“The whole body joined and held together to build itself up in love.”
[Jun.13.2022] In Lambeth Palace in London in May, HOPE 23-24, a united year of mission across the UK, was launched. Rachael Jordan-Wolf, the executive director of ‘HOPE Together’ wrote a column in the Christian Today UK introducing the event. A large and diverse group of leaders from across the denominations of the British Church and many Christian organizations gathered to talk and plan.
Ms. Jordan-Wolf said,” There was real excitement as we prayed together and dreamt about what could be. We were united in one heart and by one vision to reach out with the amazing, good news of Jesus Christ again in this nation.”
A united year of the mission is not a new idea. It was first launched in 2008 by Roy Crowne, Andy Hawthorne, and Mike Pilavachi as HOPE 08. These new denominations and streams unite to share the hope of Jesus Christ in villages and cities. It was out of ‘HOPE 08’ that momentum grew and ‘HOPE Together’ as a movement was born.
In the city of Nottingham, the churches are not networked together in mission as a result of small beginnings in 2008. Nigel Adams, who leads this growing network, told the story of how it all began. Working as an evangelist and community worker in the city in 2008, he drew together a coalition of churches for ‘HOPE 08’. They worked together to put on a series of outreach activities during the year.
Over 2,000 people came to the event and as a result, a new charity was born-HOPE Nottingham, to lead city-wide, united outreach. They were given a disused church building to start the work in and they ran local events and a soup kitchen.
This work lead to the opening of a food bank which then led to a network of 15 food banks across the city. Each has grown into a hub for outreach and mission where local Christians from various churches share God’s love in words and actions. When the pandemic hit, HOPE Nottingham was reached and able to deliver food across the whole city to all who needed it.
Nigel reflects that” the key thing is that unity was central-all of the churches working together. That is HOPE Nottingham’s success.” Now, starting in September 2023, we dream of 1,500 areas getting involved and putting on outreach events and serving their communities together in HOPE 23-24 and reaching out with the good news of Jesus Christ(Source: Christian Daily News, Christian Today).
Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work(Ephesians 4:15-16)
Father God, thank You for letting us hear the news of ‘HOPE23-24”, which was launched to unite for the gospel in the UK. Pour out God’s heart toward mission when various Christian groups and denominations are gathered. Please through them, raise up believers who obey you with their lives by your grace. And let each church and believer on this earth become in every respect the mature body working their parts so that they may restore England with the good news and build up the churches of all nations in love.
Prayer 24·365
prayer@prayer24365.org
