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Adam Malooly of the Co-Mission church planting movement writes: With 2020 being what it was, this Christmas was a particular opportunity to share a message addressing the loneliness and isolation many were feeling.

This was at the forefront of our minds when we released our latest Christmas film The Lonely Dinosaur. The film is the story of a toy dinosaur shadow that comes alive on Christmas Eve and finds himself alone. In his search for friends, his journey leads him to understand the truth about the Christmas season and what ‘Immanuel’ truly means – God with us. The film has been seen by over 10,000 people and downloaded by numerous churches.

In March, as universities shut and most students dispersed back to their homes, the Christian Unions (CUs) were suddenly faced with questions that they never thought they would need to ask. How would God’s mission continue?

Could they operate online? What would the future of evangelism among students look like? Over the last two months, these questions have been answered. As the CUs have begun using online platforms to share the gospel – running quizzes, hosting apologetics talks and sharing testimonies – they have seen encouraging fruit. New people have connected with the CU, others are continuing to ask questions and, wonderfully, some have come into new life.

Rico Tice (pictured) has launched the 2022 Passion for Life mission with 2 Timothy 1:10, reminding everyone that Jesus has destroyed death.

In a short video he says: ‘I know the pandemic has been brutal, but it has opened things up. [People] are looking for answers. We’ve all been rocked. How can we help people to go from hunger and spectating, to actively following Jesus? Let’s come together as we seek to answer that question.’ A Passion for Life took place nationwide in 2010 and 2014. Tice says the hope is that ‘life and immortality will be brought to light as we proclaim the gospel of Jesus to all corners of the UK. ‘So many are talking about this being a reset. Surely there’s no better time for us to gather together again and proclaim Christ … put March and April 2022 in the church diary, and begin praying and planning for a Passion for Life.’

Normally at this time of year, Co-Mission churches would have been reflecting on another cracking REVIVE weekend – the annual Co-Mission festival.

We’d have been thanking God for over 2,000 people squeezed into a big top for excellent Bible teaching and singing; we’d have been reminiscing about late nights chatting around blazing fire pits, about packed kids’ programmes, about silent discos, about soul-nourishing seminars and about sipping something cold under the stretch tent as the sun sets.

‘And what,’ we hear you cry, ‘is this picture all about then? And who are these people? And, well, er, just… why?’

Dear reader, we shall tell you. These three are (left to right) Neil Barber, vicar of the evangelical St Giles, Normanton, Derby; Will Eley, the church’s ‘planting curate’; and Liz Cox, minister for women and community.

‘It was so encouraging to be reminded that old age is a blessing from God.’ Organised as a collaboration of Keswick Ministries with Faith in Later Life, over 80 people attended a three-day online seminar on ‘Faith in the Second Half’ in May.

A church leaders’ day saw: Dr David Field exploring the Theology of Ageing, which was a new concept to many; Dave Fenton encouraging the equipping and empowering of seniors for ministry; and Professor Keith Brown, The Revd Roger Hitchings and Pippa Cramer giving Biblical and practical ways of pastoring and supporting seniors.

This term has marked the beginning of the annual mission week season for the Christian Unions: weeks of high-profile events designed to reach the wider university with the gospel. In the absence of marquees and lecture halls, they used a range of tools to speak of Jesus: social media, Zoom, podcasts, post and even radio. But this year, it was their most unassuming and understated tool that proved to be the most powerful: friendship. Milla Ling reports:

After a CU member arrives at university, they have a three- or four-year window to witness to the students they meet. During these years of friendship they can demonstrate the reality of what is spoken about at evangelistic events. And, in the context of loving relationship, can gently challenge where a visiting speaker may not be able to.

A new chaplain has joined the Railway Mission – an organisation founded in 1881 to provide pastoral care and support for staff on trains and in stations.

Helen Lewis (see photo) is the new Railway and British Transport Police Chaplain for South and Mid-Wales. Helen came to faith in Christ at the age of 14 and re-committed her life to serving God while at university.

