How can we pastor people with polarising opinions on immigration? Can we pray with Catholics? How should we care for those in later life?
In this episode of In:Dependence, Phil Topham (FIEC Executive Director), John Stevens (FIEC National Director), and Adrian Reynolds (FIEC Associate National Director) discuss stories in the news over the past few weeks and what we can learn from them for church leadership.
About In:Dependence: In:Dependence is FIEC’s official podcast, where you’ll hear conversations on topics for church leaders.
About FIEC: We are a fellowship of Independent churches with members of the family across England, Scotland and Wales. Our mission is to see those Independent churches working together with a big vision: to reach Britain for Christ.
00:00 - FIEC update
06:29 - Immigration and polarising opinions
18:53 - King Charles, the Pope, and Protestantism
28:44 - Prunella Scales and care in later life
Our fund raising campaign at the 2025 Leaders' Conference will be for a specific Bible translation project in Africa.
In this episode of In:Dependence, Adrian Reynolds (FIEC Associate National Director) is joined by Martin Dixon, the Director for Churches at Wycliffe Bible Translators, to talk about the work of Bible translation across the world and a particular project that we will be collecting donations for at this year's Leaders' Conference.
Please note: We initially understood the £70k target would allow the project to be completed, but now understand that, while it would enable substantial progress, it would not complete the project. We're sorry for any misrepresentation or confusion.
Show notes
About In:Dependence: In:Dependence is FIEC’s official podcast, where you’ll hear conversations on topics for church leaders.
About FIEC: We are a fellowship of Independent churches with members of the family across England, Scotland and Wales. Our mission is to see those Independent churches working together with a big vision: to reach Britain for Christ.
00:00 - Introduction
00:42 - Wycliffe Bible Translators and the need for translation
04:12 - Raising funds for Bible translation at the Leaders' Conference
10:00 - How Bible translation leads to church planting and more
There are four million people in the UK who say they are followers of Islam. In our rapidly changing communities, how can we reach out to Muslim people with the gospel?
Muslim people make up 6% of the UK population (as of 2021), which increase to 15% within London.
Reflecting on their experiences in church ministry, Adrian Reynolds (FIEC Associate National Director), Dan Strange (Director of Crosslands Forum), and Rob Scott (pastor, Asha London), discuss the complexities of engaging with Muslim people and how churches can hold out the hope of the gospel to them.
Show notes
About In:Dependence: In:Dependence is FIEC’s official podcast, where you’ll hear conversations on topics for church leaders.
About FIEC: We are a fellowship of Independent churches with members of the family across England, Scotland and Wales. Our mission is to see those Independent churches working together with a big vision: to reach Britain for Christ.
00:00 - Introduction
04:31 - The growth of the UK Muslim population
08:54 - True faith and false faith
13:32 - Diversity within Islam
18:30 - Making a start in reaching Muslims
22:23 - Touchstone issues for Muslims
26:25 - Exploring more at the FIEC Leaders' Conference
How should we continue to pray for Gaza after the ceasefire? What should we make of persecution of Chinese Christians? How do we encourage humility in leadership?
In this episode of In:Dependence, Phil Topham (FIEC Executive Director), John Stevens (FIEC National Director), and Adrian Reynolds (FIEC Associate National Director) discuss stories in the news from the past weeks and what we can learn from them for church leadership.
Show notes
About In:Dependence: In:Dependence is FIEC’s official podcast, where you’ll hear conversations on topics for church leaders.
About FIEC: We are a fellowship of Independent churches with members of the family across England, Scotland and Wales. Our mission is to see those Independent churches working together with a big vision: to reach Britain for Christ.
00:00 - CRIB conference
04:02 - The Everything Conference
06:39 - Israel-Gaza ceasefire
11:22 - Humility in leadership
15:37 - Chinese espionage and persecution
22:35 - Leadership lessons from Emmanuel Macron and Archie Norman
Sharing the good news is a joy and a privilege. How can churches pray and prepare for an extended mission of evangelism?
"How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news" (Isaiah 52:7)!
