Impact Report 2022-2023

IMPA C T

Colossians 3:17

‘Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus.’

Living as a Christian in today’s world continues to provide plenty of challenges. That’s why we’re so grateful for your commitment to the whole-life cause. Your generous support is equipping Christians to join God’s work in the spaces and places he’s put them. Whether you pray for us, give financially to our work, or help spread the whole-life message – thank you!

We’re convinced that the whole-life gospel is essential to the revitalisation of the church and the transformation of society. With your help, people across the UK and beyond are being equipped to live and work as disciples of Jesus every day of the week.

We’re thrilled to share the impact your support has made during the past season. This report outlines our comprehensive five-year strategy and illustrates the positive outcomes we’ve achieved together so far.

You’ll notice we have a strategic focus on Christians aged 18 to 35. As the influencers and leaders of both our culture and the church, we see it as a priority to empower this generation to become biblically astute, culturally confident women and men who relate the gospel to all of life and work.

Thank you for investing in making whole-life disciples. Your support not only impacts the lives of Christians but extends beyond them to everyone they encounter – as they’re equipped to make a world of difference with God right where they are.

It’s a privilege to partner in this mission together.

Paul Woolley CEO

To see a world transformed for the glory of God through the impact of whole-life disciples of Jesus.

To catalyse a movement that envisions and empowers Christians to live as disciples of Jesus in their everyday lives.

Our goals

AUDACIOUS GOAL

By 2027, we will engage a million Christians with the vision of whole-life discipleship.

STRATEGIC PRIORITIES

FRONTLINES

Inspire Christians to see how their everyday frontlines* matter to God, and equip them for fruitfulness there

gathered church

culture, grapple with complex issues, and live wisely in our time

in the Bible, its whole-life relevance, and its practical application

*Frontlines: the places and spaces you spend time, doing the things you normally do, often with people who don’t know Jesus - it could be your workplace, your school, your neighbourhood, online, at the gym, or anywhere else.

disciples of Jesus in all of life.

OUR PROGRESS SO FAR

378,918

Christians engaged with the vision

42,335

Christians connected

5,401

18–35s engaged

Our values

We prayerfully listen to Scripture, the world, and one another’s stories, to discern the time and place we’re in and what makes for fruitfulness right now.

We cheerfully give and receive time, talents, resources, and encouragement out of love for one another, collaborating for kingdom wins bigger than ourselves.

We’re real and true to our purpose, living out and landing all we do and say in everyday contexts that are relevant to each disciple’s frontline.

We seek quality in all we do and Christlikeness in all we are, emerging from a desire to glorify God and serve his people in a team effort. Love is our most excellent way.

We seek fresh and prophetic ways of communicating the call to whole-life discipleship that cut through the noise of this cultural moment.

At LICC, we aspire to embody and exhibit these values in all we do, as we join in God’s mission to cultivate whole-life disciples.

‘Young people are craving authenticity, not a polished performance. Let’s be real about our faith, admit our doubts, and invite them into a journey of discovering God together.’

Tim Keller, Pastor, preacher, and theologian

Inspire Christians to see how their everyday frontlines matter to God, and equip them for fruitfulness there.

98% of Christians are neither envisioned nor equipped for mission in 95% of their waking lives.*

*Based on 2% of church attendees in the UK working in church-paid work. Of 168 hours in the week, approx 120 are waking hours. Average church activities estimated at 3–10 hours per week.

You’ve helped equip Christians for fruitfulness in the places God has put them through new small group resources, LICC speaking engagements across the country, and immersive courses such as Emerging Leaders and Executive

Growing on the Frontline

Your support brought about Growing on the , a new flagship resource for small groups, designed to help Christians grow more like Jesus in daily life through Bible study, reflective prayer tools, journaling, and group discussion.

‘The course allowed me to reflect on and question my Christian faith in collaboration with my career as a nurse. Before doing Growing on the Frontline with my small group, I knew that I was fulfilling my ‘calling’, but I felt something was lacking.

‘Being aware of the struggles, low morale, and near burnout amongst my medical colleagues, I wanted to do more than just be a nurse to my patients. As a result of the teachings in the course, I’ve since set up mindfulness sessions for my colleagues and have also brought faith into these. I now pray for my colleagues at the end of each session whilst acknowledging not all will believe in God.

‘I so enjoyed Growing on the Frontline and how much it’s improved my role at work. I really couldn’t do what I do without God’s strength & guidance!’

