Catalyst Magazine: December 2025

Female Leaders ⚫

Jubilee+ ⚫ Together Day ⚫

Reaching The Lost ⚫

Train1000 ⚫

Apostolic Hubs

#Prayer

The Battle is at The Gate

Three Days of Prayer and Fasting #Community

The Beauty of a Diverse Church

Encouraging Churches Toward a “Multicultural Church” Approach #Missions

Prayer, Presence and Persistence Reaching a community for Jesus in Loughborough

Catalyst

Magazine Multiplying Churches, Disciples and Extending the Kingdom

#Featured

From Winter to Spring Our Place in a Move of the Spirit

Where it had once felt hard to reach people with the gospel, slowly and steadily, we are observing a different pattern.

December 2025 Issue 18 Catalyst Magazine - 1

Hello and Welcome

Catalyst Magazine: Issue 18

In this edition, you’ll read accounts of lives being transformed, churches being planted, and bold steps of faith being taken in all kinds of contexts.

These stories remind us that we are part of something far bigger than ourselves—a Spirit-led family of churches carrying the good news of Jesus into every corner of society.

It’s been so encouraging to see fresh momentum as leaders are equipped, teams are sent, and new partnerships emerge. God is clearly on the move, and we hope this magazine fuels your faith and helps you stay connected to the wider Catalyst family.

Let’s keep playing our part together in this unfolding story.

Catalyst is an apostolic movement, starting and strengthening churches that multiply disciples to see God’s Kingdom fill the Earth.

With love, Simon

Giving to Catalyst Simon Holley Leads the CatalystTeam

New to Catalyst?

Not connected with a Catalyst church yet? Visit the About page on our website to find a church near you!

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Our work around the world is supported by generous gifts from churches, families and individuals. To find more about giving to Catalyst, visit the About page on our website.

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Contents

Welcome 08 Resources and Events 12 Highlights and Stories

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Worshippers 15 My Walk with Jesus: That Audacious Run 16 The Battle is at The Gate: Prayer & Fasting

Community 19 The Beauty of a Diverse Church 22 Women in Leadership 24 Hope Rising in Myanmar 26 The Next Generation Steps Up

From Winter to Spring

Mission 31 Prayer, Presence and Persistence 34 Train1000: A Global Call to Church Planters 36 Sputnik 38 Jubilee+

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Got a story to share?

Send it our way at stories@ catalystnetwork.org and it could become a feature in the next Catalyst Magazine.

Catalyst Magazine - 3

Introduction

From Winter to Spring Our place in a move of the Spirit I’ve had the joy and privilege of visiting churches and believers that are part of the Catalyst family, both in Aotearoa New Zealand and Albania, in the last few weeks. In both places I’ve heard amazing stories of the kingdom of Jesus Christ being extended around the world through everyday followers of Jesus like you and me.

In New Zealand I met a nurse, Claire, who had been steadily sharing the gospel with her colleague, week in, week out, as they worked alongside each other. Her friend had seen how Claire handled life differently and over a long period they began to read the Bible, via online messages, outside of work. During my visit, Claire’s friend gave her life to Jesus - I watched them weep with joy together as they prayed for her to receive new life!

During my visit to Albania I joined international leaders from the Catalyst family all around the world. During the conference we heard stories of pastors in Pakistan, Azerbaijan and the Middle East experiencing persecution yet rejoicing in Jesus.

Back in my home context in Hull, UK, we’ve recently seen three young men, aged between 11-20 get baptised. It was a joyful morning hearing their stories of personal dreams, seeing miracles at Newday, and also prayers answered in their weekly small groups, all of which helped them to understand Jesus’ love and invitation to a life of purpose and meaning. On the same morning we had three more single men come and join us, who are new to our community and are seeking.

God is on the move all over the globe!

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“The frequency, as well as the nature of the stories, alerted us to an unusual move of God’s Spirit at work across the Catalyst family.”

Recently, in a meeting, the Catalyst team used the phrase ‘from winter to spring’ to summarise the kinds of stories we are hearing of lives transformed by Jesus. The frequency, as well as the nature of the stories, alerted us to an unusual move of God’s Spirit at work across the Catalyst family. Usually hard-toreach demographics of people, and the way in which they were coming to faith, made us think about a change in the seasons. Where it had once felt hard to reach people with the gospel, slowly and steadily, we are observing a different pattern.

So what of it? How are we, everyday believers, supposed to take hold of this change in season and make sure we are attuned to the voice of our

Shepherd Jesus as he moves among us?

1.Catch the vision Jesus was clear the harvest is ripe.

We need to take him at his word and look around us for people open to his good news. He came to seek and save the lost (Lk 19:10) - walking in his footsteps means we must allow him to help us become freshly aware of those he might be awakening in this new season. Jesus is looking for labourers for his harvest fields to be about his work on the earth. Have you grasped your important role in partnering with him?

Catalyst Magazine - 5

Outreach event at River City Hull receives 120 guests.

2. Get trained If you’re unsure how you can play your part or how you might disciple a friend through the process of coming to Christ as becoming a multiplying disciple in their own right then now is the time to get trained! Across the Catalyst family and as a part of your local church you will be able to find people to help you learn and gain confidence in sharing your faith. I can also highly recommend Simon Holley’s online community for disciple makers - a place to gather with like minded followers of Jesus to get equipped and share encouragement with each other on the journey. None of us have to do this alone!

