How do you feel about yourself as a Christian?
Perhaps you feel like a failure. Your prayer life is patchy (at best), and your Bible reading plan is a distant memory. When you’re at church, you look around at the ‘good Christians’ and wish for the same picture-perfect devotion. To make it worse, you’re battling the same old sins, which never seem to abate.
Or maybe you feel good. You pray and read the Bible daily, and give generously each month. Your family is walking with the Lord, and you’ve evangelised to several colleagues over the last few weeks. The battle over sin feels easy, and life feels fruitful.
However you feel—flourishing or failing—the truth is that we come to the Father with empty hands. He’s not checking your good works at the door with a sign reading ‘only successes allowed’. Nope. You come to the Father through Jesus’ spotless record, counted as your own. Whether you’ve had the best or worst week, you are covered with Christ’s perfection, not your failures or achievements. You bring nothing.
This is at the heart of our homegrown song Come to the King. It’s an invitation to return to God with all our brokenness, sin, and weakness. As one line puts it:
“Bring all your heart, you’re welcomed as you are.”
God doesn’t ask us to polish ourselves up beforehand, but to come empty-handed and messy and let him do the mending.
Come with nothing, together.
But there’s another layer to the song. Although it began as a moment of personal devotion, Come to the King is also a song for the church. We return to God in community. On our own, we often become paralysed by guilt, shame, introspection and despair. We need words of encouragement and challenge, and the regular rhythms of life groups and Sunday services to shake us out of ourselves. Shoulder to shoulder, we come with nothing, together.
So, when writing Come to the King, we made a few intentional moves. In the first draft of the chorus, there was no ‘all we need’, only ‘all I need’, which we quickly changed. We wanted something we could belt out together, as one church family. And when our producer suggested recording group vocals, we were keen to try it out. During our Worship Team Night in August, we set up a couple of microphones, filled the room, and recorded the bridge and final chorus live. Rather than only one or two voices, this song now has 25.
Come to the King drops next Friday (14th Nov) across streaming platforms, and we can’t wait to share it with you. We hope you enjoy listening to it as much as we have, and that it causes you to worship without striving or performance.
Until then, you can pre-save the song here so it’s waiting for you on release day.
How to eat the book
Reading is a lot like eating.
But then again, so is watching, and scrolling, and listening to your favourite pods. That’s why we talk about consuming content.
The biblical authors talk this way. They speak about God’s word as something you can consume. Ezekiel was told to ‘Eat this scroll…’ and so he adds, ‘Then I ate it, and it was in my mouth as sweet as honey.’ Jeremiah says something similar: ‘Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart…’
The Psalmist talks about God’s words as desirable and edible: ‘More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb.’ And again, ‘How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!’
Why is reading (and watching, and scrolling, and listening) like eating?
We know that, at some level, the things we consume become a part of us. That’s true of food, and it’s true of words. They change us, very often in unconscious ways. Everything we are exposed to leaves its mark upon us, affecting how we think about the world and about ourselves.
This means that you can approach eating and reading in much the same way. You eat regularly (at least once a day), habitually (even when you wish you wouldn’t!), by necessity (or you’ll die), and mostly with enjoyment; it’s sweet to your tastebuds.
I think that God wants us to read his word in the same way: regularly, habitually, by necessity, and with deep enjoyment.
How should you go about consuming the book?
Of course, there is a maximal approach to studying the Bible. Some people are called to dedicate their whole lives to it, and even then, after years of dedicated study, they will often feel that they have barely begun.
But it can be unhelpful to think about the maximal approach when most people struggle to make any headway in reading the Scriptures. And so, I want to suggest that eating the book should look like the straightforward, daily practice of just reading or listening to the Bible.
Don’t overthink this so that you paralyse yourself. Just as you manage to pour a bowl of cereal each morning, or buy a meal deal at lunch, or whip up your favourite pasta dish at night, so should you establish a habit of eating the Bible every day – same place, same time, following a manageable reading plan. (I like this one.)
You won’t understand everything. You may not even know what difference it is making at first. But just as eating does you good regardless of whether you understand the biochemistry involved, so does God’s word.
As this habit becomes a part of your life so that you love it and actively look forward to it, you’ll find ways of going deeper. But that’s for later. Right now, just read.
Why bother with Communion?
Over the centuries, the bread and wine we share in remembrance of Jesus’ crucifixion have been called many things: the Eucharist, the Lord’s Supper, the sacrament—and my favourite, Communion. The word itself speaks of relational intimacy—think of community or communal—and captures the heart of why we eat and drink each week.
Drawing Near to God
Communion is a moment to remember Jesus. We recall his suffering and death for us, and draw near to God in our hearts. In this sense, it is a memorial—we eat and drink to remember and make Jesus’ sacrifice the centre of our gathering. As he instructed, “Do this in remembrance of me.” (Luke 22.19)
So, taking Communion is an act of worshipful obedience to Christ. We say in effect, 'Lord, you are worth remembering. I return to you and make the cross the centre of my life once again.'
It’s a relational act—an opportunity to remember, to draw near to God, and to glorify him as we do so.
Drawing Near to Us
However, if Communion were only about our drawing near to God, it might feel like a one-sided relationship—God standing at a distance while we try to inch closer. Yet this couldn’t be further from the truth. While we edge towards him with mustard-seed faith, he races out to meet us and comfort us with his presence.
