In:Dependence

How should we prepare for the Queen's funeral? Is swearing on the Bible biblical? What lessons does the war in Ukraine have for Christians? In this episode, Phil Topham (FIEC Executive Director), Adrian Reynolds (FIEC Head of National Ministries), and John Stevens (FIEC National Director) discuss the big stories in the news over the past two weeks. 00:00 - Introduction 00:31 - A week of reflection...

How can church leaders raise up the next generation of pastors within the local church?  Many churches have ministry trainees or apprentices, a sort of non-conformist curacy. In this episode of In:Dependence, Phil Topham (FIEC Executive Director) is joined by Dan Green (Banstead Community Church) to talk about his experience of training up future pastors within the local church in such a way...

In this special episode of In:Dependence, Phil Topham (FIEC Executive Director), Adrian Reynolds (FIEC Head of National Ministries), and John Stevens (FIEC National Director) reflect on the life and service of Elizabeth II, and discuss how church leaders can lead their churches well in response through a time of national mourning. 00:00 - FIEC statement on the death of Elizabeth II 01:38 - Prayer...

Not every church plant works out how we planned. How do we reflect well on church planting and plan accordingly? In this episode of In:Dependence, Adrian Reynolds (FIEC Head of National Ministries) is joined by Dan Steel (Lead Pastor, Magdelen Road Church, Oxford) to discuss his experience of church planting and some research he has done with church plants that struggle. 00:00 - Introduction 01:58...

Where are the edges of religious freedom? Should you sign the Frankfurt Declaration? What can we learn from Matt Chandler's leave of absence? In this episode of In:Dependence, Phil Topham (Executive Director), Adrian Reynolds (Head of National Ministries), and John Stevens (National Director) discuss some of the big stories in the news over the past weeks. 00:00 - Introduction 00:47 - The death of...

A church in Norwich held a week-long festival in a nearby park during the summer to reach their local community. In this episode of In:Dependence, Adrian Reynolds (FIEC Head of National Ministries) is joined by Andy Rees (Lead Pastor, Surrey Chapel, Norwich) to talk about Summer Fest- an event the church held in Waterloo Park in Norwich in summer 2022. How was it run? How did it go? Would they do...

What does a church in an affluent area of Surrey have in common with a church in a deprived area of Middlesborough? In this episode of In:Dependence, Phil Topham (FIEC Executive Director) is joined by Dan Green (Banstead Community Church, Surrey) and Ian Williamson (New Life Church, Middlesborough) to hear about their gospel partnership and to discuss what similar partnerships might look like. 00:...

We all have different pictures in our minds when it comes to domestic abuse but it has a wide scope in terms of definition and victims. What do churches need to consider when it comes to domestic abuse, and how can they walk alongside and help victims best? In this episode of In:Dependence, Elinor Magowan and Rachel Sloan (FIEC Directors for Women's Ministry) are joined by Helen Thorne (Biblical C...

Are we sleepwalking into a national crisis? What should we make of the closure of the Tavistock Centre? Do heat waves warn us about climate change? In this episode, Phil Topham (FIEC Executive Director) and John Stevens (FIEC National Director) discuss some of the biggest stories in the news over the past fortnight. 00:00 - Introduction 00:56 - Will Liz Truss or Rishi Sunak be the next Prime Minis...

Medhurst Ministries exists to plant and support local churches and gospel workers on council estates across the UK.  In this bonus episode, Phil Topham is joined by Ian Williamson (Executive Director, Medhurst Ministries) and Nathan Young (pastor, New Life Church Middlesborough) to talk about the work of Medhurst Ministries. 00:00 - Introduction 00:51 - What is Medhurst Ministries? 04:18 - T...

What does church ministry in some of the toughest communities in Britain look like? How can churches actively think about working in those communities? In this episode of In:Dependence, Phil Topham (Executive Director) is joined by Ian Williamson (former pastor, now Executive Director of Medhurst Ministries) to discuss the challenges and opportunities of church ministry in deprived communities. 00...

How do the arts and church fit together? What would it look like for churches to think about creativity more holistically? In this episode, Phil Topham (Executive Director) is joined by Sophie Killingley (Send Evangelical Church) to talk about her work as an artist and how churches can engage well with creative people in their congregations. 00:00 - Introduction 03:40 - Why is church and art often...

