Welcome to Living the Passion 2024
It is our prayer you will find this weekend encouraging, informative and inspiring. As we gather, we will deepen our understanding and confidence in ‘Living Christ in Community’ as we learn more from the book of Philippians.
This will be our sixth national conference, organised by Counties, Church Growth Trust, GLO and Echoes International, with delegates from all over the country.
We are delighted to welcome our main speaker Rico Tice, with teaching from Phil Davies and Andy Gibson, and a host of respected Christian speakers leading our seminar sessions.
As well as solid Bible teaching, there will be the opportunity to network with likeminded people, browse the bookstall, and enjoy the Saturday evening’s entertainment with Searchlight Theatre Company.
And if that’s not enough, there will be free time on Saturday afternoon to explore the local area; some ideas are provided on page 13, ‘Ideas for ‘Free Time’, or simply take time to relax.
With every blessing,
The Living the Passion Team
Speakers
Rico Tice
Rico Tice is a passionate evangelist, and former Senior Minister of Evangelism at All Souls, Langham Place in London.
Co-Founder of Christianity Explored Ministries, he is a regular speaker at missions and evangelistic events around the world, and is the author of two books about understanding the gospel and sharing it with others — Honest Evangelism and Capturing God. Rico’s life’s work is to inspire believers to share their faith in Jesus. After 28 years at All Souls, Rico joined Christianity Explored Ministries full time from September 2023. While at All Souls Rico developed the Christianity Explored course, which encourages Christians to open up the Gospel of Mark with their friends and allow Jesus to walk off its pages. When not talking to people about Jesus, Rico loves to play and watch rugby. His other hobbies include playing golf and watching films. He’s married to Lucy and they have three young children.
Andy served as a Customs Officer for 10 years, before spending a year at Tilsley College with his wife Claire.
Andy & Claire then spent 8 years as GLO workers as part of a church planting team in Hereford, before returning to their commending church in Newcastle upon Tyne, where they have served full time since 2007. They have two adult children - Naomi 23 and Daniel 21. In his spare time Andy loves all things history, rugby, and anything to do with the North East of England.
Andy Gibson Phil Davies
Phil and his wife Sheila are based in the west side of Swansea and in particular Dunvant Christian Fellowship where Phil is one of the leadership team. Phil is a Counties Evangelist in South Wales.
Phil’s heart is to share the good news of Jesus wherever he can - though preaching, teaching and ‘by any means’ including many forms of visual communication. He mainly focuses on local churches, schools, and universities. He is also involved in the One 2 Lead training course for young people and witnesses at agricultural shows in Wales as well as being a frequent user of Counties resources such as GSUS Live.
He also works with the Wales Leadership Forum, encouraging, supporting and helping in revitalisation of churches across South Wales. Phil & Sheila have four grown-up and married children and they have 10 grandchildren.