In particular, Jesus draws near to us through Communion. He is present with us as we share it. The bread and wine don’t become his literal body and blood (we’re not Catholics, after all), but Christ is truly and spiritually present in them. And where he is present, fresh happiness and rejuvenation flow. Just as bread and wine nourish our bodies, through the Lord’s Supper, Jesus nourishes our souls.
How exactly does he do this? Well, bread and wine are more tangible than words and ideas. They speak concrete words of truth to our often wavering, doubtful minds. Undeniable taste and texture, telling undeniable truths. As writer and theologian Tim Chester put it, “[Jesus] could have said, Say this in remembrance of me, or Think this… But he knows how battered by life we can be. So he gives bread and wine as physical reminders of his love.”
Communion is a channel of God’s grace—a tangible means by which he makes himself known. Of course, God is always with us, but in eating and drinking, we feel that presence more deeply. Again, Chester describes it beautifully...
“A good husband will tell his wife that he loves her, and Christ tells us that he loves us in the gospel message. But a good husband will also hug his wife as a physical demonstration of his commitment to her. Communion is Christ’s reassuring hug.”
So, as you take Communion this Sunday, let Jesus reassure you with his presence. He loves you more than you can imagine.
Waiting on God
Before leaving Abu Dhabi, I met with a friend to catch up on her life and ministry in the Middle East. She is a missionary, speaks fluent Arabic and shares the good news of Jesus Christ with women in the Arab world. Her life and faith are an encouragement to many. She is faithfully serving the Lord and taking the gospel to the hard places.
As our conversation unfolded, I could see that something was weighing heavy on her heart. She felt like she was reaching the end of her rope. She had waited for the Lord to answer a particular prayer about her future and cried out to him countless times for things to change. Life was not turning out like she had hoped, and it seemed as if God wasn’t there or simply didn’t care. It felt like God was distant and disengaged when it came to the hopes and dreams of her life.
Have you been there? Have you looked at what is (or isn’t) happening in your life and felt like you are reaching the end of your rope? You have waited, prayed, but nothing changes.
Waiting is a part of everyone’s story. Men and women in the Bible endured significant times of waiting. Abraham and Sarah waited to hold in their arms the child God had promised. Joseph waited in prison after being unjustly accused by Potiphar’s wife. The Israelites waited for their slavery to end. Habakkuk waited for God to intervene in the chaos of his time. The disciples of Jesus waited for hope to return when he died on the cross and was buried in the tomb.
Author Mark Vroegop writes in his book Waiting Isn’t a Waste that “Waiting isn’t a supplemental experience of the Christian life. It’s central. Following Jesus involves a life of waiting.” So where do we anchor our hearts while we wait? How do we wait well and not lose hope? We hold onto what we know to be true of God. We remember the promises of an unchanging God and anchor our hearts in his Word. We trust his character and ways, even when what is happening in our lives may not make sense.
If you find waiting to be hard, I want to encourage you to consider these three truths about God.
God is near and has not abandoned or forgotten you. “I am continually with you; you hold my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will receive me to glory.” Psalm 73.23-24
God is still sovereign. There is nothing that can prevent him from fulfilling his plans and purposes for your life. “My times are in your hand.” Psalm 31.15
God is still steadfast in his love for you. “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases.” Lamentations 3.22
As John Piper says, “God is always doing 10,000 things in your life, and you may be aware of three of them.” Anchor your heart on the promises of a sovereign, loving God who is always near. Will you trust him while you wait?
Stories of Grace
Without baptisms, Grace London wouldn't really be a church. A group of believers, sure, but a church? Not quite. Maybe that sounds over the top, but Christians have agreed throughout the centuries that baptism is integral to our life together. Celebrating salvation in the lives of brothers and sisters is Jesus’ design and delight.
So, here’s a recap from our Together Sunday baptisms. What a day.
I was bracing for rejection, expecting my parents to disown me, but instead, I was met with tears, hugs, and compassion.
My dad later told me that in his anger and disappointment, he prayed to God about how to respond, and God told him to show me unconditional love and forgiveness.
That was unimaginable for me. In that moment, through my father's embrace, I felt God's own embrace.
- Chloe
It wasn't until I was 21, in the midst of another dark time, that I experienced God's love and understood what it meant to be forgiven.
I was living in Australia, and started attending a church overflowing with excitement for God. The pastor spoke about how God has removed our sins as far as the east is from the west, that we are made new, and when we wake up in the morning, we step onto a floor of God's grace.
That experience was over 10 years ago, but it revolutionised my faith. I still feel the impact today.
- Joanne
I was in my kitchen and felt like I had the weight of the world on my shoulders. I was at rock bottom.
I looked up and she said, ‘God, are you there?' and immediately felt something come over me. I broke down in tears on my kitchen floor. I even distinctly remember the weather outside changing, and a ray of sunshine just washed over the apartment.
That was the moment when I knew without a doubt that I had to come back to God.
- Josh
In one of his last sermons, Jeremy preached about self-reliance, and that message really hit home. I realised how much I had been depending on my own strength instead of God's.
Today, I am here to declare that Jesus is my Lord and Saviour. I am choosing to lay down my old ways, die to myself, and live fully dependent on him. I want my life, my marriage, my work, everything that I do to reflect God's grace and goodness.
- Kyle
My dad shared something similar to C.S. Lewis' words that Christianity is either false and of no importance or true and of infinite importance.
We realised that if Christianity was true, then it deserved more than just a casual belief, so we decided to try church again, but this time with open hearts. The very next Sunday, I walked into church and cried throughout the worship. I can't explain it. I just knew that this was what I'd been missing.
