Meet
Ian and Jessica
(and Jeremiah)
Ian Rowlands
Father, Teacher, Innovator, Coach & Podcaster
Originally from Wales, Ian has lived in Luton, England for 40+ years. He has been married to Jessica for 35+ years. They have 3 grown up children, a grand dog called Jackson and an adorable miniature sheepadoodle called Jeremiah.
Ian loves to connect hearts, minds and cultivate new ideas. He is passionate about developing people, and leaders in particular. He has been described as a social entrepreneur – which he defines as helping to find creative and innovative solutions for societal problems. Ian trained as a photographer and is known as a storyteller and wordsmith in the tradition of the Celtic bards.
He has owned and co-owned a number of businesses working in the arenas of consultancy, the creative sector, arts and social business. This has included a number of co-working spaces, and a creative agency. Ian has also enjoyed running internship programmes and mentoring and coaching individuals and leadership teams.
He has been involved on many trustee boards in the charitable, spiritual and arts sectors as well as being on a local school board where he was the Chair for 25 years.
Ian is recognized for having a strong prophetic, teaching, and strategic ministry. He has over 40 years experience establishing, building and developing communities and leading churches. He travels extensively as an international speaker, coach, and mentor, as well as being involved in consultancy, problem-solving, and peace-making.
He also enjoys gardening, walking, eating, playing with Jerry, podcasting and writing.
Jessica Rowlands
Mum, Teacher, Chaplain & Life Coach.
Jessica has been married to Ian for 35+ years, and they have 3 children, a dog and a grand dog. She has been involved in establishing and building church communities for 35+ years. She is devoted to, and is particularly skilled, in seeing people developed and transformed.
Her devotion has come from working as a primary teacher, a Chaplain, and a qualified Life Coach; many years of learning about people.
Her passion, with all her experience with people of all ages, is for those she meets to know how deeply loved and valued they are, helping them spring into who God has made them to be.
As CS Lewis says, ‘We meet no ordinary people.´ Jessica believes she hasn’t met an ordinary person yet.
Jessica also enjoys walking, reading, spinning and cuddles with Jerry!
This is Jeremiah (Jerry) our Sheepadoodle*.
He is a very important member of the family and team providing much needed fun, distraction and ‘therapy’.
He loves walks, playing with his ‘piggy’ toy, and vast array of other balls and dog toys.
Jerry always has a warm welcome to the many people that come to visit and enjoys being a source of comfort and joy to everyone.
*(an Old English Sheepdog/Miniature Poodle cross).
More About ThinPlaces.
What is ThinPlaces?
Within the tradition of Celtic spirituality there is a strong belief that there exists ´thin places´. The Celtic Christians took this tradition from their own culture and redeemed it to explain their own experience of the supernatural workings of God. These are described as places where the veil between heaven and earth is ‘thin’, where the natural and supernatural mix, where heaven and earth touch or the distance between heaven and earth collapses. The idea is captured or hinted at in phrase Jesus used when teaching His disciples to pray ‘….. your kingdom, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven…’ .
We long to see a multiplication of thin places upon the earth.
The notion of a thin place is where shrines and holy places find their origin and where miracles and extraordinary things are hoped for and made possible. They are places to pilgrimage to, and to tread the ancient paths in search of answers and in the hope of miracles, to discover something of the ‘other worldliness’. Mysteries to be searched out but also found. Thin places are often beautiful, tranquil peaceful places found on sacred sites but can also be found in the most surprising of places including airports, bars, a balcony, a bench in a local park, because they are places God choses to meet with His creation.
The greatest mystery is that we as followers of Jesus are said to be carriers of His presence in this world. So, we are able to become a thin place, a place where heaven touches earth, where we ourselves become part of the answer to our own prayers that heaven would come to earth, that as it is in heaven let it be here upon the earth. We express heaven on earth by exuding His power and presence through expressing love and mercy, kindness and gentleness, patience and self-control, joy and peace, faithfulness and grace. As we do that, heaven is unfurled onto the earth. We decided to call this ministry Thin Places because we really want to help people, communities and places become thin places.