In Context

In this weeks episode, Mez and Ian introduce The Ragged Podcast — a collaboration between 20schemes and Medhurst Ministries, bringing honest, gospel-centred conversations about life and ministry in some of the UK’s poorest and most overlooked communities. They explain why the podcast exists, what listeners can expect, and why reaching working-class and deprived communities with the gospel matt...

In this episode of the In Context podcast, Mez McConnell—Pastor of Grace Church Orkney and Director of 20schemes—opens up Ephesians 3 and explores what it means for the church to know and experience the fullness of God. Mez reminds us that true Christian unity is not built on personality, background or shared preferences, but on a deepening knowledge of Christ and his love. In the midst of the...

In this episode of the In Context podcast, Jonathan Parkinson, Pastor of Grace Community Church in Leeds and CEO of Caring for Life, opens up 2 Timothy 2 and explores what it means for the church to live visible Christian lives. Jonathan challenges believers to display the reality of the gospel through faithful endurance, godly character and everyday obedience. In a culture that often misunder...

Is sanctification simply the result of God’s grace, or does growing in holiness require real effort from us? In this week’s episode of In Context, Ian and Steve discuss the relationship between grace, obedience and personal responsibility in the Christian life. They ask whether trying harder undermines the gospel, what it means to work out our salvation, and whether there is ever a right time ...

In this week’s episode of In Context, titled Encouraged, Ian and Steve reflect on the recent Medhurst Ministries event. They share how uplifted they were by the turnout, the many new faces, the new venue, and the wonderful hospitality of their hosts, Caring for Life. From the brilliant children’s work to teaching and worship that was good for the soul, the whole event left Ian, Steve, and many ...

In this episode of In Context, Ian and Steve reflect on the challenges of finding a good local church after stepping down from pastoral ministry. They discuss the tensions involved in choosing a church: should we stay local and sacrifice some of our preferences for the sake of community and commitment, or travel further afield to find a church that better serves the needs of our families? With ...

In this emotive episode of In Context, Rachel speaks with Cee Kulemann as she shares her powerful story of coming to faith after setting out to disprove Christianity. From a life marked by chaos, childhood trauma, and its lasting effects into young and adult life, Cee reflects on how reading the Gospels led her to conviction, peace, and hope in Christ. Now serving alongside her husband, Matt, ...

In this episode of the In Context podcast, Ian is joined by Justin Gill, Intercultural Ministry Advisor at FIEC. Born and raised in North Pakistan, Justin has worked in politics, relief operations, development, and cross-cultural church ministry, and now helps churches think carefully about intercultural mission in the UK. Together, Ian and Justin take an honest and pastoral look at some of th...

In this episode of In Context, Rachel chats with Natalie Williams, CEO of Jubilee+, about what it means to live intentionally in a world where it has become easier than ever to avoid one another. From contactless payments and self-service tills to headphones and busy schedules, everyday life is often designed to keep us from noticing or speaking to the people around us. Natalie encourages the ...

Rachel interviews Sharon Dickens from 20schemes about her ministry in Scotland’s housing schemes. A member of Niddrie Community Church, Sharon serves as Director of Women’s Ministry with 20schemes and is one of the directors of the Ragged School of Theology. She shares what motivates her to serve communities often marked by poverty and spiritual need, and why planting and strengthening healthy ...

In this episode of In Context, Rachel interviews Miriam Mc Connell about her remarkable ministry journey, from serving in the favelas of Brazil to gospel work in the schemes of Scotland, and now to the Orkney Isles. Miriam shares how the Lord has led and sustained her and her family through different cultures, communities, and seasons of ministry. Today, she serves alongside her husband Mez at ...

Ian sits down with Aaron Reyes, a pastor and church planter from Texas now serving in Birmingham, to hear his journey from El Paso to gospel ministry in the UK. Aaron reflects on growing up in a Latino, working-class context, coming to faith as a young American football player, and being called to serve among working-class, multi-ethnic communities. Together, Ian and Aaron explore class, cultu...

Matt Kuhlmann, who is married to Cee, joins the podcast to share testimony and ministry journey with 20 Schemes in Orkney, Scotland. He speaks honestly about his troubled past in London, marked by addiction, mental health struggles, and broken relationships, and how God graciously saved him and led him into full-time ministry. In the episode, Matt reflects on the churches and influences that s...