- Tara-Lynn
The topic of baptism has been a big one for me. For nearly two years, it's been bubbling in the background, but it wasn't something I met with excitement or joy. I met encouragement with resistance.
But nothing good comes easy.
The challenges along the way have led me here — speaking in front of you all, about to take part in the very act I was previously not jumping for joy about. That in itself shows how God can work in our hearts over time.
- Tyrone
Two courses for big thinkers
This October, we’re starting two evening courses: Foundations and Salt. Both are safe spaces to ask questions, seek truth, and share good food and conversation with others. Each course runs for seven Tuesday evenings, starting 21 October 2025.
Here’s a breakdown of each so you can choose the right one for you. Make sure to sign up!
Foundations
For those seeking to grow in their faith.
Understanding God, his word, and his ways strengthens us. It gives us stability in difficult times, confidence in sharing our faith, and motivation to live for God. Yet many of us struggle to find the time—or even know where to start.
Foundations was set up to address this challenge. We’ll unpack the core beliefs and practices of the Christian faith and explore their life-changing implications. It’s a space to learn, to wrestle with your questions in community, strengthen your convictions, and pave the way to deeper spiritual formation.
What to expect
Dinner together (free!)
Interactive talk + small-group discussion
Q&A
Where
London Nautical School, SE1 9NA
Sample topics
God: Delving into the nature and character of the Almighty.
Prayer: Confidently approaching the throne of grace.
The Salt Course
For those exploring life’s big questions.
Salt takes a more philosophical angle. It begins with the universal longings we all feel—for meaning, peace, purpose—and explores how Christianity speaks into them.
The course is for those who wouldn’t call themselves Christian or have been away from the faith for a while. You might be curious, sceptical, or simply interested in having a good discussion about the stuff that matters.
What to expect
Dinner (free!)
A short talk
Table discussions (groups of 6–10), diving into that week’s question
Where
Costa Coffee, The Cut, SE1 8LP
Sample topics
Meaning: Isn’t there more to life than this?
Peace: How do we overcome anxiety?
The best things in life are free
There’s a line from Ed Sheeran’s The A Team that struck me recently: “The worst things in life come free to us.” It rings painfully true. Disease, injustice, grief, depression, and death all arrive uninvited, barging into our lives without warning or cost. Ed was on to something.
But it's only half the picture. Because the best things in life are free too. The deepest sources of truth, beauty, and goodness aren’t bought—they’re received. They come as sheer gifts, poured out by a generous Father.
In light of this, here are three of life’s greatest treasures that are ours to (freely) enjoy.
Creation
Living in a capital city, we can easily overlook the wonder of nature. For starters, there’s just less to see. Light pollution and the abundance of concrete make the stars dimmer, and wild spaces scarcer. But even so, life has a way of finding the gaps in the tarmac - the sun still dawns in unrestrained beauty, the birds still sing, the clouds still form their patchwork quilts. Creation quietly insists on being noticed.
Step outside the city and the spectacle widens: oceans, forests, mountains, skies that stretch unbroken. It’s all from God, who loves to shower us—all humanity in fact—with undeserved common grace.
People
The people God places in our lives are among his sweetest gifts. For most of us, the love and company of family make life’s highs higher, and its lows more bearable. We didn’t choose our family (sometimes that’s obvious!), but God chose them for us and knitted them into our lives with great intentionality. We never earned their kindness, but he knows we need it.
And when family is absent or strained, God’s grace is no less evident. He gives us friends—often in unexpected ways. Most of my closest peers are not those I consciously invested in from the get-go, but old flatmates, life group members, and school friends. God sovereignly brought us together, and the rest is history.
Jesus
This gift surpasses all others. We get to enjoy time with Jesus every day. He speaks to us through the Bible, hears us as we pray, and nourishes us as we take communion. He encourages and challenges us through prophecy and the faithful words of a friend. He walks with us and loves us. He loves us, he loves us, he loves us.
This intimacy was never guaranteed. Once estranged from God because of our sin, we had no claim to it. But Jesus closed the gap, choosing the cross and paying the debt. The treasure of knowing God is now ours to enjoy, the invoice already settled. Into eternity we go, an endless discovery of his love freely given.
Wherever you find yourself today, why not enjoy God’s gifts and let them stir up thanks? Take 10 minutes away from your desk to walk through a park. Reconnect with a friend. Most importantly, spend time with your saviour who paid for your life so that you don’t have to.
"Spiritual but not religious"
Sage and crystals, star signs and chakras. The modern West may be less religious than in the past, but it is no less spiritual. Many have traded Christianity, with its dos and don’ts, for spiritual practices offering transcendence without obligation. Yet, in the noisy and confusing marketplace of spiritual practices, many feel untethered and uncertain.
Does being “spiritual but not religious” offer the freedom it promises? Does it satisfy our souls’ deep ache for higher power?
Join speaker and author Simon Edwards as he explores this cultural shift towards spiritual autonomy and considers what the Christian faith says to our longing for liberty and transcendence.
Date: 7th October 2025
Time: 7.30pm
Price: Free
Location: London Nautical School, SE1 9NA
Sign up via Eventbrite
About our speaker
Simon Edwards is a speaker and writer. He originally hails from Australia, where he worked as a lawyer before moving to the UK to study at Oxford.
