Twenty23/24 | Gas Street Church

OurVision Our Vision Our Vision

We passionately believe that in order to see our vision become reality, we are called to be a church who gathers and scatters. We gather to worship and pray, to open God’s word, to be transformed by His presence, to grow, to serve and to be family together.

Then we scatter as compassionate followers of Jesus to be light-bearers, peace-makers, hopebringers, truth-sharers and city-shapers wherever God sends us.

20 24

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As we look back over the last twelve months, it’s impossible not to be deeply grateful for all God has done and is still doing in and through our church. It would also be remiss, however, not to acknowledge that within all the encouraging accounts of God’s enduring faithfulness and goodness, this last year (like most years!) has had its challenges and disappointments. This tension is reflective of the Christian walk. So often, as we seek to follow Jesus, we experience battles and blessings simultaneously. This year has been no exception to that reality.

With that tension in mind, firstly, our desire is that this publication would serve as an unabashed celebration of God at work; secondly, that it might inspire you to step more generously, more sacrificially, more wholeheartedly, more radically into playing the unique part you have to play in seeing the vision become a reality.

We embarked on this year with a firm conviction that the vision remains the same.

We know we have a God-given mandate to be light for the city and beyond. We know that the vision is outworked as we Gather & Scatter.

A message from

Tim & Rachel

This year is also a season to strengthen the foundations. If we could encourage every person who calls Gas Street home to make a regular commitment to give, to pray, to serve, and to belong, then not only would each person grow deeper and stronger in their own faith, but it might also unlock the resources that are required to see the impact in our city and beyond, that we’re longing and believing for.

And so our hope is that as you read through the statistics and the stories of God’s Kingdom on the move through every aspect of church life, you would not only be stirred towards gratitude and wonder at all that God is doing but also stirred to action.

With every blessing,

218 Have said ‘Yes’ to Jesus

461 People serving on team

110 People baptised

592 Currently in GS Groups

25k Followers on socials

374 Kids, Youth & Students

4.8k

Average people watching online each week

259 Alpha Guests

10 Love Your Neighbour Streams

51 Nations Represented

THE THETHE

THEIMPACT THE IMPACT THE IMPACT THETHEIMPACTIMPACT THE IMPACT THE THE IMPACT

January February March April May June

Launched new gathering times, creating more space for people to attend.

Planted Christ Church Summerfield, led by Katie Stock. Over 130 attended the launch Sunday.

Gathered our church for ‘Powerhouse’ a weekend of prayer, worship and ministry.

Hosted 220 people for the Alpha course.

Worship For Everyone led worship at the National Head Teacher’s conference at Union Chapel, London.

Student weekend away with 100+ attending.

Raised £87k during our ‘Above & Beyond’ vision campaign.

Youth Weekend Away with 70+ attending.

Celebrated 32 baptisms across our locations .

Launched prayer gatherings at Longbridge.

Welcomed 25 guests to Farsi Baptism Class.

Hosted 60+ at the GS Business Breakfast.

Wildfires Festival with 350 camping in the Gas Street Village.

Hosted the Women’s Speaker Collective w/ Danielle Strickland.

The Orchard team hosted a retreat with senior leaders from around the UK.

Gas Street Music released ‘Thanksgiving’ live single.

Launched the first Worship For Everyone conference with 400+. 130 churches represented.

July August September October November December

Launched ‘Altar’ a weekday worship and prayer gathering.

Celebrated Sunday Funday with 650 from our community.

10 GS Academy students graduated.

Celebrated 23 baptisms from the International Community.

Our annual GS Kids Summer Club with 55 kids from our local community attending for three weeks.

Gas Street Music released ‘Woven; Live from the Coal House’.

Gathered as a church for a week of prayer.

Welcomed 120 freshers to our Student community.

The Orchard Women held their annual conference with 2,500 women attending and 200 youth.

Worship for Everyone released a live EP from Wildfires Festival.

Raised £40k during our Giving Sunday.

Baptised 54 people across our locations.

Hosted the last ‘Big Breakfast’ of the year, with 1.4k attending throughout the year.

Our annual ‘Carols on Gas Street’ and ‘Christmas For Everyone’ with over 2,500 attending.

Delivered 300 ‘Bags of Kindness’ to our local community.

