It’s a real privilege and honour for me to welcome Gemma Hunt as a contributor to Wisdom Digest.

Many people will recognise Gemma from her work on CBeebies, as well as her involvement in the Alpha Film Series, where she has helped communicate the Christian faith to audiences around the world. She is an outstanding communicator and an incredible professional, and honestly, I count her as a bit of a hero. I’m humbled and grateful that she has taken the time to share her insight with us.

One of the things I’m passionate about as leaders is that we continually grow in how we communicate. Whether that’s preaching, teaching, casting vision, or simply leading people well, communication sits right at the centre of leadership.

So who better to learn from than someone who has spent decades communicating on stages, screens, and platforms around the world.

For anyone who wants to grow in this area, Gemma also runs coaching designed to help people build confidence and communicate clearly and effectively. You can explore her course here:
https://www.gemmahunt.com/coaching

Here are Gemma insights surrounding communication for us as leaders…

Communication Sits at the Heart of Leadership

Communication sits at the heart of leadership. Whether you are preaching on a Sunday, leading a staff meeting, or sharing vision with a team, the question is rarely just what you say. More often, the real question is how people experience what you say.

Over the years I have noticed something curious. Many leaders put enormous care into writing their message, but very little attention into how that message will actually be delivered. Yet the delivery is often the very thing that determines whether people remember what was said.

If You Are Just Starting Out

One of the best things you can do as a communicator is learn to see your message through someone else’s eyes.

Write what you want to say, then let someone else read it. Ask them simple questions.

Does it make sense?
Does it flow?
Do the key points stand out?

Then take it a step further. Record yourself saying it. It might feel uncomfortable at first, but watching yourself back can be surprisingly revealing. You notice things you never realised before, perhaps a rushed pace, distracted body language, or moments where your voice drops away.

Research often referenced from Albert Mehrabian suggests that communication is shaped far more by tone and body language than by the words alone. In other words, the message is not just spoken, it is embodied.

Learning to review yourself in this way can feel daunting, but it is also one of the fastest ways to grow in confidence.

The Three Ps of Standout Communication

When I am preparing to speak, I always come back to three simple stages.

Planning, preparation and presentation.

Planning is about clarity. Gather your material, but do not feel the need to say everything. A strong message is often one that knows what to leave out. Sometimes the most powerful thing you can do is create space for curiosity, allowing people to ask questions or explore further afterwards.

Preparation is where the message finds its rhythm. Speak it aloud. Practise it. Refine it. Recording yourself can help you notice where things feel natural and where they feel forced. Sharing it with someone you trust can also bring valuable feedback.

Presentation is where it all comes together. When the groundwork has been done, you are free to focus on connection. Think about your tone, your pace, your posture.

Are you speaking with warmth and conviction?
Are you allowing your personality to come through?

People respond not only to information, but to authenticity.

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The Blind Spots We Often Miss

A common trap for communicators is assuming that strong content will automatically translate into strong communication. In reality, the delivery carries just as much weight.

Another blind spot is pace. Nerves have a habit of making us speak faster than we realise. But your listeners are hearing the message for the first time. Pausing allows space for people to think, reflect and absorb what they have heard.

The pause is not awkward, it is powerful.

And communication does not end when the talk finishes. Some of the most meaningful moments often happen in the conversations afterwards. Being available, or providing notes or follow up material, allows the message to continue beyond the room.

Helping Others Find Their Voice

After more than twenty years performing on stage, I now spend much of my time helping others grow in confidence as communicators. Through workshops and training sessions I work with leaders who want to communicate more clearly, whether that is preaching, presenting, speaking on camera, or leading meetings.

Many church leaders are wonderfully equipped to write thoughtful sermons, yet they have rarely been given practical tools for delivering them with confidence. When people learn how to use their voice, body language and presence well, their message begins to connect in a completely different way.

Good communication is not about performance for its own sake. It is about helping people hear what matters.

And when that happens, words have the power to stay with people long after the moment has passed.

Good communication is not about performance for its own sake. It is about helping people hear what matters.

And when that happens, words have the power to stay with people long after the moment has passed.

I delve much deeper into these principles within my course and work with people in both group and one-to-one settings to build their confidence and equip them to speak clearly and effectively.

For anyone interested in learning more about the course or working together, more information can be found here:

https://www.gemmahunt.com/coaching

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Bio

Gemma Hunt is an award-winning TV presenter, children’s author and public speaker. Raised in Trowbridge, Wiltshire, she began performing at an early age through ballet, drama and local pantomime before going on to achieve a First Class degree in Media Performance from the University of Bedfordshire.

Gemma joined CBBC in 2003, where she spent a decade presenting flagship programmes including Xchange, Smile, Bamzooki and All Over the Place. Her work took her around the world, filming in Australia, South America and Africa, and presenting live from major events such as Wimbledon, Buckingham Palace and the Royal Albert Hall.

In 2013 she moved to CBeebies, becoming a household name as one of the presenters of the hit pirate game show Swashbuckle, now in its eighth series with over 200 episodes and a Children’s BAFTA for Best Entertainment Show. Gemma was also nominated for Best Presenter at the Children’s BAFTAs and has appeared across numerous CBeebies productions, including Justin’s House, CBeebies Bedtime Stories and multiple CBeebies Presents dramas.

Beyond children’s television, Gemma joined Songs of Praise in 2020 and has hosted a wide range of live and recorded programmes across TV, radio and festivals. She presents the BBC Education radio show Together, regularly hosts large-scale live events, and has filmed for the Alpha Film Series.

In 2022, Gemma became a published children’s author with See! Let’s Be… A Good Friend, followed by See! Let’s Be ME! in 2023. Her books use storytelling and her own mixed-race family to explore faith, friendship, diversity and emotional wellbeing.

Alongside broadcasting and writing, Gemma delivers confidence and public-speaking coaching and hosts children’s pirate parties. More information can be found at www.gemmahunt.com.

This weekend I shared a message on fasting. That’s right, that bit about going without food. It sounds morbid.

The response, however, has been fantastic. I truly believe that when we unpack God’s truth, God’s way, we begin to see His intent behind the subject.

Having grown up hearing about what, at the time, sounded like some odd ancient practice, I eventually began to put it into practice myself. This led to significant and noticeable breakthrough from God and deeper communion with Him as well.

It turns out I’m extremely passionate about the subject. I believe there are great treasures hidden within these “secret” practices.

Give it a go. I dare you. See what happens.

Here are my notes:

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I’m deeply grateful to Chris for the investment and impact he has had on my life. His faithfulness in marriage, family, and leadership goes before him, and he is someone who truly lives full and will die empty. I’m genuinely thankful that he has taken the time to write and share this.

Chris writes not as a distant observer, but as a practitioner, a theologian, and a leader who has lived through seasons of growth, transition, and release. What follows is the fruit of decades of experience, thoughtful reflection, and a genuine concern for the long-term health of the Church.

This Wisdom Digest invites leaders to think honestly about where their church is, how it got there, and what faithfulness looks like in the next season. It is not alarmist, but it is sobering. And it is offered not to discourage, but to serve.

Read slowly. Reflect honestly. And allow the questions raised here to do their work.

Chris Cooke

Having been a part of the founding generation of Freedom Church in the UK, my wife Karin and I were for a number of years the Locations Directors, overseeing and supporting our European churches. We recently stepped out of that, as we have released those churches to have their own leadership, trustees, legal structure, etc, and are now back engaged more in our local church, as well as being mentors for other leaders inside and beyond our Movement.

On a personal level, I am completing a Theology PhD which is dealing with whether churches have life cycles. The original thinking for this began some five or six years ago. Freedom Church had been planted in rural Herefordshire something over 30 years before, but from 2011 had exploded into a church planting movement. We had gone from one church in one city, to over 30 different locations in around 18 nations, (more have been added since).

Everything felt dynamic and optimistic. But through my relationships and work with other churches, Movements and Denominations, I was aware that other such scenarios had existed in the last century in the UK, where new denominations had experienced dramatic growth, only to run aground in some way by the end of the century. There had been leadership succession issues, doctrinal disagreements, or (most particularly, I observed), they had simply fossilised and ‘grown old’. Their practice and methodology remained much as it had 50 years ago, and fresh new expressions of church were reaching the younger generations that these churches were not.

A Christian university maths professor in Wales, (who I may well quote in future articles), has used highly technical and reputable methodology to chart ‘Extinction Dates’ for those denominations, stretching from 2038 (for the United Reformed Church), to 2080+ for the Baptist denomination, (whilst emphasising that these were mathematical projections and not predictions).

Extinction? Now that should focus the mind!

How to avoid our church falling victim, or more likely simply drifting, into similar decay. This got me thinking about life cycles. Can a church rejuvenate from being, appearing and acting ‘elderly’ to being, appearing and acting more youthfully?

Our natural life cycles are relatively fixed. To date, 100% of humankind have died when they reached old age. In recent centuries, no-one has lived for more than 150 years. But an Anglican Church in my hometown recently celebrated their 950th anniversary.

I found a model of congregational life-cycles that has made a lot of sense to me. It was devised by George Bullard and helpfully maps the stages of congregational life onto the human life cycle. Now, George E.P. Box once wrote that “All models are wrong, some models are useful.”

In other words, don’t expect this model of thinking to be perfect, (for example, I’m not convinced by the chronological time frames that he uses), but just perhaps this model can be useful if you map your own church onto this framework.

Where is your church? In its Infancy? Retirement? Adulthood? If you do not feel that it is where you would want it to be, what would need to be done (for example) bring Vision to the fore again?

Are you the point leader? If so, is on you to communicate with your leadership team about this. Are you more of a support leader? If so, do you need to raise the subject with your senior pastor/leadership team?

Have a look at the attached model, and see if it is helpful to you.

Chris Cooke

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Imagine a Car

Imagine a car as a metaphor for a congregation. Place Vision, Relationships, Programs, and Management in this vehicle in the seat best suited for each to symbolize a faithful, effective, and innovative journey for a congregation.

Who would drive? Vision, of course. Vision would be driving and fuelling the forward progress of the vehicle. Who would navigate? Relationships would navigate and flavour the quality of the journey.

Who would be in the back seat behind Relationships? Programs would sit behind Relationships in a supporting role. It would provide the programs, ministries, and activities through which the best possible relationships could happen with God, with one another, and with the context the congregation serves.

So, Management would be in the back seat behind Vision? Yes. It would provide the administrative infrastructure that allows Vision to engage in “Faith Soaring” in response to God’s leadership.

What happens when Vision gets tired and needs to take a nap in the back seat? Who drives?

The answer begins with Scriptures. A loose translation of the first part of Proverbs 29:18 says that where there is no vision the people perish. Or. Where there is no vision the people cast off all restraint. Or, where there is no vision, the people run around in circles without any clear sense of direction and focus.

Further, where there is no vision and Moses, the leader stays too long on the mountain, then the people demand that Aaron, the manager, build them an idol of God they can see and touch.

Where there is no Vision, Management drives.

At first management does an excellent job of driving. The longer management drives, and the longer Vision sleeps, the more likely the congregation will engage in activities that cause it to age and become more passive and less vital. The long term result of this pattern is death.

