How Rachel Jordan-Wolf helps spread HOPE

How Rachel Jordan-Wolf helps spread HOPE

Hope Together is a catalyst for bringing churches together to transform communities in villages, towns and cities.

You may already be familiar with some of the HOPE resources as we have promoted them in the past, but now we want you to see just how rich with insight they are. In this interview, Mark Greenwood talks to Dr Rachel Jordan-Wolf, Hope’s executive director, about Elim's strategic evangelism partnership.

Tell us what you exist to do as an organisation

HOPE Together’s vision is that everyone everywhere will know Jesus, and we exist to partner with the local church to fulfil this mission. We do this by sharing great resources, strategy and initiatives that are evidence-based from the latest research, empowering local churches in mission and evangelism.

HOPE Together always works in partnership and encourages mission partnerships in villages, towns, cities and nationwide. It helps Christians find words and actions to express their faith in today’s world, and we believe that everything should be started and finished in prayer.

What are you seeing God do around the UK at the moment?

The move to online church during the pandemic made the church accessible and easy to find for the digital generation and many who would always start their search with Google. This has led to many new people finding faith and joining local churches.

One group of Christians in Bedford have led a ‘HOPE Space’ in a disused shop on the High Street and have seen people come to faith and lives transformed. And we’ve heard great stories from churches using the well-being course – bridging the gap between those inside and outside the church.

On a personal note, I got to hand out our contemporary Mark’s Gospel this Easter to those people who had never read about Jesus and who were asking questions for the first time.

Why are you excited about being a strategic evangelism partner with Elim?

The Elim church is growing and has leaders who are passionate about evangelism and reaching those outside the church, so it’s such a great opportunity to do this together.

If you’re a church willing to give things a go and make a difference, willing to step out and share your faith, HOPE couldn’t ask for better partners.

How can you help local churches be more effective in reaching people?

HOPE Together works from research that leads to evidence-based resourcing.

The Talking Jesus 2 research has just been released and gives us evidence about how people come to faith and how those outside the church see us and interact with us.

This can help you understand the context outside your church and the team you have inside your church.

It will help shape our strategy and can help shape yours.

From this we are shaping our next big mission initiative HOPE 23-24 and we would love you to be a part of that.

What resources will be available to our churches?

The Talking Jesus course equips everyone to be confident to talk about their faith. We will produce great things for seekers to read and for Christians to give: a contemporary Mark’s Gospel, a magazine at Easter and Christmas, and resources that chime with cultural moments. Access these resources at hopetogether.org.uk.

Our research will enable churches to shape strategy. This includes: the latest Talking Jesus research, Talking Toddlers research and Peer to Peer: Youth research.

We have The Wellbeing Journey: a great film-based/small group resource for those on the fringes of church or in your community; it is gently Christian.

The Oikos App helps you pray for your community – street by street, home by home.

Talking Toddlers is an online Zoom network to encourage those in mission to young families.

Then we have God’s Big Story resources to enable toddler ministries and, last but not least, we have Amplify – to equip and mentor a new generation of young evangelists.

Find out more and maximise the reach of your church with Hope Together at hopetogether.org.uk

How together we can help to spread HOPE

In this video, watch Mark interview Dr Rachel Jordan-Wolf, Hope’s executive director, in more detail about Elim's strategic evangelism partnership.

Understanding that we have Hope Together

Mark Greenwood, Chris Cartwright and Gary Gibbs discuss why Elim is encouraging our churches and leaders to reach their local community by using resources from Hope Together.