GROWTH & EVANGELISM
As Methodist’s in Ireland, we seek to live wholeheartedly as followers of Jesus for the transformation of the world. As we do, a priority of the Church is to focus on growth and evangelism.
Acknowledging that growth is a work of God’s Spirit, we hear the invitation to participate in God’s mission and to make Christ known to all. This direction of growth is towards people knowing, experiencing, and being transformed by the saving love of Jesus, and being incorporated into the life of a local church.
In pursuing growth, we hold to an understanding that healthy church growth includes spiritual, missional, and numerical growth. In this, we understand that spiritual growth is about becoming deeply rooted in Christ and becoming wholehearted followers of Jesus for the transformation of the world.
Missional growth is the outworking of this wholehearted living, where followers are actively pursuing and witnessing to the love, grace, and justice of God in such a way that it invites others into a living relationship with Christ.
Numerical growth represents people becoming part of the Christian community of the Methodist Church. This is not for a task of simply counting statistics, but an acknowledgement that numerical growth means that more people are experiencing the love of God and journeying in relationship with him. We celebrate that each number is an individual who is in a new journey of transformation in Christ.
At Conference 2026, the Connexional Team introduced a conversation on growth and how we might engage in conversations on growth in our local churches.
This Growth Planis designed as a short and simple way to assist us in our conversations about mission, outreach and growth. It could be used with the Church Council or small leadership groups as a way of exploring how God might be inviting you to embrace growth more fully.
If you have any questions about how to best use this resource or would like to provide feedback on what you have learnt from the conversation it provoked, you can contact the Superintendent of Growing Churches, Rev Dr Stephen Skuce (stephen.skuce@irishmethodist.org).
SOLAR ECLIPSE – DAY OF OUTREACH
On Wednesday 12th August 2026, a solar eclipse will darken the skies across Western Europe in an event of awe and wonder.
Such a spectacular event presents us with the opportunity to share the wonder of God with others. Along with the Methodist Church in Great Britain, we invite you to get involved with a Day of Outreach.
There are many ways to get involved – whether in a church garden or at the top of a local hill, by hosting a lively family barbeque or a space for a quiet reflection, it’s a chance for science and faith dialogue about wellbeing, awe and wonder.
Could your Church or worshipping community host a viewing party and extend the invitation to others?
Books, courses
& more
We encourage you to engage with reading and discussion on the areas of growth and evangelism.
Why not pick a book and read it together as a Congregation, Church Council or Circuit Executive; or use one of these reads as the next book for your local book club. The invitation is to read, engage and discuss so that it begins to shape our action.
Follow the link below for lots of recommendations and as well as reviews.
Evangelism - having a go!
We have compiled a list of evangelism ideas.
By going out from the church or inviting people in, building relationships is important in starting to share your faith.
Download the PDF below and unpack which ideas might suit your context best.
We are grateful to God for His work throughout the Connexion during this season, as we journey toward seeing more people come to know, experience, and be transformed by the saving love of Jesus. Read the latest ‘Stories of Growth’ below…
further RESOURCES
Connexional Resources
2026/27
‘Living Letters
– written by the Spirit, sent into the world.
While we continue to keep growth and evangelism as a key priority in our thinking, the picture of a ‘living letter’ given by the apostle Paul to the church in Corinth, reminds us how each follower of Jesus is called to be a vibrant, living expression of God’s Spirit, an ‘ambassador of Christ’ to others.
Throughout 2026-27 we will focus on what it means to be ‘Living Letters’ scribed, not with ink, but with the Spirit of the Living God.