Because of the view I have presented on Programs and Management, would it not be better to just leave them home and not take them on the journey? No. Programs and Management are an essential part of the journey.

Alignment is the key. Each organizing principle must play out its appropriate role in its best seat in the vehicle for the journey to be excellent, transformation, and to approach the full Kingdom potential of the congregation.

Ten Stages of Congregational Development

Condensed from Pursuing the Full Kingdom Potential Of Your Congregation by George Bullard

Phase One: Early Growth

This phase involves the life cycle stages of Birth and Infancy and is preceded by a Gestation period.

1. Birth

Birth is that period when Vision is dominant, and relationships, programs, and management are not. Vision is the fuel or energy that drives a new congregation forward.

2. Infancy

Infancy is that period when Vision and Relationships are dominant, but programs and management are not. The period of Infancy lasts three to five years.

Phase Two: Late Growth

This phase involves the life cycle stages of Childhood and Adolescence. Phase Two is the time during which a congregation develops and grows its Programs. They begin to walk by sight rather than by faith. This causes confusion in Adolescence.

3. Childhood

Childhood is that period when Vision and Programs are dominant, but relationships and management are not. The Childhood stage of a congregation is characterized by an urgency to build programs, ministries, and activities similar to a full-service congregation. Energy and resources that were dedicated to an intentional disciple-making system during Infancy are now dedicated to program development.

4. Adolescence

Adolescence is that period when Vision, Relationships and Programs are dominant but Management is not. The period of adolescence lasts six to eight years. The adolescent stage is characterized by a passion to fulfill the strategic spiritual vision of the congregation. Because fulfillment of this Vision may be in sight, the congregation presses for a higher quality and quantity of ministry.

Phase Three: Prime / Plateau

This phase involves the life cycle stages of Adulthood and Maturity. Phase Three is the time during which a congregation reaches its prime. In Adulthood they have a balance by walking of faith and by sight. This balance begins to weaken in Maturity.

5. Adulthood

Adulthood is that period when Vision, Relationships, Programs, and Management share dominance. The period of Adulthood lasts three to five years. Adulthood is characterized by a congregation that is in its prime. It is relaxed. It is successful. It has a positive spirit. It is focused. It is clear about its Vision, and its Vision shares broad ownership in the congregation. It is positive about its future. It feels that it can accomplish anything to which it sets its mind, as long as it matches the will of God for the congregation.

Needs VRPm

6. Maturity

Maturity is that period when Relationships, Programs, and Management are dominant. Vision is no longer dominant. Management is controlling the direction of the congregation. A congregation that is past its prime characterizes Maturity. It is more passive than active. It is successful in many areas. For the most part it has a positive spirit. The quality of what happens in Maturity is the highest of any stage in the life cycle.

Needs VRPm

Phase Four: Early Aging

This phase involves the life cycle stages of Empty Nest and Retirement. Phase Four is the time during which a congregation diminishes, first in programs and then in relationships. They begin to hardwire a pattern into their congregational life of walking by sight more than faith.

7. Empty Nest

Empty Nest is that period when Relationships and Management are dominant. Vision and programs are no longer dominant. Management is controlling the direction of the congregation. Empty Nest has three phases: Nostalgia, Disappointment, and Anger.

Needs vRPm

8. Retirement

Retirement is that period when Programs and Management are dominant. Visions and relationships are no longer dominant. Management is controlling the direction of the congregation.

Needs vRpm

Phase Five: Late Aging

This phase involves the life cycle stages of Old Age and Death. Phase Five is the time during which a congregation institutionalizes its Management and loses sight of vision and relationships. They walk by sight only.

9. Old Age

Old Age is that period when Management is the only one of the four organizing principles that is dominant. Vision, relationships, and programs are no longer dominant. Management is the only thing left to control the direction of the congregation. Old Age is that stage of a congregation’s life cycle when it is functioning on fumes rather than being fuelled by Vision. The habit or pattern of gathering for worship and fellowship is the primary factor keeping the congregation going.

Need vrPm

10. Death

Death is the period when none of the four organizing principles is dominant. Vision, relationships, and programs are no longer even present. Management is the only organizing principles left, and its role is brief and confined. At Death a congregation ceases to exist as a community of worship, discipleship and fellowship.

Needs Vrpm

Wisdom to Digest

This is the kind of wisdom that asks us not just to assess systems, but to examine stewardship.

Chris reminds us that churches rarely drift suddenly. They drift quietly, gradually, often with good intentions. Vision fades, management fills the gap, and life gives way to maintenance unless leaders are willing to pause, re-centre, and realign.

As you finish reading, consider:

Where is vision seated in your church right now?
What is driving, and what is merely managing?
What conversations need courage, not delay?

Wisdom Digest exists to help leaders notice what is happening beneath the surface, and to respond with faith, humility, and hope.

Worship is often spoken about, sung about, and led with passion, but rarely slowed down and reflected on with honesty. In this Wisdom Digest, Luke Wareham invites us to do just that.

Drawing from years of leading worship, discipling young leaders, and witnessing real encounters with God, Luke shares why worship still matters deeply, not just on the stage, but in the shaping of our lives. This is a reflection for worship leaders, musicians, and anyone hungry for a faith that is formed in God’s presence rather than performance.

As you read, allow this piece to reawaken wonder, realign your focus, and remind you why worship was never meant to be perfected, but lived…

3 reasons why I love leading worship!

Luke Wareham is a worship leader and songwriter based in the southwest of the UK.
Luke loves leading worship, drawing people to Jesus, and seeing people changed through worshipping him. Luke leads worship at his local church and has led worship at various Christian festivals around the UK including New Wine Luminosity, Davids Tent, Spring Harvest, Creation Fest and Limitless. He has a particular passion for youth worship, for raising up and investing in new worship leaders and musicians and to see the next generation have life change encounters with Jesus.

1. We are designed to worship

Our priority should be to worship God in all we do and to be in God’s presence. That shifts our focus onto Jesus rather than worldly troubles and enables us to fix our mind on things above.

2. Worship aligns us with the truth of who God is and who we are

I am inspired by a quote from John Ortberg that says ‘I need to worship because without it I lose a sense of wonder and gratitude and plod through life with blinkers on’. We should go to God with every situation we face and allow him to speak into our everyday life situations worship helps up to do this.

3. We get to behold God

Worship leader and songwriter Jeremy Riddle says we should ‘present our whole being to God in worship’ and I strive to lead worship and write songs that help people to do that. When we worship God we become more like him and we come into his everlasting presence that heals, restores, brings freedom and gives us strength when we feel weak, and this is what we need in our lives now and in the future.

A moment I will never forget

One of my favourite memories leading worship was at New Wine Luminosity in the summer with over a 1,500 young people. We led late night worship throughout the week which was a space for encounter, prayer and prophecy.

What we saw was the young people staying on to late night worship after the main celebrations. They didn’t go and do the other activities we had put on for them such as the café or silent discos but they wanted to stay on and worship Jesus, cry out to Him and to pray for each other.

We saw so much freedom in the room and total surrender. One night went on for another 2 hours after the main celebration and I have never experienced worship like it before. This generation coming up are a generation who are all in for Jesus and who want an authentic relationship with Him and I can’t wait to see what God does through them.

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What would you say to an up-and-coming worship leader?

• Live a whole life of worship: the most powerful worship onstage comes from a life of worship offstage. Spend time with God privately so you can pour out what He’s poured into you.

• Focus on God’s presence and not perfection: people won’t remember whether you hit every note, but they will remember whether you led them closer to Jesus. Make His presence your biggest goal when leading worship.

• Your character is more important that your talent: your voice and talent matter, but your heart matters more. The strongest worship leaders aren’t the most skilled they’re the most surrendered to Jesus.

• Learn from others: stay humble and always learn from others. See how others lead worship, listen to feedback, and never stop growing—spiritually, musically, and personally.

• You will grow in your worship leading over time: you don’t have to have it all figured out right now. Every worship leader started exactly where you are. You’re not alone in this. Make sure to surround yourself with mentors, other musicians and worship leaders, and friends who speak life into you and help you grow in your calling.

Wisdom to Digest

Worship is not something we switch on for a moment. It is a life we return to daily.

Luke’s reflections remind us that worship shapes who we are becoming. It lifts our eyes, anchors us in truth, and forms our character long before it ever reaches a platform. Presence, not perfection, is what leaves a lasting mark on both the leader and the people being led.

As you finish reading, take a moment to reflect:
Where is my worship being formed, and what kind of life is it flowing from?

“This year at Freedom Church, we are celebrating 903 salvations.”
That sentence still takes our breath away, and it is the starting point for a deeper reflection on what God is doing in this moment.

This article, now live on Premier Christianity, explores the remarkable story behind those 903 salvations, the wider narrative of a quiet but growing renewal across the UK Church, and why this moment may not be the culmination of revival, but the early stages of something still unfolding.

The piece also honours our Senior Pastors, Gary and Heather Snowzell, who have led Freedom Church boldly and full of faith for over 35 years. We are deeply grateful for their humble yet visionary leadership, and for a legacy that continues to prove the sentiment wrong that “nothing good can come out of Nazareth.”

Through leadership insight, Scripture, and the unexpected lens of the adoption curve, the article reflects on gratitude and expectation walking hand in hand, and the responsibility leaders carry to steward what God is doing well by deepening discipleship, building credibility, and allowing revival to become culture.

👉 Read the full article on Premier Christianity:
https://www.premierchristianity.com/opinion/we-saw-903-people-saved-at-our-church-last-year-i-believe-its-only-the-beginning/20936.article

Leadership is not first about influence over others. It is about mastery of self.

Before you lead a team, a ministry, a room, a vision, a family, you must learn to lead you. Because the way you lead your private life will shape the way you lead your public life. There is a direct link between self leadership and healthy leadership.

If we cannot lead ourselves, it becomes very difficult to lead others well.

So today, leader, we go to the centre.

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A Leader’s Map of Leadership

Before we get to the questions, take a breath and define leadership in your own words.

Discuss: How would you define leadership?

Now picture leadership as 360 degrees:

• Upward leadership, those above you

• Sideways leadership, those alongside you

• Downward leadership, those entrusted to you

Which aspect do we focus on most?
Usually, leading the people entrusted to us. But if you want to lead long term and lead well, you must strengthen every direction, starting with the middle.

The most essential leadership to develop is self leadership.

You need to take radical responsibility for yourself.
You need intentional growth.
One of the marks of a great leader is the ability to lead themselves.

Leading yourself may be the biggest challenge in your leadership journey, and often the most overlooked.

Lead your head, heart, hands, and spirit.

And remember this:

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When the leader gets better, everyone gets better.

The Ten Questions

A Self Leadership Reading Guide

1) Clarify the Call

Is your assignment anchored?

Dear leader,
Before you ask what you should do, ask who God has called you to be.

We believe wholeheartedly that every Christian has a calling. If you bear the name of Jesus and the Spirit of God lives in you, there is a God given call on your life. Calling is not a job title. It is a divine assignment. Like a phone ringing, the question is, will you choose to answer it? And when you surrender your life to God and make yourself fully available, He can use you in ways you could never engineer on your own.

