Living Wholeheartedly
CONNEXIONAL RESOURCES FOR 2025/26
EQUIPPING in 2025/26
This Connexional year we are focussing our attention on evangelism and growth as we live wholeheartedly as followers of Jesus for the transformation of the world.
At Conference 2025, the President, the Rev Alan Wardlow encouraged the Church, empowered by the Holy Spirit, to continue to proclaim Christ with boldness. He affirmed that true and lasting spiritual growth begins within the individual, and his prayer is that each of us would feel a deep, compelling urgency to take intentional steps to share the message of Jesus so that we will see many come to faith or experience a renewed commitment in the year ahead.
We are therefore encouraged as a Connexion to equip ourselves in sharing the good news of Jesus with others. This means engaging with Scripture, readings and resources that will empower us to live out Jesus in our everyday lives.
This page is a resource hub for this connectional year aimed at engaging and equipping congregations to share their faith; because as Methodist people, we believe that all need to be saved, all can be saved, all can know they are saved and all can be saved to the uttermost.
DO YOU HAVE A STORY?
We would love you to share your reflections, questions or prayers with us.
Let us know how you are sensing God this year.
You can contact us at compelled@irishmethodist.org
REV ALAN WARDLOW
PRESIDENT 2025/26
Compelled – Sunday Series
This Sunday Series is an introduction to the Connexional focus of evangelism and growth.
The resource can be used over four Sundays in September or October to begin thinking together about what God is calling you to do as a congregation to share Jesus with others in the year ahead.
The resource contains adaptable ideas and suggestions to help you craft services to suit your own setting. It aims to start, or continue, a conversation with your congregation about how they each are called to witness to Jesus and are in that sense an evangelist.
Complimentary Sunday School Sessions
– Download here
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.
further RESOURCES
2025 Conference
Pastoral Address
‘Mission, Evangelism and Irish Methodism Today’, introduces us to some thought-provoking and challenging questions.
IMYC’s Exploring Faith
A series of children’s talks, youth group Bible studies, Sunday School sessions and a holiday Bible club – all designed to help create space for children and young people to explore their questions.
Connexional Resources
still to come in 2025/26:
· Advent Worship Resources
· Advent Youth & Children’s Resources
· Watchnight Resources
· Lent 2026 Devotional Materials
Books
RECOMMENDED READING
We encourage you to engage with reading and discussion on the area 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.
Some top recommendations for reading are listed below.
*Further reading available here
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Saving Church: Restoring The People of God with Missional Evangelism.
Martyn Atkins and Kenneth Carter (2024).‘With church attendance down and uncertainty on the rise, churches have a choice: cling to the way things were or stop and ask, could God want to do something new in and through us?’
This inspiring and challenging read gives an authentic vision for the future of the church.
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A Field Guide to Methodist Fresh Expressions.
Michael A. Beck. (2020).‘Have we forgotten our foundations as a renewal movement, born from a missional imperative?’
This is a fantastic introduction to both Methodism and ‘fresh expression’, illustrating what Methodists should be doing to share the love of God.
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Gardens in the Desert: How the Adaptive Church Can Lead a Whole New Life.
Michael A. Beck and Kenneth Carter (2024).‘We are facing tremendous challenges, just as for those who came before us, the challenges are also opportunities.’
This book compels the reader to experiment, cultivate new relationships, prioritise faith-sharing with people of all ages, interact with others in humility, and to move forward with confidence.
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The Symphony of Mission: Playing Your Part in God’s Work in the World.
Michael W. Goheen and Jim Mullins (2019).‘God’s mission is broad and multifaceted; therefore, everyone in the body of Christ has a part to play in it.’
This book is insightful and creative, showing the richness and depth of the gospel to reach into everyday life through mission.
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The Mystic Way of Evangelism.
Elaine Heath (2017).‘This is an honest, reflective and intelligent response to contemporary issues, rooted in Scripture and tradition.’
This provoking and insightful book illustrates a workable way of sharing faith that doesn't rely on formulas or forceful tactics.
Online Reads
HELPFUL
You may find the following websites or articles helpful reads as you develop your thinking on this area of evangelism:
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Methodist Church, Britain – Evangelism & Growth Evangelism & Growth - The Methodist Church
Talking Jesus – Train Christians to share their faith
CPAS: Leading Evangelism – Making Mission Possible
Share Jesus International – Equipping the Church to Share Jesus
Youthscape, Influencers: Peer-evangelism amongst young people in the UK
Northumbria Community – in an age of cultural change and the decline of Christendom
World Council of Churches – Together Towards Life: Mission and Evangelism in Changing Landscapes
Ministry Matters – Four doors of Wesleyan Evangelism
Courses
Methodist Church in Britain:
You are encouraged to explore how best to equip your congregation or group in sharing their faith. This may involve running training sessions that invite conversation and learning.
