Clergy, lay leaders and church members from across the Stepney Area gathered at King’s House on a crisp autumn morning for a conference that marked the culmination of the area’s Year of Discipleship.
Held on Saturday 10 October and hosted by Andy Rider, Stepney Dean of Mission, and Charlotte Austin, Hackney and Islington Programme Manager, the event brought together Christians from across the area’s diverse traditions to reflect on a question that has shaped conversations throughout the year: how do disciples of Jesus grow together in faith?
The Year of Discipleship emerged during the episcopal vacancy following Bishop Joanne Grenfell’s departure, when Archdeacon Peter Farley Moore, Andy Rider and Area Director Irena Edgcumbe began exploring how to maintain momentum across the Stepney Area.
Rather than launching a new programme, they chose a simple focus that could unite churches of every tradition around a shared calling.
“We wanted a theme for 2026 that would bring people together,” said Andy. “I had a strong sense that a Year of Discipleship would be a leveller. Whatever church tradition we come from, we all want to see people becoming disciples of Jesus.”
Throughout the year, clergy and lay leaders have been encouraged to place disciple-making at the heart of church life, thinking intentionally about how people first encounter faith, grow in their relationship with Jesus and find their place within the worshipping community.
Against that backdrop, the conference provided an opportunity not only to celebrate what had happened over the past year but also to continue the conversation.
Following refreshments and worship, Dee Agyei from the Church of England’s National Team opened the morning by exploring discipleship in a fragmented world. She encouraged participants to see discipleship as something that begins with our identity in Christ, is nurtured within Christian community and ultimately transforms the way we engage with society.
The keynote address was delivered by the Bishop of Stepney, Bishop Rod Green, who reflected on the question of how people change. Drawing on Christian tradition and insights from the early Church, he suggested that lasting transformation involves more than simply acquiring knowledge or adopting new habits.
Instead, he argued that discipleship involves bringing together our “scattered selves” – our distracted minds, competing desires and fragmented attention – and reorientating them towards God through encounter with the Holy Spirit, reflection on the gospel and spiritual practices such as prayer, silence and worship.
“Discipleship is not learning about God,” he said. “It is learning to live in the life of God, transformed by his love.”
After coffee and animated conversations, delegates divided into three seminar groups. Dee Agyei led a session on discipleship and church growth in a muddled world, Pete Hughes, Vicar of KXC, explored how churches can make disciples who in turn help churches grow, and Mirjam Ngoy Verhage, the Diocese of London’s Discipleship Enabler, introduced Way of Life resources that emphasise the experiential, cyclical and communal nature of Christian formation.
Bishop Rod enthused, “It is so encouraging to see so many people from across the episcopal area give up their Saturday morning to invest in their own discipleship and the culture of discipleship in their church. There have been so many rich conversations. I am buzzing!”
The conference reflected themes that have run throughout the Year of Discipleship. Strategic deanery conversations, Everyday Church workshops and local discipleship initiatives have all sought to help churches think carefully about the journey people take from first entering a church building to becoming active participants in the life and mission of the Church.
For Andy Rider, one of the most encouraging outcomes has been seeing local churches take ownership of the conversation.
“What started as a grassroots idea has continued to grow at a local level,” he said. “Some deaneries are now running their own discipleship events and conversations. That’s really exciting.”
Participants left King’s House with a strong sense of gratitude for the year so far, but also with a recognition that the work of discipleship is ongoing.
As the Year of Discipleship enters its final months, the hope is that the conversations sparked across Stepney will continue to shape church life long after 2026 has ended.
“We don’t want this to be something people get excited about for a year and then move on from,” said Andy. “The real question is how we embed discipleship into the everyday life of our churches and keep that momentum going.”
In a church landscape often dominated by building maintenance, compliance requirements and financial pressures, the conference served as a reminder that the Church’s primary calling remains unchanged: helping people become lifelong followers of Jesus Christ.