The first steps towards your calling might sound like:

• To pursue intimacy with God

• To see your family thrive

• To build the Church

• To bring the Gospel into places that feel forgotten

• To carry a burden for a generation, a city, a community, a mission

I wish more Christians would believe bigger, dream larger, advance stronger, and ultimately have divine ambition. If only a percentage of the world follows Jesus, how much smaller is the percentage of leaders? Therefore, how much more is God going to ask of you in order to make an impact in this world?

Paul said it like this:
“However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me, the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.” (Acts 20:24)

For Paul there was no higher priority than God’s call. And when you become sure of your calling, something happens. Your life gains focus. Your confidence grows. Your passion deepens. Your days carry meaning.

You may not know the full picture. That is okay. But it is your responsibility to keep your calling sure.

How calling often reveals itself
God gives gifts to match the call, so there are signs:

• Passion, what stirs you

• Gifting, what flows through you

• Conviction, what you cannot ignore

God often calls in themes, patterns of burden, passion, and opportunity.

Reflection Prompt
What do you feel deeply passionate or burdened about?
What themes have repeated in your life?

Practice
Pursue God, and He will reveal the next step. You do not need the whole map, just the next move.

2) Sharpen the Sightline

Is your vision vivid?

Dear leader,
Calling is the big picture of your life. Vision is the part of that picture God is asking you to paint right now.

Leadership means leading people into a future. But how can you lead into a future you cannot see?

“Where there is no vision, the people perish.” (Proverbs 29:18 KJV)

Vision gives focus, staying power, drive, confidence, and direction when life gets loud. Without vision we risk living mundane, reactive, and unfruitful lives.

Your vision may be a week vision, a seasonal vision, a year vision, or a life vision. But you must be able to name it.

Exercise
Prayerfully craft a simple vision statement for this year.
Example: “My vision this year is to live each day in a way that brings someone closer to Jesus.”

Reflection Prompt
What is God asking you to build, become, or bring?
What is your why for this season?

3) Stoke the Fire

Is your passion protected?

Dear leader,
Fire does not stay hot by accident.

It is nobody else’s responsibility to keep your passion alive. Not your leader, not your small group, not the worship team. You must guard your fire.

“Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.” (Romans 12:11)

A fire needs three things: oxygen, fuel, and heat.

So ask yourself, what are your oxygen, fuel, and heat?

There are 3 components needed to start a fire:
Oxygen
Fuel
Heat

The fuel is you. God needs something to burn. The oxygen is the Holy Spirit, the breath of God. The heat is the environment of faith and expectancy that we create in order for something to burn.

If you remove one of these, you will not have a fire.

People thrive when they live out God given passions. If you are not passionate about something, it is hard to invest, commit, or endure.

And I will say it bluntly. If you are not fired up about what you are doing in church or life, do something about it.

Knock. Ask. Push doors. Seek opportunity. Leaders do not grow by watching. They grow by doing.

Reflection Prompt
What sets you on fire in God’s Kingdom?
What keeps your passion red hot?
Are you feeding your fire or letting it fade?

Practice
List 3 practical ways you will fuel your passion this month.

4) Steward the Strength

Are your gifts growing?

Dear leader,
If you cannot name your top spiritual gifts faster than your email address, wake up.

Leadership demands that you know what God has placed in you and that you steward it intentionally.

Read Romans 12 and 1 Corinthians 12, take a spiritual gifts test, and begin nurturing the gifts He has placed inside of you.

Jesus makes this painfully clear in Matthew 25:14 to 30, the parable of the talents. God entrusts. God expects growth. And God holds leaders accountable.

Gifts do not grow because you hope they do. They grow because you made room for them to.

How to develop your gifts

• Find spaces to exercise them

• Learn from leaders who carry them strongly

• Hunt opportunities to practise

• Stretch beyond comfort, growth lives there

Reflection Prompt
What are your gifts?
Are you practising them or parking them?

Practice
Identify 1 gift you will intentionally develop over the next 30 days, and choose 1 environment where you will practise it.

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5) Guard the Core

Is your character consistent?

Dear leader,
Leadership requires integrity. People do not follow moral inconsistency for long, and God does not bless compromise.

Every time you compromise character, you compromise leadership.

Character is not only about big sins. It is about the daily erosion:

• Saying you will do something and not doing it

• Being unreliable

• Shifting moods and motives

• Cutting corners

• Becoming one thing on stage and another in secret

Charisma can take you places. Character will keep you there.

Character is formed in secret, not on stage.

Scripture warns about idleness (2 Thessalonians 3:6 to 15). Idleness is not just inactivity. It is an inner attitude that says, “There is nothing worth doing.”

Idleness is laziness and indolence, avoiding sacrifice for the good of others.

What you do with your time reveals what you worship.

Reflection Prompt
Where is your character leaking?
What pattern is eroding trust?

Practice

• Check yourself honestly

• Ask trusted leaders to name blind spots

• Choose one character discipline to strengthen, faithfulness, diligence, punctuality, integrity, or kindness

6) Subdue the Ego

Is pride under authority?

Dear leader,
“God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” (1 Peter 5:5)

As leaders, we choose. Do we want opposition from God, or grace?

Pride makes leadership feel like sailing against the wind. Humility positions you for the favour of God.

Here is a brutal test. Ask people around you. If you cannot ask, that may already be your answer.

Pride shows up like this:

• Unwillingness to learn from anyone

• Defensiveness

• Needing the last word

• My way or the highway

The question is not do you have pride. The question is is your pride subdued.

Healthy humility shifts from “look what I made” to “look what I got to be a part of.”

Fruitfulness expands when you learn the power of being under authority.

Reflection Prompt
Where do you resist correction?
Where do you need to submit instead of strive?

Practice
Ask one person: “Do you ever see pride in me?”
Then listen without defending.

7) Face the Fear

Is courage governing your choices?

Dear leader,
Fear immobilises leaders. It neutralises obedience. It sabotages calling.

So often the reason we do not step out is simple. We are afraid.

But leadership demands courage. God’s call often feels crazy, unusual, and unreasonable.

You do not rise to the level of your dreams. You fall to the level of your courage.

“The one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.” (1 John 4:4)

Reflection Prompt
Where has fear stolen opportunity from you?
Do you live in risk or comfort?

Practice
Name one courageous step you have been avoiding.
Then take it, despite the shaking.

8) Heal the Hidden

Are inner issues undermining your leadership?

Dear leader,
Unresolved wounds always leak. Every leader carries a past, and if you ignore what is going on inside, it will eventually impact your future, your relationships, and your leadership health.

And here is the hard truth. You are responsible for processing and healing your inner life.

Ask yourself this: What is in charge of my life, my feelings or my values?

Feelings change. Values do not.

Examples:

• Feeling: tired, Value: devotion

• Feeling: defensive, Value: humility

• Feeling: guilty, Value: grace and purity

• Feeling: indifferent, Value: love and faithfulness

Reflection Prompt
What mindset, sin pattern, or wound is shaping your reactions?
What values do you want to build on?

Practice
Write 5 values you want to lead your life. Then build habits that prove them.

9) Regulate the Rhythm

Is your pace sustainable?

Dear leader,
Jesus said, “Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)

God cares about your pace.

If your pace is out of control, it will eventually damage your emotional health, your spiritual life, your body, your family and friendships, and your effectiveness.

And this part matters. A pace problem is not anyone else’s fault. It is yours.

If you are at capacity, one of two things must happen.

A) Increase capacity
Some people do not have a stress issue. They have a capacity issue. Capacity grows through better perspective, better relationship with your diary, discipline, training, and maturity.

B) Reduce load
If stress becomes distress, it becomes dangerous. Do not allow the pace of doing God’s work to destroy the work of God in you.

Task
Plan your week. Every minute. It will expose what you value and where your life is leaking.

Reflection Prompt
Is my pace faith filled or fear driven?
What needs to drop, reorganise, or change?

10) More Means Multiply

Is my stewardship evident?
How are you stewarding what God has already placed in your hands?

Dear leader,
A simple litmus test for whether God can trust us with more is whether we are stewarding what He has already given.

Jesus is clear in Matthew 25. The master rewards multiplication, not preservation. In the Kingdom, growth is not an accident. Increase is not entitlement. More is often released when what is already in our hands is being treated with honour, faith, and intention.

So here is a question that will expose your posture fast.

Is the area you are responsible for, the people you lead, or the local church you attend something you merely use, or something you are helping build?

Using asks, “What do I get?”
Building asks, “What can I give?”
Using watches for gaps and critiques.
Building sees gaps and carries responsibility.

This is not about striving. It is about stewardship. Leaders who take initiative, invest intentionally, and make a plan to multiply what they have been entrusted with become leaders God can trust with bigger things.

You do not need a bigger platform to begin building. You need a stronger posture. Start where you are. With what you have. With what is in your hands today.

Because the path to more often begins with this quiet decision:
I will not bury what God gave me.

Reflection Prompt
Where am I currently consuming more than I am contributing?
What has God placed in my hands that I have been treating casually, passively, or privately?

Practice
Choose one area God has already entrusted to you, a person, a role, a ministry space, a need in your church, and take one intentional step this week to build and multiply.
Write a simple plan with three actions: what you will start, what you will strengthen, and what you will stop.

Final Charge

A leader must learn to lead north, south, east, and west. But it does not matter how many directions you manage if you are weak in the middle.

Some people complain they are not where they want to be because no one is investing in them. But leader, your first responsibility is to self feed, self develop, and prioritise your own spiritual maturity.

Soon, read this again.

Lay before God your calling, your vision, your passion, your gifts, your character, your pride, your fears, your inner life, your pace, and your love.

Let God reveal the truth. Then take whatever steps you need to become strong in the most important aspect of leadership.

Self leadership.

The Ten Questions Quick Recap

• Clarify the Call, is my assignment anchored?

• Sharpen the Sightline, is my vision vivid?

• Stoke the Fire, is my passion protected?

• Steward the Strength, are my gifts growing?

• Guard the Core, is my character consistent?

• Subdue the Ego, is pride under authority?

• Face the Fear, is courage governing your choices?

• Heal the Hidden, are inner issues undermining your leadership?

• Regulate the Rhythm, is my pace sustainable?

• More means multiply, is my stewardship evident?

My first substack of 2026 let’s go!

Recently I shared a message during our ‘God is Back’ series at Freedom Church Hereford, if you would like to watch it you can do so below, here are my notes in case you missed it…

Have you ever thought to yourself, how on earth do I parent in a world gone mad?

If you are a parent it’s likely you’ve considered this or other questions like…

• Am I doing a good enough job?

• What kind of person will my children become?

• Or… how do I get the Cheerio out of your nose?

And if you’re not a parent, I still believe there are truths today that will help you, because every one of us is shaping someone, influencing someone or building something. (And if you’re an up-and-coming or growing leader, that’s your world too.)

