Responding to the challenge

Elim leaders give their views on how the church should equip itself and respond to the issues facing local communities and the wider society.
 

Harold Afflu,
Ipswich International Church

We need to equip the body to be sensitive to the needs around us. Just as Mary noticed the wine at the wedding had run out, the Holy Spirit will show us people, places and situations where the power and presence of Jesus is needed.

The church in the West needs to discover again the priority, the power and the privilege of prayer (John 2:1-12). We also need to equip the whole body to ask these two important discipleship questions: what is the Lord saying to us and what are we doing about it?

Mark Greenwood,
Elim’s national evangelist

The world is experiencing something of an existential moment. Not everyone is feeling it to the same degree, but as a result, there is a greater openness to the gospel than we have seen for decades.

In 2015, the Talking Jesus research (www. talkingjesus.org) showed that one in five people surveyed said they would be interested in finding out more about Jesus. The 2022 research revealed that the figure is now one in three.

The things that we have built our lives upon have been shaken through Covid, the cost of living, the threat of nuclear war etc. This has resulted in many asking what life is all about. This is a moment for the gospel to be preached with a renewed passion. We need not be “ashamed of the gospel for it is still the power of God for salvation.”

Catherine and Dominic de Souza,
City Church, Cardiff

The church needs to renew its commitment to the poor and marginalised. In these times of crisis and upheaval there is a call upon us to proclaim the God of justice, who offers life to those in poverty, and freedom to those in bondage and declares hope to those who feel hopeless. The church has the opportunity and the responsibility to demonstrate God’s love, welcome and care to those in need in our own communities as well as around the world.

Let’s allow the Holy Spirit to move us with compassion, to birth creative responses to the significant need we’re seeing and to move us into action as we join God’s mission and see lives transformed and communities restored.

Matt Timms,
Wave House Church, Cornwall

As our nation appears to be increasingly spinning off into economic and political uncertainty, the need for the church (God’s bride) to be a humble, visible and viable witness for Christ and his unshakable kingdom in our communities is urgent.

Like Issachar, we need to discern the times and demonstrate the reality of a different kingdom. We are called not to conform to culture, but to bring the transformative power of the gospel through selfless servanthood. It’s a high and holy calling that can at times feel beyond us, but the good news is that Jesus promises to be with us “even to the very end of the age”.
 

Helpful recourses and training

• Limitless Leaders - Limitless' Youth and Children's worker's annual conference on 24-26 January: elim.org.uk/limitless/leaders
• Elim Leaders Summit - Equipping co-missioned leaders to thrive in purposeful mission on 9-11 May: elimleaders.org.uk
• Advance - growing and planting healthy churches, developing existing and additional leaders, making discipleship a priority and reaching nations: elim.org.uk/advance
• Evangelism Partnerships - Discover how God can use you and your church to make disciples who in turn make disciples: elim.org.uk/partnerships
   

This article first appeared in the December 2022 edition of Direction Magazine. For further details, please click here.

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