In Context

By A Medhurst Ministries PodcastReligion & Spirituality Christianity

In Context episodes

May 20 S5 Ep5: Intentional Living: An Interview with Natalie Williams
In this episode of In Context, Rachel chats with Natalie Williams, CEO of Jubilee+, about what it means to live intentionally in a world where it has become easier than ever to avoid one another. From contactless payments and self-service tills to headphones and busy schedules, everyday life is often designed to keep us from noticing or speaking to the people around us.
Natalie encourages the church and Christians to resist that drift and to be intentional about reaching out, especially to those who may feel ignored, overlooked, or pushed away. This conversation is a reminder that following Jesus means making space for people, choosing connection over convenience, and seeing those whom others might miss.
49 min
May 11 S5 Ep4: Half my country live in Schemes: An Interview with Sharon Dickens
Rachel interviews Sharon Dickens from 20schemes about her ministry in Scotland’s housing schemes. A member of Niddrie Community Church, Sharon serves as Director of Women’s Ministry with 20schemes and is one of the directors of the Ragged School of Theology. She shares what motivates her to serve communities often marked by poverty and spiritual need, and why planting and strengthening healthy local churches in Scotland’s schemes is so urgent—especially where many have never heard the gospel.
45 min
May 05 S5 Ep3: Loving the Ones that We've Got: An interview with Miriam Mc Connell
In this episode of In Context, Rachel interviews Miriam Mc Connell about her remarkable ministry journey, from serving in the favelas of Brazil to gospel work in the schemes of Scotland, and now to the Orkney Isles. Miriam shares how the Lord has led and sustained her and her family through different cultures, communities, and seasons of ministry. Today, she serves alongside her husband Mez at Grace Church Orkney and with 20Schemes, seeking to make Christ known in some of Scotland’s most overlooked places.
20schemes
https://20schemes.com/
Grace Church Orkney
https://gracechurchorkney.org/about-us/
1 hr 3 min
April 27 S5 Ep2: Class, Culture, and the Cross: Aaron Reyes on Gospel Ministry from Texas to Birmingham
Ian sits down with Aaron Reyes, a pastor and church planter from Texas now serving in Birmingham, to hear his journey from El Paso to gospel ministry in the UK. Aaron reflects on growing up in a Latino, working-class context, coming to faith as a young American football player, and being called to serve among working-class, multi-ethnic communities.
Together, Ian and Aaron explore class, culture, ethnicity, fatherlessness, church planting, and how the gospel creates a new family that unites people across deep social and political divides. A rich and honest conversation about ministry, identity, and building churches centred on Christ among the overlooked and underserved.
You can visit the website of the church that Aaron pastors by following the link below:
https://charltonroadchurch.org.uk/
48 min
April 20 S5 Ep1: Time and Patience: An Interview with Matt Kulhmann
Matt Kuhlmann, who is married to Cee, joins the podcast to share testimony and ministry journey with 20 Schemes in Orkney, Scotland. He speaks honestly about his troubled past in London, marked by addiction, mental health struggles, and broken relationships, and how God graciously saved him and led him into full-time ministry.
In the episode, Matt reflects on the churches and influences that shaped his faith, including the damage caused by unhealthy teaching and the life-changing impact of faithful biblical preaching. He also talks about serving alongside Cee in a 20 Schemes-supported church and the creative ways the church is seeking to reach their remote island community through initiatives like a drop-in café, football group, and poetry group. It is a thoughtful and encouraging conversation about grace, perseverance, and gospel ministry in a challenging place.
Visit Grace Church Orkney
https://gracechurchorkney.org/
If you want to support Matt and Cee, click the relevant link and select Matt & Cee Kuhlmann from the drop down box.
USA Donations
https://app.aplos.com/aws/give/20schemesInc/British
UK Donations
https://20schemes.infoodle.com/f/OnlineDonationsFormBritishWorkers
54 min
April 14 S4 Ep15: The Most Precious Gift: An Interview With Jas Goodyear
The Most Precious Gift – In Context Podcast (Medhurst Ministries)
Rachel Williamson speaks with Jas Goodyear about her experience growing up as a pastor’s child on a council estate in Brighton, and now raising her own children on an estate in London. Jas reflects on both the challenges and blessings of her journey, sharing why the most precious gift we can give our children is to introduce them to Jesus and to be part of a loving Christian community that loves Jesus, one another, and the lost.
Jas and her husband Shane are part of Hope Church Vauxhall and are prayerfully looking to join a church planting team that will serve the council estate where they live.
55 min
April 07S4 Ep14: Life, Music, Faith: An interview with Kris Baines
In this weeks episode Ian interviews Kris Baines about his life and ministry journey that is full of twists: from being a musician in a band in the USA, to coming to faith, to returning to the UK where he met his wife, and then spending 26 years in New Zealand as a pastor and church planter. Now back in the UK, he serves as associate pastor and resident church planter at Grace Community Church, Loftus. Tune in for stories of faith, music, life, and building community.
KRIS BAINES MINISTRY LINKS:
Sign up for the Baines Family Church Plant Update Email list: https://tinyurl.com/4jrxwsaa
Grace Community Church Loftus (where Kris currently serves): https://www.gracechurchloftus.co.uk
Donate to the Church Planting Fund: https://donate.stripe.com/4gM14p2MX6hr61t9K3c3m03

KRIS BAINES MUSIC LINKS:
The Church Piano Player Website: https://thechurchpianoplayer.com
CONNECT WITH KRIS:
Facebook (Church Piano Player): https://www.facebook.com/thechurchpianoplayer
Facebook (Personal): https://www.facebook.com/kris.baines.16
1 hr
March 30 S4 Ep13: Don't Forget the Positives!
New Episode: Don't Forget the Positives!
It’s easy to focus on the challenges of life and ministry in deprived communities—the statistics, the hardships, and the uphill battles. But if we only look at the struggle, we miss the profound beauty of what God is doing in our schemes and council estates.
In this episode of the In Context podcast, Steve Kneale and Gary Matthews look to shift the lens toward the joys of estate ministry. Together, they explore the unique blessings of living and serving in these tight-knit communities.
51 min
March 23 S4 Ep12: Medhurst Unpacked: Why We Do, What We Do.
In this episode, we’re doing things a bit differently. Our Midlands Director, Gary Matthews, and Director of Communications, Steve Kneale, sit down for a candid conversation about the 'why' behind the work.
Though their roles are focused on supporting and advocating for ministry rather than being the boots on the ground, the heart for the estate remains the same. They discuss their personal journeys to Medhurst, the unique challenges of building a support structure for council estate churches, and their shared hopes for what the future of Medhurst will look like.
If you are part of a council estate church and would like to contact Gary about attending the pastors lunches or joining the Medhurst Church Network, then you can contact him via email: [email protected]
45 min
March 16 S4 Ep11: What is Working Class?: Part Two - Raising a Family on a Council Estate
Jude joins Ian to talk about growing up between middle- and working-class cultures, the challenges of fitting into middle-class churches, and how she eventually found a welcoming home at New Life Church in Middlesbrough. As a single mum of three living on a council estate, Jude reflects on the strength of community, how her children adapted, and why working-class culture is defined less by income and more by shared values and relationships.
43 min