The Stepney Area’s Year of Discipleship is encouraging churches to put disciple-making at the heart of their ministry, with clergy and lay leaders increasingly focusing on how people come to faith, grow in their relationship with Jesus, and take their place in the life of the Church.
The initiative emerged during the episcopal vacancy following Bishop Joanne Grenfell’s departure, when Archdeacon Peter Farley Moore, Dean of Mission Andy Rider, and Area Director Irena Edgcumbe began meeting regularly to consider how best to maintain momentum across the area.
“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.”
Rather than introducing a new structure or programme, the group opted for what Andy describes as “something organic and grassroots” that could resonate with churches across the diverse Stepney Area.
Responding to the Church’s Greatest Challenge
For Andy, the focus on discipleship addresses some of the biggest challenges facing churches today.
“Buildings are getting older, numbers are not always where we’d like them to be, and compliance requirements can feel overwhelming,” he said. “But the one thing that can turn all of that around is making disciples, it responds to that call upon us all from Jesus and is key to growing churches.”
The Year of Discipleship has centred on four key initiatives. The first was a series of strategic chapter meetings across the area’s deaneries, where clergy explored what Andy calls the “church path” – the journey from a newcomer first entering a church to becoming a committed and active member of the congregation.
“It’s helping churches think carefully about the steps people take,” Andy explained. “How does someone who arrives on a rainy Sunday end up becoming part of the worshipping community, serving in ministry, or taking on leadership?”
Building on these conversations, Andy developed an Everyday Church workshop, designed to help church teams think through how they welcome newcomers, nurture faith, and develop leaders. Around a quarter of Stepney churches have already taken part.
The theme has also shaped this year’s churchwardens’ visitations and will culminate in a major Stepney church conference on 10 October, where clergy, lay leaders and church members will gather to explore discipleship together. Speakers will include Bishop Rod Thomas, Dee Agyei from the Church of England’s national team, Mirjam Ngoy Verhage and Pete Hughes.
Local Churches Taking Ownership
Andy believes one of the most encouraging developments has been seeing local churches begin to take ownership of the theme for themselves.
“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.”
He has also been encouraged by churches revisiting their approach to welcoming and integrating newcomers.
“One church came to the Everyday Church workshop twice,” he said. “They went away, thought carefully about the next steps they were inviting people into, and came back with some really encouraging stories about the changes they had made.”
From Mission Plans to Discipleship Conversations
The experience has prompted Andy to think differently about how churches plan for mission.
“I find myself wanting to move away from mission action planning and more towards discipleship conversations, and discipleship planning” he said. “It’s hard sometimes to focus on big strategic goals, but discipleship happens person by person.”
He has also noticed a shift in the conversations taking place among clergy.
“I hear clergy talking about baptisms much more quickly than they used to,” he said. “There was a time when conversations would quickly turn to buildings or repairs. Now people are talking about baptisms and people coming to faith. That’s exciting. It feels very Matthew 28.”
Nurturing Lifelong Disciples
Looking ahead, Andy believes the next challenge is helping churches nurture disciples over the long term.
“Many churches understand how to welcome people and help them explore faith,” he said. “The bit we are still working on is how we help people grow as disciples once they’ve taken those first steps.”
He believes this challenge is becoming more urgent in a society where fewer people arrive at church with any previous Christian knowledge.
“In the past, people often came with some understanding of Christianity, even if it was limited,” he said. “Today many people are spiritually hungry but know very little about Jesus and the Christian faith. That’s challenging us to think much more intentionally about how we nurture disciples.”
Continuing the Conversation
As the Year of Discipleship continues, Andy hopes its impact will extend well beyond 2026.
“We don’t want this to be something people get excited about for a year and then move on from,” he said. “The real question is how we embed discipleship into the everyday life of our churches and keep that momentum going.” So that it doesn’t get lost behind compliance, the work needed to care for buildings and pay church bills.
The Stepney Church Conference takes place on 10 October at Kings House and is open to anyone from churches across the area. Organisers hope it will provide a further opportunity to share learning, encourage lay leadership, and continue the conversation about disciple-making that has been gathering pace throughout the year.
Visit our diocesan resource hub for communal formation and discipleship here.