Tracy Robins, Growing on the Frontline participant, 2023

Emerging Leaders & Executive Toolbox

Thanks to you, over 400 professionals have been directly equipped for Christlike impact and leadership through these immersive courses. Emerging Leaders empowers young professionals for their first leadership role. Executive Toolbox serves midto senior-level executives seeking to lead in a godly way.

‘As a data analyst, much of what I do involves helping people who spend a lot of time working in Excel move away from spreadsheets. This ultimately enables them to do their job better. Taking part in Emerging Leaders showed me that there’s beauty in efficiency, as it releases people to use their God-given gifts – all for the good of human flourishing.

‘One of the verses highlighted during the course was Psalm 90:17: “May the favour of the Lord our God rest on us; establish the work of our hands for us.” This verse really spoke to me about how the quality of my work can honour God. I now have the verse written on a post-it note on my laptop and often use it to pray as I go into meetings.’

Vision Tour

Launched in 2022 as the ‘40 Cities Tour’ in celebration of our 40th anniversary, our tour of the UK means more Christians up and down the country have heard the whole-life message for the first time.

Through vision events, speaking engagements in churches, and church leader breakfasts and lunches, you’ve helped us reach thousands of new people with a vision for the whole-life gospel.

Luke Stonehouse, Emerging Leaders delegate, 2022

‘As a senior manager in commercial property management, I have teams reporting to me from across the UK, Ireland, and Europe.

‘One of my key takeaways from Executive Toolbox was the relational survey exercise we did on the course. By outlining the state of our relationships with our colleagues and team, we then reflected on how we were shaping each relationship with a gospel focus. This process really challenged me. Especially in my role of influence, I now thoughtfully consider to what extent my words, character, and actions reflect who I am as a Christian at work.’

Jeremy Brien, Executive Toolbox delegate, 2022

Uncovering fruitfulness where you are

Underpinning the message of whole-life discipleship are the 6Ms. We developed this framework to help Christians see how God is already working through them where they are, and how he could in future.

As Christians, our fruitfulness is rooted in Christ. This means we’re all fruitful. These six facets are all expressions of that: six ways we can make a difference with him day by day.

MODELLING GODLY CHARACTER

The fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22–23) at work in who we are and what we do

MAKING GOOD WORK

Doing everything to and for the glory of God

MINISTERING GRACE AND LOVE

Sharing the goodness of God by going the extra mile for others

MOULDING CULTURE

Finding ways to change culture for the better in ways that reflect the life of Jesus

BEING A MOUTHPIECE FOR TRUTH AND JUSTICE

Combatting lies, snuffing out gossip, working for justice

BEING A MESSENGER OF THE GOSPEL

Speaking about the hope that we have in us and the difference Jesus makes to us and our world

The 6Ms at work

‘The 6Ms have been instrumental in how I view my job. I always used to feel the pressure of being a Christian at work –that if I wasn’t telling people about Jesus, I couldn’t be a very good Christian.

‘Understanding the 6Ms has completely shifted my perspective on what it means to live out my faith outside of church. It’s been so freeing and has opened more opportunities for me to think about how I can live like Christ at work.

‘For example: making good work. As a social worker, there’s a lot of paperwork. There are plenty of people working in my field who are passionate about making change and helping people, but they’re not fans of paperwork!

‘Doing a good job of paperwork is really important. The reports we write often inform whether a child can continue to have a relationship with their parent or not. This gives me an opportunity to be a mouthpiece for truth and justice when I write a thorough and accurate report.

‘The 6Ms have helped me realise that I can live out my faith at work by taking extra time over things that might get missed. Rather than feeling guilty for not sharing my faith enough, my priority is to do good and godly work and to love my colleagues like Jesus would.’

Ruth Hollingsworth, Child Protection Social Worker

Jess Morgan leads a community choir in Pontypridd, South Wales. They meet every week in a small pub on the high street – a neutral space where everyone can feel they belong.

‘The choir grew out of a baby group I set up. I’d had three children in quick succession and started to feel like I was losing a bit of my identity. It turned out that quite a lot of the very tired grownups fancied the idea of singing. So, I picked a Monday in April, thinking: ‘This will either be a brilliant way to start the week, or no one will come because everyone is shattered.’ That first night we were over capacity. It was terrifying!

‘We were really aware of the barriers to joining a choir. People can have preconceived ideas about the standard required. We use lyric sheets instead of sheet music, which makes it easier for people. Everything is taught and learned by ear.

‘We didn’t advertise the fact that we’re Christians. That was liberating because it didn’t put any pressure on us to do a “God slot”. But by the end of the night, almost everyone had realised that we are Christians by the way we conducted ourselves.

