You might know faithful but smaller churches that are struggling to keep going. Replanting and revitalisation could be the Lord's provision to bring new life to that gospel work.

In this episode of In:Dependence, FIEC Associate National Directors Adrian Reynolds and Graham Beynon are joined by John James - current Lead Pastor at City Church Birmingham but formerly involved in a revitalisation or replant at Crossway Church.

John shares his experience of joining Helier Chapel in Northfield, Birmingham, and leading a revitalisation - including a name change to Crossway Church - and the ingredients needed for such a replant or revitalisation.

This is the fourth in a series of podcast episodes to explore different ways to plant a church.

About In:Dependence: In:Dependence is FIEC’s official podcast, where you’ll hear conversations on topics for church leaders.

Podcast music: Drifting by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Future Infinite⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

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

05:35 - Ingredients of a revitalisation

11:05 - The desire to replant

13:40 - Making changes in a replant

21:07 - Church structures and church dreams

25:42 - Vision, leadership, and core team at Crossway

30:08 - Managing group dynamics in a revitalisation

How can we ensure church money is spent wisely? What are the dangers of leadership structures being influenced? How should we treat junior team members?

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 lessons we can learn from them for church leadership.

Show notes

• Local Conferences 2026 (FIEC)
• Leaders' Conference 2026 (FIEC)
• Rising Lights 2027 (FIEC)
• We now know how Peter Murrell embezzled from the SNP - but not why (BBC)
• Mandelson files: What you need to know (BBC)
• Spygate latest: Southampton boss Tonda Eckert 'loved' information gathered when intern spied on opponent, panel's written reasons reveal (Sky Sports)

About In:Dependence: In:Dependence is FIEC’s official podcast, where you’ll hear conversations on topics for church leaders.

Podcast music: Drifting by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Future Infinite⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

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

06:21 - Peter Murrell, embezzlement, and where the buck stops

17:33 - The Mandelson files and influencing leadership

25:34 - Southampton FC spygate and mistreating interns

To reach people in areas without a gospel presence, we need to plant new works, often starting with a very small team.

In this episode of In:Dependence, Adrian Reynolds (FIEC Associate National Director) and Graham Beynon (FIEC Associate National Director) are joined by Mark Selby, pastor at Grace Church Hilton.

Grace Church started in Mark's living room in 2013 with a small team of four adults, one child, and a dog, planted in Hilton to reach an area with no gospel presence. Mark shares the reasons why you might "parachute plant" into a new area, what the benefits are, and what the challenges are.

This is the third in a series of podcast episodes to explore different ways to plant a church.

Show notes:

• The Goal of Mission (Leaders' Conference 2025)

About In:Dependence: In:Dependence is FIEC’s official podcast, where you’ll hear conversations on topics for church leaders.

Podcast music: Drifting by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Future Infinite⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

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

03:20 - Reaching Hilton, Derbyshire, with the gospel

11:09 - Mark's church planting journey

16:01 - Starting with a small team

18:31 - Early stages of growth

24:13 - Grace Church 12 years on

27:46 - Difficulties with parachute planting