100 Turkey Hampers sent out to families.

&Locations PlantsChurch Locations &Church Plants Locations Church

Locations

GS Central 41 Gas Street

GS St Luke’s Great Colmore Street

PlantsChurch

GS South Tudor Grange Academy

GS Longbridge 4 Culmington Rd

Plants

Christ Church, Summerfield Gillott Rd

Lighthouse Church Tyburn Rd

Anchor Church Birmingham, UK

Hanzekerk Nijmegen, NL

St Mark’s Coventry Bird Street

Featured Church Plant Update: St Marks, Coventry

It has been a season of growth at St Marks! We regularly see around 300 people at our services, many discovering faith or returning to church after a long time of not attending. There have been many beautiful encounters in our services and people discovering who they are in Jesus. Over the past few years, we have planted twice in the eastern suburbs (Wyken) and in the northern estates (Hillfields) in Coventry. Both plants are thriving and reaching out into their community, bringing the life and love of Jesus.

We have also had several new staff members join the team. A new Children’s and Families lead, Youth Lead and Director for the St Marks Academy, and several new interns are coming on board. We have partnered more intentionally with charities in Coventry. In particular, Carriers of Hope, who run a social supermarket at St Marks, and Embrace, who work with on-street sex workers in the city. We’re excited about what’s ahead and looking forward to all that God will do in the future!

Prayer:

We would love you to pray that our times of worship continue to be filled with the presence of God. Prayer for wisdom and protection for the staff team and leaders of the church, and discernment on how to widen our missional engagement.

New Location:

GS Longbridge

We have had the joy and privilege of journeying with the St John’s Longbridge community for the past 12 months. They are faithful, inspiring followers of Jesus. Some were there on the church’s first Sunday over 65 years ago! There is a desire within the church to see the community transformed and young and old come to faith. The revitalisation helps create an opportunity to resource that vision. We regularly gathered throughout 2023 to pray, worship and seek God. These were special times of intimacy with the Lord and interceding for Longbridge. We are thankful for the incredible team of 50+ who have already committed to be a part of GS Longbridge. We pray that we will see the church filled once again, that people will meet and encounter God in powerful ways, and that the surrounding community will see this beacon of hope shining bright in Longbridge.

GS Longbridge officially launched on 04 February 2024, with around 300 people joining us for the celebration. We have started a weekly coffee morning and Stay&Play, a place for parents and guardians to bring their little ones. We want to do all we can to connect with the local community. We believe that God is doing something beautiful in this area, and we’re expectant for all that will unfold as we follow Him into this adventure.

Prayer:

Our prayers are that we will see salvation and for the prodigals to return, favour with the Longbridge as we reach out and for a deep sense of community as we establish GS Longbridge.

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Stories&Te

“I suffered from knee pain for about four years now. I’ve had physiotherapy twice and haven’t seen much improvement. It was getting me down; this pain was getting in the way of the stuff I loved doing. Then, one Sunday at Gas Street South, I was walking oddly, and a pastor offered to pray for me; I kindly accepted. A week or two later, I noticed that something was different; the things that would cause excruciating pain no longer did. The swelling had subsided. I began to exercise and enjoy gardening without any discomfort. I went back for an x-ray, and the consultant showed me that my knee was normal! I burst into tears of joy and explained that I had received prayers. With a big smile, he said, ‘I too believe in the power of prayer’. I’m so thankful for God’s grace. With all I’ve been through, he would call me out and draw me near to me. God’s love is more profound than any love that I’ve received in my life!”

matter how weak and a boost to our faith to keep believing He is not done yet. This unexpected blessing reinforced our belief that God knows our needs and will provide when the time is right. “

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“I recently became a Christian at Gas Street and have brought my sister and friend who gave their lives to Christ. I’ve seen amazing healing from God, with two of my friends healed of cancer! This church has helped me find a sense of belonging and purpose and healed relationships.”

“I found out about Gas Street on YouTube, and I’ve been watching most Sundays ever since. I was heavily involved in my local church, but health issues have caused me to take a step back. All of you at Gas Street have been a great blessing, and I’m unsure where I would be without church online! I have grown beyond what I thought was possible. I feel so connected to you all and always look forward to each Sunday.”