‘The choir gives those who don’t have other opportunities a place to be. It’s like a big family. We’re a gathered community with a shared interest, and we’re genuinely invested in each other’s lives and wellbeing.

‘In many ways, it feels like church. The things we tend to do in church life, like providing meals or looking after people when someone has a baby or a bereavement, have become part of our choir. For example, I used to go for coffee with one choir member. I never felt like she was inviting me to speak about God overtly – I was just being myself.

Then one day, out of the blue, she announced that she had become a Christian. I was blown away! I said: “But how? Where have you heard the gospel?” She said: “I’ve watched you and the other women who run the choir. I’ve watched how you love one another.” That was three years ago, and her life has changed dramatically in that time.’

‘I was just being myself.’

Embed whole-life disciplemaking in the life of the gathered church.

‘If Christians are to fulfil their vocation to be “salt” and “light”, the church must prioritise the formation of “whole-life” disciples of Jesus, equipping people to relate the gospel to all of life, every day of the week — through our songs, prayers, teaching, and programmes.’

Justin Brierley, author of Unbelievable?, former editor of Premier Christianity

The engagement journey

Here’s what it looks like for a church to track with us.

1

People of the need for whole-life discipleship to be front and centre

3

Prioritise whole-life discipleship and embed it in church culture

4

Get back on track when whole-life discipleship has slipped off the agenda

5

Through Learning Hubs, personal consultation, and key resources, we’ve guided churches through the engagement journey below, helping them to embed whole-life disciplemaking in their context. Our Facebook group then enables them to keep in touch with other churches seeking to teach the whole-life message. Start implementing wholelife

Grow on the whole-life discipleship journey and point others to it

Learning Hubs

Learning Hubs empower church leadership teams to embed whole-life discipleship in their congregations, releasing them to join God’s kingdom work, right where they are.

‘I first came across the idea of whole-life discipleship when LICC spoke at a training event I was at a few years ago. When I heard that LICC was running a Learning Hub nearby, we didn’t want to miss it!

‘The Hub helped us carve out time as a leadership team to step back from the church building and take a fresh look at our vision and strategy.

‘Prior to the Learning Hub, we were a bit stuck in a “gathered” church model. We’d churn out masses of church activities but all the great stuff taking place outside of church seemed like more of a bolt-on.

‘Unpacking whole-life discipleship at the Hub gave us a real lightbulb, eureka moment. It refocused us to a more “scattered” model. We now make a point of spotlighting and celebrating the stories of people in our congregation living out faith in their everyday. Whether that’s the mum looking after toddlers, the person who takes lunch to someone in need, or the retiree who picks up litter in their local park. As a result, they no longer feel like what they do is less important than what happens on a Sunday.

‘We continue to keep Jesus’ teaching to multiply disciples as a core focus of our teaching, whilst also affirming the part that people’s work plays in God’s redemptive story for the world.’

Facebook group

The LICC Church Leaders Facebook group was launched this year as a place for those in church leadership to connect with others who are keen to see Christians released into mission in daily life.

With over 500 members already, we’re excited to see this supportive community of practice continue to grow. Over the last six months, members have shared practical insight on how to grow whole-life disciples, supported each other with questions and challenges, joined an online book discussion, and engaged with inspiring quotes, questions, and thoughts from the LICC team.

OUR PROGRESS SO FAR

14,150

4,923 Church leaders engaged with the vision Church leaders connected

Martin Robinson, Pastor of Heathervale Baptist Church, Learning Hub participant, 2020-2021

PRIORITY 3

‘Millennials’ sense that they’re outmanoeuvred by a rapidly changing culture is deeply disorientating, diminishing their capacity to flourish in Christian life and faith.’

Tracy Cotterell, writer, speaker, LICC Mission Associate

Your support has helped Christians tackle tricky subjects and grow in wisdom to know how to live out their faith in their daily context. They’ve done this through reading our Connecting with Culture blog, engaging with the Queen’s life and faith, and attending partner events and LICC courses such as Be Wise and Wisdom Labs.

Help individuals understand their culture, grapple with complex issues, and live wisely in our time.

Connecting with Culture

We send out a weekly blog to over 13,000 Christians, reflecting on news, trends, innovations, and the arts. The articles unpack how we can learn from, celebrate, and critique culture through a faith lens, modelling Christlike engagement with the world around us.

‘Information on relevant media stories has given me insight and hunger to read more for myself on what is currently going on in the world and how I can engage with that as a Jesus follower.’