The Anglican Network in Europe (ANiE), approved by conservative Anglican network GAFCON last year, was formally constituted and commissioned at an online service in April.

It was led by Bishop Andy Lines (see photo) with Archbishop Foley Beach as the preacher. Music was provided by the Glasgow-based New Scottish Hymns Band, and there were many messages of support from around the world, including, movingly, from Stephen Than, Archbishop of Myanmar.

Land purchased for just £60 in 1933 now boasts a 21st-century church complex fit for the future.

Broadstone Baptist Church has just completed its 13-year-long building project on York Road, Poole, Dorset.

Leading evangelicals have announced they are quitting the Free Church of England after the denomination appeared to descend into chaos.

Peter Sanlon and Josep Rossello have both said they are leaving the group, hard on the heels of a dispute which also saw fellow minister Jonatas Bragatto depart.

The most recent Annual Population Survey found 1.25 million followers of Islam in London – that’s one in eight Londoners.

If, by God’s grace, the gospel is to flourish among these people – Bangladeshis in East London, Arab-speakers in West London, and Turkish and Iranian communities – it will be due to ordinary Christians faithfully and patiently building relationships, breaking down misconceptions, living and speaking the teaching of Jesus.

Global mission organisation Langham Partnership International has a new leader.

Tayo Arikawe will move from his post as Director of Ministries at London City Mission (LCM) to the position of International Director with Langham in April.

London church planting network, Co-Mission, gives an update on some of its newest congregations:

‘Realistically, a few of the Co-Mission church plants in and around London might not come out of this alive. But so far – to the credit of our church planters, the resilience of their launch teams and the goodness of God – none of our recent church plants, nor any of our proposed church plants, have had to close or look like they’re facing imminent death. We pray that this will remain the case.

Jonny Reid

Date posted: 1 May 2021

Christians in Sport (CiS) is encouraging Christians to return to their sports clubs as lockdown measures ease across the UK.

Since March 2019 the majority of amateur sport has been under restrictions and since November 2020 all amateur sport clubs have been banned from training or competing together. With the stay-at-home order eased on 29 March, outdoor sports facilities have reopened and organised sports have been able to resume in England. Similar restrictions have been eased in other countries within the UK. Gyms and indoor sports facilities are all planned to open again in the next few months.

Almost 1,000 church leaders have urged Prime Minister Boris Johnson not to impose controversial vaccine passports on churches in England.

In an open letter published a few days ago, the pastors and ministers say they are ‘are wholly opposed to this suggestion’ and say that to ‘deny people entry to hear this life-giving message and to receive this life-giving ministry would be a fundamental betrayal of Christ and the gospel.’

An evangelical congregational church in West Yorkshire is offering two different kinds of bread to its neighbourhood – the Bread of Life, and ordinary bread as well!

Each week Morley Community Church receives (free of charge) supplies of bread, confectionery, vegetables, fruit and innumerable packets of food of all descriptions. Pictured here is Ray Baker with some of the provisions.

Evangelism for Every Believer is the title of a new series on the website of the Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches (FIEC).

FIEC Mission Director Andy Paterson explains the background to the launch of this new initiative:

en explains the latest developments – and what may come

What has happened?

First, independent Christian safeguarding charity Thirtyone:eight published a ‘lessons learnt’ report into disgraced former minister Jonathan Fletcher’s time at Emmanuel Church Wimbledon from 1982 and 2012. Previously it had emerged that Fletcher had engaged in naked massages with men as well as beatings on their bare backsides, among other things.

Michael Reeves

Date posted: 1 May 2021

A new theological centre along the lines of Tyndale House, Cambridge, is to open in Oxford this September.

Professor Michael A.G. Haykin, a regular contributor to en, will be serving as the first Director of Newton House when it is inaugurated.

Covid makes it more important than ever for Christians to be gossiping the gospel, according to the London City Mission.

Graham Miller, Chief Executive of London City Mission says: ‘Lots of meetings have been closed, but the opportunities for conversations are still there.’