“Gas Street has helped me re-find my faith! I’m now serving and involved in the life of the church properly for the first time in my adult life. It has helped me beyond measure to connect to my faith again. I am so grateful!”

anything stood out to them, and give them a word from God. I entered a shop and felt drawn to the woman on the till. I showed her the paper I had written earlier, and she pointed at the word ‘restoration’. I didn’t have a clue what to say to her, but in an instant, God popped a picture in my head. I said there are so many old buildings in and around Birmingham that need restoring, and I believe God wants to restore you. At that moment, she unexpectedly broke down in tears and was sobbing in front of us; she then went on to share with us that she used to go to church and was a fully active member until her son was shot and killed. She couldn’t bring herself to go back because she was so angry at God, and she felt hurt, broken and useless. We were able to tell her that it was okay to tell God how you feel and that God saw her, loved her still, and wanted to restore her. We prayed with her and left. We haven’t seen her again, but we know it wasn’t a coincidence. God saw her and loved her.”

“We came to the evening service with heavy hearts, burdened by growing financial challenges concerning shortfalls and salary reductions. This left me struggling to focus on worship, feeling God’s silence and fearing my empty bank account more than having faith in His provision. Midway through the service, I contemplated leaving, but managed to stay. As the offering baskets were passed round, I let go of my frustration and quietly cried out for His provision. Little did we know it would come so quickly and was already underway. During the sermon, no more than five minutes after my silent request, a member of the host team handed my wife an envelope from the offering bucket with a note that had our name on it. Inside was a stunning gift of £100 cash. A profound response from a Father to my weak little prayer. A reminder that God listens to our every prayer no

‘God’s love is more profound than any love that I’ve received in my life’ S t o r ies &Testi

“Having undergone surgery as a ballet dancer in the last 12 months, Gas Street Church supported me profoundly spiritually. I found community and a way to connect with Jesus more times during the week. Gas Street is not just a church. It’s a community that you can become a part of. I genuinely value it and appreciate everything Gas Street does to support people!”

“During one of the gatherings, I felt prompted to say hello to a guy at the end of my aisle. I kept putting it off, but later, I felt led again and prayed with him during ministry time. We chatted, and I gave him my number. A few weeks later, we met up, and I found out he hadn’t been to church for years. He had split up with his wife the day before and felt led to Gas Street. He told me his prayer is that someone would come alongside him in his struggle. We’ve been meeting up and journeying through all this. It’s been remarkable!”

“My friend and I decided to meet every Monday morning to do some ‘treasure hunting’ prophetic praying. We would write down words and pictures on a piece of paper, then go up to people, ask them if

Love Your Neighbour

Foodbank

Delivering food parcels to those in need.

The Community Shop

A subsidised grocery experience.

Cause

Identifying and tackling causes of poverty.

CAP Job Club

Providing regulated support for those in debt to become debt free.

ESOL Class

Free classes to enable anyone to improve their English.

Community

Wrap-around care and support.

Craft Club

A space for adults to come and talk, build friendships, and make crafts.

Warm Space

A place where people can be warm and safe during the winter

CAP Debt Centre

Helping people become debt free.

Kids Matter

Parenting course for those with kids under 10 to build support and community.

Community Lunch

A free lunch throughout winter, a welcoming space for all.

Computer drop in We have laptops and chromebooks for people to access to increase digital inclusion.

Community Choir

Open to all and a chance to build community and confidence.

Stay & Play

Open to all parents with preschool-aged children to socialise and build community.

We aim to see people helped, communities strengthened, and inspire a fresh movement of practical love for our neighbour.

Bright Music

Music & sensory classes for children and babies.

Crisis

Emergency support and immediate help.

The Big Breakfast

Free food and activities for the whole family at St John’s and St Peter’s Academy in Ladywood.

65k Meals provided

400 Households receiving food

5k Volunteer hours across all our streams

211 Debts relieved

2023 has been a big year for Love Your Neighbour! The team has changed somewhat, but our mission to ‘Love Our Neighbour’ here in Attwood Green has remained strong. We’re committed to seeing families whole and thriving, children safe, and parents supported. We want to see poverty eradicated, social isolation removed, and people mentally, physically, financially and spiritually healthy.

As well as our busy day to day streams, we’ve a had number of special events. The BBC and ITV have visited to capture what we do, we also hosted our annual Kids Summer Club and our Community Christmas party which had around 400 guests.

We’ve also been part of a pilot for a new course called ‘Leadership for Life’, where we’ve seen people’s lives change right before our very eyes. We’ve seen those who have completed the course now applying for university, cutting back or giving up smoking, implement new savings plans and many other amazing things, it’s been incredible!