Venue map
Connex Reception
Main Entrance From Yarnfield Lane
Connex Car Park
Houses
Main Car Park
Windermere
Grasmere Central Conference Centre
Programme
4.00pm Registration opens
6.00pm – 7.00pm Dinner
Sung worship (Nathan Davies)
Chair – Jim Armstrong
7.45pm - 9.15pm
Good news story – Echoes International
‘Alive in Christ’ - Philippians 1 - Rico Tice
9.30pm - 10.00pm ‘Catch up’ time
7.00am - 8.30am Breakfast
7.30am - 8.00am Corporate prayer in main room
Sung worship (Nathan Davies)
Chair – Martin Erwin
Good news story - Counties
9.30am - 11.00am
‘Living Christ in Community’ - Philippians 4: 1-9 - Rico Tice
Prayer ministry afterwards
11.00am - 11.30am Refreshments
11.30am - 12.45 pm Seminars
• The challenges of Reading the Bible
• Shaping existing churches for growth
• Working with Migration - Refugees and Asylum Seekers
• From Page to the Stage – Creative Writing Workshop
• Christians in Sport
• Mental health and wellbeing: Developing and renewing our wellbeing
12.45pm - 2.00pm Lunch Free Time
3.30pm - 4.30pm Refreshments
Additional session
4.30pm - 5.30pm
Growing Churches – Combined Revitalisation Project
5.30pm - 6.30pm Dinner
Friday
Children’s and Youth groups (primary, secondary & youth). No under 4s creche
Drinks purchased from Costa/The Bar until 11pm
Saturday
Children’s and Youth groups (Creche, primary, secondary & youth)
Coffee Pod - first floor
Children’s and Youth groups (Creche, primary, secondary & youth)
Coffee Pod - first floor
Catch up on what is happening or find out about getting help for regrowth in your local church
Programme
Sung worship (Nathan Davies)
Chair – Ian Smith
Good news story - GLO
7.00pm - 8.15pm
‘Blending in’ – Philippians 2 v 1-11 – Andy Gibson
Prayer ministry afterwards
8.15pm - 8.45 pm Break
8.45pm - 10pm
Evening entertainment by Searchlight Theatre Company
REMEMBER! THE CLOCKS GO BACK 1 HOUR
7.00am - 8.30am Breakfast
7.30am - 8.00am Corporate prayer in main room
Seminars
• Living like family on mission for Jesus
• Intercultural mission in Britain – working better together
• Global Gospel Partnership: Getting involved in cross-cultural mission in the 21st Century
9.30am - 10.45am
• Safeguarding
• Why song choice matters
• Reaching out into your community and offering Hope and spreading The Gospel
• Living in the Community
• Personal family and life stresses in leadership and ministry
10.45am - 11.30am Refreshments
Sung worship (Nathan Davies) - with Communion
Chair – Garryl Willis
Good news story - Church Growth Trust
11.30am – 12.45pm
‘Standing Out’ – Philippians 3 v 4-11
- Phil Davies
Prayer ministry afterwards
1.00pm - 2.00pm Lunch
2.00pm Depart
Children’s and Youth groups (primary, secondary & youth). No under 4s creche
Eric Liddell: The Chariot of Fire
Sunday
Children’s and Youth groups (Creche, primary, secondary & youth)
Coffee Pod - first floor
Altogether for the start with Children’s and Youth groups leaving after Communion
Seminars
1. The challenges of Reading the Bible
God-breathed and authoritative yet an ancient document written by humans in their own lived contexts. Take time to reflect on key guidelines that help us access the meaning God intended and strengthen our ability to handle the Scriptures better.
Saturday 11.30am - 12.45 pm
Alistair Hornal and Allan Mckinnon (Tilsley College) staff member
2. Shaping existing churches for growth
How do we navigate tensions that often occur between the necessary activities of running a church? Maintenance is necessary but often overwhelms actions needed for effective outreach and growth. Sharing ideas on getting the balance right.
3. Working with Migration - Refugees and Asylum Seekers
Understanding the role of the church in both serving refugees and asylum seekers and learning to serve together with those God brings into our country.
4. From Page to the Stage – a Creative Writing Workshop
How to begin to transfer your creative ideas from page to the stage. Developing characters, storylines and plot arcs from a 5 minute sketch to a play that is ready for the Edinburgh Fringe. Suitable for beginners to Shakespeare.
5. Christians in Sport
Christians in Sport seeks to reach the world of sport for Christ. The ability to play sport is a gift from God and is a context to worship Him in and to be a faithful witnesses of Him too. It’s a massive mission field with few Christians in. We’ll explore what it looks like to ‘worship and witness’ in your local sports club/team, whilst being plugged into church. Come along and find out more.
6. Mental health and wellbeing: Developing and renewing our wellbeing
This seminar will draw from the work of the Renew Wellbeing (www.renewwellbeing.org.uk) across nearly 300 churches. We will look at what wellbeing is and how it relates to the gospel and how we can develop and share wellbeing habits and host wellbeing spaces. Renew Wellbeing is based on three simple principles: Being prayerful, Being present and Being in partnership.
