We were delighted to host the Merseyside stop on the Evangelical Alliance’s Unity tour at Hillsong Liverpool.
Some 50 leaders from across the north west – mostly from the Liverpool City Region but some from as far afield as Warrington – listened to talks by Peter Lynas, Ben Jeffery and, of course, EA CEO Gavin Calver.
Gavin talked about 2025 as a huge cultural turning point, with faith no longer being viewed by secular society as “weird,” and a noticeable increase in openness to conversations about hope, meaning and Jesus.
He also urged church leaders to be:
- Brave and Kind: Not be afraid to stand against the status quo, while treating everyone with kindness and dignity.
- Change Style, Keep Substance: Using the analogy of Blockbuster and Netflix – which both provided essentially the same service but in different ways – Gavin urged churches to adapt their methods to fit the current culture without changing theological truth.
- Realistic and Hopeful: Acknowledge pain and reality, but always operate out of a deep Christian hope.
- Decisions vs. Disciples: Move past just getting people to make a one-time decision for Jesus and focus on lifelong discipleship.
- United yet Diverse: Celebrate that evangelicalism unites us – it crosses ethnic, gender, and class divides.
Gavin also urged church leaders to partner with the Evangelical Alliance and Together for the Harvest. TFH partnership gives the partner automatic membership of the EA, so it’s a unique 2-for-1 deal!
Why?
The Power of Numbers: In an increasingly individualistic culture, membership numbers give the EA huge political influence, which is crucial in situations like opposing the assisted dying bill.
Growth Targets: The EA has grown from 14,000 individual members to 29,500, with an ultimate goal of reaching 50,000 members by 2033 to match the scale of major political parties.
How much does it cost?
Partnering with TFH as a church begins at £10 per month, although many churches and organisations give more than this. Benefits include:
- Automatic membership of the Evangelical Alliance
- Free books by Gavin Calver and Nic Harding
- 10% discount on website prices at 10ofThose
- 10% discount on any order of £20 or more with Eden
Head of Unity Ben Jeffery spoke about how churches can accomplish significantly more when they work together than when they remain isolated.
He challenged leaders to shift their mindset away from building individual “empires” and toward collectively changing the spiritual climate of their regions.
Having met with around 1,300 church leaders and 50 unity groups across England over the last five years, Ben is in a good position to speak about the state of the church and its leaders across the country. He said”
Where there is unity, leaders are stronger: Around 40% of pastors are on the edge of burnout. Standing together in community prevents isolation and keeps leaders in the ministry.
Where there is unity, there is greater gospel impact: Although there is an increased spiritual openness in the UK, leaders should not celebrate too early, but lean into unity to sustain this momentum. What if your greatest fruit grows on someone else’s tree?
He also talked about the 5 Cs of Unity, challenging leaders to move up the scale.
- Competition: Wanting the other church to lose so that your church can win (which breaks God’s heart).
- Coexistence: A “live and let live” mentality, like driving in separate lanes on a motorway without intersecting.
- Communication: Sitting around a table to build bridges of relational trust, which serves as the foundation for everything else.
- Cooperation: Taking action through shared, strategic “win-win” initiatives (e.g., coordinating Alpha courses at the same time to share marketing costs).
- Collaboration: A total mindset shift requiring extreme clarity. It is no longer about a “win-win” for individual churches, but rather asking “how does the city win?” – even if an individual church doesn’t directly benefit.
UK Director Peter Lynas, meanwhile, talked about how Christianity is re-entering public and mainstream conversations in an unprecedented way.
Peter pointed to massive cultural moments, such as Canadian apologist Wes Huff’s appearance on Stephen Bartlett’s The Diary of a CEO podcast, which garnered over 5 million views, and how public figures, athletes, and social media influencers are openly exploring faith.
Even though the Quiet Revival report had to be withdrawn due to unreliable data, there undoubtedly is a real openness among the younger generation. Separate, hard statistics still prove church engagement is up, attendance for Alpha courses is up 35%, with 25% more courses being run, and Bible sales are still very strong.
Peter also revealed that forthcoming EA research reveals that evangelical Christians in the UK are more numerous, younger, and more ethnically diverse than previously assumed. Also, 40% of people coming to faith are doing so on their own (via dreams, Google, or online content) before ever connecting with a local church or Christian friend.
Finally, Peter talked about Ethos, an online tool developed by the EA to help people discover fasting, sabbath and other practices rooted in the way of Jesus.