The Bedrock: Parenting Starts With Foundations

We are going to look at a passage that I believe will serve as a bedrock for parenting:

Matthew 7:24–27

24 “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.
25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. (Not what but who)
26 And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.
27 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”

Parenting in a world gone mad begins with the right foundations.

I believe that much of life can be boiled down and pointed back to this.

I believe what this parable teaches us is that whatever happens in this life, the most important thing is what we are stood on.

We live in a world of constant external influence — culture, friends, media, technology.

But if we want our homes to be able to navigate external influences, it starts with our homes.

Why? Because discipleship begins in the home.

If we want to navigate outside, we need healthy homes.
If we want healthy homes, we ourselves need strong foundations.

The Comparison Trap

I don’t know who needs to hear this, but TikTok mums are not a good baseline on how to parent.

We compare their highlight reel with our behind the scenes and think: What am I doing wrong?

If you want a house that is established, that has longevity, that can withstand the test of time, you need to ask yourself:

Is the house of my life being built on the rock?

The truth is our kiddo nuggets are watching.

They don’t just watch what we say.
They learn where we go when life shakes us.

The Starting Point

1. There is a good God, who is with you and loves your children more than you do.

This should also give us a sense of relief!

This matters because that means that there is a God that is for you.

This is the foundation that we build from…

2. God entrusted you with your children — they are yours to steward.

Children have been given by God to steward. It is my responsibility not to abdicate.

Am I stewarding what God has placed in my hands?

It’s about responsibility:
Anyone can become a dad, but only few become fathers. Why? Because they take responsibility.

We are given our children on purpose and for a purpose.
So when I parent I need to do so purposefully.

I know it can feel like it but we are not treating our homes as shift manager at your own bed and breakfast.

Parents need to parent:

• We can’t leave it to the school to disciple

• Or the teachers to disciple

• Or even the Church

Discipleship starts in the home.

3. Children Are a Gift (And Should Be Enjoyed)

Psalm 127:3–5a NLT

Children are a gift from the Lord;
they are a reward from him.
Children born to a young man
are like arrows in a warrior’s hands.
How joyful is the man whose quiver is full of them!

One of the greatest robberies is when parents live in constant fear — fear of the world, fear of getting it wrong, fear of not being enough.

Yes, we grow.
Yes, we learn.

But why would God have us feel like imposters of our own children?

Confidence is not perfection, it’s knowing the God who created your children.

I believe that God has called us to be confident parents
because the world needs confident parents that lead confident children.

You (a child’s parents) are the single greatest influence in a child’s life.

All research points to this truth:
Our actions, our values and our beliefs will do more to determine who your child will become than anything else.

Well that feels like pressure…

Sometimes simply leaving the house on time deserves a medal.

But the only time that this crazy culture has more influence than you is when you check out — because if we check out on our responsibility, culture will be more than happy to step in and take over.

Don’t let crazy culture replace you as a parent.
Don’t let us as parents replace the hole that only God can fill.

Yes, it’s laundry, cooking, and money giving ministry…

But we have a greater influence than anything else.

No algorithm can replace you.

IS MY PARENTING BUILT ON THE ROCK?

A.I — The Storm

Matthew 7:25.

Jesus says the rain will fall, the floods will come, and the winds will blow.

Storms are inevitable.
“In this life you will face trials of various kinds”.

Parenting in a world gone mad begins with the right foundations.
Parenting in a world gone mad is about how you navigate the storms.

Technology is one of the storms of our time.

It’s not evil - it’s like fire. You can use it build with or burn with.

Take a look below:

What do these have in common?

Walkie Talkies, Cash, DVDs, Address Books, Scanners, Camcorders, Offices, Translators, Timers, Alarm Clocks, Portable Speakers, Car Keys, Foreign Phrasebooks, Pay Phones, Cameras, Airline Tickets, Rolodexes, Diaries, Calendars, Mail, Yellow Pages, Bank Branches, GPS Devices, VCRs, Travel Guidebooks, Newspapers, Radios, Voice Recorders, Encyclopedias, TV Remotes, Answering Machines, Photo Albums, Takeout Orders by Phone, Playing Cards, Parking Meters, Compact Mirrors, Photocopiers, Flashlights, Rulers, Cookbooks, Money, Calculators, Watches, CDs, TVs, Compasses, Maps, Checks, Magazines.

They were replaced by our phone.

The internet changed the world; smartphones put it in our pockets.

The world we grew up in is very different to the world our children are growing up in.
We have moved from the information and digital age to the AI age.

We said this was coming in a few years but now it’s here.

We are now in a time where tech billionaires have more wealth than nation states.

The rate at which AI is being rolled out globally is unprecedented.

Will it be as big as the internet? Others say bigger than electricity.

What Our Children Are Growing Up In

I’m going to share ways to equip us so we can parent effectively, however first take a few minutes to share the reality of what our children are growing up in.

Disclaimer: stats, research and content — but hope is coming…!

I’m passionate (and I believe you are too) that we set the right foundations for our children, and so we need to understand the world they are living in.

What is AI?

AI — a computer, a huge database and an algorithm that chooses out of that database.

It simulates intelligence; it itself is not intelligent.

The possibilities are impressive:

• Medical care: detect disease earlier

• Education: personalised learning

• Scientific discovery: accelerates breakthroughs

• Accessibility: AI translating languages, supporting disabilities

• Crisis response: predicts disasters and coordinates faster

This isn’t something that is coming — it is already here.

But the speed in which technology and AI is advancing is faster than the ethics underpinning.

We are pointing back to God’s word!

We need to know what we believe, we need to stand on what has been tested for a millennia, we need to get our foundations straight.

Where else do we get our moral compass from?

• Over 1.2 billion people worldwide have used AI tools.

• It is estimated that 8 million deep fakes will be created this year

• 42% of teenagers find love or affection through AI

• 37% of UK adults say they’ve used an AI chatbot to support their mental health

• Two-thirds of children aged 9 to 17 are using chatbots

These aren’t here to scare us but show us the size of the issue.

• Emotional dependency

• Reinforcing harmful ideas

• Social deprivation

• Inappropriate content

• Limiting development

• Privacy and data issues

The AI world has led to greater disconnection, distraction and addiction than ever.

AI can’t feel emotion — it can only fake it.

Can we really put our hopes into something that is only pretending to care about you?

Science and technology, although important, does not deal with the most important questions of a child’s life such as:

What is my purpose?
Who am I, why am I here?
Is there more to life than this?

Those questions can only be pointed back to your foundations…
connected to a true relationship with God.

Created to the Creator.

“We have overprotected our kids in the real world and under protected them online” — Jonathan Haidt

It is far safer for children to walk to the shop than it is to go online for five minutes unrestricted.

Right then, so what do we do with all of this?

There’s hope coming.

It truly is revolutionary — but how do we parent in it?

Protect and Prepare

“Like a city that is broken down and without walls [leaving it unprotected] is a man who has no self-control over his spirit [and sets himself up for trouble].”
Proverbs 25:28 AMP

Protect and prepare.

We prepare them now so that one day they can protect themselves.

Kids need your home to be a shelter (from the storm).

God has equipped us in every season.
God is always present in every storm; he gives us the foundation to thrive!

THRIVE!!

Our role as parents is to prepare our children with the foundations so that they can live out in the real world — but also prepared for the AI/digital world that is out there as well.

How can I protect and prepare?

We create walls for them so that one day they can create healthy walls for themselves.

Parenting in a world gone mad begins with the right foundations.
Parenting in a world gone mad is about how you navigate the storms.
Parenting in a world gone mad requires strong pillars.

We are going to look at 3 key pillars I believe will support our house on the right foundations.

Pillar 1: Presence

Emotionally healthy people often had parents who were present in their lives.

It’s painful, isn’t it?

This is increasingly what a child experiences with their parents.

We’re living in an age where a child is more likely to see the back of their parent’s hand than their face!

Research shows a link between parental inaccessibility and a child’s sense of disappointment.

The first pillar that we need is presence!

Your kids need your time — you’re the person they look up to.

The time you spend matters.

Quality and quantity. They need both.

The answer won’t be found in a quick fix.

When we rely on quick fixes, we will inevitably have to slow down to fix the unraveling later.

Our presence matters.

If children take on our characteristics, then we need to create spaces that reflect the people we want them to become.

Some of the most amazing parents I know are single parents who work extremely hard to provide.

Presence is a big challenge to our selfishness.

Presence requires personal sacrifice.

A child’s love language is spelt P.L.A.Y.

Love languages are about giving what the other wants — not what we want.

Your child would much prefer your presence than the presents your money buys.
(They’ll take your money too, but I’m sure they’d much rather be on an adventure in a clapped out camper van than sitting at home whilst your Mercedes sits at the office.)

Presence is a big deal to God too. God loves us too much that he came present with us in Jesus.

John 3:16 tells us.

God Incarnate:
God took on flesh and came down; he dwelt among us.

He so loved the world that He came. He sent His only Son, the incarnation of the Father Himself, to be with us — God in the flesh, present in our lives, spending time with us in order to impart his nature to us.

Incarnation brought connection.

To a significant degree, that’s our calling as parents. We intentionally enter into our children’s lives and be present. Accessible, available, engaged parents.

So how is that plausible?

Commit to Play

Dr Amen: 20 minutes a day.

I bought them a toy, they played with the box — look, I get it.
I just stepped on Lego and questioned my life choices.

Commit to Pray

The greatest gift you can give your child is prayer.

Pray for them. Pray with them. But also show them how to discern.

Equip our children with their foundations,
that they too can distinguish between right and wrong,
that they can have foundations of a relationship with God.

Pillar 2: Posture

The first way to navigate the waters of external influences begins with your own parenting posture:

John 13:35
By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.

Here’s 4:

1) Authoritarian Parenting

Rules, regulations and no relationship.

They can be over strong or harsh.
Unable to relate to a child.
The children fear the parent.
High on demand, low on love.
Lack of love/belief.

2) Permissive Parenting

No rules, no regulation but there is relationship.

Indulgent.

Anything that the child wants they get.
I will clean up my child’s mistakes.
Anywhere the child wants to go, anything the child wants to do.

We avoid our child becoming upset and so give them things to make them stop.
You can have this.

Tantrums become coping mechanisms.

Permissive parents were often parented by an authoritarian parent.

No, you might think that this is great because surely we’re loving our children? However what the child doesn’t realise is that often the parent isn’t doing that to simply love them — they are doing it because they are trying to give what they did not receive when they were a child.

3) Uninvolved Parenting

No rules, no regulation, no relationship.

It demands no response.

Typically they are detached from the child; typically they are overwhelmed in their own life.

There is no structure and no supervision.
Not particularly interested in what they’re doing at school.
Nobody checks how you’re doing.
The parent is there, but they’re not involved.

4) FOCUS ON: Righteous Parenting

There is relationship, rules and regulation.

The first principle is relationship, not rules.

Establish connection before you lay down correction.

They are loving and firm.

“grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.”
John 1:17 NIV

First pass on relationship before you pass on rules.

These guys actually have more fun along the way!

Because when the rules are put in place, the child will see those through the lens of love because of what has been established.

Pillar 3: Parameters

It’s like bowling — putting the guard rails up first.