Below are a number of suggestions of courses that could suit your group.
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Everyone an Evangelist
A course with input, discussion and practical action to help participants build spiritual confidences and skills for sharing faith sensitively and effectively through their lives and in their communities.
(Involves three gathered sessions, and two phases of learning which include a six-session course and a Practical Evangelism Project)
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Talking of God Together
This resource encourages and equips Methodist people to talk together about faith, initially amongst ourselves, but then developing the confidence to talk more widely with those with other faiths and none.
(Involves 5 teaching sessions)
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Talking of God with Others - Sharing Your Faith
This resource enables participants to share their faith with non-believers wherever they are: in work, in the shops, at the bus stop, in a pub. It encourages participants to respond to questions about their beliefs, while sharing their faith in Jesus(Involves 6 teaching and equipping sessions)
The London Institute for Contemporary Christianity (LICC):
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Life on the Frontline
Discover together how we as Christians can make a difference wherever we are and identify our own frontlines with this video-based small group series.
(Involves 6 teaching sessions)
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Fruitfulness on the Frontline
Delve into the rich ways God works in and through us right where we are using our fresh, simple ‘6M’ framework, in a small group series or book.(involves 8 video teaching sessions)
HOPE TOGETHER:
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Let’s talk… Jesus
This course will inspire you to share your faith and will give you practical suggestions to help you to be natural and relevant as you talk about Jesus with the people you meet.
(Involves 6 video based sessions)
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Fruitfulness on the Frontline
In collaboration with Sharing Jesus International, this course is a simple and practical approach that takes the fear and the anxiety out of evangelism so that the people in your church can confidently put their faith into words.Sharing Jesus International also has a Faith Sharing Quiz which is great for individuals to help them discover which of the six faith sharing profiles best describes them.
church army:
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Faith Pictures
Helping Christians to talk about their own faith story with confidence.
Faith Pictures aims to help Christians to see where God has been present in their lives, how they can talk about that confidently, and how God is active in the world around us and wants us to join in with Him.
(Involves 6 sessions)
other courses that help introduce people to Christianity include:
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Alpha
Alpha is a series of group conversations that freely explore the basics of the Christian faith in an open, friendly environment. Everyone’s welcome. No matter your background or beliefs, you’re invited.
(Involves 11 sessions)
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Being With: Exploring Life & Faith Together
The purpose of this course is to gather those who are curious about faith, perhaps those who feel on the edge of church. For those who feel uncertain, disconnected, hurt, or maybe searching for something deeper. It’s also relevant for those who have never explored faith before and feel open to discover what it’s all about.
(Involves 4 sessions)
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Crown Jesus Ministries: Next Steps
Deciding to follow Jesus and having a relationship with Him is just the beginning, there is more to be done. This course booklet and videos explores why following Jesus is so important and gives some tips on how to live for Jesus every day. It gives a 5-step guide to help you understand what it means to be a Christian and journey in faith.
IDEAS & CONNECTIONS
Lay Witness Movement
The Lay Witness Movement is a network of lay people mostly from within the Methodist Church in Ireland who seek to share their experience of Jesus Christ with others.
As a movement it has existed within Irish Methodism for over 40 years and is steered by a small group of lay people who can be contacted through the website. Many churches and individuals have experienced renewal, deepening of personal faith, deepening of commitment, or other blessing from God through the Lay Witness Movement.
Why not contact the steering group to discuss how Lay Witness could journey with your church on growth and renewal?
RESOURCES FOR CHILDREN & YOUNG PEOPLE
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Ministry to Children
This Bible lesson teaches children about the spiritual discipline of evangelism.
‘The Great Commission’ (Matthew 28:16-20) Sunday School Lesson
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Douglas Talks
Douglas Talks is a Christian video series aimed at helping parents and teachers explain Biblical truths to their kids in a way that is fun and easy to understand. This particular session helps explain to children how they can share the Gospel. Douglas Talks ‘Sharing the Gospel.’
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Play It By Ear
Play it by Ear are a Christian drama company, who travel across Ireland, the UK, and beyond, sharing their faith through drama. They would love to come and run drama workshops in your context, helping children and young people to gain confidence in sharing their own faith with others.
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Kitchen Table Project
Children’s faith: A whole church approach to family ministry
This booklet and the accompanying online resources contain flexible coaching material to help churches review and develop their children and family ministry. The material is designed to help church leaders structure conversations with their leadership teams and church communities, and to identify how they can partner with parents to nurture faith.