Prayer:

Our prayer is that we would see the miraculous and supernatural ‘only God could do this’ type of funding and networking opportunities. We also would love to see more salvations as we know the only true transformer of life is Jesus. We long for all those we serve and work with to know him!

300 Bags of kindness delivered

100 People attended English classes

Maryam’s Story

“When I first went to Job Club I honestly had no expectations of it leading to anything because of previous experiences. I was so surprised, it was such a welcoming environment, Nicky and the team were so supportive and encouraging and the course gave me the confidence to pursue the career I really wanted to do. I applied for a Health and Social care qualification and was accepted and after completing the course I am now working for Anchor Trust as a care assistant looking after elderly people.

Since getting a job I feel so much more motivated and have a real sense of purpose and belonging in society. I am contributing to the welfare of my family and it is so satisfying to get a pay check at the end of the month, knowing that I have earned this.”

Beki’s Story

“I love the wonderful people I’ve met through volunteering at the community shop on a Thursday morning, and the atmosphere of community I get to contribute to. There is so much joy to be found through getting stuck in with the team and creating a safe space for people, and it’s incredibly to see the difference Love Your Neighbour makes. God is really moving!”

12 Have said ‘Yes’ to Jesus through LYN streams

55 Attended the Job Club

Dave’s Story

“20th September 2020, I still know the date, I was a taxi driver driving a customer to the airport, and I had a haemorrhage in my left eye and I couldn’t see anything out of it, I had to stop work that very day. Going from a working job to claiming benefits was a very stressful thing, one of the hardest things you can do is try and get benefits sorted out. Through walking our little dog in the park we met a Brazilian couple who told us about the Birmingham City Mission. I attended Monday-Thursday having a warm meal because money was tight. Whilst there I met Patrick who was doing a delivery from Love Your Neighbour, we got introduced and he invited me to meet Millie at Gas Street St Luke’s. I’ve been coming ever since. I joined Gas Street St Luke’s on Sundays and now it’s my home.

I used to come to The Community Shop as a customer, and then one day they were short of staff. I offered to help, Millie put me helping on the racks, the next week I offered again and I joined the team!

I felt like the prodigal son returning to church, as a child I went religiously to Sunday School twice a week, when I left school I got a job, starting going out drinking and met girls, church got put on the back burner, then suddenly church was only for wedding christening and funerals. Now I come all the time and I love it.”

Dan’s Story

“My testimony starts in the middle of 2022. I was on a family holiday in the Cotswolds, taking time out with my three boys and wife. The lack of a reliable mobile signal and internet allowed us all to disconnect from the world and be present with each other.

I woke up that Sunday morning with a barrage of alerts on my phone— messages from a distant uncle and the police asking me to return the calls. Hesitantly, I call back, and once I do, I hear those dreaded words. ‘I am sorry to have to deliver this message, but your father has been in a car accident and hasn’t made it’.

Dan‘s story

And just like that, my whole life changed direction in a moment. Over the next few weeks, I focused on organising my father’s estate and funeral preparations. It kept me on track for the time being. But once it was over, the freight train of past issues and trauma switched lines to a direct collision course with me.

For the past six months, I had not spoken to my father. Now I had lost him. Any opportunity to tackle the pain from childhood, abuse, neglect, violence, abandonment. All the pain of the past was now smack bang in my life again.

I started to believe that it was my fault he wasn’t here, that all the abuse and neglect I had faced as a child was because I was useless and unworthy. I fought as hard as I could, but the negativity was unbearable. Every time I closed my eyes, I would be reminded of all the trauma I had tried to bury for so many years.

I couldn’t fight anymore and decided to get some medical help. I spent weeks in therapy at the best facility I could find. The more I talked about the past, the more I regressed. I couldn’t put my wife and family through this pain anymore. It all became too much, and I gave in, deciding to try and take my own life.

It was in December 2022 that I had my first of two overdoses, which resulted in me spending Christmas in the hospital. I couldn’t understand how I made it through.

Shortly after, I bumped into an old friend whom I hadn’t seen for over ten years at work; he had moved back from South Africa and wanted to reconnect. We catch up, and I explain what’s been happening, that I’m fighting, but I don’t know how. I tell my friend randomly about this song I’ve had on repeat for the past six months, ‘Oceans’ by Hillsong. He replies, ‘Are you joking! I was a pastor at Hillsong South Africa’ for the past ten years.