You put boundaries so that they can succeed, so that they can hit the target, so that they can regulate themselves.

Discipline, boundaries and parameters.

Kids are desperate for us to love them.

God disciplines those that he loves.

Proverbs 13:24 — He who loves his child is careful to discipline him.

When we loosen the boundaries and a child is left to their own devices, it doesn’t build healthy character — that’s not love.

Foundational digital boundaries

• Set content and screen time

• Set parental restrictions

• Set the timeline

• Set device spaces

• Set ourselves straight (it comes down to what we model!)

We can create a fascination with our devices.

If our home is the model, then when we as parents spend every time in their presence on our phone, we are setting the precedent that phones are more important than people — because that’s what we’ve modelled.

Discipleship Begins at Home

“And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. (Teach them diligently) Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up.”
Deuteronomy 6:5–7 NLT

And that is discipleship.

How do I know that?

In order to parent, we need to be parented.

I’m a better parent when I’m closer to God.
I’m more joyful, more gentle, more love, more peace.

I can prove this to you from Galatians 5:

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”
Galatians 5:22–23 NIV

We are kinder, gentler…

What Is Your House Built On?

What is your house built on?

If you have God you have Hope, but you can also give it!

I believe the greatest gift you can give your kids is faith — a spiritual legacy.

I can plaster over cracks with good parenting tips and they help, but they can’t hold a house together alone.

Because you cannot give your children a foundation you don’t stand on yourself.

When God becomes your foundation:

• You’re no longer measured by your performance

• Your security is found in something deeper than your success

• Your identity is based as a child, not your role as a parent

The wind and storms will come, but Jesus says the only way you can withstand is when you are founded on the rock!

Wisdom to digest

Parenting in a world gone mad begins with the right foundations.

You can’t stop the rain, floods, and wind — but you can choose what your house is built on.

You can’t outsource discipleship, and you can’t afford to check out — because culture is always ready to step in when you do.

So protect and prepare. Be present. Check your posture. Set parameters.

And remember: no algorithm can replace you.

Reflective question:
Where, practically, are you most tempted to “check out” right now — and what would it look like this week to rebuild that part of your parenting on the Rock?

Josh Green is the Co-Founder of Gen Zeal, a movement born from a deep passion to reverse the statistics of decline in church attendance and engagement among the next generation. Driven by a vision to see young people awakened to Jesus, Gen Zeal exists to ignite fresh hunger for God, equip youth in prayer, ground them in Scripture, and release them into bold gospel mission. Through his leadership, Josh champions a growing call to see a generation encounter God in a real, transformative way and to rebuild the spiritual landscape of the UK and beyond.

I’m excited to share with you his contribution to this weeks Wisdom Digest…

Never in my wildest dreams did I think we’d see mainstream newspapers reporting “global crises sending Gen Z to church,” or reports of a Quiet Revival in the UK, at least, that would’ve described my mindset in 2020.

For many around the globe it was a time of crisis, panic, pain, and a multitude of other issues from very major life-threatening situations all the way to losing businesses and income, to homeschooling and spinning a thousand plates whilst on a Zoom call.

It still baffles me that God seems to use suffering in profound ways. I can explain how pain produces a sense of determination and resolve to never give up. Romans 5:3b-4 says, “suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.” The reality of actually experiencing suffering, however, often makes us feel as if character and hope are the furthest things away from us in those times.

And yet…David strengthened himself in the Lord, the Hebrews groaned in their slavery and God heard them, Elijah despaired for his very life and cried out to God with his head between his knees, Jesus agonised in prayer in Gethsemane to the point of producing Blood.

This is our biblical example of how to deal with difficult situations; run to God in prayer and cry out to Him in desperation. I love the words of the song, “in desperation I turned to heaven and spoke your Name into the night.” (Phil Wickham, Living Hope).

That’s what I did in 2021. I spoke the Name of Jesus into the situations I was facing and began to develop a holy hunger for God’s Presence. That may sound nice but it was deeply painful, incredibly awkward and rather broken. I was confronted by my lack of hunger for God and prayer, my cynicism and scepticism, and my lack of knowledge of what God was doing in my life. A whole lot of repentance followed but what came after surprised me.

I began having visions of a youth revival stirring in the UK and beyond. I had a picture of little fires sparking all across the nation – groups of young people hungry for Jesus, praying and seeking Him, and going out preaching the gospel. I’ve since become aware of many others who’ve had similar visions. But these visions seemed so far away from the reality of where we were in 2021. Narratives of decline within church and hopelessness outside of it.

It felt like revival was the only reasonable option to believe for because nothing else could turn the tide.

Four years on we’ve seen what God did at Asbury University where young people led the way in an incredible outpouring of God’s Spirit that reached 100,000 people in 16 days with thousands of salvations and many healings and deliverances. Youth festivals growing in the UK year on year with many reports of hundreds of salvations. We’ve seen gatherings of young people praying in their hundreds and thousands, some even through the night. Believe me, I’m just as amazed as anyone else.

People have been praying for this kind of thing to happen for years. In many ways, I feel like I’m reaping where I haven’t sowed in light of everything we’re seeing. Yes, I’ve been praying, along with many others, but I’m highlighting it because it’s incredibly important to recognise the need for all generations to be all-in for what God is doing. Part of what God is doing right now in the young I think can be traced to old saints who’ve gone before; those who’ve put decades of prayer and leadership in. That’s why you matter, friend. Whether you’re old or young, you have a part to play.

The question I’ve been thinking through more recently though is how does this become sustainable? The answer is to pray and fast like never before. We can’t graduate from this. Alongside this, there are unique things about Gen Z we need to be aware of, and I want to offer some hopefully helpful tips for how to engage.

Hunger needs catalysing – there’s clearly a hunger for the holy in Gen Z. There’s a passion that can’t be ignored. Let’s throw wood on it! Give them the space to go long and deep in worship, equip them to pray fervently, teach them the rich depths of Scripture, encourage to share their faith.

Openness needs challenging – according to Barna this generation are more open to spirituality than previous generations. Openness to all forms of spirituality can be dangerous so we must preach the Word faithfully and proclaim the age-old, never-failing, matchless gospel message of Christ, and Christ alone, as the Way, Truth and Life.

Brokenness needs comforting – This generation need the love of God. They need fathers and mothers. We’re faced with a mental health crisis. Society seems to have been crumbling all around them in their formative years. And that’s perhaps just the tip of the iceberg. We must get our knees and pray, “break our hearts for what breaks Yours, Lord,” and bring the comfort of God.

In terms of how we lead young people effectively beyond this I’ll close by offering two suggestions of spiritual formation:

Stretch - We need to stretch our young people to go deeper in prayer, to study the Word of God, to worship longer and develop a deep passion for the Lord. The more you stretch, the more you develop capacity for more.

Sustain - We need to teach the next generation to sustain the fire, to be consistent and steadfast, to be faithful and trustworthy, this ensures the passion burns for a life time rather than burns out. Zeal needs wisdom, guidance, discipline to be long-term.

If the next generation are hungry for the holy, we must be too. If we want to see this so-called Quiet Revival last and go beyond our generation, we must pray and ask God to pour His Spirit out. We must contend for it. We can’t stop now; things have only just begun. Who knows what God could do through your prayers today?

Every year around this time, inboxes fill up with giving appeals and Christmas campaigns. But behind every ask, there’s often a quiet tension most leaders know all too well: “How are we actually going to fund this vision?”

I’ve been there - sitting at my desk with a big dream, a small budget, and a deadline that didn’t care how inspired I was. Fundraising isn’t easy. It’s vulnerable, often stressful, faith-stretching work. But it’s also holy work. Because when you invite people to give, you’re not just raising money- you’re raising faith.

That’s why I created this new Wisdom Digest resource: “How to Raise £200,000 for Your Nonprofit” a visual guide and workbook designed to help leaders, fundraisers, and creative visionaries think strategically about fundraising while keeping the spiritual heartbeat intact.

Why I Wrote This

Since working for Church full time from September this year, it’s the first time in 5 years i’ve not had to sit down and consider- i’ve got a financial goal to hit, how are we going to do it? lol. Over the past few years, I’ve had the privilege of leading campaigns that raised:

• £50,000 for a building project in a developing country

• £500,000 for a UK-based charity as digital team lead

• £250,000 in nine months heading up a creative team of ten

But behind every figure were lessons learned, sometimes the hard way. How to articulate vision clearly. How to communicate faith without manipulation. How to build campaigns that people don’t just scroll past, but stop, feel, and respond to.

So I’ve been thinking about a guide that serves as a starting point rather than just theory. It’s a distilled compilation of strategy considerations for campaigns that have worked in the past ranging across digital, print, social, and direct mail.

What You’ll Find Inside

Each section of the guide walks you through a vital principle of effective, faith-led fundraising:

• Vision Begins on the Inside – how to clarify your “why” before you ever make an ask.

• Fundraising Is Faith Raising – because if your dream doesn’t require faith, it’s probably too small.

• Only Buy If You Can Clarify & Quantify – how to communicate costs with integrity and precision.

• Who You Talkin’ To? – how to know your audience and adapt your language, tone, and platform.

• A Marketing Engine That Moves People – turning awareness into engagement, and engagement into giving.

• Copy & Design: Your Silent Superpower – why great words and visuals are worth every moment of attention.

• Marketing Channels That Actually Work – how to choose what fits your audience.

• Test, Learn, Improve – refining through results, not guesses.

Hopefully you find it helpful!

Why It Matters Now

We are entering the ultimate giving season. For many charities, November through December makes or breaks the entire financial year. But instead of scrambling, I want to help you strategise.

Because behind every appeal is an opportunity to strengthen your message, refine your methods, and renew your faith that the same God who gave the vision will also bring the provision. But mainly? To help more people!

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To make this practical, I’ve also created a Fundraising Cheatsheet & Workbook a downloadable companion to help you:
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✅ And build a strategy that actually moves people

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Stewardship.org created a Generosity Report outlining fascinating learnings of giving across generations.

A stat that obviously turned my attention was that young adults are giving a higher percentage of their income than Baby Boomers. This suggests to me that there is something of hunger and discipleship being found within young people that is needed to be harnessed. So I spoke with Annika Greco Thompson.

Annika Greco Thompson is a Swedish-American with a diverse vocational and geographical background. She's now married to a Brit and resides in Liverpool. She joined Stewardship in 2023 and is passionate about helping Christians join the dots between generosity, the gospel of the kingdom, and their faith confession. In addition to her work, she enjoys good food, reading, traveling, and singing in a choir.

I hope you enjoy.

-Annika Greco Thompson continues below:

According to data from Stewardship’s Generosity Report 2025, young adults are giving a higher percentage of their income than Baby Boomers. Encouraging! But what are the implications for how to pastor these young people well and nurture their generosity into the future?

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Chip and the Law of Lift

In the city of Upward, leaders didn’t drive cars; they piloted planes. Their altitude rose or sank not by engines but by one law: altitude follows attitude.

Chip had just been promoted to lead the Liftworks team. But on his shoulder sat a splinter from long ago; ‘they overlooked me for years.’ That splinter grew into chips that weighed down both him and his team.