3. Begin to gather in the harvest There’s no time like the present, if you have non-believing friends that are open, why not gather some of them either individually or as a group to read simple stories in the bible together - just like Claire did with her 6 - Catalyst Magazine

“Jesus was clear the harvest is ripe.

We need to take him at his word and look around us for people open to his good news.” friend. I’m currently meeting with two people in a local cafe once a week who are seeking and trying to work out who Jesus is. Their hunger and willingness to put simple biblical teaching into practice amazes me every week! (I’m using this method of bible reading if you’re interested).

It’s a time of leaving behind our ‘winter’ mindsets where the ground was hard to the good news. Jesus is at work! Spring is here! New life is springing up and hearts are becoming soft. If every person that reads this magazine reached out to just one other person this week with an invitation to church or to explore Jesus further - imagine what could happen!

Here’s to all that’s ahead!

Abigail Flavell A senior leader at City River Church Hull and part of the Strategy Team at Catalyst.

CATALYST WOMEN’S DAY

Speakers:

Mae Mesgarnezhad City Church, Newcastle Mae and her husband Jonah serve refugees at City Church in Newcastle.

10 JANUARY - MILTON KEYNES

A day to celebrate, equip, and envision women across the Catalyst family Join us for the Catalyst Women’s Event on Saturday 10 January 2026 – a day to celebrate, equip, and envision women across the Catalyst family here in the UK. This will be a significant moment to champion women’s contributions to the kingdom in the workplace, in the church, and in everyday life.

This event is for every woman in our Catalyst family. Whether you’re leading, serving, raising a family, working, studying, or retired, this is a space for you to be encouraged, equipped, and empowered to bear fruit.

BOOK YOUR TICKET

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Bekah Young Trinity Church, London Bekah is in her 20s and serves on the Trinity leadership team and is also pursuing a calling in the music industry.

Janet Johnston Kings Community Church, Southampton Janet is married to Andy and together they have been leading at KCC for almost 10 years.

Abi Flavell River City Church, Hull Part of the Catalyst strategy team, church planter and evangelist, passionate about the marginalised.

Catalyst Magazine - 7

Events & Resources

Discover What’s On

Turn The Battle 21–23 January 2026

Join the national prayer movement this January.

We sense a decisive moment—a spiritual battle at the gate—calling the Church to respond with urgency, unity, and humility through three days of prayer and fasting together.

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Catalyst Leaders Together Day Thursday 12 March, King’s House Bedford We invite all Catalyst church leaders and those leading church teams or groups—large or small, staff or volunteer— to join us on 12 March, not for an agenda or an event, but to gather in God’s presence.

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Finances Strategies for Churches Planters & Teams

Free Resource

Richard Wightman produced a guide to help church planters strategically plan their finances.

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Multiplanting Book by Colin Baron Many church leaders believe that the most effective way to fruitful kingdom ministry is by growing a large church, but what if this big church dream is actually inhibiting us from seeing the quantity and quality of impact that we long for? Over the last twenty-five years of ministry in Manchester, England, Colin Baron has been pioneering a different approach; planting smaller, interconnected congregations throughout the city that operate together as one church. Strong enough together for each survive and thrive, and yet small and dispersed enough to penetrate into the region in a way that growing one big church would never be able to do. Multiplanting describes the journey Colin, and his team at Christ Church, have been on to fulfil a vision of multiplying church congregations across one region of northern England.

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Leadership & Theology Training Course Be trained and equipped over two years to lead and serve wherever God calls you. Applications open in January.

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Violence and War in the Bible Podcast What do we do with Old Testament laws on murder, war, and “an eye for an eye”? And what about the violent psalms? Listen to Episode 4 of Theology Club (Series 3) from The Broadcast Network to learn more.

LISTEN NOW

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GIVE THE GIFT OF FESTIVAL By purchasing a Pay It Forward ticket, you can bless someone who would love to come to Catalyst Festival, but money is a barrier

Norfolk Showground 23 - 26 May 10 - Catalyst Magazine

As we look ahead to Catalyst Festival 2026, we know that for some individuals and families the cost of attending can be a real challenge. We never want money to be the reason someone misses out on being part of our Catalyst family gathering.

By purchasing a Pay It Forward adult or children’s ticket between now and 31st January 2026, you’ll help create a pool of tickets that churches can apply for on behalf of those they’d love to bring along.

GIVE A TICKET

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Catalyst Magazine - 11

Highlights & Stories

First International Leaders’ Summit A time of connection, worship, and shared vision for our global family.

Last month, Catalyst held its first International Leaders’ Summit in Albania — a significant moment for our growing global family. As Catalyst continues to multiply across nations, strengthening relationships across the network has become an important focus for the season ahead.

The summit brought together leaders from the UK and around the world to connect, build friendships, pray, and seek God together. It was a rich time of sharing wisdom, encouraging one another, and listening for what God is

saying for the future.

Worship was a particular highlight, with leaders singing in multiple languages and experiencing many tender, Spirit-filled moments.

We’re grateful for all that God did during this time, and we’d value your prayers for more opportunities like this as we continue to nurture connection and unity across the nations.

Serving in Uganda A team of 14 from ChristChurch Hailsham, aged 12 to 80, recently spent an incredible week in Uganda, serving alongside local churches and communities.