As an atheist, we spent the evening discussing faith and how if God exists, how could he let all these things happen to me? We concluded that I needed to attend church to experience it for myself. Sunday comes around, but he isn’t able to come. Still, I had this feeling that I needed to make it. As soon as I was in the building, I was hit with a gut-wrenching sense of overwhelming love. I wept uncontrollably

during the gathering and had this phrase ‘your safe now, your home’ in my head. Time seemed to stand still. When it was over, I knew something had changed. I felt different. I left the building, and all the baggage and negative thoughts disappeared.

In the weeks following, I began to pray for the first time, asking God to reveal himself to me and show me that it was him in the church that day. Through distinct encounters, God began to show me that he has the power to redeem and save.

‘God began to show me that he has the power to redeem and save’

After that experience, I knew I wanted to give my life to Christ and get planted in a church. We had a good feeling about Gas Street. We knew instantly from the welcome, the heart-felt worship, and the message that it was the right place for our family. Shortly after, I decided to get baptised. As I got baptised, all the previous pain was left in the water. It signified the end of all that I had previously experienced.

Fast forward to today, writing this, my life could not be more different. I am starting and ending my day with prayers of gratitude and vowing to ‘shout from the rooftops’ of how he is the only one who can save. I want to sing of his greatness and share with others how amazing it is to know a loving, living God. My outlook is to ‘never be ashamed of the Gospel’. I want to share my faith and story with friends and colleagues.

I run a business in the Midlands and employ over 75 people, many of whom witnessed how lost I really was. I do my best to tell my colleagues that the Lord has saved me and how we can use His example and the scriptures to guide us in our everyday lives and business. Many people ask why I’m so open, and I always have the same answer. ‘If you felt the way I feel, I would want you

to tell me!’ These conversations led people to come to Gas Street and experience faith for the first time. Others have had a natural curiosity to discover more about what faith and having a relationship with God looks like.

My life has been changed forever, and now I know that even in my darkest days, I was not alone, just lost.”

In 2023, we saw 259 people join us to explore questions of life, faith, and spirituality on Alpha across all our locations. We also launched a daytime Alpha with childcare provision and welcomed around 25 guests. We loved hearing how the new time and childcare provision made it much more accessible to more people in our community.

We’re continually blown away by how God uses Alpha to draw people closer to Him. Sometimes, it’s someone discovering faith for the first time; other times, it’s the answered questions that allow them to make a firm decision and receive His Spirit.

Ricardo’s Story

“I was having a stressful time, suffering with anxiety and a nasty chest infection. My mother was doing the Alpha Course, and I asked her if I could come with her to get

Prayer: That God would give our community more opportunities to extend the invitation of Alpha. We pray that our guests will keep exploring and experience the intimate love of God.

prayer. When I was there, I told the pastor about what I was going through and the difficulties I faced. He offered to pray for me there and then. Once I closed my eyes and he started to pray, I saw flashing lights across my eyes and got this warm sensation in my stomach. I acknowledged that I was in the presence of God, and I felt this strong connection. As I opened my eyes, they started watering! It lifted my spirit, and I realised God filled me with the Holy Spirit.

I stayed for the remainder of the Alpha session and attended church the following Sunday. It was on that day I chose to follow Jesus!

I continued to go to Alpha and church each week. Since giving my life to Jesus, I feel stronger, have made better decisions and have addressed my anxiety. I feel so peaceful in the presence of God. I’m happy and proud to say I’m a Christian and believe in God. Amen.”

Worship For Everyone

What a brilliant year for the Worship for Everyone ministry! We are seeking to release the power of intergenerational worship, elevating children and engaging adults through resourcing the wider Church. We started the year leading worship at the National Head Teachers’ conference at Union Chapel London alongside members of our local primary school. In June, we brought together over 130 churches from around the UK for the Worship for Everyone conference to be inspired and equipped in their all-age worship.

Stories from the Conference

“Nothing other than thank you for an amazing and inspiring day! The team’s creativity was inspiring, as was the heart behind it. Definitely bringing a bigger team from our church next time!”

“I thought the day was fantastic! I was inspired and encountered God wonderfully during the worship. I felt practically equipped by both of the seminars. It was brilliant to bring along volunteers and team members to foster a sense of team and see them grow.”

We took teams to Spring Harvest, Wildfires and Focus throughout the year, leading over 2,000 people of all ages in worship from communities nationwide. We released our first Live EP from Wildfires, with five new recordings and videos from the event showing intergenerational worship in practice. We established a key partnership with a charity, ‘Count Everyone In’, which will produce Makaton-signed videos for ten songs for those with additional needs to be included in worship.