Richard Harknett & Growing Churches Revitalisation Project
Jenny Watts
Searchlight Theatre Company
Duncan Leese
Ruth Rice
Seminars
1. Living like family on mission for Jesus
Growing a missional community as a fully-functional family of believers (i.e. a New Testament church) who share everyday life together with gospel intentionality to reach lost people, see disciples multiply, and new leaders raised up from the harvest field.
2. Intercultural mission in Britain – working better together
For many decades God has been bringing His people into this country in waves of migration. How well integrated are we in the way we work together as multi-cultural churches? Increasingly missionaries are being called by God TO Britain. How do we receive them and work in mission together?
3. Global Gospel Partnership: Getting involved in cross-cultural mission in the 21st Century
Recognising that the world we live in has changed and continues to change dramatically, this seminar will give an overview of the world’s missional needs today and explore how we can pray and serve in a purposeful and relevant way, partnering in the gospel with brothers and sisters near and far. Picking up topics like business or vocation as mission, cross-cultural opportunities in the UK and accessing closed countries through digital methods, the session hopes to provide some answers – and perhaps more questions!
4. Safeguarding
Understanding its importance and dealing with current challenges. In this workshop we will cover the safeguarding issues facing churches and will share the most common issues churches are facing when it comes to safeguarding. We will cover some of the hot topics that churches are facing today, e.g. the complexities of adult safeguarding, position of trust (leaders across the organisation) and domestic abuse.
5. Why song choice matters
Understanding the impact of music and lyrics on the human soul. What’s a good song balance for personal growth? What has greater impact for a Sunday service? How can we develop worship and spiritual growth through song in both smaller and larger church life?
6. Reaching out into your community and offering Hope and spreading The Gospel (Neighbourhood Chaplains)
Would you like to be to be equipped to reach out to people in their local communities with the gospel? We connect churches with communities in tried and tested ways. We help tackle loneliness through befriending, and offer practical help towards meeting our neighbour’s physical, emotional and spiritual needs.
7. Living in the Community
Reflecting on David E Fitches book titled “Faithful Presence” - a revolutionary and challenging approach to getting our church communities out into the wider community. Sharing both on the Biblical foundation for this approach and lessons being learned in working it into local church practice at Darnley Mill Church.
7. Personal family and life stresses in leadership and ministry
A small panel will share from their experience and hold open discussions with plenty of opportunity for all to participate. Sunday 9.30am - 10.45am
Mark and Jo Jones with Martin Erwin
Mark Davies and Charles Addoco
Jim Armstrong and Matthew Pitts
Sue and Paul Harrison
Nathan Davies and Jess Segalove
Sue Ashmole
Allan McKinnon
Children & Youth
We have an exciting programme for the youth and children running alongside both the main gatherings and during the seminar sessions. These are being led by an amazing group of leaders and helpers with a significant and safe programme for all ages up to and including 18-year-olds. The groups have arranged the follow age relevant groups:
Children
Age 0-3 (pre-school creche) *
Leader: Katherine Curley with Naomi Bundy
Age 4-10 (primary)
Leader: Allison Smith with Abigail Baker
Youth
Age 11-14 (secondary)
Leader: Ruth Harris with Tim Pawson
Age 15-18
Leader: Mike Thomas with Caleb Haskins
As the parent/carer you will be required to register your child/ young person before each session and collect promptly at the end times.
The venue for the children’s work will be clearly signed and the entrance adjacent to our main venue - Knighton Suite.
*Please note that pre-school creche is not available during evening sessions.
Saturday Afternoon
Ideas for ‘Free Time’
Onsite Wellness Walk
Take a stroll around our well-kept grounds, with acres of gardens, breakout areas, and shaded spots. Explore the pathways or enjoy a peaceful chat with friends.
Trentham Monkey Forest
No need to pre-book on non-event days—just show up for a fantastic outing. Suitable for all ages, you can walk among wild Barbary macaques in 60 acres of forest, the only place in Britain to do so. Enjoy hourly feeding talks and group discounts for 20 or more. Gift experiences, like feeding the monkeys breakfast, are also available.