He is the author of The Sanity of Belief: Why Faith Makes Sense (2021) and has spoken internationally at churches, businesses, government institutions, conferences, and universities. In the UK, he has been interviewed for several BBC Radio programs, as well as Christian radio stations and podcasts.
Simon lives in Buckinghamshire, England, with his wife, Natasha, and their three young children.
Home from home
The door opened to a familiar face. “Welcome,’ Alex said. ‘Come in. Come in!”
A hubbub of chatter, caffeinated air, and clattering plates greeted me as I left the quiet street and entered the Tait’s home. Alex’s wife, Kat, stood talking by the stove, every gas ring covered by a pan. Their kids, George, Clara, and Oscar, played with grown-up friends, unfazed by the organised chaos around them. Preparations for brunch were in full flow, and it all reminded me of a big family gathering - loud and busy, yet warm and relaxed. Home from home.
For Alex and Kat, welcoming people is a passion. Since joining Grace London three years ago, they've made it their mission to bring others into authentic church life, over brunch, life group, or a post-service picnic. Last May, they also began leading the Waterloo AM Welcome team, helping newcomers feel at home each Sunday. But their story at Grace didn't start as you might expect.
“When we came, we didn’t feel hugely welcomed. We stood alone for a while,” laughed Kat as I chatted to them last week, a few months after that first brunch. The room was calmer this time round, the dishwasher quietly churning in the background.
"We used to run the Welcome team at our previous church," Alex added. "So, it mattered a lot to us. Our first Sunday here was slightly uncomfortable, but we left feeling that there was an opportunity for the church to grow in this area. Grace drew us in—people who adored Jesus, passionate worship, strong teaching—but we were hesitant about our experience of being welcomed."
Given their initial hesitation, I wanted to know why they stuck around. “On the flip side”, I said, “now you’ve been a Grace for three years, what’s your favourite memory?”
A pause. “Shortly after we joined, our daughter, Clara, went to hospital and was very, very sick,” Kat replied. “But within two hours, we had a week's worth of meals and babysitting rotas. It was a real testament to the incredible community that exists within Grace. It was certainly an amazing thing to witness.”
“The community really stepped into its own,” agreed Alex.
“And it gives us confidence as we welcome people into the church - we know that we're drawing them into something amazing and can do it with such sincerity.”
Kat alluded to their role of spearheading the welcome at our Waterloo morning service, and I was keen to know more. “What’s your favourite thing about your current team?” I asked.
“I’m probably gonna say the same thing,” Alex said to Kat, smiling.
“We love that there are loads of families in our team. It has been special to see those with young kids finding a way to serve. It's such a delight to have our son George—he's four—on the gate with Alex, highfiving people as they enter church.”
“Dare I say, he’s a far more effective welcomer than I will ever be,” Alex said. “Who can say no to a happy four-year-old?”
“And what kind of people are you looking for to join the team?” I asked. “Besides, you know, four-year-olds.”
“Five-year-olds are also welcome,” Alex joked.
”Another strength of the team is that we don't just have extroverts. I’m your typical ‘E’ - I'm energised by a room of people I don't know, but for a lot of people, that's their worst nightmare. Our Welcome team is blessed to have many who seek out quieter conversations. We need people who can energetically say hi to anyone, but also people who can welcome those who don't enjoy an energetic greeting.”
Our conversation was coming to a close, but over the course of it, I had learnt that for Alex and Kat, church is as much ‘home’ to them as their Kennington terrace. Both are places where they open up their lives and hearts—and stand by an open door. Saturday brunch and Sunday service aren’t so different in their eyes.
“In the same way that I would welcome people into my home—looking out for those who are new, offering a drink—that’s how I want to welcome people on a Sunday”, Kat said when I asked her about her heart for the ministry. “Church is God's house, and we get the privilege of welcoming people into it.”
*The Welcome team differ from the hospitality team, who prepare food, drinks and communion. If you’d like to join any of our volunteering teams, visit grace.london/serve.
Key dates for the autumn term
September is here already. Kids are heading back to school, it's getting cooler, and the wedding season is slowly coming to a close. As autumn begins, we wanted to share some key dates. Please put them in your calendar.
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Regular rhythms
Upper Room
Monthly, 7.30pm @ London Nautical School
Wednesday 1st October
Wednesday 5th November
Wednesday 3rd December
Together Sunday
Termly, 4.15pm @ Westminster Chapel
Sunday 28th September
It's a significant service for us with numerous baptisms and a dinner to celebrate Grace London's 11th birthday. Stick around afterwards for delicious food, £6 each. Kids go free.
Women’s Evening
Thursday 23rd October, 7-9.30pm @ London Nautical School
Join the women of Grace London as we spend time together, hearing God’s word and building each other up. Please save the date.
Men’s Retreat
6th-8th November @ De Vere Beaumont, SL4 2JJ
From Thursday evening to Saturday lunch, we’ll enjoy time chatting over food, worshipping, and hearing from Doug Fell, a pastor from Johannesburg. Sign up here.
Courses/Special events
Salt Live
Tuesday 7th October, 7.30-9.30pm @ London Nautical School
Salt Live is a series of talks on today's pressing issues and how the Christian faith speaks into them. Previous events include ‘The Crisis of Masculinity’ & ‘The Anxious Generation’.
Salt Course
Seven consecutive Tuesdays beginning 21st October. 7.30-9pm @ Location TBC
A space to explore life’s big questions from a Christian perspective. Find out more or express your interest here.
