A year like no other?

Momentum at any charity can take on a life of its own, with funding cycles, conference timetables and pre-arranged commitments dictating the direction of travel. Which is why we are so thankful to have moments of pause, like that at our Prayer & Prophecy day back in summer 2024.

God spoke to the team clearly, through the picture of a skilled bowman, about drawing back in certain areas, in order to be more effectively propelled forward in all we feel called to.

For us this year, that is looking like pressing pause on our national conference (held annually for the past fourteen years), and ploughing our time and energy into our partner churches, into young people, as well as investing in those coming from a background of hardship and addiction.

Here’s why.

The next generation

I was recently asked, on a day of New Ground Academy training: Where do you start in an effort to inject mercy and justice into the very DNA of local churches? My answer: start with kids and youth.

Gen Z have plenty to teach us about passion for and pursuit of justice. How can we, in exchange, help young people capture God’s heart and play our part in establishing Biblical foundations in the lives of the next generation?

Following the success of our Jubilee+ curriculum Overflow (5-11s), we have now released a ten-week series Look Again aimed at 11-18yr olds, with content, games ideas and discussion questions all included. Look Again is free to partner churches, or available to purchase, here.

We are also delighted to be running a Newday seminar stream for the second year running, so if you’re there, come and find us at Norfolk Showground this summer!

Training for those who disqualify themselves

Thanks to the generosity of an outside funder, this year has seesn the pilot of Formed, a free four-day residential training programme for people with lived experience of poverty or addiction.

Our March cohort was full, with nine trainees joining us for four days of training and development, each referred by their churches because of recognised leadership potential or emerging gifting.

Training was delivered in 15-minute interactive sessions and cover Biblical backstory, practical discipleship and leadership development skills.

Spaces for our October training block are almost full. For more information about referring or applying, email rosie.hopley@jubilee-plus.org.

In the meantime, please pray for our trainees (prayer pointers available here).

Weightier Matters

An opportunity to grow in mercy, justice and compassion (what Jesus called the weightier matters of the law).

It’s not too late to join the 100+ online trainees already signed up for this monthly online course (freely available to anyone who is part of a Jubilee+ partner church).

Find out more and get signed up here.

Partner Church (Three!) Days

This autumn we’re taking advantage of some extra space to invite partner churches to send up to four team members to be inspired, challenged, spurred on and encouraged.

Having three days together, rather than one, offers a great opportunity to pause, take stock of your social action/mercy ministries, network with other churches, plan, pray, receive prophetic input and strategise for the future.

Our time together starts at 2pm on Tuesday 14 October and ends at 2pm on Thursday 16 October (Reach Conference Centre, Derby).

Find out more about becoming a partner church, and/or gathering with us this October.

We are so thankful for deepening relationships in New Ground, and beyond, and are looking forward to how God might envision the young, raise up the unlikely and strengthen His church in the year ahead.