They painted school halls, taught sewing, played with children, and trained 40 pastors in discipleship, church planting, and servant leadership. The team also spent time with Somali believers, witnessing stories of faith, resilience, and joy despite trauma and hardship, and even helped make a small business dream come true for one local man.

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Highlights & Stories

What is God doing where you are?

We’re so thankful for many churches being blessed with new spaces to advance God’s Kingdom and serve their communities. Be encouraged as you read some of their stories:

Building for Mosaic South

Great news from South Leeds! Mosaic South has just purchased an old Methodist building near Elland Road, home of Leeds United.

The building will need a full refurbishment, but this is a brilliant opportunity for the area and the church community. Please pray with them as they raise the necessary finances and trust God for some miracles along the way.

s t or i es Encourage others by telling your story.

Email us at stories@ catalystnetwork.org You can also read more stories on our blog.

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A New Home for OpenDoor St Neots

Grahame Park Gets a New Community Hub

OpenDoor St Neots celebrated its first service in their new building! After many years of renting other venues and a yearlong building project, it’s a joy for the congregation to finally gather in their own space. Please pray with them as they settle in and make the building a welcoming home for the community.

Exciting things are happening at Grahame Park! Trinity Church London is transforming the old SPAR into a brand-new community hub for the estate and the wider Colindale area. This space will be filled with opportunity, support, connection, and good vibes — a place built for the whole community.

Please pray with us as we bring this vision to life!

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A community of worshippers on a mission together

r wo s hip pe r s The next section in the magazine will follow the theme of being worshippers and are based on Catalyst’s apostolic foundations.

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Worshippers

My Walk with Jesus: That Audacious Run Why faithfulness matters more than speed

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In this issue’s devotional, Jon Cressey reflects on the story of Ahimaaz and the Cushite in 2 Samuel 18 — two runners with very different outcomes.

One ran fast but without a message; the other arrived later but carried the word entrusted to him.

Jon invites us to consider what kind of runners we are as Catalyst churches — not aimless or hurried, but faithful, Spirit-led, and carrying the gospel with clarity and conviction. He reminds us that pace is never a substitute for purpose.

Faithfulness to the message will always matter more than speed. And in every season, God calls us to run with confidence in the One who sends us.

Jon also challenges us to listen closely for God’s voice before we move, so that what we share truly carries His heart.

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“We run with the urgency of those who carry the word of life, with the breath of God in us, compelled to be faithful...”

Click the image above to read the full devotional.

Share your story What are you learning in your walk with Jesus?

Share with us in video format (less than 5 minutes), in English or your native language. Send it to stories@catalystnetwork.org

Jon Cressey

Lives in Sheffield with his wife Kerry and is part of Emmanuel Church Sheffield Catalyst Magazine - 15

The Battle Is At The Gate A Call to Prayer by Steve Uppal A few months ago, while driving and listening to a worship song based on 2 Chronicles 7:14, I felt the Lord move me deeply. As the words “If My people… will humble themselves and pray” played, I began to weep for the UK. In that moment, I sensed the Lord say, “The battle is at the gate — and it can be turned in the place of prayer and fasting.” Isaiah 28:6 came alive in my spirit, and I knew this was a call for the whole Church in the UK and Ireland to rise and respond.

I’ve since been moved by how many leaders and networks are sensing the same thing and choosing to stand together. These include: HTB London and the HTB Network of Churches, Evangelical Alliance, Assemblies of God, Catalyst, Pioneer, Churches Together, New Testament Church 16 - Catalyst Magazine

of God, and World Prayer Centre, among many others.

So, from 21–23 January 2026, we’re launching three days of prayer and fasting under the initiative Turn the Battle — an invitation for every church, ministry, and believer to respond together. This is not a conference. It is a movement.

Why now?

We are in a decisive moment.

Many of you sense it — something is stirring in the land. With that stirring comes a call: to deeper prayer, to heartfelt consecration, and to bold living. Against the backdrop of cultural upheaval and spiritual battle, the Church must rise in unity and respond.

Worshippers These dates also coincide with the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, called by Churches Together in Britain & Ireland, making our timing both strategic and prophetic.

What we’re calling for The three days will focus on three core themes: Prayer – a fresh hunger and humility before God Consecration – a return to holiness and wholehearted obedience Bold Living – courageously living and sharing the gospel in every sphere

Who is this for?

This is a whole-Church moment — every denomination, stream, local church, and believer. It’s not led by one organisation but carried by many voices in unity. The diversity of those involved is already a beautiful sign of what God is doing.

How to join in Save the dates: 21–23 January 2026 Use the resources: Prayer themes, Scriptures, graphics and downloads are at www.turnthebattle.uk Mobilise your church: Host a prayer meeting, encourage fasting, gather small groups — shape it to your context

Simon Holley “In this critical hour for our nation, I wholeheartedly stand behind this call to unite the Church across the UK in three days of focused prayer and fasting. The themes of fresh commitment to prayer, consecration, and bold living resonate deeply with what God is stirring in hearts nationwide. We sense a quiet revival beginning, but also recognise the battle at the gate – requiring the Church to be alert, prepared, and aligned with God’s purpose. This isn’t another event; it’s a movement to raise our spiritual expectation and make room for God’s fresh move. I encourage every church and every believer to join in unity to ask God for a UK and Europe-wide revival unlike anything we’ve seen before.”