Foundations
Tuesday evenings beginning 21st October. 7-9.30pm @ London Nautical School
We'll explore the core beliefs and practices of the Christian faith and draw out their life-changing implications. Find out more or express your interest here.
Carols
Sunday 7th December, 4pm & 7pm @ Cheng Kin Ku Building, LSE
Starting something new
“Big mug or small mug?” asked Alban, emerging from the kitchen. He held two steaming cups of tea, one for me and another for his wife, Esther. “Small, please”, I replied. I rarely finish a full cup.
We sat in their living room in Waterloo, Esther to my left, and Alban, cross-legged, across from her. To my right, the window was open, welcoming in a gentle breeze and the sound of children playing across the street. The net curtains to and froed as we spoke, swaying like the ebb and flow of conversation. This didn’t feel like central London.
Alban and Esther moved here from Durham last August, only a few weeks after getting married, but quickly found their feet in a new city and church. They joined Luke and Issy’s life group, forming friendships over dinner, Bible study, and prayer. But now the couple awaits another change. They prepare to start their own life group this autumn and open up their lounge—and lives—to many more.
“We went to one of the Welcome events* and there were a lot of people,” said Esther as I asked them about their initial experience at Grace.
“Afterwards, we were really keen to go to a life group, so
I was like, 'Andrea, Andrea, please put us in a life group.’ She was like, ‘We’re trying!’. It worked out eventually, and we started going to Issy and Luke's group from last October.
“What’s been particularly nice about the group is the number of new Christians - I guess because Luke and Issy help at the Salt Course. It was lovely being part of their initial Christian journey and first discipleship group.”
“And it wasn't a Bible club where you just chat about things you all know”, Alban added. “It felt more like everyone was learning and being encouraged. It was more about life than pure study. Sometimes…I don't know… Sometimes groups like these can be more about the study than the people.
“Yeah”, Esther said. “And it's special having Issy and Luke as our leaders because we've just got married, and they’re a bit further along. They've been married a year or two, and are a little bit older than us. It's nice to look up to them.”
“Do you have a favourite life group memory?” I asked.
“One sweet thing we did was go to our friend’s ballet show”, Esther replied. “She joined our life group aged only 17, having moved from Edinburgh. That was really fun because it felt like family, the kind of thing your aunts and uncles would come to. We were in the front row, like, ‘There she is! There she is!’
I wondered how Alban and Esther would recreate this sense of community in their own group. “What’s your vision for the new life group?” I asked.
“Life group is just a structure for good Christian community”, Alban said. “And, ideally, that structure will feel natural and almost invisible. I’d hope everyone would be like, ‘Well, of course we hang out, have dinner together, open the Bible and pray for each other.’ Like any Christian family would.”
“I don't see it like a theology club”, Esther added. “Or that we’re leaders in a very formal sense—
“We see it exactly as the life group handbook says,” Alban interjected, his dry humour filling the room with laughter. “Whatever Jeremy said about a month ago at the training day, it’s that.”
He paused, continuing more seriously. “We also want to be part of each other's lives throughout the week, whether it’s dropping a text, catching up, or going to someone's uni show.”
I couldn’t help but feel that this couple has centred themselves wholeheartedly around church community - sitting in their lounge just 10 minutes from the London Nautical School. I wanted to know how we could support them. “Last question”, I said. “How can we pray for you?”
After a pause, Esther began. “I felt a bit nervous about starting a life group. There’s the worry, ‘Am I gonna be able to serve people in the way they deserve?’ I'm in a better place now, but still feel a bit imposter syndrome-ish.” She laughed nervously. “Pray that we’d trust God.”
“The thing we want most for the group”, Alban added, “is for strong friendships to form.”
“Yeah”, Esther chimed, suddenly full of self-assured excitement. “Like a real community where people really do share their lives. Where we really love each other.”
Harrison's Story | Activist to Evangelist
I heard his voice before I saw him.
I’d arrived early at one of Kennington Lane’s many cafes, and sat out back, in a courtyard of gradually-filling seats. It was a grey but warm morning, and the smell of toasting sourdough and sizzling bacon wafted through the door. So too did the sound of Harrison, an ex-political activist, chatting with the barista.
Harrison is a familiar face here. He and Jeremy regularly met in the cafe for three years, studying the Bible and chatting over a latte (or fresh orange juice, today’s choice). Having joined Grace London as a new believer, Harrison was taken under Jeremy’s wing and eventually joined the staff team as an intern and Evangelism Trainee. Cue the coffee-fueled discipleship. But his story starts further back.
“I come from a single-parent family,” Harrison began. “In some ways, it was a good childhood, but it was also confusing - we moved around a lot, and settled in London when I was 11. That was a big shock, coming from Stoke-on-Trent. A big culture shock.
“It led me to think about my identity, being in a multi-cultural city but coming from a fairly homogeneous town. I became involved in the far-right and joined activist groups from the age of 17. That catapulted me into a pan-European group, and I would travel to different countries doing political stunts. It was a crazy time of life. Looking back, I guess it was fuelled by resentment, anger, not feeling very grounded.”
“So, what changed?” I asked.
“One of the people who raised me was my gran. About a year before she passed away, she became a born-again believer and started inviting us to church and giving us Bibles. Everyone was like, ‘What's going on?’. The Bible she gave me was under my bed for years, but I never touched it. I thought it was a load of rubbish.
“But one Sunday morning, I felt this urge to read it - I don't know why. As I opened it, I was struck by the reality of it. I was like, ‘Whoa, this is actually quite deep,’ especially in Romans, where it gives a diagnosis of the human heart.