The Most Precious Gift – In Context Podcast (Medhurst Ministries) Rachel Williamson speaks with Jas Goodyear about her experience growing up as a pastor’s child on a council estate in Brighton, and now raising her own children on an estate in London. Jas reflects on both the challenges and blessings of her journey, sharing why the most precious gift we can give our children is to introduce them...

In this weeks episode Ian interviews Kris Baines about his life and ministry journey that is full of twists: from being a musician in a band in the USA, to coming to faith, to returning to the UK where he met his wife, and then spending 26 years in New Zealand as a pastor and church planter. Now back in the UK, he serves as associate pastor and resident church planter at Grace Community Church,...

New Episode: Don't Forget the Positives! It’s easy to focus on the challenges of life and ministry in deprived communities—the statistics, the hardships, and the uphill battles. But if we only look at the struggle, we miss the profound beauty of what God is doing in our schemes and council estates. In this episode of the In Context podcast, Steve Kneale and  Gary Matthews look to shift the le...

In this episode, we’re doing things a bit differently. Our Midlands Director, Gary Matthews, and Director of Communications, Steve Kneale, sit down for a candid conversation about the 'why' behind the work. Though their roles are focused on supporting and advocating for ministry rather than being the boots on the ground, the heart for the estate remains the same. They discuss their personal jo...

Jude joins Ian to talk about growing up between middle- and working-class cultures, the challenges of fitting into middle-class churches, and how she eventually found a welcoming home at New Life Church in Middlesbrough. As a single mum of three living on a council estate, Jude reflects on the strength of community, how her children adapted, and why working-class culture is defined less by inco...

In Part One of What Is Working Class?, Ian talks with Steve Kneale about growing up in a traditional working-class Christian family. Steve reflects on attending a middle-class church while holding onto his working-class roots, exploring the tensions between faith, community, and social identity. They discuss how assimilation, assumptions, and prejudice shape the perception of class, showing tha...

In this episode of In Context, Ian sits down with Steve Kneale to explore his journey from growing up in a working-class Christian family to pastoring a church in one of the UK’s most deprived communities. Steve shares the challenges, lessons, and faith-driven insights that shaped his ministry and discusses how these experiences will be used to guide him in his new role with Medhurst Ministries...

This week, Ian and Gary conclude the discussion on the findings of Ian’s research on C. H. Spurgeon’s teaching methods and their relevance for training preachers from working-class communities. This episode how the working-class are facing the same issues in today's church and how, if the church, replicated the ministry of Spurgeon, we could see a more inclusive church. Please find the links a...

This week, Ian and Gary continue to discuss the findings of Ian’s research on C. H. Spurgeon’s teaching methods and their relevance for training preachers from working-class communities. The episode highlights how middle class preachers need to acknowledge cultural barriers and the need for contextualisation when preaching to the working class.

This week, Ian and Gary dig into the findings of Ian’s research on C. H. Spurgeon’s teaching methods and their relevance for training preachers from working-class communities. The episode highlights key cultural markers within working-class contexts and reflects on how these shape the task of preaching.

Many people come to faith amid chaos, brokenness, and little church experience. In this episode of The In Context Podcast, Ian and Gary unpack why consistent discipleship and realistic expectations are essential for helping new believers grow in faith. Listen in for practical insight and honest conversation.

Ian and Gary discuss how life's circumstances and experiences can impact your prayer life for better and for worse, and how, despite our struggles and failures with prayer, Jesus is persistently and perfectly praying for us.

Ian speaks with Gary Matthews about his life growing up on several council estates in the North West of England, his experiences as a council estate Christian, and what he expects from his new role as the Medhurst Ministries Regional Director for the Midlands.

Jamie Jones-Buchanan MBE is a former Rugby League player for Leeds Rhinos who has played internationally for England and Great Britain. Despite winning numerous accolades on and off the pitch, Jamie shares how his biggest rewards are God and his family.

Friendship with God. An Interview with Mike Mckinley. Mike McKinley is the author of Friendship with God and several other books, including Church in Hard Places and Church Planting is for Wimps.

Kevin Greer shares his experiences as someone who has moved into a deprived inner-city community in Baltimore, Maryland, to start a family and support his wife (a gospel worker) his local church in taking the gospel to his neighbours.

Dr. Mark Pickett shares his experiences as a cross-cultural worker in India and Nepal and looks at the cross over between his work abroad and in the UK

This weeks episode features an interview with Gloria Furman for Medhurst Women Module 5: Value Others Above Yourself.