A final word This is our moment. As the Bride of Christ, we have been positioned for purpose — to seek our King, to humble ourselves, to pray and to stand. Let us not miss this hour. The battle is at the gate.

But our God is strong, and when His people pray — with unity, faith and expectancy — He moves. Will you stand with us?

With hope and expectancy — this could be our finest hour.

Steve Uppal Serves as Senior Leader of the All Nations Movement and, together with his wife Esther, leads All Nations Church Wolverhampton.

Spread the word: Share across your networks, churches and socials.

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A community of worshippers on a mission together

c om m n u ity The next section in the magazine will follow the theme of community and are based on Catalyst’s apostolic foundations.

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Community

The Beauty of a Diverse Church Encouraging Churches Toward a “Multicultural Church” Approach

In 2015, my family and I joined Mosaic Church in Leeds. At the time, the congregation was predominantly white, and the worship style was quite different from what we were used to. Yet, our daughters loved the children’s ministry, and we were drawn to the church’s strong focus on mission and its evident heart for the nations.

Still, during those early years, we didn’t quite feel “at home.”

This experience taught me the importance of a clear multicultural vision in every church. Over time, I have seen Mosaic South become wonderfully diverse, and I’d like to share some key lessons that may

“What leaders say publicly matters deeply; it shapes belonging and identity within the body of Christ.” help other churches pursue this same direction.

Leaders Must Communicate a Multicultural Vision Change began when our leaders started to articulate a vision for a church that welcomed people from Catalyst Magazine - 19

Community every background. For someone like me, a Nigerian in a majority-white congregation those words from the front made a powerful statement: this church is for you too.

One pivotal moment came through a sermon series on “Gracism,” which focused on extending grace across cultural and racial lines and confronting prejudice with love. For me, it was a bold message that addressed my own experiences and affirmed that I was both loved and valued. What leaders say publicly matters deeply; it shapes belonging and identity within the body of Christ.

Build Friendships and Listen Real inclusion happens through relationships. I remain deeply grateful for those who reached out, invited us into their homes, and listened with genuine interest to our stories.

Intentional hospitality creates safe spaces where people can ask questions, share their stories, and be understood. Listening, more than speaking, often becomes the doorway to understanding people’s experiences and backgrounds.

Encourage Multicultural Worship A multicultural church should sound as diverse as it looks. Our worship team began introducing songs from different nations and languages, small steps that made a big difference. I recall a Sunday when a couple visiting for the first time heard a worship song in their native language. It happened by 20 - Catalyst Magazine

“Real inclusion happens through relationships. I remain deeply grateful for those who reached out, invited us into their homes, and listened with genuine interest to our stories.” coincidence, but it spoke volumes.

Including songs from different languages not only invites us to experience new ways of worshipping God, but it also enriches the worship of those from that culture and affirms their place within the church.

Encourage Diverse Leadership It is important that diversity extends beyond the congregation, it should ultimately be visible in leadership. When people see others who share their background in positions of leadership and service, it communicates that they can be part of serving others and that there will be no barrier to their callings and spiritual gifts.

Achieving this requires intentional mentorship, encouragement, and space for diverse voices as there are sometimes natural barriers to overcome, but the rewards are worth the effort.

Multicultural churches are not simply “a nice idea”; they reflect heaven itself. Revelation 7:9 gives us a glimpse of “a great multitude… from every nation, tribe, people and language” worshipping before the throne. This vision reminds us that the

One of our amazing worship team at Catalyst Festival 2024.

gospel is not bound to one culture, it is good news for all.

When believers of different nations and backgrounds worship together in unity, we bear witness to Jesus’ prayer in John 17:21: “that they may all be one…so that the world may believe.” Such unity becomes a living testimony to the power of the gospel.

I am in awe every Sunday as I look around and see the genuine beauty of what God is doing, and I pray more churches can experience this, but I also know that there is much more God wants to do with us.

Building a multicultural church requires deliberate, sustained effort.

In Acts 11:19-21, we see the early church in Antioch was richly diverse because believers intentionally built

relationships across cultural lines and shared Christ with all. Their unity became so distinctive that it birthed a new identity, the word “Christian.”

May our churches follow their example: listening well, embracing difference, and celebrating the beauty of God’s family in all its colours and languages. When we do, we not only enrich our local communities, but also offer the world a glimpse of heaven on earth and the unity in diversity that is only possible in Christ Jesus.

Jonah Ulebor Worships at Mosaic Church (South) and is part of the core leadership team Catalyst Magazine - 21

Community

Women in Leadership We’ve come to the end of our blog series celebrating women in leadership. Here are three quotes that give a glimpse into their stories.

Read the full conversations on our website.

Leading with Heart

Sue Ferret is the Community Action Lead at City Hope Church, London What would you say to aspiring female leaders and pioneers?

I would say to aspiring female leaders that if you feel God is calling you to something, keep on persevering. When I was just leading the CAP debt centre it often felt very lonely and difficult to get volunteers and I often felt like giving up. But God had given me a vision to help people in poverty and He just wouldn’t let me give up! I developed such 22 - Catalyst Magazine

perseverance and crying out to God and eventually he grew the work what he was doing and answered my prayers. I never set out to be a leader but God taught me how to be faithful with a little and how to keep going with people. Ferrets don’t like to let go when they have hold of something so my name is appropriate!

