Kendal Mountain Festival
In 2025, for the first time, the Methodist Church officially partnered with Kendal Mountain Festival. The festival is described as “Unit[ing] a global community of adventurers, storytellers, artists and filmmakers, who share a passion for nature, the environment, adventure and exploration.”
The festival felt like a perfect opportunity for the local Circuit and specifically New Places for New People (NPNP) communities to be present evangelistically. Many of the local Methodist communities were already working in the intersection of adventure, sports, faith and evangelism, and so the Mountain Festival felt like a beautiful opportunity to share that work and invite people into new community.
The Methodist Church hosted a venue at the heart of the festival site called ‘The Pilgrim’s Refuge’ – a space for rest and renewal, as well as a space to meet new people and find community.
Grace Cauldwell, who volunteered with the team at Kendal Mountain Festival reflects that;
Being part of the KMF team was such a great opportunity to see what God is getting up to in people's lives beyond the walls of church.
Silverstone Chapel & The British Grand Prix
For one weekend of each year, the small town of Silverstone finds itself inundated with visitors, over 200,000 of them to be precise, all there to see the British Grand Prix. For a number of years now the local chapel has opened itself up as a Pit Stop for weary coach drivers, enthusiastic supporters and some sleepy race stewards.
The Chapel offers a space to turn aside from the race track for just a few moments, to pause and refuel. A team of volunteers are on hand across the race weekend to sit with people, hear their stories and pray with them if they’d like. The team also offer refreshments and invite people in to recharge themselves, as well as their devices. Conversations often go deep quickly, getting beyond “Hi, how are you?” and into the big questions of life. People bring their burdens of life with them and happily discuss them with strangers willing to listen and be present.
At the end of each day, volunteers pray for all the people they’ve met. In 2025, the Methodist Church also had a team onsite at the British Grand Prix hosting an inter-faith prayer space as well as a mini trackside pit stop. The team onsite and in the chapel often pointed people from one space to the other, encouraging volunteers to head offsite for a well-deserved cuppa and conversation.
For some, thousands of people descending onto your local town may seem like a bit of an inconvenience, but Silverstone Chapel has chosen to see it as an exciting opportunity to open the doors, connect with folk and share the good news that God loves each of them.
Strathmore Road Methodist Church
As a youth and community outreach pioneer covering the areas of Rowlands Gill, Highfield, High Spen and Chopwell near Newcastle, Barry Watkin works alongside a dedicated team that has revolutionised community engagement. Their passion and engagement led to the rapid expansion of their outreach programmes, particularly through innovative children’s and youth work that has grown to nearly 100 hours of weekly programming in just 18 months
The flagship initiative began with a recognition of need. When Syrian families started settling in the village several years ago, church members identified an opportunity to help practically. “People at church recognised that the refugees needed help in different ways to feel included,” Barry recalls. When asked what activities the children would enjoy, the answer was unanimous: football.
This led to the establishment of weekly football sessions for four different age groups, utilising a local pitch near the school. The programme is deliberately inclusive and community-focused rather than competitive. “It's not always about winning, it's about improving skills, fitness, making good choices and community,” says Barry.
The impact extends far beyond the pitch. Parents express genuine gratitude for the safe environment provided for their children. Thanks to the many years of hard work from dedicated volunteers from SRMC and the community, the connections formed and relationships built have led many families to engage in other church activities.
From the football sessions they partnered with Scripture Union developing the ‘Rooted Sporty’ group for older participants, combining pizza, sports and faith-based discussions. “The lads open up about life. It’s a joy to be able to journey alongside them,” Barry reflects on the seven to eight months since the group began.
The sessions create space for meaningful conversations about role models, life values and faith, welcoming participants from diverse backgrounds including Muslim young people.
Broomhill Methodist Centre, Sheffield
Story coming soon.