We delivered theological and practical training in all-age worship to around 100 ordinands through St Mellitus, the South West School of Worship and the North West methodist network. Towards the end of the year, we went to Malaysia, training 20 churches in all-age worship. We then produced an intergenerational Advent Journal, which served schools and churches across Birmingham and beyond.

We’re so grateful for all God has done and very expectant for what he will continue to do!

Prayer: Our prayer is that worship for everyone will continue to grow in impact and influence, resulting in many more discovering the power and beauty of intergenerational worship!

GS Groups

GS Groups have continued to be a place of community, support and encouragement to many people in our church. On average, 650 people were in a group each term. That’s 650 people growing in their faith through bible studies, praying together, learning through courses and being ‘light’ to each other through relationship-based groups. We’ve also seen around 60 people gather twice a month at Young Adults, growing through formation topics and discovering who God has called them to be.

Prayer:

We would love you to pray for our GS Group leaders as they pastor, support and encourage their community. Please pray that those who have yet to try out a group will have the courage and curiosity to join one!

GS Groups GS Groups

Lindsay’s Story

“I have met the most fantastic group of women my age who have become close friends. We see each other regularly outside our two weekly GS Groups. This has been the biggest blessing, particularly over the last 12 months as I navigated an extremely tough season. These women came alongside me, making all the difference. I felt seen, heard, understood and loved. In all my years at church, I can honestly say that GS Groups have been imperative to my growth as a Christian. You can build relationships with people who genuinely support you on your Christian journey. Regularly being part of a smaller group will expand your understanding of God’s word and provide sound counsel and accountability, all whilst adding quality fun and friendship to your local community circle and social life!”

Groups

Groups

Prayer: Please pray with us that our Kids, Youth & Students would discover all that God has for them at this key time in their lives, that they would encounter his love and see his kingdom come in their schools and universities.

Kids, Youth & Students

Kids

Last year, we increased our capacity by providing GS Kids across our Sunday morning gatherings. We can hardly keep up with the number of kids coming along!

We have loved following the same teaching themes across all ages and gatherings. We have found it an excellent opportunity to deepen discussions about faith within the families, as we’re all learning the same thing each week. Worship has been beautiful as all the age groups join together before moving into activities and practising memory verses. Plus, the kids have enjoyed having something to take home and ‘add to’ each week to build on their learning from the session.

We’re so grateful to have volunteers helping run the environments each Sunday! It has been a stretch with so many kids coming along, so we’re praying for more team to join in the coming months. Many team members have commented that watching the kids learn and deepen their relationship with Jesus is a true joy! We’re so passionate about building something that lasts for generations!

Youth

We saw God move in a very powerful way throughout 2023! A particularly significant moment in the year was at the Youth Weekend Away. Many young people

had profound encounters with Jesus and were radically changed. A theme across the weekend was around sharing our faith. As a result, many young people took a risk and invited school friends to come to church. We witnessed multiple young people come and give their lives to Jesus, some with no faith background. One young person has now invited six of their friends to come along!

We continue to meet weekly and Sundays, where God is doing beautiful things. More and more young people are coming along and finding belonging. We’re seeing a generation on fire to see the city of Birmingham transformed by the Gospel of Jesus.

Levi’s Story (Age 15)

“I’ve never felt God like I did at the Youth Weekend Away! I was completely overwhelmed by God’s forgiveness and how strongly I felt His presence. I experienced so much freedom and relief knowing that my sins were forgiven. Over the past few months, I’ve brought seven of my friends from school, with three giving their lives to Jesus for the first time and two recommitting. My friend who gave his life to Jesus at the weekend away has been different ever since! I’ve started a Christian Union at school with my brother, and we have seen new people coming all the time!”

Students

We have seen a hunger to pursue God in a new and fresh way in the student community. Over 175 students connected across our Tuesday nights, Sunday evenings and weekly small groups. The Weekend Away last February was a pivotal moment, with over 100 students making space to spend time in worship, ministering to each other and going deeper in friendship. We also have started monthly breakfasts, one for the girls and another for the guys. These breakfasts have given us space to dig into particular topics and have seen many share vulnerably and strengthened connection with each other. We continue to pray that students would be equipped and empowered to live radical lives, sold out for Jesus at this time in their lives!