So my advice is to keep going, get wise people praying with you who you can be accountable to and wherever possible get away on retreat to spend time hearing from God. That stopped me from giving up on a few occasions and always freshly envisoned me and showed me the next steps. God has always been so faithful to me.

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From the UK to Middle East

Alexis left the UK with her family 10 years ago and now lives in the Middle East. Together with her husband Sharo, she started the charity Hope for Communities What are some of the joys and challenges of leading and pioneering in your context?

One real joy that we have experienced is being able to invest in the lives of amazing, courageous young women and supporting them to have more hopeful futures. The migratory background community that we work in is fairly

conservative, and young women from the community would often leave education and get married and start families at a young age. Last year we were able to support a young woman from the community to gain a scholarship at one of the best universities in our city. We have also invested in developing female leaders in our local team of staff.

The opportunity to invest in women (and men) in our context has brought us huge amounts of joy.

One challenge of leading in our context is the reality that we see as a church we still have quite a way to grow in developing leaders that aren’t all white men. It is sad that some women have felt their leadership skills aren’t valued within the church. Our daily work as a charity is battling injustices, of poverty, of children experiencing trauma; it can feel relentless. We sometimes question whether we have additional capacity to tackle injustices we see in churches, for example in race and

gender. It has been encouraging for us to see how the Catalyst family are looking at the issue of how we are encouraging our female leaders; we would also love to see this develop in other areas of inequality.

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Administrative Leadership

belief in me. I often felt I was jumping into the deep end of a swimming pool without knowing if I could swim.

One of the biggest things I learnt is that God is trustworthy and always has a plan. He is the ultimate administrator.

READ MORE

Read more from our blog series on women in leadership across Catalyst and the Newfrontiers community.

READ BLOG

Sharon is based at New Life Church Milton Keynes where she leads their Wolverton Mill Site and oversees church communications and human resources, as well as leading the administration team for Catalyst in the UK

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CATALYST WOMEN’S DAY 10 JANUARY - MILTON KEYNES

A day to celebrate, equip, and envision women across the Catalyst family

How have you found the process of stepping into the responsibilities that you carry?

I am extremely grateful to Richard Wightman for his support and

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Catalyst Magazine - 23

Community

Hope Rising in Myanmar Churchcentral’s response to the Myanmar earthquake On 28 March, a devastating 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck Myanmar (formerly Burma), with its epicentre near Mandalay. The impact was catastrophic, especially across the Sagaing Region, where more than 5,000 people lost their lives and vital infrastructure—including power supplies and mobile networks—was severely damaged.

Because of long-standing relationships with networks of churches in Myanmar—connections first established with refugees in Delhi—our partners in Yangon were able to respond instantly.

Already linked to churches in some of the worstaffected areas, they moved quickly to assess needs and deliver relief.

Churchcentral in Birmingham rapidly launched a fundraising initiative to support the effort. Funds were immediately transferred to local church leaders, who used them to purchase and distribute vanloads of essential supplies, including water, rice, flour, mosquito nets for families sleeping outdoors, and small solar panels to provide lighting and charge phones where electricity was unavailable.

Among the hardest hit were tribal groups living in stilt-houses on lakes in central Myanmar. These communities had not only been unreached with the gospel, but had also received no aid at all until our teams arrived. When the team reached them with urgently needed supplies, they found people deeply grateful for practical help and unexpectedly open to hearing about Jesus.

This relief work has now opened the door to a

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“We found eight people who had never heard about Jesus.

We’ll visit them every day this week, build friendship, and share the Gospel.”

remarkable mission in three villages.

However, the teams are facing significant resistance from the local Buddhist monk, who holds considerable influence over village life. In two of the villages, his pressure has prevented the team from entering, but the ‘persons of peace’ continue to come out to meet them for discipleship.

In the third village, the residents have resisted the pressure and chosen to welcome the team. Just two weeks ago, 62 people gathered to hear the gospel, and 14 responded to the message.

in the midst of incredibly difficult circumstances—religious opposition, deep trauma, and the backdrop of a military dictatorship. Please continue to pray for our brothers and sisters in Myanmar as they share the love of Christ through both word and action.

Tim Brown Leads the team at Hope Community Church works on the operations of the churches.

A wonderful work of God is unfolding Catalyst Magazine - 25

Community

The Next Generation Steps Up Investing in the next generation is key to the church of tomorrow The Church in the UK is experiencing a remarkable turnaround, driven in large part by Gen Z. According to The Quiet Revival report by the Bible Society UK, church decline has not only stopped—it is reversing.

Attendance among 18–24-year-olds has quadrupled since 2018, with the most significant rise seen among young men.

This growth brings new energy and zeal into churches, making it more important than ever to invest in young people through discipleship and leadership development. At

Isabel Hosier

Leads Youth and Worship at Emmanuel Church Oxford

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READ FULL BLOG

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Catalyst, we are committed to equipping Gen Z to engage fully in church life and prepare for the next generation of leaders. In this article, we share interviews with two young people serving across Catalyst churches, highlighting their experiences and inspiring other churches to invest in the next generation.

I am so grateful for how leaders in my church have invested in and encouraged me.

I remember leading worship for the first time at a student weekend away and being immediately invited to have a go at leading at a prayer meeting the following week! People across our worship team were quick to make time to train me and

answer my questions; I was consistently encouraged and given feedback from the wider church leadership too. I’ve really benefitted from learning side-byside with those more experienced than me and I can see now the grace and humility it took for those more experienced to let me lead with them.