The First Chip: Tear Down

At their first team meeting, Tim proposed a new intake process.
Chip smirked. “Oh, that’s cute. Reinventing the wheel, are we?”

The room fell silent. TEAR DOWN landed on his shoulder. Mockery gave Chip a fleeting sense of superiority, but it shrank ideas and silenced voices. His glider lost lift.

The Second Chip: Defensive

Later, Dawn offered feedback on their messaging.
“Maybe we need to reframe it for clarity and perhaps…”

Chip cut in. “So what, you think I don’t know what I’m doing?”

DEFENSIVE dropped heavily. Feedback became a threat, not a gift. Dawn stopped speaking up. Another dip in altitude.

The Third Chip: Hurt

During budget discussions, Harry simply asked, “Why did you cut that line?”
Chip crossed his arms. “I knew you’d blame me.”

HURT pressed in. Everything became personal, every question an attack. The team’s trust thinned.

The Pile-Up

Other chips soon gathered: Dismissiveness when he brushed off ideas, Cynicism when he poisoned the air with sarcasm, Control when he hoarded decisions, and Micromanagement when he hovered over small tasks. The higher his title, the lower his altitude sank.

The Principle

A short and primitive analogy, but what we were limited by our attitudes? How dare they ask me? That’s below me. Who do they think they are?

Every time I express with an attitude it usually comes from deep rooted selfish. And the problem with that it reflects no humilty. Worse still? God opposes the proud.

I wonder what would happen if we approached our lives with Confession. Curiosity. Gratitude.

Perhaps we too could chose to listen, ask questions, and share credit. Slowly those chips can begin to fall, and our teams begin to rise again.

If you want to grow in leadership, attitude is everything. It bleeds into every facet of life. Sometimes it’s not just about what people say, but what they don’t say because they don’t feel heard. That’s emotional intelligence the secret that unlocks trust, fast-tracks growth, and reflects humility.

Almost every destructive attitude comes from selfish motives. But leadership is stewardship. If we can steward our own emotions and the emotions of those God has placed in our care. He can trust us with more responsibility.

So ask yourself: What chip has been wedged on my shoulder?
The good news: we can repent, change, and reset our minds.

Scripture to Meditate On

Psalm 139:23–24 (NLT)
“Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
Point out anything in me that offends you,
and lead me along the path of everlasting life.”

I recently had the privilege of sitting down with Aaron Gonzalez, Alpha Youth UK Development Manager, to hear what God has been doing through the latest Alpha Youth series- which, by the way, is absolutely phenomenal. Aaron shared powerful stories of young people leading Alpha gatherings themselves, filling high school assembly halls with students who are searching, hungry, and wanting more- and the best part? So much salvation! And these aren’t isolated moments; across our nation, similar stories are unfolding. In this conversation, Aaron offers us a glimpse into what makes Gen Alpha tick and how we, as pastors and leaders, can truly connect with them.

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Catching the Open Generation by Aaron Gonzalez

Across the UK, and the globe, young people are becoming more open to spirituality.
They’re asking bigger questions. They’re walking into churches. They’re dreaming of Jesus.

It feels like we’re standing on the edge of something big. The Bible Society calls it a quiet revival, and for those of us in youth ministry, this may be the most exciting time to be alive.

But here’s the catch: they won’t be reached by slick programmes or impressive events.
They’ll be reached by healthy church cultures that are creating spaces that are relevant, accessible, and engaging.

1. Relevant: Speak Their Questions

Relevance isn’t about being trendy, it’s about timely truth.

Gen Z and Gen Alpha are asking questions about anxiety, identity, purpose, and injustice. Build your series and talks around their questions.

Let them share their stories and ask what they want to talk about. The best thing is — they don’t want polished answers, they want real conversations.

2. Accessible: Remove the Barriers

It’s not just “Can they get in the room?” but also “Can they understand what we’re preaching?”

From shorter content to clear communication, diverse voices, and honest discussion spaces, accessibility is about designing our ministries with young people in mind — not just expecting them to fit in or assume they understand the ‘Christian lingo’.

We must create spaces where, through talks and conversations, young people can gain a real and deep understanding of the Christian faith.

3. Engaging: Make Room to Respond

This generation is interactive. They don’t want to spectate; they want to participate.

At Alpha Youth, we say: For Youth, By Youth. Let them lead, welcome, and pray. Give them space for reflection.

Engagement isn’t just about fun, it’s about ownership.

Empowering Young People Means Letting Go

We’re not raising church attenders. We’re raising Kingdom contributors.

Young people don’t just want a seat at the table — they want to build it with you.

Empowerment means giving them responsibility and trusting them to lead.

But Here’s the Key: Unity

If we’re serious about catching this wave of spiritual openness, we cannot do it alone.

This isn’t about one denomination, one style, or one brand of youth ministry. It’s about churches and leaders coming together with the same heart and purpose.

Philippians 2 says it best:

“Make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind.”

We catch the Open Generation not with competition, but with collaboration.
Not by building silos, but by building bridges.

Culture Before Content

At the end of the day, this is not about better events — it’s about better ecosystems.

You’ve heard it said: culture eats content for breakfast.
You can’t microwave transformation. You have to sow, water, and wait for God to grow it.

The Invitation

Let’s not miss this moment.

Let’s build ministries that are relevant, accessible, and engaging.
Let’s trust young people with real responsibility.
And most of all, let’s unite — across churches, across denominations, across generations — to open the door to the ones whose hearts are already open.

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If this conversation has stirred something in you, then you won’t want to miss the upcoming Circles & Spaces Gathering on Saturday, September 27, at Holy Trinity Brompton, London. This one–day event is designed to equip and empower youth leaders by creating a collaborative environment of community, learning, and listening. More than just a conference, it’s a space to share experiences, exchange ideas, and be inspired together. Find out more and book your place here.

As we come out of summer, life seems to quicken again. Some of us return from holidays refreshed, others have spent the past weeks parenting full-time, and for many, September feels like a gear shift into busier routines. The question is: as our schedules speed up, how do we ensure our souls don’t fall behind?

At the start of the year, my wife Sophie and I began intentionally removing distractions through 21 days of prayer and fasting. That meant stepping away from social media, eating healthier, exercising, and staying consistent. The results were so impactful that we continued for several months after!

During that time, we noticed a clearer focus, a lighter sense of pressure, deeper presence as a couple and with our children, a healthier relationship with our phone, more time in Scripture, greater effectiveness at work, space to read and grow, and far less intake of toxic or fear-driven content.

Here’s what I’ve learnt:
Our ability to address distractions will determine the health of our souls.

Disconnecting from what weighs us down allows us to reconnect with what fuels and gives life.

Life in Months: A Sobering Picture

The dots on this chart represent an adult life in months (assuming 90 years)…

If you’re 18 today, here’s what you have left:

288 months sleeping, 126 months working or in school, 18 months driving, 36 months cooking and eating, 36 months on chores, 27 months in the bathroom, 312 months in front of a screen.

That leaves 334 months of free time.

This is the space where you live your purpose, pursue your passions, practice your calling, make disciples, and leave your mark. How you spend it will shape your effectiveness, relationships, and eternal impact.

But here’s the reality:
The average 18-year-old is expected to spend 93% of their free time on a screen.
That’s 26 years of scrolling and binging.

I was shocked when I first saw this, and the truth still echoes today. It should serve as an adrenaline shot to the arm.

I wonder if this is what Paul meant when he said, “Live a life worthy of the calling you have received”?

Because I certainly don’t believe it’s what Jesus meant when He said, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”

Perhaps the question is not whether we are distracted, but just how distracted we really are.

Martha, Mary, and the Necessary Thing

Luke 10:38-42 (ESV) tells the story:

Martha welcomed Jesus into her home.
Mary sat at His feet and listened.
But Martha was distracted with much serving.
Jesus said: “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion.”

There was a connection between Martha’s distraction and her anxiousness. Whereas Mary was experiencing something different.

Jesus chose to declare in a home- not on a mountaintop- that only one thing is necessary. It’s as if He is handing us the keys to a healthy soul.

The Battle for Attention

A content-consumed soul is a distracted soul.
A distracted soul is an unhealthy soul.
An unhealthy soul is an ineffective soul.

Like Martha, we too are pulled away by busyness. And the battle continues today: distraction calls loudly, pulling us away from the good portion.

But devotion looks different.
Mary sat at Jesus’ feet. She chose presence over performance. Simplicity over striving. And Jesus said it was the only necessary thing.

Distraction strives whilst devotion sits.

The Cost of Distraction

• More people in the world own a phone than a toothbrush

• We check our phones 81,000 times a year

• During this message alone, you may be tempted to check 12 times

• The average person spends 5 hours a day on social media

• 71% check apps before opening the Bible

• On average, we receive 146 notifications daily—one every 10 minutes

• Studies link heavy digital use to anxiety, depression, and impulsivity

Our pockets have become weapons of mass distraction.

The enemy loves distraction, because distraction is the enemy of discipleship, healthy souls, and attentive homes.

Redeeming the Time

Ephesians 5:16 urges us:
“Make good use of every opportunity you have, because these are evil days.”

We need to cut distractions to recalibrate our connection with God and our commission to the world.

The good portion is simple: to know God and be known by Him.

Genesis 2:7 reminds us that God breathed His divine breath (neshamah) into dust, and man became a living soul (nefesh). Every breath we take echoes that first breath of life. Our souls can only be replenished by returning to Him.

Breaking the Cycle of Distraction

The cycle looks like this:
Feel empty → seek a dopamine hit → get distracted → consume content → feel empty again.

So what do we need to do? Break the cycle!

How can you break the cycle today?

• Step into nature

• Invest in real relationships

• Lead by example

• Set boundaries with content

• Stay accountable with trusted friends

We need to be present, in His Presence.

Mary understood this: she chose to sit with Jesus. And that was enough.

Wisdom to Digest

Your soul will either be devoted or distracted.
Distraction pulls us from the good portion. Devotion sits at His feet.

The question remains:
When Jesus comes knocking, will He find you present in His presence?

Hey friends,

For this week’s Wisdom Digest, I’ve written an article for Premier Christianity titled “Full-Fat Faith – Why Gen Z Are Hungry for the Real Thing.” It’s a response to The Times piece by James Marriott, “Full-fat faith: the young Christian converts filling our churches.” You can check it out here: [Article Link].

What struck me while reading Marriott’s commentary is how much it mirrors what we’re seeing right here in Hereford. Young people are showing up to church uninvited, unexpectedly, and with a hunger that can only be explained as the Spirit at work. Just this week I sat in a pub with two young men who’d never been to church before, talking not just about life and faith but repentance. These are the conversations many of us have prayed for, and they’re happening quietly beneath the surface.

The article reflects on why this moment matters. Gen Z has grown up in crisis: terror attacks, financial collapse, a pandemic, wars in Europe. With certainty stripped away, many are searching not for a watered-down spirituality but for something substantial. They don’t want performance; they want presence. They don’t need additives; they need authenticity. In the words of one young man, “I tried everything else… nothing lasted. In church, I found truth and a family.”