LICC Impact Survey participant

Partner events

We’ve hosted and contributed to significant events, helping shape and influence how Christians interact with our culture.

In May 2023, we hosted an evening with acclaimed author and speaker Mark Sayers in partnership with the Everything Network and Christ Church London. We welcomed over 200 guests who came to hear Mark share how we can grow leaders prepared to bring renewal in our complex, changing culture.

In July 2022, your support enabled us to be a sponsoring partner of the National Parliamentary Prayer Breakfast , where we led a main seminar and hosted a table of invited guests.

Be Wise course

The in-depth, 12-week Be Wise course has continued to equip Christians to live in a way that’s distinctly, recognisably, and intentionally Christian on a 24/7 basis.

‘Be Wise gave me so much to process and practise applying. Its richness and breadth were beyond what I had imagined at the outset… The teaching drew us deeper in our learning and equipped us with tools that helped us to approach our frontlines in a different way.’

Catherine Watson, Be Wise attendee, 2022

Wisdom Labs

Run as events and then turned into small group resources, our Wisdom Labs help Christians engage sensitively and productively with some of culture’s thorniest issues using the steps below.

These topics include racism, technology use, sexuality, and climate change. They’re designed to spark a better conversation, as we listen to our culture, the Bible, and one another.

How can we listen to the world, the word, and one another, to understand why each topic carries such cultural currency?

What is a biblical perspective on the issue? How does the Bible weigh in on the matter?

How can we cultivate a faithful and kind response that engages and loves our neighbour?

In relation to this issue, how can we communicate the good news of Jesus to a world that sometimes sees it as anything but good?

A key cultural moment: highlighting the Queen’s faith

In the year of Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee and subsequent passing, we helped shape the national conversation through articles in national newspapers, interviews on national radio, and media campaigns.

In partnership with Bible Society we published The Queen’s Way –an essay by Mark Greene analysing the Queen’s Christmas messages and how she herself spoke about her faith.

Following her passing, we honoured her life and faith in service by releasing ‘Tears and Celebration’ in partnership with Bible Society: a hymn sung by Katherine Jenkins which has been viewed over 500,000 times to date.

In partnership with HOPE Together and Bible Society, we also produced A Life of Grace, a moving tribute to Elizabeth II, with particular focus on how her faith shaped her reign. This publication has already sold over 30,000 copies.

Scott Robertson competed in the Invictus Games in Düsseldorf this year. Invictus is an international multi-sport event for wounded, injured, and sick servicemen and women (both serving and veterans).

The word ‘Invictus’ means ‘unconquered’, which is a reminder of what’s possible post-injury. He competed in indoor rowing, table tennis, and sitting volleyball.

‘I was in the army for 14 years, where I reached the rank of sergeant. I commanded 10 soldiers and did two tours of Afghanistan. The second tour was especially challenging. I was awarded the Queen’s Commendation for Valuable Service, but I also developed posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). I pushed on for six years before I was medically discharged. That’s when my life really fell apart. I was in a dark place and couldn’t look after myself very well. In January 2022, I discovered Jesus and began following him. That’s been life-changing.

‘Invictus isn’t about the medals, but sport and competition are good and to be celebrated. I will train hard, give my best, and compete for the glory of God. I know that any victories that come my way are from him.

‘I struggle with meeting new people and going to events, but God enables me to do this. I carry a Bible wherever I go; I pray before training camps and meetings. I listen to worship music.

‘This helps orientate and equip me and helps me compete. I’m able to reflect the character of Jesus and show kindness, gentleness, and grace in situations with veterans who can’t hold their tongues. I’m able to support others because of what God has given me.

‘In the army, you’re taught a set of values that are profoundly Christian, and I seek to carry those with me into the games. Integrity, selfless commitment, and courage are all significant.

‘I’ve had opportunities to talk about Jesus with people, including a competitor from Nigeria and another guy who’s interested in hearing more. This is part of who I am because Jesus has been central to my recovery.’

‘I will compete for the glory of God.’

Grow confidence in the Bible, its whole-life relevance, and its practical application.

‘Only 6% of Christians regularly read their Bible outside church.’* And the vast majority of Christians aren’t equipped to connect what they read in the Bible to the detail of their daily life.

*Source: Bible Society, Project Isaiah data. Q14: How often do you normally read or listen to/hear the Bible outside of a church service?