A Passion for Life exists to help churches reach out to their communities with the gospel by equipping, encouraging, and enabling every Christian in their personal witness. This includes a week of mission organised every four years with resources to help equip local churches - the next being in 2026.
In this episode of In:Dependence, Adrian Reynolds (FIEC Associate National Director) is joined by A Passion for Life's Mission Director, Nick McQuaker, to talk about the current spiritual scene in the UK, the difference between mission and evangelism, and how churches can make the most of the 2026 mission.
May our churches stand firm with "feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace" (Ephesians 6:15).
Show notes
About In:Dependence: In:Dependence is FIEC’s official podcast, where you’ll hear conversations on topics for church leaders.
About FIEC: We are a fellowship of Independent churches with members of the family across England, Scotland and Wales. Our mission is to see those Independent churches working together with a big vision: to reach Britain for Christ.
00:00 - The privilege of sharing the good news
01:42 - The spiritual scene in the UK
08:03 - Church services as an evangelistic moment
11:13 - What are people lacking?
13:23 - Mission or evangelism?
19:03 - Prayer and preparation for mission
21:27 - Resources for churches to train for evangelism
25:38 - Life '26 branding assets
How do we lead our churches in response to evil like the anti-semitic attack in Manchester? How should Independents respond to the new Archbishop of Canterbury? What can church leaders learn from Europe's Ryder Cup victory?
In this episode of In:Dependence, Phil Topham (FIEC Executive Director), John Stevens (FIEC National Director), and Adrian Reynolds (FIEC Associate National Director) discuss stories in the news over the past weeks and what church leaders can learn from them.
Show notes
00:00 - FIEC update
04:45 - Anti-semitic attack in Manchester
13:29 - Charlie Kirk memorial service
14:47 - Voddie Baucham's death
17:10 - Dame Sarah Mullally, the new Archbishop of Canterbury
25:11 - Golf, the Ryder Cup, and team players
How can we lead our churches through division? What needs to be considered before appointing someone to a role? What is it like to dine with the king?
In this episode of In:Dependence, Phil Topham (FIEC Executive Director), John Stevens (FIEC National Director), and Adrian Reynolds (FIEC Associate National Director) discuss stories in the news over the past weeks about what we can learn from them in church leadership.
Show notes
About In:Dependence: In:Dependence is FIEC’s official podcast, where you’ll hear conversations on topics for church leaders.
About FIEC: We are a fellowship of Independent churches with members of the family across England, Scotland and Wales. Our mission is to see those Independent churches working together with a big vision: to reach Britain for Christ.
00:00 - FIEC update
10:01 - The death of Charlie Kirk
14:58 - How can church leaders lead through division?
21:00 - The gospel opportunities from Charlie Kirk
23:23 - Peter Mandelson and due diligence
30:01 - Dining with the king
What can Angela Rayner's stamp duty mistake teach church leaders? Does the UK have a free speech problem? What does Daniel Levy's exit tell us about trust?
In this episode, Adrian Reynolds, Phil Topham, and John Stevens discuss stories in the news and how they relate to church leadership.
Show notes
About In:Dependence: In:Dependence is FIEC’s official podcast, where you’ll hear conversations on topics for church leaders.
About FIEC: We are a fellowship of Independent churches with members of the family across England, Scotland and Wales. Our mission is to see those Independent churches working together with a big vision: to reach Britain for Christ.
00:00 - UCCF Forum and Uncover Luke
05:42 - FIEC news
11:07 - Setting the tone amidst bad news
14:22 - Angela Rayner and stamp duty tax
20:44 - Does the UK have a free speech problem?
26:36 - Daniel Levy's exit from Tottenham Hotspur and the importance of trust
Can true peace be found? How should we respond to crimes committed by church leaders? Should we pray for good exam results?
In this episode of In:Dependence, Adrian Reynolds (FIEC Associate National Director) and Andy Hunter (FIEC Director for Scotland and the North of England) discuss some of the stories in the news and how they might relate to church leadership.
Show notes
About In:Dependence: In:Dependence is FIEC’s official podcast, where you’ll hear conversations on topics for church leaders.
About FIEC: We are a fellowship of Independent churches with members of the family across England, Scotland and Wales. Our mission is to see those Independent churches working together with a big vision: to reach Britain for Christ.