What should we make of the chaos in Downing Street this week? What does the fallout of the Arab Spring teach us about democracy? How does England's cricket team point us to revival? In this episode of In:Dependence, Phil Topham (FIEC Executive Director) is joined by Justin Gill (FIEC IT Manager) and John Stevens (FIEC National Director) to discuss some of the biggest stories in the news over the p...

Anxiety can be experienced by anyone. So, how can we respond to our own anxiety, and how can we help others in the church to cope? In this episode, Elinor Magowan (Director for Women's Ministry) is joined by Rachel Sloan (Director for Women's Ministry and women's worker at Charlotte Chapel, Edinburgh) and Helen Thorne (Director of Training and Resources, Biblical Counselling UK) to discuss how Chr...

Serving women in smaller churches comes with its distinctive challenges and blessings. In this episode of In:Dependence, Rachel Sloan (FIEC Director for Women's Ministry) and Elinor Magowan (FIEC Director for Women's Ministry and former women's worker at Whitby Evangelical Church) are joined by Emily Fenning (Beccles Baptist Church, Suffolk) and Dawn Thomson (Spen Valley Church, West Yorkshire) to...

Should we allow politics in the pulpit? Does the church have a diversity problem? Should transgender athletes compete in women's sport? In this episode of In:Dependence, Phil Topham (FIEC Executive Director), Rachel Sloan (FIEC Director for Women's Ministry), and John Stevens (FIEC National Director) discuss some of the biggest stories in the news from the past two weeks. 00:00 - Introduction 00:2...

How can local church leaders engage well with world mission agencies? In this episode, Adrian Reynolds (Head of National Ministries) is joined by Eddie Arthur ( Wycliffe Bible Translators ) to talk about world mission, mission agencies, short-term mission trips, and more. 00:00 - Introduction 01:12 - The stories behind every mission worker 05:35 - The benefits and pitfalls of working with mission...

How can church leaders make church welcoming and accessible for autistic children and their families? In this episode, Phil Topham (Executive Director) is joined by Sophie Killingley ( Send Evangelical Church ) to talk about her experience as the mother of autistic children and serving in ministry as the wife of a pastor. 00:00 - Introduction 02:28 - Terminology of autism 05:26 - The impact of hav...

What is the importance of trust in leadership? How should the church respond to the idea of social mobility? How can we help students who are lonely? In this episode of In:Dependence, Phil Topham (Executive Director), Adrian Reynolds (Head of National Ministries), and John Stevens (National Director) discuss some of the big stories in the news over the past fortnight from the point of view of chur...

Church leaders will once again join in person for the annual FIEC Leaders' Conference in November 2022. In this episode of In:Dependence, Joel Murray (Communications and Media Officer) discusses the 2022 FIEC Leaders' Conference with Adrian Reynolds (Head of National Ministries) to find out what this year's themes are and who will be speaking and leading seminars. You can find out more about the c...

How have churches across wider Europe responded to Ukraine? What do we do with the news of abuse in the US? Why are people afraid of getting married? In this episode of In:Dependence, Phil Topham (Executive Director), Adrian Reynolds (Head of National Ministries), and John Stevens (National Director) discuss some of the big stories in the news over the past fortnight. 00:00 - News from the Europea...

The changing landscape of local media, and the advance of new media, provides a big opportunity for local churches to engage with their community. In this episode, Adrian Reynolds (Head of National Ministries), Phil Topham (Executive Director), and Joel Murray (Communications and Media Officer) discuss the opportunities that the changing landscape of local media and the development of new media of...

How should local churches care for those they send out on world mission? In this bonus episode of In:Dependence, Adrian Reynolds discusses how to care for missionaries sent from your church - before they go, when they're there, and when they're back. 00:00 - Introduction 01:09 - Before they go 02:41 - When they're there 05:22 - Missionary furlough 06:46 - Caring for missionary kids 08:25 - When th...

How can we make sure church is welcoming and accessible to people with learning disabilities? In this episode, Adrian Reynolds (FIEC Head of National Ministries) is joined at Word Alive by Pete and Christine Winmill from Count Everyone In to talk about welcoming people with learning disabilities to church. 00:00 - Introduction 01:59 - The Count Everyone In track at Word Alive 04:40 - Lockdown for...

How should church leaders respond to abortion laws? How does the royal family fit into Christian life? How Christian is the UK population? In this episode, Phil Topham (Executive Director), John Stevens (National Director), and Adrian Reynolds (Head of National Ministries) discuss some of the main stories in the news over the past couple of weeks. Resources mentioned in this episode John Stevens i...