I have really benefitted from intentional mentoring from older individuals in my church. Having regular one-to-one time with someone further along in their walk with Jesus, from whom I can seek advice and prayer, has made a real difference in my faith. I wonder if there are older members of our churches who consider themselves to be too far removed to pursue friendship with a younger generation - but these are exactly the people we’d most like to get to know and learn from! I think there’s real value in churches helping to facilitate this type of cross-generational discipleship.

READ INTERVIEW

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“Churches can support young people spiritually by being intentional to build genuine relationship.”

Isaac Moore

Site leader at Christ Church Manchester

I’m excited by the quiet revival! In the last year or so there have been many people who have just turned up at church without any previous background in church or with faith, and they have simply felt stirred that trying church was a good idea! We saw someone get baptised earlier this year who had been invited to church by a friend and had no previous church background. Some have been coming because of a hunger for community, others have had spiritual encounters with God before stepping foot in church that have prompted them to try church.

engage in serving through giving them opportunities to ‘learn on the job’ and have a go at things before they feel they’re ready for it. You feel freed up to serve when you know there’s support for you that will help you get better at what you do as you go along, along with patience and support from people in the times that you don’t do things perfectly. A culture of excitement and shared mission also helps with getting stuck in with serving.

READ INTERVIEW

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Isabel and Isaac show that when young people are trusted, mentored, and given opportunities, they step up and bring fresh energy to the Church.

Churches across the UK can be part of this movement. Ask yourself this week: how can I invest in a young person today? That one step could shape the Church for years to come.

Churches can help young people Catalyst Magazine - 27

Community

ID: Intentional Discipleship Investing in the next generation is key to the church of tomorrow

With Jesus, there are adventures in store. Action-packed adventures as he takes us along with him to the lost and broken, near and far, in our nation and among the nations.

Personal adventures, as you press into his goodness and grace, learning how to live in his kingdom, becoming all that he made you to be. Whoever you are, go on adventures with Jesus; and if you’re able to take a year out from work and education, consider doing ID to intentionally step into what God has for you.

ID: Intentional Discipleship is a church placement and discipleship programme open to anybody 18+.

The focus of the year is service in a local church where you get experience in ministry, mentoring from seasoned leaders, and the 28 - Catalyst Magazine

opportunity to step out in new things.

Alongside that, ID offers excellent teaching through four residential training blocks and weekly online teaching. We also run mission trips each year where we visit pioneering churches in other nations.

There’s so much to share about ID, so we’ve invited some of this year’s IDers to tell you about their experiences:

Issac (18), Northampton: “Since starting ID in September, the journey has been amazing. Most of my time is focused on youth work, which is fantastic, really seeing the young people flourish in church. The training is great. During our recent training block we were learning about the gifts of the Spirit and the

Holy Trinity. I’ve started stepping out in the gift of prophecy! At the end of October, I went to Uganda to support a ministry out there—a primary school, a college, and two churches. It was so great to see what God is doing. Honestly, since starting ID, it’s been such an amazing experience, no regrets whatsoever, and I really thank the Lord for all that he’s done in my life through this.”

Gabi (19), High Wycombe “The main thing that I absolutely love so much is the fellowship with the other ID students. It’s so special.

It’s not just great friendship but also being able to pray together and open up to each other. It’s called intentional discipleship, and that’s exactly what it is. I’ve absolutely loved it and I’m so excited for the rest of the year.”

Harry (23), High Wycombe: “I’ve been up to so much. My ministry focus is reaching out

WATCH VIDEO

to students and also Muslims in our area.

It’s been amazing training with great guest speakers. It’s such a great time to have fellowship with one another, companionship, free time, playing lots of table tennis. Just having that fellowship is really important—a family of people seeking Jesus together.”

If you want to know more about ID—either as someone interested in doing it yourself or as a church leader with a heart for Gen Z and interested in hosting ID students—check out the website www. intentionaldiscipleship.

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co.uk and get in touch using the contact form.

We’d love to hear from you!

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Matt Fell

ID Course Director, an elder at City Church, Cambridge, and a PhD student at Cambridge University. ID is a successor to Impact and partners with Catalyst and other Newfrontiers spheres.

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A community of worshippers on a mission together

mis o i n s The next section in the magazine will follow the theme of mission and are based on Catalyst’s apostolic foundations.

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MIssion

Prayer, Presence and Persistence Reaching a community for Jesus in Loughborough The Ashby Road Estate area of Loughborough has a history of churches trying to reach its community for Jesus, with The Well Church Loughborough calling it their home and mission field since moving to a local secondary school in 2016.

Since then they have found that prayer, presence and persistence have been key in what is long-term and deep rooted engagement with the community.

This consistency and commitment has helped build trust, seen relationships forged, and opened doors that only being a welcome part of a community can. Doors opened and visions shown through prayer walking the streets of the Estate.

The main community setting on the Estate is the Ashby Road Community Centre. Affectionately referred to as ‘The Hut’, it has become a core location for the church’s activities and outreach events as it houses their weekly toddler church, monthly prayer meetings and annual Alpha Course, as well as joint events with the volunteers who run The Hut.

“This consistency and commitment has helped build trust, seen relationships forged, and opened doors.”