This cultural moment is a challenge to us as leaders and communities. If the world is craving “full-fat faith,” then it’s time we served it up—unapologetically and unashamed. That means strong preaching, clear gospel invitations, and discipleship that asks something of us. It means offering the Bible, communion, and confession, not as hidden extras, but as central practices of life with Christ. This generation isn’t running from responsibility; they’re running toward it. The question is, will we meet them with the real thing?

Wisdom to Digest: What Gen Z is asking for isn’t new. It’s the faith we’ve carried for generations. Unfiltered, undiluted, and still powerful today.

View the Article

Set the scene. It’s Sunday morning. Two volunteers have already dropped out this week and it’s just you and the front-row nose picker against the world.

You’ve been talking to Darren’s long-lost cousins that are visiting just for the weekend, while also topping up the third refill because the pastor’s kid keeps drinking all the squash. You can’t help thinking to yourself, “HELP! I need more leaders.”

We’ve all been there- and we’ll likely be there again. But there are practices and principles we CAN put in place to raise leaders proactively, so a team thrives rather than merely survives. This is ultimately how we function as the Ephesians 4 ‘Equip the Saint’ Church God designed.

We look to Jesus for a lot of things. But one area we might look to Him less in- is leader raising.

Over the years I’ve seen a power shift happen when the leader stops exasperating the problem and instead re-engineers their posture from complain and strain to invest and train.

Matthew 4:18-20
While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Immediately they left their nets and followed him.

In the verses preceding this moments (verses 12-17) Jesus begins His ministry- but he has no one else building with Him. It’s just Him. Preaching to the crowds by the sea. He’s doing the home visits.

It’s small beginnings but as He ministers to the people, He has no apprentice. No one to run ProPresenter. No one to hit into the bridge at the end of His three points. No one (yet) to collect the offering plate. He’s operating without kingdom accomplices.

Here are three things that Jesus did when He had no one to build with…

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You know how God uses everything and that nothing’s wasted? Well I originally met Elijah Eldredge via Modern Mission. A clothing company I set up whilst Church Planting in India as a creative opportunity and ability to raise finance/fund our missionary work out there. Elijah has been a cheerleader and an encouragement to me for over 5 years now! I’ve watched and admired from afar the work that God has done in his life, and how God has grown his impact and influence since being faithful with the areas that God has placed in his hands.

My goal in Wisdom Digest as always is to sift and profile the gold in the leaders around me. I’m a lifelong learner, and have the privilege to hear from exceptional people. That’s what this is, a community of leaders committed to never stop learning. I hope you enjoy hearing straight from Elijah’s heart…

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It’s That Simple: See Jesus. Know Jesus. Be Like Jesus.

Elijah Eldredge is a pastor at Alive Church with over seven years in full time ministry. Formerly the Creative Director, he now helps lead Church Operations under the Executive Pastor, combining creativity with systems to serve people with Excellence.

There’s something powerful happening in our church and I don’t say that lightly. Over

the past seven years at Alive Church, I’ve had the privilege of watching God do the

miraculous: not just in the lives of the people who walk through our doors, but in our

staff, our volunteers, and even in our vision. We’ve experienced provision we didn’t

plan for. We’ve seen territory extended that we didn’t ask for. And most of all, we’ve

witnessed God show up—not in flashy, headline-grabbing ways—but in the steady,

consistent, unmistakable presence of Jesus.

As we look ahead to launching another Alive Church campus, I find myself reflecting on how we’ve gotten here. And truthfully, it hasn’t always been simple. Often, the way we build, plan, and execute ministry is layered and complicated, sometimes unnecessarily so. That’s not a knock on our team or strategy; it’s just the reality of leading in a fast-paced, high-capacity environment. Over time, I’ve learned, that complicated leadership can cloud clarity. That’s why my leadership philosophy has been shaped by a deep conviction to pursue simplicity. Not as a shortcut, but to bring focus, freedom, and alignment back to the center.

Three Simple Goals

These three statements have shaped my leadership, my team building, and my mindset for ministry:

1. Help people see Jesus.

2. Help people know Jesus.

3. Help people be like Jesus.

That’s the playbook. They serve as my filter, my guide, and my constant recalibration

point. Now don’t get me wrong: we absolutely need leadership pipelines. We need

systems, marketing, deep theology—all of it. But if the things we need to have a strong

ministry aren’t producing Christ-following disciples, then somewhere along the way,

ministry itself has become our message, rather than the original mission.

1. Help People See Jesus

The first goal is about encounter. Before anything else, we want people to have a real,

personal, undeniable encounter with the living Jesus. That moment when eyes are

opened, hope is found, and something shifts in the soul. This is why we care deeply

about the atmosphere of our services, the intentionality of our messaging, and the

accessibility of our worship. We create opportunities for people to see Him.

This is where creativity plays a key role. As a former Creative Director, I believe in

clarity. When people walk into our services, they should be able to immediately catch a

glimpse of something greater than us. Every detail, from graphics to the parking lot, is

part of Jesus to being seen.

2. Help People Know Jesus

Once someone has seen Him, we want them to know Him. To linger. To learn. This is

discipleship. Not just the transfer of information, but the transformation of identity.

We help people know Jesus through our small groups, our Growth Track, our

preaching, and our college. Knowing Jesus means moving beyond an emotional high

and building a foundation of faith. It means introducing people to Scripture,

community, prayer, and purpose. Discipleship is often slower than we’d like, but when

we commit to walking with people, Jesus becomes more than a moment; He becomes

their life’s mission.

3. Help People Be Like Jesus

This third goal is where it all comes alive. Pun intended. Once someone sees Him and

knows Him, the next step is to live like Him. To serve, to love, to lead, to go. This is

activation. At Alive Church, we’re intentional about giving people purpose early. You

don’t have to be perfect to start making a difference.

We believe that Jesus didn’t just call people to follow Him, He empowered them to

carry His message. Whether it’s through leading a group, serving on a team, mentoring

students, or creating content, our heart is to help people reflect Jesus in everyday life.

Simplicity Isn’t Shallow

Don’t get me wrong, ministry is complex. People are layered. Teams require structure.

Budgets demand stewardship. And let’s be honest, church leadership can sometimes

feel messy.

But it doesn’t have to be complicated.

We often complicate the things God made complex, but He never intended for the

church to be chaotic. In Colossians 1:26–29, the Apostle Paul says it beautifully:

“The mystery in a nutshell is just this: Christ is in you. So therefore, you can look

forward to sharing in God’s glory. It’s that simple. That is the substance of our

Message. We preach Christ, warning people not to add to the Message. We teach in

a spirit of profound common sense so that we can bring each person to maturity. To

be mature is to be basic. Christ! No more, no less.” (The Message Translation)

That’s been my conviction. Christ. No more, no less. To be mature is to be basic. To be

basic is to be clear. And to be clear is to be powerful.

The Invitation to the Church

If I could encourage other leaders with anything, it would be this: don’t underestimate

the power of simplicity. You don’t have to have the biggest budget or the flashiest logo

to help people meet Jesus. You just need clarity of vision, consistency of leadership,

and the courage to stay focused on what matters most. We’re not called to build

empires. We’re called to build disciples. And discipleship begins when someone sees

Jesus, knows Jesus, and then chooses to be like Jesus.

It’s that simple.

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The year is 2002. You’re with your mates in the woods. The sun is shining, you're off your head on Capri-Sun, and everyone’s having a good time. Your role is to defend the oak in the centre of the clearing, and because you were out last round, you’re now captain of the guard. But it’s all good. You’re quite savvy at taking other people out, calling them out, literally and metaphorically.

Your senses are heightened. Adrenaline starts to build as the quiet of the forest carries an eerie sense of the unknown. Where are they? Classic Julie makes a run past the log, but her pace was always questionable. The notorious are ousted first, and the critically acclaimed Nobel Hiding Prize goes to the same mate every summer. But will it be the same this year?

Now it’s just you and them. Everyone else has already been spotted, and the stakes are higher this time. If you lose, they take champ. If you win, it’s victory for the rest of the holidays. You’ll be laughing in your Reeboks. They’ll see.

Then a bang and a clang sends you off. You make chase toward the bushes. And just when "Supreme 90s Superstar" is about to become your official title, you realise you’ve been roused.

Billy No-Mates has done you over. The sound of a piece of wood thrown in the wrong direction was all it took to send you the wrong way. And now Billy has made haste to the oak base, with which he has now been bestowed eternal glory. There will be no Party Rings this time around.

I wonder if our spiritual lives can take the same form?

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You see, everyone had a different name for that game back then. But I think we all suffer from the same principles when it comes to engaging in warfare with the enemy.

Yes, it is right to combat the enemy using the Word of God. Yes, it is essential that we recognise we have been given authority to take down the enemy's schemes (Luke 10:19). And yes, it is right to be aware of very real scenarios where all the trying, attempts, and self-help we can muster don’t seem enough. We must critically acknowledge that there may be something deeper at work. What if there was a demonic influence attempting to rob, steal, or destroy?

In these very instances, it is imperative to combat.

In Acts 16, there’s a woman going around causing trouble, accusing the disciples, mocking them, and their authority. And it says, ‘She kept doing this for many days. Paul, having become greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And it came out that very hour.’

I’ve often remarked that this had been going on for a few days, i.e., Paul had actually been putting up with this for a while. That niggle, that lie, that whisper, that accusation- sometimes it can take a while to tune into the frequency of that voice to recognise that not only is it not God’s voice, but it’s a voice that smells like sulphur, a voice we must take captive. And yet Paul put up with it for a few days. Perhaps he shouldn’t have?

I wonder how long we’ve been putting up with something that we should be addressing?

For me, this is the first and most important priority: Acknowledge the enemy’s schemes. Combat against them. Repeat.

However, there are some instances where we play right into the enemy’s hand. There are times when I’ve been singing along, and only on further appraisal do I realise I’m actually singing from the enemy’s hymn sheet.

It’s like Mob Mob 40/40. Billy No-Mates throws his stick. And what do we do? We run after it.

We get pulled into the distraction, while something else far deeper, far more cunning, is going on.

Our focus has been taken away from the real war and drawn into a petty play that makes more noise than it does power.

We’ve become a puppet toward what the enemy wanted all along. We’ve been directed by his course rather than using a different tactic.

What if we flipped the script?

What if we engaged in warfare in a different way?

Yes, we should pray about everything, but that does not mean we engage with everything the same way.

What do we need to do?

We need to discern what is a distraction and what needs to be demolished.

Discernment is key.

I fear that we can spend a lot of time praying about issues, then on to the next, then on to the next fire we need to put out. And then the other struggle. The next piece of disunity. The next naysayer. The next Karen with purple hair (spiritually speaking). And while we’ve been busy ‘addressing’, we’ve actually been taken on a course that has been plotted by the enemy all along.

What should have been a moment to stand guard, what should have been a watchtower moment, has turned into a sport of tennis, playing into the enemy’s hand and allowing him to plot the course of our attention.

Sometimes the best warfare is keeping calm and carrying on.

