Breaking the Mould

‘You really are a breath of fresh air.’ If Rev. Jules Middleton had a penny for every time she’d heard that, she’d be able to hire someone else to put on her kids’ birthday parties! Even as a compliment its message is clear: you’re different to what we expect.

Jules is one of hundreds of mums in ministry across the Church today, and yet against a predominantly white, middle-class, male-dominated history, they can still be something of an anomaly. Bringing together stories from all different walks of life - Pentecostal to Methodist, single mums to adopters, RAF chaplains to disability advisors and everything in-between – Jules maps the highs and lows ministry mums may face as they seek to ‘break the mould’ and challenge the ‘shoulds’ and stereotypes that surround both roles.

From identity and expectations to prayer and prosecco, this book will inform, entertain and ultimately encourage women that though you may not be able to ‘do it all’ perfectly, by God’s grace (and the help of some good friends and gin!) you can learn to thrive as a ministry mum.

As a ministry mum, Jules Middleton has been in paid ministry roles in the church for eight years, all of them also as a mum and with a husband working full time. She writes a blog (Apples of Gold: www.pickingapplesofgold.com) about faith and ministry. In recent years it has been nominated for several Premier Digital Awards, being awarded Runner Up Blogger of the year 2015, and Runner Up Most Inspiring Leadership Blog of the year, 2016 and 2017. This has also led to radio appearances on BBC Radio Sussex and Premier Christian radio giving advice and opinion on a range of topics as well as the BBC’s ‘60 Second Sermon’.

In 2016 she published A Short Guide to Surviving The Discernment Process in the Church of Englandvia her blog, which has been recommended by several dioceses in the Church of England and continues to provide help and support to those exploring ministry.