“I believed there and then”, Harrison continued, his voice passionate and a smile washing over his face, “and I had this experience where I was filled with the love of God. I was in awe. I remember going to work the next day, and the whole world looked proper different. Colours were more vivid. I know it sounds crazy, but life was now hope-filled.”
I was curious to connect the dots and find out how he ended up at Grace London. “How did church come into the picture?” I asked.
“I was looking for a young people's church”, Harrison replied, “because I lived just outside London, where a lot of the churches were more elderly. I found Grace, sent a Facebook message, and not long after, spent two hours on the phone with Jeremy.
“It was all super exciting,” Harrison said, chuckling. “I can still remember it now, chatting to Jeremy on the phone for hours. He told me I should join the Salt Course, so I said, ‘Tell me about it.’
“Each week on the course, I’d meet all these different people—a muslim guy, an atheist, etc.—and we’d spend the evening chatting with Jeremy and the other leaders. After a while, I decided I wanted to attend church too, so I went to Grace, and I liked it... I loved it. I haven't stopped going since, except this Sunday, my last.”
By this point in the conversation, our drinks were finished, but I was keen to hear what the future held for this activist-turned-zealot. Since joining Grace, Harrison has been part of the staff team for three years. But after many Bible studies in this cafe, he is moving on to a new role and a new church.
“Tell me about your new job”, I probed.
“Praise the Lord, it’s still a training role”, Harrison laughed. “It’s a pastor-in-training role, and it actually started yesterday. Hope Church, where I’m now working, is based on the Vauxhall Gardens estate, and the vast majority of members live within a five-minute walk. I'll be running some of the evangelism ministries, helping to pastor people, and continuing my studies. It's gonna be full, but I'm ready for it.”
Our time was almost up, but there was one more question I wanted to ask: “How would your younger self react if they met you now - and what advice would you give?”
“I used to have no aspirations for my life. I never saw myself studying, never saw myself in a job I loved. I never saw myself getting married. So, I think my younger self would be like,
’That's pretty cool. I didn't think that would happen.’
“And advice?” Harrison asked himself. “Give your life to the Lord. That’s everything, isn't it?
And read your Bible, mate”, he quipped, laughing. “Open it up and save yourself a lot of heartache.”
Five podcasts for you
The Confronting Christianity Podcast by Rebecca McLaughlin is one that I recommend to those who are curious about the Christian faith and also those committed to following Jesus. She explores some of the hard questions about life and faith. I found the most recent episode super encouraging: From Crystals to Christianity - Finding Jesus After Trying Everything Else. If you give it a listen, let me know what you think.
- Dawn
Axis Conversations is an invaluable tool for parents with secondary school-age kids who want to understand Gen Z culture. Axis engages with culture not to right it all off, but to discern what's good, what's bad, and where the gospel shines in. Think of it both as a way to stay informed and a springboard for gospel conversations.
- Bisi
The Elisabeth Elliot Podcast is a great listen for anyone (particularly women) ready to be challenged and inspired to live a life devoted to Christ and empowered for his mission. What has impacted me most is Elisabeth’s trust in God and faithfulness to the word through all seasons of life. As she says, "the secret is Christ in me, not me in a different set of circumstances."
- Amy
Popcorn Parenting (recommended to me by my sister, who is NOT a parent but loves the podcast) is designed for parents who want to have fun with their kids, watching films together and discussing them from a Christian perspective. Two dads host the show, driven by a desire not to miss any opportunity to talk to their kids about Jesus.
- Kat
Ask Pastor John by Desiring God has been so helpful when wrestling with tough theological and personal questions. Listeners email in their doubts and struggles, and pastor John Piper responds with biblical clarity, thoughtful wisdom, and a compassionate, zealous heart.
- Jono
Where will you sit this Sunday?
What goes through your mind as you approach church on Sundays?
I’d expect a wide range of answers to that question, and it probably depends on various factors - what the time is, how your day is going, whether there are any kids in tow, etc. Perhaps you’ve been attending church for a long time now, and there is a tendency to just go into autopilot as you walk through the door and not give attention to your mindset.
A few years ago, I read Tony Payne’s helpful little book on how we should walk into church on Sundays. In the opening chapter, he argues for a small but significant shift in this moment, which is to pray about where to sit. This not only expresses our trust in God for what he will do as we gather together, but also turns our attention towards others. He writes:
‘When we pray about where to sit, we’re also putting ourselves in the right frame of mind towards each other. We have started to think about the church as being someone other than me. This can be quite a mind-shift, but it’s a vital one. We come to church not only to be loved and blessed by God, but also to love and bless others around us. We come not to spectate or consume, nor even to have our personal encounter with God. We come to love and to serve.’
From experience, this kind of thinking requires intentionality. If we don’t set our minds on the things of the Spirit, then we turn inwards. On the contrary, imagine what it would look like if every person walked through the door having just finished a prayer with a posture of ‘who can I encourage today’ and ‘how can I show hospitality to those who are new’? I think we would see a demonstration of what the author of Hebrews had in mind in chapter 10:24-25:
‘And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.’
Last Sunday, Daniel reminded us that as followers of Jesus, we are all called to this kind of ministry and succinctly defined it for us as ‘pursuing God’s purposes in people’s lives for God’s glory and people’s good’. Prayer is our most effective way of fulfilling this.