Together they organise community events at Easter and Christmas where the church is able to share the gospel freely as an integrated part of those events, with the consistency and reliability of the church to be present and deliver on their promises central parts of the relationship.

Such is the reliability of the church to be present within the community that every Halloween residents have come to expect them to be handing out ‘bags of light’ whilst families trick or treat within the neighbourhood.

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MIssion This particular outreach has seen multiple families come to be attendees at the church’s Sunday gatherings, including one set of parents being baptised and their kids part of the children’s work.

The most regular of the church’s gatherings at The Hut is Glow, their term-time toddler church. Other than flyers around the local area, Glow has only been advertised through word of mouth, yet it has never struggled to attract a crowd.

Having a presence with which to share Jesus with the community is at the heart of this toddler church - distinctly not just another toddler group - where the mums (and some dads and grandparents) who come with their little ones join in with Christian songs, engage with the Bible stories, and receive prayer week in week out on a Friday morning since it started in 2017.

Glow moved online during Covid-19 to support isolated families, later meeting outdoors when possible, and when in-person gatherings resumed there was strong demand for the limited places available.

A few years later, Glow now welcomes a multicultural mix of Christians and non-Christians for this unapologetically Christian toddler church, one that has been established, rooted and built in prayer since before their first ever meeting.

With nine years of Glow under The Well Church’s belt, the kids and parents that have been through 32 - Catalyst Magazine

“The church is able to share the gospel freely.” their care are now able to reach out to another key location at the heart of the Estate, Boothwood Primary School, where a number of the church’s kids now attend and where many more who have passed through Glow also go to school.

Whilst the church does have positive relationships with the school leadership to promote their activities, it’s the personal relationships that are formed in the staffroom, classroom, playground, school gate and beyond that are at the heart of reaching the community through being embedded within the school.

And it’s some of these relationships

as well as the ones developed through Glow and the other activities that the church is involved in, that led to them establishing a once-amonth gathering at The Hut in 2023.

This gathering was seen as a natural next step following the momentum that had been built up - a step of faith that would provide a setting for further regular sharing of Bible truth, sung worship and discussion, as well as opportunities for invitations to the Alpha Course that The Well Church runs from The Hut. This non-churchy, Christian gathering has a 50/50 split of nonChristians and Christians and has provided a setting where many who might otherwise feel on the margins have found a sense of community that goes out beyond the monthly gathering.

The church is consistently seeking new ways to share Jesus with the community in which they meet. Not all have been successful or lasted the test of time, yet it is nine years and counting for The Well Church engaging and sharing the gospel with the Estate.

Nine years of building relationships.

Nine years of consistently showing up and being there to help. Nine years of prayer, presence and persistence.

James Twigg Part of The Well Church Loughborough since 2013; currently serves on the kids’ team.

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MIssion

Train1000: A Global Call to Church Planters Taking the gospel to unreached places and spaces Train1000 is a two-year global training initiative designed for those who are asking, “What’s next?” It’s for individuals ready to take a step of faith and be part of expanding the Kingdom of God by planting churches in unreached places and spaces around the world.

This initiative combines online training, in-person equipping events, and focused mentoring to equip and empower a new generation of church planters. Our mission is to train 1000 church planters by the year 2030. Will you join us?

Get Trained and Equipped Train1000 is an evergreen programme, meaning you can join at any time. Whether you’re exploring the idea of church planting or are already involved in a church plant, the programme offers you the tools and support you need to move forward.

Each participant is placed in a small group with a dedicated 34 - Catalyst Magazine

mentor, someone who will walk alongside you during your time in the programme.

The core of Train1000 includes: • Flexible online training you can complete at your own pace • Regular mentoring sessions with an experienced leader • In-person equipping days each year One participant shared their experience: “You can watch the videos at your convenient time and you have time to process the teachings and apply them. The wisdom of the speakers is incredible and what I like about it is they are not teaching from the books but from their lives, what they have experienced and practised.” —Tosin, Train1000 cohort

Become a Mentor Mentorship is a vital part of Train1000.

We’re building a global movement of church planters, and we need experienced leaders to help guide and invest in the next generation.

If you’ve pioneered a church plant or led in a church context, now is the time to pass on your wisdom.

By becoming a mentor, you’ll play a key role in equipping future leaders and multiplying the work of church planting around the world.

If you’re interested in mentoring, you can get in touch with the Train1000 team to find out more.

Join Pray1000 To see this vision fulfilled, we are calling for a movement of intercession through Pray1000.

We’re looking for individuals who love to pray and are willing to commit to a monthly prayer meeting focused on this global initiative. If you feel called

to support the work of Train1000 through prayer, we would love for you to join us.

Find Out More To learn more about Train1000, contact the team directly at train1000@catalyst.org.

Save the Date: Train1000 Conference 2026 Saturday 24 January 2026 The Ridgeway Centre, Milton Keynes Tickets: £50 The Train1000 Conference is your opportunity to discover more about the programme. Be inspired and equipped on the topic of church planting, meet others already on the journey, and connect with like-minded people who have a heart to see the gospel advance in new places.

SIGN UP

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Sputnik Saturday: FLESH & BLOOD Sputnik Saturdays are a space for Christian creatives to slow down, come together, share food, show their work, and enjoy meaningful, honest conversation. They take place right in the heart of the Midlands, in our beloved Birmingham, creating room for connection, reflection, and encouragement across different creative disciplines.

