FIEC Resources for Church Leaders

When people in our churches fall out, we need to help them work out how they can stay united in Christ or be reconciled in him. We need to understand what kind of category of issue we are dealing with, we need to caution people against assigning motives, and help them take responsibility for their side. In this way, we can help people maintain the unity of the Spirit and the bond of peace. In this...

We will encounter generational differences in church life. But instead of dividing our churches, they can enable us to show what God's people really looks like. Unlike any other institution, local churches bring people together across the human lifespan. We don't gather because we're at the same age or stage, we gather because we have something deeper in common. In this video, first pr...

Unity between brothers and sisters in the church is seen in healthy, respectful relationships between men and women as equal members of the church and co-heirs in Christ. But what does that look like in church life? How can we move towards better reflecting God's good design of men and women united as God's image bearers? In this video, first produced for our 2026 Local Conferences, Rachel...

How can we make sure we are united in Christ across cultures? How can leaders set an example of this in church life? In this video, first produced for our 2026 Local Conferences, Lucas Coelho (pastor, Sunbridge Road Mission, Bradford) shares advice on fostering unity between cultures in the local church. About the speaker : Lucas is Pastor (Children & Families) at Sunbridge Road Mission in the...

There are 740,000 students from overseas studying at UK universities: the nations are at our doorstep! Many of these students come from countries where gospel access is difficult or even impossible. In this seminar, Penny (Friends International) helps us consider how we can welcome overseas visitors who are only here for a short while. And she suggests how we can send back students, especially to...

Short-term mission trips sometimes get a bad rep. Others find them wonderfully challenging and life-changing. What part does short-term mission have in the world of mission, and how can local churches maximise this opportunity whilst avoiding the pitfalls? Mike Smailes (Lansdowne Church, Bournemouth) leads this seminar. He is a trustee of a mission organisation and started his interest in mission...

Our mobile world is more connected than ever. This has profound implications for the work of mission, and also for supporting those who serve around the world. OneHundredFold uses mobile technology to enable mission and works with churches and organisations, such as UFM Worldwide. In this seminar, Ed (OneHundredFold) will energise and enthuse us about this kind of work without overwhelming us. May...

English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) classes are a great way to connect with the world on our doorstep. Lots of churches are finding these are manageable ways to make friends in the communities where our churches are located. David and Maura Baldwin (2:19 Teach to Reach) have many years of cross-cultural experience and will help us see how ESOL classes can form a significant part of a ch...

We have moved from the classic mission agency model of detached mission to seeing the value of leader-to-leader and church-to-church connection. What is the value of us as leaders building relationships with church leaders in the mission field? And how can those connections be truly two-way? Leonardo De Chirico (Reformanda Initiative) and Emanuel Tundrea (Romanian Christian leader) will show how t...

How can our desire to see the nations reached impact what we sing, our sermon applications, our prayer life, our small groups? In this seminar, Kev Croft (Hope Church Vauxhall, London, and London City Mission) helps us think about how we make mission part of the church culture, not just a regular slot in the prayer meeting and service. This seminar was given at the 2025 FIEC Leaders' Conferenc...

Our communities and churches are more diverse than ever before. In that context, how do we take the first steps towards becoming an intercultural church? Members of the FIEC Intercultural Ministry Team lead this seminar to explore the theological underpinnings of intercultural church before hearing from three FIEC churches engaged in this ministry to help us consider how churches can adapt to thes...

One of the recurring challenges in church life for both operations teams and trustees is the overwhelming nature of governance - either recommended or mandated. This seminar leads us through how to keep a cool head and serve the church well as leaders and trustees - by thinking about why good governance matters and how we can do the essentials well. It is led by Becky Thomas (FIEC Director for Chu...

Many famous missionaries felt the burden to serve at a young age. Now, mission seems like a topic for old people in many of our churches. We’d love to see young people on fire for Jesus when it comes to world mission, but where do we start? Mel Lacy (Growing Young Disciples) leads this seminar to help us think how we engage young people with the challenge of and call to mission. About the speaker...

Supporting mission partners is easier than it’s ever been. Yet few of us really maximise the potential of connecting mission partners with our church congregations. This practical seminar, led by Mary Hodson (UFM Worldwide), shows us the benefits and also explores some of the challenges of doing so. This seminar was given at the 2025 FIEC Leaders' Conference held in Blackpool from 10-12 Novemb...

All across the world, church leaders have learnt how to disciple new believers from ground zero, whereas in the UK, we have often been trading off an inherited Judeo-Christian heritage. That is fast disappearing, and leaders are having to learn how to rethink discipleship. In this seminar, Emanuel Tundrea, a Romanian Christian leader and part-time worker for the European Leadership Forum, helps us...

Ephesians 1:1-23 tells of the amazing blessings we have in Christ. How can women be encouraged and motivated to share them with others, especially women in their communities? Rachel Sloan and Elinor Magowan, FIEC's Director for Women's Ministry, host this women's gathering featuring interviews with Siân Robinson and Maura Baldwin about their ministry lives. This seminar was given at th...

In the context of world Christianity, missionaries are sent from many different nations to many different nations. The UK is now a receiver, not just a sender, of missionaries. Brothers and sisters arrive to plant churches, teach theology, and engage in short-term mission. How can we welcome those who come to engage in mission work in the UK, to help them best glorify Christ in their work, and hel...

What about those who have never heard the gospel? What about those who wholeheartedly (but mistakenly) pursue other religions? These are two key theological questions for us to wrestle with when it comes to world mission. Can the fate of those who have never heard really be eternal lostness? Church leaders might know what they think of these issues, but how can they teach their congregations about...

Is our church building project serving the mission - or have we made it the mission? Church property can be a powerful servant of mission - or a costly distraction. In this seminar, Jon Broome (Cuckfield Baptist Church, West Sussex, and Kingdom Bank) helps us to explore how property can point to Christ and become a flexible space that supports mission. Or, how it can become a cage that overshadows...

Many church leaders continue to wrestle with the question of ministries of mercy and their place in church life.  FIEC’s Theology Team invited  Ray Evans  and  Jon Putt  (both  Grace Community Church , Bedford) to share their experience of seeking to develop ministries of mercy in ways that are theologically informed, evangelistically fruitful, and practically wise. This seminar was given at the 2...

Lots of church leaders inherit (or are responsible for) a haphazard and opportunistic approach to mission. How can we refocus, downsize (if necessary), and be strategic about mission partnerships in the church? What does it mean to lead the church in this area? In this seminar, Michael Prest (UFM Worldwide) and Anthony Adams (Radstock Ministries) help us think clearly about a realistic but worthy...

There are more than 1.4 billion Catholics in the world – the second largest religious group of unreached people only behind Muslims. In fact, they outnumber Muslims in the UK. Are they really unevangelised? What do Catholics believe? And how can we reach them? In this seminar, Leonardo De Chirico (Reformanda Initiative) gives a brief outline of Catholic beliefs, why they need the gospel, and how t...

When we talk about Jewish people, our conversations quickly turn to politics and current events in the Middle East. Perhaps we also reflect on the terrible rise in antisemitism. These are real issues, but we mustn’t let them distract from the high calling of taking the gospel of Jesus the Messiah to Jewish people. In this seminar, Joseph Steinberg (International Mission to Jewish People) helps us...

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 i...

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' Conferenc...