So on Sunday, as you walk through the gates or park your car, I want to encourage you to join me in starting to pray something like this, with joyful expectancy for what God may do as we gather:
Lord, as we gather today, help me to glorify you and serve others. Lead me to those who I can encourage and set my mind on the things of the Spirit as we worship you and hear from your word. Amen.
God doesn’t need us (+ new song out)
Let Your Kingdom Come started with a simple WhatsApp message. “For the next song, I’d love for us to write something with a missional focus”, Pete typed. “I think we’re lacking songs with that kind of theme.” More than that, we needed mission-focused songs that weren’t self-focused. Not singing about what we’re going to do for God—as if he were desperate for our help—but about what he’s already doing in the world.
So we came upon one of the great and freeing truths of our faith: God does not need us. He’s not relying on us for his happiness or fame or mission. We are not the main characters in this drama. The plot line does not depend on us. Jesus is the one building his Church. The Father predestines, calls, and justifies. The Spirit softens stony hearts. God is writing his story with passion and power in his penstrokes. The kingdom is his.
God is ultimately devoted to building it for the sake of his glory, to see the nations come to him and exchange their angry fists for arms outstretched in adoration. As the Psalmist sings, “All the nations you have made shall come and worship before you, O Lord, and shall glorify your name" (Psalm 86.9). Worship is the end goal of the kingdom - of all history in fact.
All of this is good news for two reasons. Since God is the most beautiful, happy and glorious being, 1) worshipping him truly is a delight. And 2) although humanity is tempted to worship ugly, debasing, and disatisfying things, God simply won’t let that happen in the long run. Goodness and joy will outlive idolatry and sin. God’s glory (and our happiness in beholding him) will prevail.
So, what now?
Knowing that God is in control of his kingdom might make you think that our job is simply to sit back, kick up our feet, and watch the light dawn on the new creation. But God has something better in store for us. He invites us to assist him in creating a masterpiece, a world full of his glory.
Imagine a small child working beside a carpenter father, watching in amazement as his rough, weathered hands—sawdust under his nails—turn a block of wood into a piece of art. The father asks him to help in the work, to chisel and sand under his tender gaze. A little apprentice. So too with us and God. Or, to use another image, we’re representatives of a king, sent out to proclaim a message of hope in towns and cities everywhere. To announce good news. The message isn’t ours, yet God invites and honours us in the task of sharing it.
This is the reality we live in. God is in control, his kingdom is on the move, and in a surprising turn of events, he invites us to be part of building it. So, why not get caught up in this mission and make the bridge of Let Your Kingdom Come your prayer? ‘Let your kingdom come in me. Let my heart burn for the lost. ’ It’s one God loves to answer.
Artwork by Emily Ikoshi
One life-changing decision
A look of trepidation-turned-excitement crossed Amy Walter’s face as we sat in a park a stone’s throw from the church office. We were chatting about her upcoming move to Milan. Sun-scorched grass bristled against fidgeting fingers as she shared her plans. Since January, Amy has been making preparations to join Jeremy and Jen as they embark upon a church-plant in Italy’s metropolitan hub. Olive trees and long boulevards will soon replace London’s oaks and park hideouts.
But the decision to uproot herself hasn’t been straightforward. Although Amy has had a growing desire to pursue ministry further afield, she never foresaw Italy. So, when Jen shared their intention to plant a church in Milan last October, she was mostly sad that they would be leaving and felt no inkling to go. “She broke the news, and I was very quiet,” Amy recounted. “Selfish me was heartbroken."
“So, what changed your heart?” I asked.
“In January, I became more and more open to making the move,” she admitted. “I knew that I was past the initial emotional processing. I was praying intentionally and had quite a prophetic journey of seeking God and hearing him speak.”
“I had a prophetic picture of a little rabbit”, she continued, “cupped in someone’s hands, lifted, moved to the side, and placed back down. I sensed that God was going to pick me up, move me, and set me down somewhere completely different. I later realised that I was the rabbit. I didn't understand where God would place me, but I knew this year would be one of real change.
“A week or so after, I was praying again about Milan, and a word popped into my mind. I didn't even know what it meant, but it kept recurring. I really couldn't shake it off. The word was coniglio. I didn't know what it meant, so I decided to type it into Google Translate. I discovered it's Italian for rabbit.
“Almost instantly, I remembered the prophetic picture. When I paired the two together, I can't tell you, I had such a deep fear and felt the weight of what I might be called to. I was like, ‘Gosh, might God be calling me to go to Milan too?’ Everything in me wanted to run in the opposite direction out of fear, but the call felt unignorable.
“From then on, God took me on a journey of growing my heart for Milan. It became increasingly clear that this was what God wanted, and I wanted his will. I felt the internal tension—and the grief, actually—of that gap between wanting God’s will, but not wanting the thing itself. It was a journey of being humbled, choosing to trust, and allowing God to change my heart.”
“Now, what excites you looking ahead?” I asked.
“I'm excited for an adventure,” Amy replied. “To see God do crazy things. I have faith that he will do things only he can do. And I’m excited to learn Italian,” she added. “I don't know any, but it's cool.”
“Coniglio!” I interjected.
“Coniglio. First word,” Amy responded with a smile. “I’m looking forward to learning more for sure. It’s a beautiful language. And I’m excited for how God will break through with this small team to see Italians turn to know him. I have faith that God will pour out his Spirit and that the gospel will move powerfully even in such a spiritually barren context.
“Okay, last question”, I said. “How can we support you?”