Prayer Prayer Prayer Prayer Prayer

One of our key values here at Gas Street is that ‘we are powered by prayer’; it’s the engine room. We believe that when we pray, we will see the hand of God move powerfully through healing, provision, miracles and much more. We are a church that always has faith for the more! As much as we desire these things, we also desire spending time in prayer to commune with God and having much-needed intentional and valued set aside time to draw near to the Father and to know him more.

We also launched ‘Altar’ alongside our weekly Tuesday morning prayer meetings at St Luke’s. This is a space where people can come and spend set aside time with

God. It’s an opportunity to come midweek to pray, prophesy, worship and contend.

Our annual prayer gathering, ‘Powerhouse’, created space within the pace at the start of the new year. We gathered the church to intercede for the nations, contend for others, pray for vision, release the prophetic, and receive the tools to better pray for those around us through multiple sessions.

We pray that we will see the transforming power of prayer in our city and community.

We continue to gather with around a hundred people at the International Fellowship Community, predominately from Iran and Afghanistan, with many fleeing their countries due to persecution or oppression. God is moving profoundly in the lives of this precious community, and the stories of salvation, liberation, and restoration are endless!

Prayer: We invite you to pray for our leaders, Janet, Marie, Sia and Tufan, as they pastor this community. Pray that God would provide the housing and asylum status that many seek. Please pray that God would increase the blessing poured out on this group of people.

Ava’s Story

“Several months ago, I left Iran to look for freedom and travelled to the UK. As a woman in Iran, I had no right to choose; I couldn’t obtain a passport without the written consent of my husband or father. The religious leaders in my country taught

that people born there had no right to choose their religion, and nothing except death awaited us. In this situation, I rejected all religions. I felt that God was an idol, not made with hands, but if you did not observe all the hard religious rules, you would be thrown into the fires of hell. When I arrived in the UK, not only was I accepted as a woman but as a person in my own right and treated with respect like everyone here. After a while, a friend invited me to Gas Street. Although I was not interested in religion, I had always been taught to respect others, so I accepted her invitation, and I was interested to see how Christians worshipped. When I came, it was the first time I had seen people of all ages and backgrounds united in joyful praise and worship. At that moment, I began to cry. In my country, people worship with weeping, wailing, and sorrow, but I saw people dancing with joy before their creator. With each week, I had more desire to come, and I decided to join the Farsi Baptism Class and try to find answers to my questions. The class has led me closer to Jesus. I love coming to listen and learn,

‘I saw people dancing with beforejoytheir creator.’

and as a result, Jesus has filled my heart. Jesus has given me a new life. I came to the church out of curiosity, but now I am overflowing with the love of Jesus. He has given me deep peace, taught me to forgive, and invited me to join him in His new nature with thanksgiving. Before I met him, my heart was full of anger, but Jesus has given me peace. The Bible speaks hope and faith to me, and I wake each morning looking for the blessings and promises in His word. For years, I was lost, but Jesus found me and brought me into His fold.”

Prayer Prayer International Community

The Orchard

The Orchard has had a year of unexpected opportunities and continual growth. Over the summer, we were invited to record live podcast episodes at various church festivals. We also hosted a retreat for women serving in senior church leadership roles. We took a step of faith and hosted our annual conference in November at the ICC in Birmingham, more than doubling our seating capacity to 2,500. We hit capacity a few weeks before the event, a huge encouragement. We also launched a Youth stream, creating space for 200 young women to be part of the conference.

In the autumn, Rachel & Amy Hughes hosted The Orchard event in Australia. 2024 is already set to be another year of new ventures for The Orchard, including establishing a second conference in London, as we create more spaces for women to step fully into all God has called us to be and do.

Prayer: We would love your prayers as we begin to establish a second conference in London. Our hope is that this would make The Orchard even more accessible and see many more women come and experience the fullness of God.

Stories:

“My mum was diagnosed with dementia a year ago and struggles with reading, using her words and communicating in complete sentences. At New Wine in the summer, she found that she could sing in tongues fully and so was keen to come to The Orchard to do the same. When the worship started on Saturday, she had her hands in the air straight away and was singing her heart out! Despite not knowing all the songs, I realised she was singing all the words. It was a small miracle that she was reading the words and singing what she couldn’t say in a normal conversation. It was the most beautiful thing to witness, and I videoed it as a little keepsake. When I spoke to her about it, she was so excited and proud and had such dignity and hope in that moment. A lot of that is sadly robbed of you during the dementia journey. Then, during the prayers of intercession, she was speaking in tongues fluently again, a very emotional thing to witness as she could not talk so eloquently anymore in everyday language but could fluently speak to her father in heaven!’