00:00 - Trump/Puitin: can true peace be found?
14:02 - Crimes committed in the church (Chris Brain and James Haram)
24:20 - Moving a church building in Sweden
32:00 - The importance of exam results
How can we pray in light of the images coming from the Middle East? How are new online checks good news for our churches? What does a recent Coldplay concert teach us about sin?
In this episode of In:Dependence, Phil Topham (FIEC Executive Director), Andy Hunter (FIEC Director for Scotland and the North of England), and John Stevens (FIEC National Director) discuss stories in the news and how they relate to church leadership.
Show notes
About In:Dependence: In:Dependence is FIEC’s official podcast, where you’ll hear conversations on topics for church leaders.
About FIEC: We are a fellowship of Independent churches with members of the family across England, Scotland and Wales. Our mission is to see those Independent churches working together with a big vision: to reach Britain for Christ.
00:00 - Keswick Convention
03:45 - How to pray for Gaza
09:11 - Age checked for adult content
13:24 - The problem of porn in churches
16:41 - Should the Epstein files be released?
20:55 - Are Christians more susceptible to conspiracy theories?
26:34 - Affair exposed at a Coldplay concert
What do we mean by 'intercultural church ministry'? What steps can churches make to move from being 'mono-cultural' towards being 'inter-cultural'?
Each group of people shares a pattern of doing things: its culture. As cultures from around the world mix more and more, communities can be mono-cultural or multi-cultural.
When we read about the great multitude from every nation, tribe, people, and tongue in Revelation 7:9, we see an 'inter-cultural' community united around the throne.
In order for churches to reflect this vision of heaven, they need to move from mono- or multi-cultural to inter-cultural: welcoming people from all cultures, being blessed by then, and blessing them.
In this episode of In:Dependence, Phil Topham (FIEC Executive Director) is joined by Justin Gill (FIEC's Intercultural Ministry Advisor) and Tim (a form FIEC pastor with experience in intercultural ministry) to explore what intercultural church is and how we can make steps towards being more intercultural in our churches.
Show notes
About In:Dependence: In:Dependence is FIEC’s official podcast, where you’ll hear conversations on topics for church leaders.
About FIEC: We are a fellowship of Independent churches with members of the family across England, Scotland and Wales. Our mission is to see those Independent churches working together with a big vision: to reach Britain for Christ.
00:00 - Introduction
01:09 - What do we mean by "culture"?
05:58 - Is intercultural church a biblical idea?
11:30 - How do we recognise the culture of our community?
14:30 - Recognising cultural blind spots
16:22 - Evolving a church culture
23:31 - How do we move from mono-culture to inter-culture?
30:49 - Reflecting Heaven, November 2025
How do we lead our churches through a time of uncertainty? What do votes for abortion and assisted suicide tell us about society? How can festivals remind us of the glorious normal?
In this episode of In:Dependence, Phil Topham (FIEC Executive Director), Adrian Reynolds (FIEC Associate National Director), and John Stevens (FIEC National Director), discuss stories from the news over the past weeks and what we can learn from them about church leadership.
You can get the show notes and more resources for church leaders on the FIEC website: https://fiec.org.uk/resources/rumours-of-war-abortion-assisted-suicide-festival-season.
Show notes
About In:Dependence: In:Dependence is FIEC’s official podcast, where you’ll hear conversations on topics for church leaders.
About FIEC: We are a fellowship of Independent churches with members of the family across England, Scotland and Wales. Our mission is to see those Independent churches working together with a big vision: to reach Britain for Christ.
00:00 - Evangelical Ministry Assembly (EMA) review
04:33 - Leading through war and rumours of war
11:33 - Abortion and assisted suicide votes
14:46 - Unanswered prayer
18:31 - Keir Starmer's u-turn and church u-turns
27:00 - Festival season and the glorious normal
How do we lead our churches well in the use of money? What happens when a tragedy affects the church? What do recent deaths teach us about the changing world?
In this episode of In:Dependence, Adrian Reynolds (FIEC Head of National Ministries) and John Stevens (FIEC National Director) discuss stories in the news and what we can learn from them about church leadership.