“Prayer is the greatest gift I could be given”, Amy replied with complete sincerity. “I would love prayer for practicalities, for somewhere to live and all the challenges of moving country. More importantly, prayer for spiritual strength and endurance and forever-increased faith in what God will do... and comfort when it's hard.
“Financially, I’ll be fundraising again. In Milan, I’ll work 1-2 days a week on the start-up business with Jeremy, which will provide some income. But I’ll also need to raise support through Stewardship to cover living costs, visa costs, language learning costs, moving costs, and the many unexpected expenses ahead. It's a humbling and crazy thing to be so dependent on God's provision and others’ generosity. I am also looking for a support group of people not just to support financially, but prayerfully, and to be encouragers." (See below)
In less than two months, Amy will be packing up her stuff and leaving friends and family for a new nation, language, and culture. Big challenges await. But even faced with such uncertainty, Amy has a childlike trust in God's goodness. "His will is so much better than your will for life," she said as we sat in that little park. "What he calls you to, that will be the best way."
Meet our new pastor
Introducing Dawn
Supporting Milan
Dear church,
It was such a privilege to be commissioned on Sunday. We are overwhelmed by many different emotions—as was evident for all to see during the service—in saying thank you and farewell to our precious church family.
As we said on Sunday, you have been such a kind, supportive, and loving community for us in London. We will miss you deeply. You will forever be our ‘home’ as we go out to a new place for the sake of the gospel. We’re very confident that the Lord will use you greatly here in London—and beyond—as you hold out his hope to a world in darkness.
As Andrew said on Sunday, we’re very much doing this together with you as a church. If you’d like to support us directly, you can do so in one of the following ways:
Prayer
We are completely dependent on God for every part of this journey, and have been carried by the prayers of others up to this point. Please continue lifting us up in prayer.
Finance
The trustees of Grace London have been very generous in significantly contributing to our family costs in Milan. We’ll also be running a start-up business to help support our personal living costs in the future.
However, we are raising financial support for the church plant itself. There will be all sorts of costs as we move out and get started. If you’d like to make a contribution, you can give via Advance UK (our church planting network, which is overseeing the work). You can find the bank details here. Please include the reference, “Milan”. If you give, please fill out a Gift Aid declaration (for Advance), which you can find here.
As many of you know, Amy Walter is also coming with us as part of the planting team after she wraps up her internship (with Grace) in the summer. Look out for more information about how to support her specifically in the coming months.
We’re so grateful for the years of friendship and partnership in the gospel that we’ve had with you.
Much love,
Jen and Jeremy
Our Merciful God
What would you say if you were asked, “What is so different about your God?” In a world with so many options of who or what to worship, what sets the God of the Bible, the God perfectly revealed in the person of Jesus Christ, apart from all others?
The question is not a new one. In fact, it is a recurring theme in the Old Testament. What makes Israel’s God greater than the idols of the nations? One of the primary answers that the Old Testament gives us is this: he is merciful.
The Old Testament writers had deeply meditated on God’s words in Exodus 34 when he “told Moses his name”. He reveals himself as “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness,” (Exodus 34.6). That verse is the most referenced in the rest of the Old Testament.
If your view of God in the Old Testament is influenced by the prevalent caricatures in our culture, this might seem surprising. However, the God revealed in the pages of scripture—from Genesis to Revelation—is a God of astonishing mercy. Here are three precious Old Testament texts that remind us of this unique attribute.
More merciful than our idols
“Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression for the remnant of his inheritance? He does not retain his anger for ever, because he delights in steadfast love.” Micah 7.18
When setting up a contrast between the true God and other “gods”, the prophet Micah zeroes in on the fact that God is a forgiving God. He does not reluctantly receive us—perhaps after we have proved just how sorry we are and sufficiently punished ourselves—but rather delights in showing steadfast love to his people.
The fact that God is more merciful than our idols holds true whether a person worships Baal and Molech or our culture’s more subtle idols like money and beauty. A person who idolises money is crushed when they make a bad investment or miss out on a pay rise. There is no grace from the idol of money, only a demand to try harder and do better. It’s the same for anything else we put in the place of the true God. But our God is different because when we fail him—as we do every day—he is merciful.
More merciful than us
“Seek the Lord while he may be found; call upon him while he is near; let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.” Isaiah 55.6–8
Many of us associate the last verse quoted above with the reality that God is wiser and knows better than us. While that is true, it’s not the passage’s main focus. Reading that verse in context, the message is clear – God is more merciful than we are.
We often count ourselves out of God’s mercy and think thoughts like “surely God could never forgive someone like me who has done [insert grievous sin]”. But our God unreservedly invites the wicked and unrighteous to forsake their ways and receive his compassion and abundant pardon. If you feel condemned about some seemingly unforgivable sin, you can take comfort in the truth that God is more merciful than you.
Merciful and just
“But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” Isaiah 53.5–6
We know instinctively that wrong deeds should be punished and feel outraged when a guilty person goes free. Other deities may claim to be merciful, but even if this were true, it would not make them like our God. In fact, their mercy would be an evil rather than good quality, because it would be an unjust mercy.
The final way our God differentiates himself is in showing both mercy and justice. His is a just mercy. He does not forgive us by ignoring our sins, relativising them or letting us go because we have done more good than bad. No, he leaves no bad deed unpunished. He can show us mercy because he has punished another for our guilt. The perfect Son of God became our sin-bearing substitute so we could spend eternity delighting in our merciful God.