Thriving leaders and churches, advancing the kingdom
Thrive is over for another year and what a great time we had! Over 270 of us gathered in Oxford for two days of worship, teaching, seminars and food as well as cementing existing friendships and creating new ones. It was a brilliant couple of days!
We were particularly blessed by a variety of visiting speakers - Lynn Swart, Anderson Moyo, Jo Hargreaves and David Walker were all really appreciated as they challenged and equipped us. We also spent time sharing and reflecting on a new vision for the coming years for our family of churches - to be a family of Thriving Churches, Advancing God’s kingdom. These are the twin calls on our life together.
We shared a series of 10-year strategic priorities - where we’d love to be as a family a decade from now. There is much work to do to get there, but, as Liam and Rich both exhorted us, we will get there through living lives of faith together. The call to step out in faith and perseverance came out strongly over our two days together and will remain at the heart of what we do for the years to come. The simple prayer of the Canaanite woman - ‘Lord, help me’ - stands as our example of the strategy needed to see the vision realised.
Intimacy and challenge
Over our time together, we heard a number of prophetic words, encouraging us first to pursue intimacy with God, but then for that to lead us further into mission.
We received a challenge to exchange comfy slippers for mud-caked boots, befitting of the adventure to which God has called us. And we were reminded that ‘salt thrives applied’ - that we need to be ready to be sown and spent, for our town, village, city, or even to other nations.
God spoke to us a couple of times about the battle of Jericho, and the promise of walls being brought down, through repeated, faith-filled prayer. And we were reminded that we don’t simply pray for victory from afar, but that when we enter the dark places of the world, the darkness will have to flee.
Recordings and session notes
All of our video-recorded main sessions will be on our Youtube playlist.
Slides
Thriving as leaders | Anderson Moyo - slides
Strike the ground | Liam Thatcher - slides
Advancing the Kingdom | Lynn Swart - slides
Salt & Light Advance vision
Vision - slides | handout (PDF)
Seminars
Many seminars are video-recorded and available on our Youtube playlist, as well as from direct links below.
Thriving as emotionally healthy leaders | Jo Hargreaves - video | slides | self-assessment
Thriving in the nations | Ben and Michelle - audio to follow
Thriving worship | Rich and Anna Ellwood - video