You can get the show notes and more resources for church leaders on the FIEC website: https://fiec.org.uk/resources/reviewing-spending-leading-through-tragedy-and-obituaries
Show notes
About In:Dependence: In:Dependence is FIEC’s official podcast, where you’ll hear conversations on topics for church leaders.
About FIEC: We are a fellowship of Independent churches with members of the family across England, Scotland and Wales. Our mission is to see those Independent churches working together with a big vision: to reach Britain for Christ.
00:00 - Israel/Iran attacks and just war theory
03:34 - UK spending review and leading the church financially
12:57 - Donald Trump, Elon Musk, and relationship breakdown
16:50 - India plane crash and leading through tragedy
23:39 - Obituaries that teach us about the changing world
How can Donald Trump help us to be aware of overstepping? What is the place of masculinity in church? How does integrity affect our ministry?
In this episode of In:Dependence, Phil Topham (FIEC Executive Director), Adrian Reynolds (FIEC Head of National Ministries), and John Stevens (FIEC National Director) discuss stories in the news from the past few weeks and how they relate to church leadership.
You can get the show notes and more resources for church leaders on the FIEC website: https://fiec.org.uk/resources/trumps-tariffs-masculine-church-and-the-professor-of-dishonesty.
Show notes
About In:Dependence: In:Dependence is FIEC’s official podcast, where you’ll hear conversations on topics for church leaders.
About FIEC: We are a fellowship of Independent churches with members of the family across England, Scotland and Wales. Our mission is to see those Independent churches working together with a big vision: to reach Britain for Christ.
00:00 - FIEC news
04:07 - Council of Nicea and the Nicene Creed
10:44 - Donald Trump's tariffs, and overstepping
20:59 - The Russian Orthodox Church and hyper-masculinity
28:48 - Francesca Gino, 'professor of honesty'
How should church leaders think and speak about immigration? How should we engage with the Assisted Dying Bill votes? What does AI teach us about being human?
In this episode of In:Dependence, Phil Topham (FIEC Executive Director), Adrian Reynolds (FIEC Head of National Ministries), and John Stevens (FIEC National Director), discuss some of the stories in the news and how they relate to local church leadership.
You can watch a video of this episode and get and more resources for church leaders on the FIEC website.
Show notes
About In:Dependence: In:Dependence is FIEC’s official podcast, where you’ll hear conversations on topics for church leaders.
About FIEC: We are a fellowship of Independent churches with members of the family across England, Scotland and Wales. Our mission is to see those Independent churches working together with a big vision: to reach Britain for Christ.
00:00 - European Leadership Forum and Korean connections
08:55 - The challenge of immigration
15:53 - Speaking about immigration
20:05 - The Assisted Dying Bill in Scotland
25:18 - When AI gets it wrong
The world is changing and the way we reach the world with the gospel is changing.
In this episode of In:Dependence, Phil Topham (FIEC Executive Director) and Adrian Reynolds (FIEC Head of National Ministries) discuss the importance of world mission and how this year's Leaders' Conference can help church leaders get it on the agenda in church life.
Find out more about the 2025 FIEC Leaders' Conference and book your place: https://fiec.org.uk/events/leaders-conference-2025.
About In:Dependence: In:Dependence is FIEC’s official podcast, where you’ll hear conversations on topics for church leaders.
About FIEC: We are a fellowship of Independent churches with members of the family across England, Scotland and Wales. Our mission is to see those Independent churches working together with a big vision: to reach Britain for Christ.
00:00 - Why world mission?
05:27 - Preaching from the book of Acts at the 2025 Leaders' Conference
07:39 - Telling stories of mission today
08:50 - How do we get excited about world mission?
12:13 - Seminar topics on world mission
19:01 - More at the conference
23:27 - Making the most of the opportunity
27:00 - Preachers and contributors
How do we reach Catholics with the true gospel? How should Christians respond to the Supreme Court ruling on gender? What can we learn from Liverpool FC?
In this episode of In:Dependence, Phil Topham (FIEC Executive Director), Adrian Reynolds (FIEC Head of National Ministries), and John Stevens (FIEC National Director) discuss the stories in the news of the past weeks and what they can teach us about church leadership.
