Church Ministry on Council Estates (with Ian Williamson)

What does church ministry in some of the toughest communities in Britain look like? How can churches actively think about working in those communities? In this episode of In:Dependence, Phil Topham (Executive Director) is joined by Ian Williamson (former pastor, now Executive Director of Medhurst Ministries) to discuss the challenges and opportunities of church ministry in deprived communities. 00:00 - Introduction 02:04 - Ministry in Middlesborough 06:49 - Long-term ministry in deprived areas 08:50 - Unique challenges for churches in hard places 12:40 - Have churches focused on social work more than spiritual work? 17:25 - Bringing the gospel to your old life 22:15 - Visible and invisible sins 24:52 - Paid staff in council estate church plants 28:02 - How can churches support ministry in deprived areas? You can watch a video of this episode and access further resources for church leaders on the FIEC website. About In:Dependence: In:Dependence is FIEC’s official podcast, where you’ll hear teaching and resources for church leaders from the FIEC Ministry Team and guests from FIEC churches and partners. You can access video podcasts by subscribing to the FIEC YouTube channel. About FIEC: We are a fellowship of Independent churches with members of the family across England, Scotland and Wales. Our mission is to see those Independent churches working together with a big vision: to reach Britain for Christ. Being part of FIEC links you to a growing number of Independent evangelical churches and there are now more than 50,000 people who are part of churches affiliated to FIEC. Follow FIEC on social media: Instagram Facebook Twitter