This has been a season to remember. Between the UK Catalyst Festival and a trip to Pakistan, I've watched the same story play out in two very different settings: God is multiplying His church, and He's doing it through ordinary people saying yes!

UK Festival

Where do I even start!? Over 3,279 of us gathered for the UK Catalyst Festival this year at the Norfolk Showground, and it was a true celebration of the UK Catalyst churches and everything God is doing among us.

One of the highlights was hearing from Banning Liebscher, whose word to us was full of provocation and encouragement about what God is doing across the UK. I loved his analogy of putting himself in a "Jesus time out" whenever his words don't align with who God is or who he's called us to be. It's a simple picture, but it's stuck with me since.

We also saw over 25 people sign up for the Train1000 programme to be trained as church planters. Plus so many in their 20s and 30s came forward in response to Alec Atkinson's powerful cry to live sold out for Jesus in their generation. Watching that generation step up was one of the most encouraging moments of the whole week.

There was so much creativity too, with Sputnik hosting events and brilliant family activities running throughout (the foam and bubble cannon was, without question, a highlight for the kids and more than a few adults!).

And on top of all that, we saw an offering of over £348,000 come in, which will help fund our work across the nations over the next year. It's a staggering reflection of generosity, and I don't take a single pound of it for granted.

Pakistan

Not long after the festival, I took a team of four, Abi Flavell, Charlene Framingham, Joel Kendall and myself, to Pakistan to support the work developing there.

It was a wonderful time connecting with Jeremiah and Dua Pervez and the churches and leaders who live as a faithful minority in a context that asks so much of them. On our last visit, I felt God speak to them about being not 7 churches but 70x7, and out of that they launched the 490 movement, believing God for massive multiplication across Pakistan and the region.

This time, we got to hear the latest story. After that last visit, the number of churches actually dropped back to 5. But in the months before we arrived this time, they added 6 more. It's a reminder that multiplication rarely moves in a straight line. Sometimes it looks like loss before it looks like advance, and faithfulness in the struggle matters just as much as celebration at the increase!

We also had the privilege of ministering at a leaders' conference where the theme of multiplication came up again and again. There were powerful moments of commissioning and freedom, as people forgave, received forgiveness and prepared themselves to be sent out into the harvest. Joel Kendall gave a powerful analogy of the oak tree which doesn’t produce a single acorn until it’s 20-50 years old. But after that point it produces over 1000 acorns a year and some years 5-10000 per year - producing millions across its lifetime! Charlene led some amazing ministry times with many healings and breakthroughs!

We also trained the leaders in Discovery Bible Study as a key tool for multiplying God's word in their communities. It was a real privilege to serve such amazing leaders who are doing such a phenomenal Kingdom work in a tough spiritual climate.

One Story

Whether it's a showground in the UK or a leaders' conference in Pakistan, I keep seeing the same thing: God building His church through people who are willing to be sent, willing to forgive, and willing to start again after setback. That's the story of this season, and I have a feeling it's only the beginning of what's next.