friends, serving in dynamic, Spirit-filled teams, and growing deeply in discipleship, leadership, and theology all at once. Some of my favourite moments were being part of a team and a church so committed to kingdom growth in the city. Years later, I’m still putting into practice everything I learnt both at university and in the workplace.

    - Abi, 20

  • A life changing year for my faith, deep biblical and theological teaching, and times of close friendship with others and those much further along in faith. Was a joy to do most of my placement out on the streets witnessing to non-believers and linking church with Evangelism. An awesome year!

    - James, 19

  • Doing the DY changed my life! I had become a Christian, exactly one year prior to doing the DY, so my faith was new to me. Growing up, I had a lot of traumatic life experiences, and through the discipleship year, I was able to receive a lot of healing, God started to piece back together the brokenness of my story. This year healed so much for me and solidified the foundations of my faith. I finished the year a completely changed person.

    - Xanthe, 23 

  • My time on DY completely transformed my heart towards God as a Father. It helped me cultivate a permanent place in my heart for him to live in and receive him. Having leaders that are truly shaped by beholding Jesus has stretched me, to be a disciple of Jesus with the personal gifts and nature he has given me. Serving on youth that year showed me the tenderness of Jesus towards young people, and opened my eyes to what deeper partnership with God can look like when you let him lead you. If you want to know the mysteries of God through his Word and be marked by walking in the streams of his presence through loving and serving His church - this is for you and it’s so worth it!

    - Anndior, 26 

  • The Discipleship Year for me was the best decision I have made since my move from Australia, because I didn’t find “here’s how to be a good Christian,” I found family. And a family that put the presence of the Lord above all else. We learn and we grow in family, I now feel so safe being under His care within the community at Saint Paul’s Hammersmith. He knows what we need before we need it, and walks with us as holding our hand. I never thought that I could become that close to people whom I don’t have a “history” with, let alone experience this much joy from encountering Jesus alongside them. My time in London has been marked by this year, and I now call it home because of the family I have made. 

    - Amy, 21 

  • The DY was a rich time where I was given the opportunity to seek first the kingdom of God, and build my identity on Christ alone. While doing this, I experienced a deepening in my relationships, and a heart for the people right in front of me. It was also seriously fun! 

    - Zak, 22 

  • My time at DY was so transformational! The thing that has stuck out to me is the way I encountered the presence of God throughout my time on DY. The way that the different teaching sessions were structured, as well as us being encouraged to attend every worship room and The Fold events, meant that I was able to be in spaces that were intentionally hosting the presence of God. From those encounters I have learnt more about the heart of God, my identity in Christ, and the calling over my life. As well as this, I have formed deep, lasting and beautiful friendships from being in community and journeying through these encounters with my fellow Dyers, which I am very grateful for! I highly recommend the discipleship year to anyone who’s looking to strengthen their faith, learn more about the Bible and learn more about the character of God! 

    Zoe, 21 

  • I found DY to be such an enlightening experience that transformed both my understanding and practice of faith. DY is the perfect place for anyone wanting to rebuild their faith or take it to the next level, not only because of the teaching but also because of the strong sense of community, where you can be open and authentic. 
    One of the most significant changes for me was how I met with God. Previously, I believed I needed the “right” environment and that I could only truly connect with Him during prayer and worship. However, I’ve come to realise that God can meet me anywhere. DY has played a huge role in shaping my faith into what it is today, and I will always be grateful for the experience. It truly has been life-changing. 

    - Ngo, 25 

Meet the Team