In Depth:  London

Balham in London was once famously described by the late comedian Peter Sellers as the “gateway to the south” in a much-loved comedy parody of American travelogues.

Now decades later those words are proving prophetic as Christ Church Balham (CCB) seeks to reach out and plant a new church some six miles to its south. CCB is part of both the Co-Mission reformed church planting movement and the Anglican Mission in England (AMiE).

A galaxy of leading evangelical organisations is supporting what is described as an “exciting” new edition of Mark’s Gospel for mass distribution across London.

The giveaway Gospel is soon to be published by Grace Publications, in collaboration with Holman/Lifeway and London City Mission. Designed in what is described as “a contemporary zine format”, it combines “keen affordability with compelling graphics and design.”

Nicola Laver

This year’s Notting Hill Carnival marked the 30th year of Christian outreach at the two-day event, at which two people were tragically killed.

Seven open-air preachers, including city preacher Roland Parsons, proclaimed the gospel across ten hours; gave out 1,400 gospel tracts and free Bibles; and displayed Bible texts to approximately 200,000 people at the carnival on the last weekend in August.

‘Proclaiming the Gospel in 21st-century London’ was the theme for this year’s London Gospel Partnership (LGP) Annual Conference.

LGP represents a network of churches from across London and each year the conference is an opportunity for the leaderships of those churches to gather together. The aim is to encourage and equip those churches for gospel ministry in London. The conference was hosted entirely online, with many taking advantage of easier access to be there.

Adam Malooly of the Co-Mission church planting movement writes: With 2020 being what it was, this Christmas was a particular opportunity to share a message addressing the loneliness and isolation many were feeling.

This was at the forefront of our minds when we released our latest Christmas film The Lonely Dinosaur. The film is the story of a toy dinosaur shadow that comes alive on Christmas Eve and finds himself alone. In his search for friends, his journey leads him to understand the truth about the Christmas season and what ‘Immanuel’ truly means – God with us. The film has been seen by over 10,000 people and downloaded by numerous churches.

Churches in London’s congestion charge zone are warning that changes to the congestion charge rules could force them to close. The charges have increased by 30%: £15 is now payable on Sundays and weeknights. Charges are enforceable from 7am to 10pm, hitting all Sunday worship hours.

Fearful that many families with children and the elderly will be most affected, many church leaders have appealed to the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, for some sort of exemption. Jonathan Evens, an Assistant Curate at St Martin-in-the-Fields, who chairs Churches Together in Westminster, argued that as a result, ‘many churches could become unsustainable’.