At the start of our conversation with Ed Jones, Minister of Battle Baptist Church, we asked him why whole-life discipleship was important – and his answer set the tone for this encouraging conversation…

‘Whole-life discipleship is essential for the mission of Jesus, the future of the church, and the good of the communities around us. What’s more, it’s a faithful application of Jesus’ ministry, which wasn’t confined to a building but rather situated in the everyday contexts of those he spoke to and interacted with.’

Over the past few years, Battle Baptist has used lots of our resources, including the small group series like Fruitfulness on the Frontline and the Gateway Seven series, the Frontline Sundays service plans, and the Down to Earth videos designed for Advent. Plus, they’re about to begin the Growing on the Frontline course. So, what’s kept them coming back for more? Well, in Ed’s words, ‘the resources are so easy to adapt and amend to fit the specific context of your church and we’re starting to see the mindset shift of people in the congregation who now recognise that their everyday lives matter to God, and that with him they can make a difference there. It’s immensely encouraging.’ They’ve also made the most of their church weekends away, focusing on discipleship in the everyday – and even inviting speakers from LICC to come and share their learnings from fellow church leaders.

To reinforce the vision of whole-life discipleship communicated through teaching and preaching, Battle Baptist has creatively decorated its building with posters, tapestries, and super-sized pallets with key words to remind people of the opportunities they have to show and share Jesus as they scatter back into their daily lives.

What’s more, before someone reads or prays, the person leading the service will pray for them and their everyday context – a gathered reminder of the congregation’s scattered ministries. In the past, they’ve also used our ‘This Time Tomorrow’ prayer slot where members of the congregation are interviewed about their everyday lives and then prayed for – a powerful acknowledgement and affirmation of the important, kingdom work they’re doing in their Monday-to-Saturday lives. Most recently, they prayed for – and commissioned – a guy about to start a new job as an area manager for Domino’s Pizza.

Embedding the principles of whole-life discipleship takes time. But Ed’s been encouraged that his people have come a long way on the journey. They’re increasingly recognising the importance of spending time with their friends, families, colleagues, and neighbours – that just like attending gathered services, this is an integral part of being a disciple of Jesus. As a gathered church, they’ve started to run events that facilitate this, taking the hope and joy of Jesus out into the community. Their Carols in the Pub event was a great success, and they’re looking forward to moving more events off-site in the coming months, deepening existing relationships with the local community.

Ed was speaking with Sophie Sanders, Marketing & Communications Lead, LICC