Matt Searles preaches from 1 Tim 4:11-14 as part of the Medhurst Women Training for Session 5, Module 5, Year B.

Ian Williamson brings God's word from Phil 2:1-11 as part of the Medhurst Women Training for Session 1, Module 5, Year B.

Dan Green preaches from Romans 12:3-8 as part of the Medhurst Women Training for Session 1, Module 5, Year B.

Dan Green preaches from John 13:13-17 as part of the Medhurst Women Training for Session 1, Module 5, Year B.

Ian Williamson preaches from 2 Tim 2:14-26  as part of the Medhurst Women Training for Session 4, Module 5, Year B.

This week Ian speaks with Dr Anthony Bradley and discuss poverty culture, celebrating manhood and its relevance for council-estate ministry. Dr Bradley was most recently professor of religious studies and director of the Center for the Study of Human Flourishing at The King’s College (http://www.tkc.edu/) , Theologian-In-Residence at Redeemer Presbyterian Church—Lincoln Square, and now serves ...

This week Ian speaks with Natalie Williams. Natalie is the co-author of four books, including A Call to Act (2020) and Invisible Divides (2022). She is passionate about the church being a place of overflowing mercy, especially for those trapped in poverty. Natalie grew up in relative poverty in the deprived seaside town of Hastings. She became a Christian at 15, which changed her life complete...

This week Ian speaks with Alex DiPrima about his latest book Spurgeon and the Poor and they discuss taking the gospel to Council Estates and training the working-class for gospel ministry. Alex is the Senior Pastor of Emmanuel Church in Winston Salem, NC. He holds a PhD from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in historical theology with an emphasis in the ministry of Charles Spurgeon. ...

Mofiyinfoluwa (Mo) Aina recently moved from Lagos, Nigeria to Middlesbrough, England and shares about how he and his family have navigated the cultural differences in a new country and church. He also shares about the positives and negatives of both the British and Nigerian Christian cultures and explains how we as a church can benefit from one another. You can find Mo's YouTube Channel below ...

In this episode, Ian interviews Charles Patterson from California. He finds out how he first became involved with Medhurst Ministries and why he volunteers to promote our work as a Ministry Ambassador.

Is it true that although the UK church doesn’t require you to cut off your foreskin or follow the mosaic laws, it does require to cut off your culture and follow the middle-class social norms? This weeks podcast is a recording of a sermon on Acts 15:1-35 preached by Ian Williamson at Emmanuel Church, Northstowe.

This week Ian speaks with Andy Constable about his recent academic research on how the church should respond top addiction. Andy is the associate pastor of Niddrie Community Church, Edinburgh and co-director of 20Schemes

SESSION 5 | Stay (Mark 5:18-19) This weeks podcast features Ian Williamson preaching at Session 1 of the Medhurst Ministries 2020 Weekender. Ian is the Executive Director of Medhurst Ministries and he speaks about the need and challenges for council estate Christians to stay and minister to their communities.

In this week's episode, Dan Green (our guest host) interviews Rachel about Medhurst Ministries' new training program for women.

This week Ian speaks with Sharon Dickens about the challenges and blessings that she has experienced during her ministry journey. Sharon has worked in the community for over 28 years and since 2012 has been working with 20schemes, speaking, teaching, training and mentoring women in the schemes and internationally. Sharon has also written a number of books and blogs which you can find here htt...

This week Ian and Stephanie Greer discuss the need for spiritual mothers in the church, glorifying God through gospel community and why if we are asking people to come, we should also be asking people to stay. Stephanie lives in west Baltimore and works as a "Life Coach" at The Garden Church. In her role, Stephanie builds relationships with people in the community both in formal and informal s...

Aaron Carr is the pastor of First Pres Church in Trenton, Michigan and talks about the blessings of partnering for the gospel for the sake of God's Kingdom rather than your own and his heart for supporting gospel ministry in the UK. You can find the website for First Pres Church below https://fpchurch.com/

This week Ian speaks with Jon Norwood one of the elders of Beechwood Chapel in Birkenhead, Merseyside. Jon shares about his experiences of church revitalisation and how sacrifice and humility is essential for a successful ministry. You can find more about Beechwood Chapel here https://beechwoodchapel.org/ and you can follow Jon on Twitter here @JSNorwoo

This week Ian speaks with Sam Wilkins, a pastoral assistant at Niddrie Community Church in Edinburgh, Scotland. Together they discuss how sanctification can be scary and how when you become a Christian, the biggest battle is often in your head.