You can watch a video of this episode and get and more resources for church leaders on the FIEC website.
Show notes
About In:Dependence: In:Dependence is FIEC’s official podcast, where you’ll hear conversations on topics for church leaders.
About FIEC: We are a fellowship of Independent churches with members of the family across England, Scotland and Wales. Our mission is to see those Independent churches working together with a big vision: to reach Britain for Christ.
00:00 - Rising Lights 2026
03:01 - Evangelism to people from other faiths
07:36 - Pope Francis' funeral and reaching Catholics with the gospel
14:40 - Implications of the Supreme Court gender ruling
24:24 - Succession lessons from Liverpool FC
10.6 million people live in rural communities in Great Britain. If we want to reach all of the country for Christ, we need to reach rural areas.
Whether you live and serve in an urban city, a rural community, or anywhere in between, we need to be thinking about reaching people in rural places.
In this episode of In:Dependence, Adrian Reynolds (FIEC Head of National Ministries) and Rob Scothern (pastor, Peak Trinity Church, Bakewell) discuss life in rural places, the benefits of rural life, and the challenges of sharing the gospel there.
You can watch a video and get more resources for church leaders on the FIEC website.
Show notes
About In:Dependence: In:Dependence is FIEC’s official podcast, where you’ll hear conversations on topics for church leaders.
About FIEC: We are a fellowship of Independent churches with members of the family across England, Scotland and Wales. Our mission is to see those Independent churches working together with a big vision: to reach Britain for Christ.
00:00 - Introduction
01:58 - Rural places in Britain
05:05 - Reaching the lost in rural places
13:24 - Decline from past revival
15:47 - Peak Trinity Church in Bakewell
17:59 - Challenges of rural ministry
23:49 - The Rural Project
26:49 - We all need a heart for rural ministry
What can church leaders learn from Trump's economic u-turn? How can churches freely preach in public? Can we be gospel optimistic for the UK?
In this episode of In:Dependence, Phil Topham (FIEC Executive Director), Adrian Reynolds (FIEC Head of National Ministries), and John Stevens (FIEC National Director) discuss stories in the news over the past weeks and how they relate to church leadership.
You can watch a video of this episode and get more resources for church leaders on the FIEC website: https://fiec.org.uk/resources/trumps-economics-freedom-of-speech-and-a-quiet-revival.
Show notes
About In:Dependence: In:Dependence is FIEC’s official podcast, where you’ll hear conversations on topics for church leaders.
About FIEC: We are a fellowship of Independent churches with members of the family across England, Scotland and Wales. Our mission is to see those Independent churches working together with a big vision: to reach Britain for Christ.
00:00 - Introduction
01:09 - Trump's bombastic economic leadership
07:46 - Plurality and admitting failures
11:54 - Freedom of speech and Christian persecution
22:31 - The Bible Society's "The Quiet Revival" report
29:48 - Rising Lights at Easter 2026
30:34 - The most wonderful time of the year for Christians
Leading a church alongside another salaried job can open opportunities for church planting, smaller church ministry, and more.
In this episode, Adrian Reynolds (Head of National Ministries) is joined by Rob Scothern, pastor at Peak Trinity Church in Bakewell, Derbyshire.
Rob was involved in planting Peak Trinity whilst also working as a teacher in a local primary school. He shares his story and experience of what this bi-vocational ministry enabled him to do, and the challenges it brought.
You can watch a video of this episode and get more resources for church leaders on the FIEC website: https://fiec.org.uk/resources/why-bi-vocational-ministry.
About In:Dependence: In:Dependence is FIEC’s official podcast, where you’ll hear conversations on topics for church leaders.
About FIEC: We are a fellowship of Independent churches with members of the family across England, Scotland and Wales. Our mission is to see those Independent churches working together with a big vision: to reach Britain for Christ.
00:00 - Introduction
05:25 - From army officer to church planter
12:07 - Why bi-vocational ministry?
22:30 - Challenges for bi-vocational workers
28:33 - Opportunities for bi-vocational workers