The London Institute for Contemporary Christianity

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Research Reports

The Frontline Lives of 18–35s in the UK

Shaping Disciples: Part One

Shaping Disciples: Part Two

Sustaining Change

Five ways to get disciplemaking into your church’s DNA

The Making Disciples Project

Discover what helps whole-life disciples grow and thrive.

LICC’s in-depth research gives leaders the insights they need to grow a church culture that equips Christians for fruitfulness in daily life.

It’s one thing to want to disciple people for their ordinary places and tasks. It’s another to make it a reality.

In the rough-and-tumble of church life, so many things compete for your energies. You can always spend more time on… everything. Should you focus on one-to-ones or outward-looking sermons? Small groups that discuss everyday life or clever visual aids in the building?

And how do you not just start well, but persist – establishing a culture of commitment to whole-life discipleship that lasts decades, not just a season?

There’s no one magic bullet – but the insights in our research reports will help you find answers to these questions in your own context.

Commissioned to explore key questions about whole-life disciplemaking, LICC research draws insights from both qualitative and quantitative data, gathered through rigorous fieldwork with churches of all kinds, up and down the UK.

Explore our reports below – and if you want to discuss the implications for your own church, get in touch at [email protected].

The Frontline Lives of 18–35s in the UK

According to research, 73% of young adults raised in a Christian home have dropped out of church by the time they’re 35. If we want to help young adults keep going with their faith, we need to address the questions they're asking. So that's what we did. This report is a summary of our key findings, including the distinguishing markers of young disciples and the questions they're struggling with – the tensions that pose the biggest challenge to their fruitfulness.

Shaping Disciples: Part One

What spiritual practices are whole-life disciples currently using, and what impact are they having? This first of two reports digs deeper into the Sustaining Change project’s findings – exploring how embedding practices like prayer and Bible reading into daily life can play a key role in helping people grow as fruitful disciples.

Shaping Disciples: Part Two

What impact would we see if we taught people tailor-made spiritual practices, and helped them integrate them into their lives? This report reveals that it can change everything – helping people live more like Jesus, grow closer to God, and feel more positive about their discipleship.

Sustaining Change

What keeps whole-life disciplemaking going and growing? This in-depth research reveals key ingredients in churches that have sustained whole-life disciplemaking for three years or more, featuring insights from senior leaders, volunteers, and congregation members.

Five ways to get disciplemaking into your church’s DNA

What kind of leadership helps whole-life disciplemaking thrive? In this short but detailed piece, discover insights shared by 16 church leaders who’ve journeyed through an LICC Learning Hub – in-depth training communities that grow together over two years.

The Making Disciples Project

What does it take to make whole-life disciples in a local church? In this full-length report, find out what we learnt from 16 Elim churches across the UK about how to grow whole-life disciples for the long term – including best practice for everything from leadership to small groups.

Still got questions?

Making Disciples for Everyday Life is a series of case studies addressing eight questions church leaders often ask about whole-life disciplemaking. Discover the experiences of leaders who are making progress in equipping people to follow Jesus in their Monday to Saturday lives. Available free online or in print.

Read now

Other Resources (2)

Whole Life Whole Bible

A journey through the Bible in 50 readings

The Gateway Seven Series

Study series on seven books of the Bible, covering seven genres, with a whole-life discipleship focus

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