Listening to God’s word is at the heart of being a disciple of Jesus. We believe the Bible speaks to our whole lives. Our Bible resources such as The Gateway Seven series, our Word for the Week blog, and our prayer and devotional journeys help Christians discover how their Monday to Saturday lives fit into the big story of God’s mission.

The Gateway Seven series

Your partnership led to the creation of The Gateway Seven Bible study series. Seven books of the Bible, seven genres – each crafted to offer a gateway to a deeper love of God’s word and richer insights into its implications for all of life. To date, over 60,000 studies have been distributed as a way for Christians to read the Bible with a whole-life discipleship focus.

LICC Impact Survey participant

‘LICC has helped me to be increasingly aware of what the Bible teaches me regarding my life day to day.’

Prayer and devotional journeys

Thanks to your support, Christians have discovered fresh ways of praying about their everyday situations. There are now 15 LICC prayer and devotional journeys available online via email and the YouVersion Bible app.

As just one example, this year our Lent Confidence Devotional Journey was used by over 7,000 Christians to grow deeper faith-confidence, and become better equipped to boldly join in God’s work every day of the week.

‘The Confidence Devotional Journey helped me to navigate an extremely difficult time at work. Times when I was tempted to be angry or defeated, I remembered what I had read that day and trusted that God is in control, and I don’t have to be. I pray that my change in behaviour will have been seen by those around me and that God will use this to speak to them.’

Carol Bevan, Confidence Devotional Journey user, 2023

Word for the Week

Our weekly Bible reflections are received by over 13,000 Christians. Each week, the articles help people reflect on Scripture through a wholelife lens, considering its implications for their regular tasks, relationships, and roles.

In November, we held a fiveday retreat at Lee Abbey Devon centred around John Stott’s ‘double listening’ concept – listening to the word and the world, and then relating the one to the other. We welcomed around 100 church leaders who came to practice this art of listening, exploring how it can be applied to life as a disciple of Jesus – for them and their congregations.

Lee Abbey Retreat

Sibo Hakata is a paediatric nurse specialising in caring for children with life-limiting and chronic illnesses. She provides respite, palliative, and community care. Her background was in hospital settings where she provided special care for premature babies.

‘I strive to make each day of every child’s life as special as possible. My role involves administering medication, assisting with feeding through tubes and providing personal care to children in their homes. This respite allows parents to do other things, as well as have some time to breathe.

‘I can’t imagine doing this job without God. I pray for my patients and their parents, and ask God to make me sensitive to their needs. The Holy Spirit gives me compassion and resilience. I am a parent myself, so I can imagine how hard it is to see your child in a situation like this.

‘There have been instances where patients have asked me about God, and I share within the scope of my role. I talk about how my hope carries me through each day, and silently pray over the people I care for.

‘Praying is the most powerful support I can offer. I was once asked by a little boy to pray for him, and it was a privilege to do so. I encouraged him to talk with God anytime, and assured him that God is always present and listening.

‘I don’t Bible bash, but rather demonstrate God’s love and joy through my actions. My work is demanding, especially seeing children through to the end of their lives. My role is to be the light of Jesus in a challenging environment. When colleagues have noticed a certain ‘‘lightness’’ in me, I say: “It’s not me, it’s what’s inside me!” In the world that I work in, it’s easier to show people than to say.’

‘I can’t imagine doing this job without God.’

Finances 2022–2023

We’re so encouraged by the partnership of supporters like you as we innovate and create thoughtful content, strengthen our digital capability, and reach new audiences.

INCOME

Individuals and legacies

£934,349

£545,341

Spent ensuring Christians recognise their frontlines and are equipped to be fruitful in the everyday

14%

Trusts and other organisations Investments and charitable activities

£936,427

£276,970

£178,013

Total £2,048,789

Spent supporting Christians to see the whole-life relevance of the Bible and its everyday practical application

EXPENDITURE

27%

£389,267

Spent embedding whole-life discipleship in the life of the

20%

5%

14%

20%

14%

Spent working with our generous financial partners to fuel the

£275,768

Spent helping Christians understand and navigate contemporary culture and live wisely with Christ

£409,968

Spent ensuring operational efficiency and excellence

Thanks to generous supporters – people just like you – thousands of Christians are being equipped to live as authentic and resilient disciples of Jesus in all of life.

We’d love you to continue partnering with us as we seek to engage a million Christians with the life-changing message of whole-life discipleship. Your support makes a real difference.

@liccltd

licc.org.uk/donate hello@licc.org.uk

+44 (0) 20 7399 9555

©LICC 2023. LICC Limited is a registered charity. No. 286102