Trentham Monkey Forest is just 15 minutes from Yarnfield Park.
Lower Drayton Farm
Learn about animals, farming, and conservation. Meet pigs, goats, ponies, and more, or take a farm trailer ride to see llamas, peacocks, and emus. Enjoy the playground, nature trail, or zip wire, and don’t miss themed events throughout the year.
Located 30 minutes from Yarnfield Park.
Cannock Chase AONB
Explore the beautiful landscape of Cannock Chase, with forest walks, open fields, and the chance to spot wild deer. Activities include walks, a play park, and a Go Ape course. It’s just 40 minutes from Yarnfield Park.
Stafford Castle
Tour the 1100AD Stafford Castle and its 26-acre grounds. Visit the Keep, herb garden, and Visitor Centre, offering interactive displays and souvenirs. The castle also hosts events like the annual Stafford Festival Shakespeare.
Located 30 minutes from Yarnfield Park.
Ancient High House
The Ancient High House, built around 1595, is the largest timber-framed townhouse in the UK. It features museums and displays, including the Staffordshire Yeomanry Museum, the Civil War Room, and exhibits on its construction.
Only 25 minutes from Yarnfield Park.
Staffordshire Owl Experience
At The Staffordshire Owl Experience and Birds of Prey Rescue Centre, enjoy activities like hawk walks, falconry displays, bird photos, and flying or feeding sessions. Many birds are rescued and rehabilitated for release, while others, once neglected, receive long-term care.
Rodbaston Visitor Centre Animal Zone
Animal Zone at Rodbaston Campus is home to around 750 animals, including meerkats, monkeys, and alpacas. Enjoy activities like Meet the Keeper sessions, animal encounters, and feeding. There’s also a picnic area, play zone, and a tea room offering snacks. Note: some activities may not run in bad weather.
Located 40 minutes from Yarnfield Park.
General info
Exhibitions
The GLO Bookshop will be stocked and available over the weekend. We are also delighted that a few ministries will be exhibiting, and their stands will be in the reception area close to where the refreshment breaks will be. Please look out for the promotions displayed before each main session on the main screens. The exhibitions will be manned before each main session, during refreshment breaks and during the free time on Saturday afternoon. Please visit the bookshop and exhibitions during the weekend.
Costa and The Bar
Any additional food or drinks, outside of mealtimes and coffee breaks, should be paid for by yourself. These can be purchased in the reception area at the Costa Coffee bar (open 24 hours) or in the Bar (6pm – 11pm). All transactions will need to be contactless payments, no cash accepted.
Gym Facilities
The conference centre has a small gym that is open between 6am and 10pm. Registration is required at reception with access added to your room key throughout the weekend.
Remember the clocks go back this weekend.
Please remember this weekend is when clocks go back 1 hour. We will do our utmost to remind you of this on Saturday. Enjoy your extra hour of sleep, or if you have small children, your extra hour of the day!
First Aid
The Centre has a rota of emergency first aiders. In case of any first aid situation, please contact the Centre reception, or any member of the staff, who will find the relevant first aider on duty.
Recording
The main sessions will be recorded and made available for download from the website (www.livingthepassion.org) shortly after the conference.
WiFi
There is free Wi-Fi access around the hotel.
Badges
You will be issued with your name badge which includes a barcode pass that will be required to be worn for security and meal purposes. It would be appreciated if you could always wear it. Each mealtime, you will be required to scan your barcode as you enter the restaurant area.
Leaving on Sunday – Check out
You are required to check-out of your bedroom by 10am on Sunday, leaving your room clean and handing back your room card/key at reception. Any luggage can be stored in a room provided by the Centre if required, however it is preferred that luggage is stored in your vehicles.
Queries and Concerns
If you have any queries or concerns during the Conference, please see any members of the organising committee. If you need to contact anyone from the organising committee, please feel free to phone:
