Having the name Michael Palin was always going to be a great icebreaker with people. After spending much of my teenage years causing a small amount of trouble I got involved in a youth group and from then on things began to change. This was the beginning of my journey with God and realising His hand was on my life and He was keeping an eye on me.

Through getting involved as a volunteer youthworker I discovered the world wasn’t just about me and also that there were people who really believed this God stuff. Over time I began to see that their faith wasn’t just a part of their life but was central to all they did, and through some of these people I started to see that God had a plan for me, that He loved me so much and that He was always going to guide me. From here I decided to give up my job and go into youthwork full time.

After spending two years as an outdoor sports instructor I decided to apply for some church based youthwork jobs. In September 1997 I started at St Luke’s Church, Bricket Wood and this was to be an amazing training ground for me. I spent 4 years there before embarking on a 3-month youthwork experience in America. After returning and finding that I wasn’t quite happy just doing a normal job I spent time asking God where he wanted me next. For some reason God was sending me back to St Luke’s and this proved to be the most fantastic 4½ years of my life.

It was in this second contract at St Luke’s I started to build some amazing contacts across the St Albans area and get more involved in wider youthwork. And so sometime in the first half of 2007 the2:67project was born. I spent time chatting to people about my idea and working with the Nexus group to see how to move forward. The rest, as they say, is history. I now want to spend the next 10 years working with the2:67project in supporting and encouraging youth and children’s work across the area. I look forward to seeing what God is doing where you are and I hope to be able to support you in some way.