After all, why is he creating the warfare in the first place? It’s to strategise against Kingdom advancement.

And so, rather than getting pulled into a dogfight, perhaps first discern: Is this a distraction or something we need to demolish?

“I am doing a great work and cannot come down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and come down to you?” (Nehemiah 6:3)

While rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem, Nehemiah is persistently harassed and lured by his enemies (Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem) to come down and meet them.

Nehemiah refuses to engage or be distracted by his enemies' manipulative tactics. He discerns their intent and stays focused on God’s assignment, choosing not to be drawn into pointless dialogue.

Next time we find ourselves in that situation, consider: In this moment, do I need to be coming down or should I be coming up?

As leaders, it is imperative that we gain spiritual altitude to survey the lay of the spiritual land. What is really going on? What is really behind this issue? Is there something else?

That way, a God perspective allows us to exercise and employ action based on His authority and His understanding.

What if there were areas where we needed to advance, i.e., we need to keep building the wall, and rather than coming down, we must continue?

Because the work we’re a part of is too important. And the enemy knows that.

The question is: Will we come down to the enemy’s level, or will we take it captive and keep building forward?

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Wisdom Digest exists to create a community of leaders committed to never stop learning. As a leader, I’m always looking for the best tools and practices to support pastors and leaders within their own local contexts.

After meeting with Anna Watson (part of the Alpha Youth team) and Aaron Gonzalez (Alpha Youth Development Manager), we set out to implement these tools within our own context: Zeal, our youth ministry. And honestly, the results were fantastic. The content was accessible, excellently produced, and I’ve never seen anything quite as engaging for young people.

I was there on the night we explored the topic of the Holy Spirit and it was deeply powerful!

Anna helped guide us through the process and supported us in implementing Alpha Youth.
Anna has the joy of overseeing Alpha Youth for the North and Midlands in England. She works alongside a dynamic team delivering training and support to youth pastors and works with church leaders to create strategies to position young people in the heart of their mission across the UK.

When not at work, she leads the Youth and Young Adults at Hillsong Liverpool as a volunteer and considers herself a hot-chocolate connoisseur.

Here are her insights into reaching Generation Z...

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We all dream of life-changing moments, dramatic revelations, big breakthroughs, epic promotions, but let's face it: most days are filled with emails, spreadsheets, and passive-aggressive coffee machine encounters. Yet, perhaps these mundane moments are precisely where real growth happens.

God has a clever way of placing us into environments perfectly designed to shape us, sometimes with gentle guidance, other times with what feels suspiciously like divine sandpaper. Surprisingly, one of His favorite workshops is your actual workplace. Yes, even that workplace.

Work Is More Than a Paycheck

The Apostle Paul once wrote, "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord" (Colossians 3:23). And he meant it, even if your job feels as glamorous as watching paint dry.

Why such emphasis? Because how we do our work reveals our heart, character, and integrity. It’s not just a pay check or a stepping stone; it’s an act of worship. Imagine: responding patiently to the email you've answered five times already as an act of worship. Radical, isn't it?

Everyday Tests for Everyday Leaders

Have you ever:

• Had to bite your tongue in a meeting, silently questioning if your coworker was personally sent to test your sanctification?

• Completed tasks that seemed trivial compared to your grand vision, wondering if God has a sense of humor?

• Found yourself worshiping wholeheartedly on Sunday but arriving late on Monday, gossiping instead of speaking kindly, or realising your attitude might be pushing people away?

These moments aren't distractions; they’re divine setups. It’s the quiet stretching of your patience muscle, the refinement of your humility, and the deepening of your excellence. Mediocrity multiplies faster than excellence, quietly undermining our mission and purpose. But when we pursue excellence intentionally, people notice. Excellence becomes our witness, drawing others closer to Christ.

When we resist these seemingly insignificant challenges, guess what? They stick around. "What you resist, persists." But what if, instead, we leaned into these tests, recognising them as essential tools shaping us for something bigger?

Your Work Is Your Mirror

Each project, task, or conversation is leaving behind your personal fingerprints. Have you ever paused to consider what your coworkers might say about those fingerprints?

Imagine this scenario: In a recent job interview, I asked the candidate, “What would your last employer say about you?” It was delightfully awkward, like watching someone realize they’d left spinach in their teeth halfway through dinner.

Yet, this is a brilliant question not just for interviews, but for life. Would your coworkers describe you as reliable, kind, or uplifting? Or would they say something closer to, "Well, at least they showed up"?

There’s a principle called Price’s Law, which notes that 10% of the people produce 50% of the results. My point isn’t about performance, but hearts that show diligence and intention in our craft, or the opposite. In other words, excellence invites responsibility, trust, and favour. It honours God, reflects our faith in His provision, and glorifies Him, creating a stage for His character to shine. The Church cannot afford mediocrity not now, not ever.

The Hidden Curriculum of Work

We often pray, "God, grow me!" Yet when He begins the process at our desks or in team meetings, we recoil in horror. The truth is, God rarely hands out character upgrades; He prefers on-the-job training.

Could it be that God isn't interested in moving you out of your current workplace just yet, because there's still a lesson to master right there?

Reframe the Resistance

Perhaps feeling unqualified, overwhelmed, or stretched at work isn't proof that you're failing; it's proof you're growing. The stretch means you're expanding. The discomfort means you're transforming.

So embrace the friction. Notice the patterns. And maybe, just maybe, let your work start working on you.

Model Jesus: An Excellent Gift

Without getting too pentecostal, when Jesus healed the blind man in Mark 8, He didn’t walk away after the first touch. He stayed until the man saw clearly. That's an excellent spirit- there was something about the second touch that the first touch could not do. Jesus saw it through, not just until the man could see partially, but until the man could see wholly. He didn’t say ‘oh well, at least you can see a little bit, that’ll do’. Instead he went the whole way. I wonder what would happen if we, too, saw things through and allowed our work to be an expression of our worship?

🧠 Wisdom to Digest: God might not be trying to get you out of your workplace; He might be trying to grow you in it.

Reflection Question:
What is your current role revealing about your character, and how might God be using it to shape you right now?

Dr Rob Barward-Symmons is the Senior Research and Impact Manager at Bible Society. Rob has a PhD in Sociology of Religion and research expertise in contemporary British Christianity and Christian theology.

Since ‘The Quiet Revival’ report went viral earlier this year, the Bible Society have been inundated with excitement and wonder in light of the new data that has been found. Now that the report has been in our consciousness for the last 3 months, I wonder if anything has changed? I mean, have we changed, to give room for the new that God is bringing?

And so I had the opportunity to ask Rob: How can we make the most of what God is doing? What can Church leaders be doing right now to steward this unprecedented awakening?

Here’s what he shared:

Late last year, just as our minds were drifting towards last-minute Christmas
shopping needs, a stunning email dropped into our inboxes. It was from the polling agency YouGov, and included data tables which – remarkably – showed that
churchgoing among adults in England and Wales was rising.

Not only that, but it was rising among young adults in particular, and even among young men. It didn’t stop at the church doors either – there was a growing curiosity and openness to Christianity across ‘Generation Z’ as a whole.

All of this was, at first glance, staggering. It stood in the face of years of data and conventional wisdom that a) the church was in terminal decline; b) where it did exist it would be strongest among older generations and gradually weaker with each younger generation; and c) that women were more engaged than men, at all ages.

We checked with YouGov and they confirmed there was no methodological explanation for what the data was presenting. As we reflected more, and heard stories from within and beyond the church that told the same story, we realised that –just maybe – this was reflecting something real. Of young adults exploring Christianity, church, and the Bible for themselves in a new way. Perhaps not flooding previously empty churches but gradually – quietly – shifting the landscape of faith in modern Britain.

Attendance, however, is not the whole story. After all, these could just be people looking for community in an alienating world – without any real interest in the spiritual’ side of things. But instead what we see is that these people exploring church show every indication of active faith, from belief to practice. Indeed, the Church in Britain looks vibrant across multiple measures, with the frequency of Bible reading increasing among churchgoers since 2018.

We have been delighted to see the interest and energy this has created both in the church and in wider society. But the work does not stop here. If this moment is to sustain, both the Church and organisations like Bible Society need to be ready to respond. Many of the stories we have heard from churches involve some sense of people “just turning up”, with the church not quite knowing what to do as a result.

Recently I heard the story of a church in the East of England where around thirty young people just one day turned up to their youth group, without any previous connection. The youth pastor had recently left the church but, with the scrambled help of volunteers, they were able to run a Alpha Youth course for the young people – the majority of whom stuck around through the whole course, and have a genuine interest in growing in faith. The new youth pastor will have a big job on their hands!

So how can church leaders grasp this new opportunity in a way which leads to a lasting spiritual growth? At Bible Society, we believe that deep engagement with scripture, in a manner which grows understanding, encounter, and application of the Bible, is central to this. While they may be interested and engaging with the Bible, many churchgoers – and particularly younger churchgoers – often still lack a fundamental, life changing, confidence in scripture.

Our data shows that churchgoing Christians between 18-34 are significantly more likely than those over 35 to say they struggle to find appropriate Bible resources and guides, as well as finding people to learn from in their exploration of the Bible. The challenges are real, but we wanted to find out what people thought would help them grow in the Bible – and these are the top five responses:

- Something that helps relate the Bible to everyday life (39% of churchgoers)

- Talking with others who hold similar beliefs (37%)

- Something that breaks the Bible down into manageable pieces (28%)

- Opportunities to talk with other Christians (27%)

- Opportunities to talk with Bible experts (24%)

It’s crucial that all church leaders take time to speak with and learn from new attendees – no two stories are going to be the same, and no one person is defined by their generation – but this doesn’t mean there can’t be shared approaches.

Exploring the scriptures as a community, whether in groups or through one-on-one mentoring, learning from one another through the journey as you each grow, is one such approach. If you’re looking for a place to start – a fully refreshed version of our hugely popular ‘The Bible Course’ – is a great starting point. It is designed to be used by groups of Christians – new and old – to explore scripture together through guiding us through the whole story of Scripture in an accessible and lively way, including insights from Bible experts and real Christians whose lives have been transformed by scripture.

Crucially, each session provides opportunities to talk with one another and share the journey of growing in Bible confidence. Our research shows The Bible Course tangibly improves how Christians relate to the Bible – in our last evaluation 88% of participants agreed The Bible Course had increased the richness, depth and quality of their Bible engagement, while 81% went on to do further Bible exploration as a result of the course. If you would like to find out more about Bible Society’s latest Bible Course click here.

The Quiet Revival data shows an incredible movement of God throughout our society. The challenge now falls to the Church to answer the call and walk alongside churchgoers, whether they have been attending their whole lives or are coming for the first time, in growing deeper in their faith and drawing scripture deeper into their lives. Take a moment to consider the questions below…

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🧠 Wisdom to Digest: Questions for Church Leaders

1. What signs; subtle or surprising- am I seeing in my own context that point to spiritual curiosity among young people?

2. If new young people turned up at my church this Sunday, would we be prepared to welcome and disciple them well?

3. What am I doing to help younger generations grow in their confidence with Scripture, not just their attendance?

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