‘What a day! God blew my mind through what He did in and through me at The Orchard. Genuinely, it was life-changing. There is so much to process. It was like a spiritual ‘spa day’, and I will live in the fruit of what he healed in me and did through me for a very long time. The Holy Spirit moved in unexpected ways and touched areas of my life I didn’t know needed touching. It was so profound. Thank you Jesus, and congratulations ladies for an incredible event!

I was at the point of burnout going into the conference (having self-diagnosed myself with Google!), and I truly met God and felt seen during my time there. Amy’s talk was really powerful, and some phrases she said were exactly how I had been feeling recently, so exact that I completely broke down. My friend prayed for me, which was really free-ing (that’s definitely not a word!), and I have come home with a completely different mindset and feel reenergized. I am hopeful I can start to take the pressure off myself and prioritise God more than I have been recently, as this was the first time I had spent such a long time able to focus on God and friendships!”

G asStreetM u s i c

In 2023, we recorded our first album, ‘Woven: Live from the Coal House’, featuring seven songs and some spontaneous moments from church. We have continued to prioritise writing songs for our local church while being encouraged by how God uses these songs to reach others across the world. Seeing all God has done since we established Gas Street Music in 2021 is remarkable! Over the last year, we have led worship at different events and festivals throughout the UK and Europe, including Norway, The Netherlands and Romania, plus

collaborating with other worship movements nationwide.

Last year was a year of growth, pushing into new sounds and building partnerships. We’re excited to release more songs and continue to steward the music birthed out of the rich diversity of our church community.

Prayer: We long for people to encounter Jesus as they listen to and engage with the songs, so we would love you to join us in praying for encounters this year.

The Orchard Conference 2023 ICC, Birmingham

Wildfires is always a high point in our year! It’s a beautiful opportunity to come together as a church family and to worship alongside thousands of others from the hundreds of different churches across the UK who attend. Whether in the Big Top, the Kids & Youth venues, or drinking hot chocolate around a late-night campfire, Wildfires has become a wonderful place to encounter God’s presence in a truly transformative way.

At Wildfires 2023, 350 people from Gas Street attended, many camping at the Gas Street Village. It’s a unique opportunity to spend an extended period making new connections and going deeper with others. Gas Street Music and Worship For Everyone leading worship, plus Rachel Hughes speaking, made it feel like a family occassion!

W Wi Wil Wild Wildf Wildfi Wildfir Wildfire Wildfires

Vick’s Story

“A key moment in my walk with Jesus took place at Wildfires this year. Over the last three years, I have suffered from a recurring abscess at the base of my spine, which caused me agony. I had been praying like never before for healing in the months leading up to Wildfires. At Kingdom Come on one of the nights, Nick Herbert led us in paper aeroplane prayers, and as I threw my plane into the air, it landed on the stage. Nick picked it up and read it out. Someone else had claimed it as theirs, but I knew it was mine and took a moment to claim it in my heart. I felt the presence of the Holy Spirit so strongly in that moment, and I was filled with complete peace. Since that moment, I haven’t suffered any more from abscesses. However, I genuinely believe it wasn’t only the power of my prayers that caused me to be free from pain and any more abscesses, but the prayers of my loved ones, especially my Grandma. The joy on her face when I told her has encouraged me daily to trust in God and know He is always with me.”

GS Business

Gas Street Business continues to be a community that seeks to inspire, equip and support those running and working in business, social enterprises, entrepreneurs and dreamers. We have regular inspirational breakfasts with guest contributors and opportunities to network, experience community and enjoy a delicious breakfast. It’s been an incredible year, as many have received support, advice and the knowledge that they’re not in this alone. As we continue to establish this community, we want to focus on equipping people to take the DNA of Jesus into the business community.

Prayer: We would love to see deeper connections within the business community and for many more people to have the confidence to pursue where God is leading them.

Annabel’s Story

“I have been loving the Gas Street Business breakfasts! It’s a great chance to network with people of God who are entrepreneurs and leaders. At one of the events, I had the opportunity to pitch my business, which was such a blessing!”

gasstreet.church/give

We’d love to invite you to join us on a journey of radical generosity. All that you’ve just read is only made possible by your giving.