Appreciating Alongside

The findings from the third annual review of the Alongside Scheme show the impact this ministry is having in the lives of both church leaders and their Companions. Project Officer Katie Nessler shares her highlights.

I am very encouraged by the continued growth of the Alongside Scheme. By the end of February 2026 we had 211 Church Leaders (CLs) actively involved in the Scheme, supported by 115 trained Companions. All active Companions and CLs* were invited to take part in surveys in Autumn 2025, and with a mean response rate of 66% we are richly blessed by both qualitive and quantitative data.

Church Leaders particularly value:

• Company & support to persevere through the challenges of ministry: CLs reported their “ability to see how God is at work in the situations I’m facing” (91%) had improved due to the Scheme

and similarly their “resilience: how I cope with the demands of ministry” (86%).

• Finding joy and hope in ministry, with 87% of CLs reporting an increase in “My sense of hope and/ or joy in ministry” due to their Companion relationship.

• Support through discernment and transition: 86% of CLs reporting an increase in this and 83% of CLs reported an increase in the clarity of their purpose in calling due to their Companion relationship.

• A non-judgmental and independent “safe” place to explore (98% and 95% of CLs respectively were “very satisfied” with the confidentiality and safety of the space).

A large proportion of CLs responded very positively when asked whether they feel their original hopes and development goals/improvements for the Companion relationship are being met (74.4% said “very much so”). This is particularly encouraging considering this group includes CLs who have not been in a relationship for long*.

Companions were also positive about the support they received and their sense of value in being used to bless the church. Overall CLs and Companions rated the Scheme highly (mean 4.7/5 for both groups).

*we sent invitations to all trained Companions who were active in the preceding year, and to all CLs who had been in a relationship for 6 months or more in the preceding year.

Are you interested in finding out more about the Alongside Scheme, either as a CL or a Companion? We are delighted to hear from lay and ordained colleagues alike – do be in touch.