Join us for the first Sputnik Saturday of 2026 as we explore the theme Flesh & Blood. We’ll be hearing from guest speakers Rachel Ho and Caner Mutu, whose work invites deeper reflection on what it means to create with compassion and intention.

Together, we’ll ask how our creativity can honour the dignity of real people, from the first idea to the final outcome. How do we create work that truly connects — art that moves beyond commercial exchange and speaks to our shared humanity in a meaningful, lasting way?

Saturday 24 January Birmingham LEARN MORE

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Calling Creatives

Rachel Ho Rachel Ho is a ceramic artist exploring the human condition. She has exhibited across major UK cities, led a multi-city public art project on self-worth and belonging, and runs creative workshops with community groups.

We’re looking for performers and artists to feature at Catalyst Festival.

Musicians and songwriters – Open our brand new live music stage.

Filmmakers – Screen your short film at our movie night.

Comedians and performers – Kick off our comedy night.

Visual artists – Exhibit your work in our festival gallery.

Got another creative gift? – Let us know!

All ages are welcome, but we’re especially looking for artists and performers aged 14–25.

Caner Mutu Caner Mutu is a filmmaker and photographer whose work explores culture, identity, and connection. Inspired by street photography, he creates stories that spark conversation and connect people on and off screen.

Interested? Email us at office@sptnk.co.uk LEARN MORE

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Mission

Success or Fruitfulness Finding Connection in Shared Humanity

Around about 10 years ago, a very compassionate and entrepreneurial man from my local community set up his own emergency food provision in our town. In under three years, he secured massive lottery funding, a fleet of vans, and support from a well-known ‘90s pop star. His charity was featured in national newspapers and he won national awards.

In one sense, what he achieved in that time was amazing, but he said often that his goal was to provide more and more and more meals for people in need – he wanted to feed literally thousands.

Around the same time, the Trussell Trust was beginning to state very clearly that its goal was not to feed more and more people, but was to end the need for emergency food provision – to end the need for foodbanks, and therefore the need for their charity to exist.

Two very different goals. Two very different definitions of ‘success’ in tackling food poverty. When it comes to the social action projects or compassion ministries in our churches, what do we think ‘success’ looks like? For some it looks like

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faithfully supporting a small group of people for many years; for others, it looks like helping as many people as possible at their point of crisis.

Is one right and one wrong? The team leading the first project might be criticised for creating dependency, but they’re building meaningful relationships. The people leading the second project could be touching the lives of many more people and they’re avoiding creating dependency, but they might also be missing out on creating community and belonging. How do we measure ‘success’ in these two examples? Is ‘success’ to do with depth or is it to do with breadth?

Neither of the examples I’ve given are distinctly Christian, so perhaps church-based social action teams should be framing ‘success’ as the number of people we are seeing respond to the Gospel and put their faith in Jesus. If that’s the measure, can we make that happen or is that God’s job?

The Jubilee+ team recently gathered with about 140 people from across our partner churches to take them through our Social Action MOT,

Natalie Williams Natalie Williams is Chief Executive of Jubilee+. She is passionate about the church showing mercy to those experiencing poverty.

giving time and space for reflection on questions like these, and many others.

In Galatians 6:9, the Apostle Paul wrote: “And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap if we do not give up.”

I get weary of doing good when I don’t see results – when I feel like I’m being unsuccessful. But we are not called to success; we are called to fruitfulness. We achieve success, but we reap fruit. And Jesus says that fruitfulness comes from faithfulness and obedience to Him; when we abide in Him, we bear much fruit; and that how we abide in Him is by keeping His commandment that we love like He loves us, laying down our

“I get weary of doing good when I don’t see results – when I feel like I’m being unsuccessful. But we are not called to success; we are called to fruitfulness.”

lives for others (see John 15).

If you’re going for success it makes it very difficult to close something down or make significant changes to it without it feeling like failure. But if we’re talking about fruitfulness, then there’s no place for failure. When autumn comes along, summer hasn’t failed. It’s just that the season has changed. Thinking about it like this gives us freedom to change what we’re doing, to stop doing some things if the season of fruitfulness is over, and even to resurrect things when we’re sensing the season might be right again.

Time and space to think about these things is vitally important, so that we might bear much fruit for Jesus and advance His kingdom in our communities. God has promised we will reap in due season, so let’s not grow weary in doing good.

If you’d like to know more about the Jubilee+ Social Action MOT, please get in touch with us at admin@jubilee-plus.org.

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The Raw Disciple Community

Many Christians want to make disciples but feel stuck and unsure how to multiply their impact. Learn to become a confident disciple-maker through proven training shaped by 20+ years of ministry experience and a movement of 800+ churches. With live coaching, practical discipleship tools, community support and real stories from around the world, you’ll be equipped to share your faith and disciple others who disciple others.

LEARN MORE

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A Worldwide Family Get to know our Apostolic Hubs: Pyn Shabong’s Hub Team Our team of churches and leaders is based around Europe, UK, South America and Africa.

Catalyst is a movement of churches building communities that raise disciples who change the world. With our roots in Newfrontiers, we are a family of 800+ churches connected together through genuine relationship and served by a number of apostolic teams who aim to equip churches to raise pioneering disciples that see God's kingdom fill the earth.

TEAM LEADER

Pyn Shabong TEAM

Got a story to share?

Paul Godfrey

Sharon Clark

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