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Ministry to Youth
Use this youth group game and lesson to challenge the way your students think about sharing Jesus with their friends. As students search for hidden treasure with no direction from their friends, they will learn how important it is to share directions to the most important treasure of all: Jesus.
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All In
This resource seeks to help youth and young adults make ‘mission as a lifestyle’ a reality. It has been specifically written for young people who are members of or are associated with the Methodist Church in Ireland.
Available here
Reading Recommendations
further
In addition to the above, you may also find the following books helpful:
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Beck, M.A. (2019) Deep roots, wild branches: revitalizing the church in the blended ecology. Franklin, Tennessee: Seedbed Publishing.
Burke, T.J. & Rosner, B.S. (2011) Paul as Missionary: Identity, Activity, Theology and Practice. London: Continuum International Pub. Group.
Chilcote, P. (2011) Making Disciples in a World Parish: Global Perspectives on Mission & Evangelism. Oregon: Pickwick Publications.
Cronshaw, D., Taylor, S. and Kappelhoff, M. (eds.) (2024) Transforming work: Missiological perspectives for the church in the world. Leiden: Brill.
Flemming, D.E. (2013) Recovering the Full Mission of God: A Biblical Perspective on Being, Doing and Telling. Illinois: InterVarsity Press
Flemming, D.E. (2015) Why mission? Edited by J.B. Green. Nashville, Tennessee: Abingdon Press.
Goheen, M.W. (ed.) (2016) Reading the Bible missionally. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Eerdmans.
Goheen, M.W. and Wright, N.T. (2018) The church and its vocation: Lesslie Newbigin’s missionary ecclesiology. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic.
Goheen, M. and Mullins, J. (2019) The Symphony of Mission: Playing Your Part in God’s Work in the World. Grand Rapids. Mich.: Baker Academic.
Gunter, S. & Robinson, E. (2005) Considering the Great Commission: Evangelism and Mission in the Wesleyan Spirit. Tennessee: Abingdon Press.
Heath, E. (2017) The Mystic Way of Evangelism: A Contemplative Vision for Christian Outreach. Michigan: Baker Academic.
Hunter, G. (2017) Go: the Church’s Main Purpose. Tennessee: Abingdon Press.
Ireland, M. & Booker, M. (2015) Making New Disciples: Exploring the paradoxes of evangelism. London: SPCK Publishing.
Male, D. & Weston, P. (2019) The Word’s Out: Speaking the Gospel today. Abingdon: BRF.
McCaulley, E. (2020) Reading while Black: African American biblical interpretation as an exercise in hope. Downers Grove, Illinois: IVP Academic.
Miofsky, M. & Byassee, J. (2018) 8 Virtues of Rapidly Growing Churches. Tennessee: Abingdon Press.
Newbigin, L. (1995) The open secret: an introduction to the theology of mission. Revised edition. Grand Rapids, Michigan: W.B. Eerdmans.
Ross, R. (2015) Meet the Goodpeople:Wesley’s 7 Ways to Share Faith. Tennessee: Abingdon Press.
Roxburgh, A.J. (2015) Joining God, remaking church, changing the world: the new shape of the church in our time. New York: Morehouse Publishing.
Spencer, S. (2007) SCM study guide to Christian mission: historic types and contemporary expressions. London: SCM Press.
Spencer, S. (2019) Growing and Flourishing: The Ecology of Church Growth. London: SCM Press.
Stone, B. (2018) Evangelism after Pluralism: The Ethics of Christian Witness. Michigan: Baker Academic.
Teasdale, M. (2016) Evangelism for Non-Evangelists: Sharing the Gospel Authentically. Illinois: InterVarsity Press.
Teasdale, M. (2017) Go! How to become a Great Commission Church. United Methodist General Board of Higher Education.
Tuttle, R. (2006) The Story of Evangelism: A History of the Witness to the Gospel. Tennessee: Abingdon Press.
Walls, A.F. (2023) The missionary movement from the West: a biography from birth to old age. Edited by B. Stanley. Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.
Whiteman, D et al (eds). (2009) World Mission in the Wesleyan Spirit. London: Providence House Publishers.
Whiteman, D.L. and Anderson, G.H. (2014) World mission in the Wesleyan spirit. Franklin, Tennessee: Seedbed Publishing.
Wright, C.J.H. (2006) The Mission of God: Unlocking the Bible's GrandNarrative. Westmont: InterVarsity Press.
Wright, C.J.H. and Zacharias, H.D. (2023) The Great Story and the Great Commission (Acadia Studies in Bible and Theology) Participating in the Biblical Drama of Mission. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic.