Our world is changing. What challenges does this pose for Christians, what opportunities are there for gospel work, and where does the UK church fit into global mission?

The books of Acts shows how the church grows - that persecution doesn't stop the growth of the gospel but in fact is often the context for gospel opportunity and growth.

As the gospel goes out to the ends of the earth, it is inevitable that those of all nations and cultures will become part of the global church.

This talk was given at the 2025 FIEC Leaders' Conference held in Blackpool from 10-12 November 2025.

About the speaker: John Stevens has been FIEC's National Director since 2010. He also serves on the Affinity Council and teaches on courses at Bible colleges across the country.

About the Leaders' Conference: The title of the 2025 Leaders' Conference was Church Without Borders, exploring how we can serve God’s mission in a mobile world.

About FIEC: We are a fellowship of Independent churches with members of the family across England, Scotland and Wales. Our mission is to see those Independent churches working together with a big vision: to reach Britain for Christ. Find out more: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://fiec.org.uk⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

The aim of mission is to build the unified church to glorify Jesus the head.

The goal of mission is to build gospel churches; the gospel message produces gospel churches.

We don't get to decide what church looks like; but we get to help church look like the gospel. And gospel churches become a vehicle for mission.

This message is the fourth of four given at the 2025 FIEC Leaders' Conference held in Blackpool from 10-12 November 2025.

About the speaker: Graham is one of FIEC's Associate National Directors, helping churches and their leaders by managing FIEC's team of Local Directors and leading the Pastors' Network.

About the Leaders' Conference: The title of the 2025 Leaders' Conference was Church Without Borders, exploring how we can serve God’s mission in a mobile world.

About FIEC: We are a fellowship of Independent churches with members of the family across England, Scotland and Wales. Our mission is to see those Independent churches working together with a big vision: to reach Britain for Christ. Find out more: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://fiec.org.uk⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Churches must have continued confidence in the gospel as a message about a person: Jesus.

If Jesus has been raised from the dead, it is the most important news in the cosmos. We need to share this news with every country and culture.

Just as for Peter in Acts 2:22-41, our message must be Jesus: his life, his death, his resurrection, and his exaltation.

This message is the third of four given at the 2025 FIEC Leaders' Conference held in Blackpool from 10-12 November 2025.

About the speaker: Alan is pastor at Harper Church in Glasgow where he has served since 2013.

About the Leaders' Conference: The title of the 2025 Leaders' Conference was Church Without Borders, exploring how we can serve God’s mission in a mobile world.

About FIEC: We are a fellowship of Independent churches with members of the family across England, Scotland and Wales. Our mission is to see those Independent churches working together with a big vision: to reach Britain for Christ. Find out more: ⁠⁠⁠https://fiec.org.uk⁠⁠⁠.

The coming of the Holy Spirit empowers believers to witness and cuts through cultural boundaries.

Acts 2:1-21 signals the first fruits of the era of the Spirit and the mission to go to the ends of the earth. The gospel is preached cross-culturally, with power, by those we'd least expect.

The church today has this same power, from the Holy Spirit, to be witnesses to Jesus and to reach out to the cultures in our communities.

This message is the second of four given at the 2025 FIEC Leaders' Conference held in Blackpool from 10-12 November 2025.

About the speaker: Matt is the co-pastor of City Church Manchester and coordinates Gospel Coaching for pastors and ministry leaders across the UK.

About the Leaders' Conference: The title of the 2025 Leaders' Conference was Church Without Borders, exploring how we can serve God’s mission in a mobile world.

About FIEC: We are a fellowship of Independent churches with members of the family across England, Scotland and Wales. Our mission is to see those Independent churches working together with a big vision: to reach Britain for Christ. Find out more: ⁠⁠https://fiec.org.uk⁠⁠.

Jesus calls the church to move out with the gospel from where it is to the ends of the earth.

In Acts 1:1-26, we read Jesus' call to his disciples to be his witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.

The call of local churches today, then, is to take the gospel out from the centre, across cultures, to all nations. And each time to goes out like this, the location is re-centred until the "ends of the earth" returns to where it all began.

This message is the first of four given at the 2025 FIEC Leaders' Conference held in Blackpool from 10-12 November 2025.

About the Leaders' Conference: The title of the 2025 Leaders' Conference was Church Without Borders, exploring how we can serve God’s mission in a mobile world.

About the speaker: Julian Hardyman is part of the missionary team at Good News Hospital in Mandritsara, Madagascar, with his wife Debbie. He was previously pastor of Eden Baptist Church in Cambridge for more than 25 years.

About FIEC: We are a fellowship of Independent churches with members of the family across England, Scotland and Wales. Our mission is to see those Independent churches working together with a big vision: to reach Britain for Christ. Find out more: ⁠https://fiec.org.uk⁠.

Life as a planter's wife can be stressful, lonely, and tiring. How can they maintain their joy and continue to thrive in their relationships with God, their husband, and others?

Relationships within the church, pressures on their husband, and spiritual exhaustion can make life as a ministry wife - especially in a church plant - stressful and difficult.

Yet, it is possible for ministry wives to maintain their joy and thrive in their relationships. The start of a new ministry or a church plant can provide a God given opportunity to ensure a ministry wife is cared for and enabled to flourish.

This short talk is from Planters 2025, seeking to share some awareness and orientation in an area church planters should be alert to. You can get a transcript and more resources for church leaders on the FIEC website: https://fiec.org.uk/resources/supporting-planters-wives

About the speaker: Siân is a ministry wife and has been involved in church planting in Liverpool for fifteen years. She also serves as FIEC's Church Planters' Wives Support.

About Planters: Planters is a conference to help local churches reach Britain for Christ through planting healthy churches: planters teaching and training other planters, and planters spending time together and encouraging each other.

About FIEC: We are a fellowship of Independent churches with members of the family across England, Scotland and Wales. Our mission is to see those Independent churches working together with a big vision: to reach Britain for Christ. Find out more: https://fiec.org.uk.

How do we appropriately reflect and embody the different cultures in our churches?

Jesus' commission to the church was to make disciples of all nations, to the ends of the earth. To reach all nations, and to serve all nations, we need to better reflect the diverse cultures represented.

But, our cultural lies, blind spots, and biases can be barriers to making this happen, and worse can cause division in the church.

Understanding these barriers can enable us to better understand others, and therefore reach and serve all nations.

This short talk is from Planters 2025, seeking to share some awareness and orientation in an area church planters should be alert to. You can get a transcript and more resources for church leaders on the FIEC website: https://fiec.org.uk/resources/intercultural-church-planting.

About the speaker: Rick serves as Pastor of All Nations Church Barkingside, North East London, and is a member of the FIEC Trust Board.

About Planters: Planters is a conference to help local churches reach Britain for Christ through planting healthy churches: planters teaching and training other planters, and planters spending time together and encouraging each other.

About FIEC: We are a fellowship of Independent churches with members of the family across England, Scotland and Wales. Our mission is to see those Independent churches working together with a big vision: to reach Britain for Christ. Find out more: https://fiec.org.uk.

How can we create good feedback loops and avoid feeling overly sensitive to criticism?

The book of Proverbs encourages us to get wisdom and feedback (Proverbs 15:22, 15:31). It is important to cultivate a culture of feedback in church life to benefit from the wisdom of the whole body of the church.

Such a culture creates an environment where people feel able to bring their concerns and where encouragement and correction are present for all.

This short talk is from Planters 2025, seeking to share some awareness and orientation in an area church planters should be alert to. You can get a transcript and more resources for church leaders on the FIEC website: https://fiec.org.uk/resources/a-helpful-feedback-culture.

About the speaker: Josh is staff elder at Emmanuel Church Northstowe, a new town north of Cambridge. He has led the church from its start in 2018, having previously served as assistant pastor at two FIEC churches.

About Planters: Planters is a conference to help local churches reach Britain for Christ through planting healthy churches: planters teaching and training other planters, and planters spending time together and encouraging each other.

About FIEC: We are a fellowship of Independent churches with members of the family across England, Scotland and Wales. Our mission is to see those Independent churches working together with a big vision: to reach Britain for Christ. Find out more: https://fiec.org.uk.

The more training and knowledge you have, the more helpful you will be as you serve those in your church.

So what kind of training should you do?

This talk is one of the Snapshots from Journeys 2025, addressing what it's like to be in ministry and the skills required.

Graham Beynon is FIEC's Head of Local Ministries, helping churches and their leaders by managing our team of Local Directors and leading our Pastors' Network.

About Journeys: Journeys is our weekender for men and women who are considering their next steps into Christian ministry.

About FIEC: We are a fellowship of Independent churches with members of the family across England, Scotland and Wales. Our mission is to see those Independent churches working together with a big vision: to reach Britain for Christ. Find out more: https://fiec.org.uk.

Finding the right role to serve in at church is important. What do we need to think about as we consider what role is right for us?

The SHAPE acronym can help when considering roles in the church: Spiritual gifts; Heart; Abilities; Personality; Experiences.

Finding a role that plays to your strengths in these areas will enable you to be most effective in your ministry.

This talk is one of the Snapshots from Journeys 2025, addressing what it's like to be in ministry and the skills required.

Ray Evans is FIEC’s Church Leadership Consultant. He previously served in the leadership team of Grace Community Church Bedford for more than 40 years.

About Journeys: Journeys is our weekender for men and women who are considering their next steps into Christian ministry.

About FIEC: We are a fellowship of Independent churches with members of the family across England, Scotland and Wales. Our mission is to see those Independent churches working together with a big vision: to reach Britain for Christ. Find out more: https://fiec.org.uk.