Beauty Instead Of Ashes

Season 2 of the Proximity Podcast will soon be here! But in the meantime here's an episode of a podcast we created in partnership with The Hopeful Activists.During the episode we discover the joys and challenges of following Jesus on an urban estate.We’ll hear from Allan Finnegan from Emmanuel Baptist Church in Netherton in Liverpool, Tom Grant, also from Emmanuel Baptist Church and Head of Proximity, as well as Tal Watkins and Marie Robinson from the Netherton Community Grocery.And finally from Bishop Philip North, who tells us that there are two stories: amazing life and hope on urban estates, and also a church that has deep inequality within its structures.

In our second bonus episode, Tom Grant, Head of Proximity and Sarah Small, Head of the Eden Network, discuss teaching by Sam Ward and Ellie Gage from this year's Proximity Conference.Get your tickets for Proximity Conference 2025 here

Join Tom Grant, Head of Proximity, and Sarah Small, Head of the Eden Network for a special bonus episode of the Proximity Podcast! In this episode, Sarah and Tom reflect upon teaching from Krish Kandiah and Claud Jackson who spoke at this year's Proximity Conference.Get your tickets for Proximity Conference 2025 here

What is the benefit of being planted in our community for the long haul? And as we do life with people, how can our lives display the Lord’s splendour even in our failings? Join Sam Ward and Natalie Williams, as they finish exploring the Jesus manifesto in the final episode of season one of the Proximity podcast.

The gospel is not just good news for when life’s good but in the tough times too. In this episode, Natalie and Sam explore how in times of mourning and despair we can still know God’s joy.

Sam and Nat are back for episode 6 chatting about God’s willingness to enter into our grief, the role we have in sharing in the grief of those in our communities and how we can each find Christ in our suffering.

Jesus came to declare the year of the Lord’s favour but what does that mean for us? How can we play our part in rolling back the darkness in our estates? And why should we be glad that God gets angry? Join Natalie Williams (Jubilee+) and Sam Ward (The Message Trust) as they explore these questions in the latest episode of the Proximity podcast.

Where might we as Christians be complicit with oppression and how can we challenge injustice in our communities? Join Sam Ward (The Message Trust) and Natalie Williams (Jubilee+) as they explore these themes and more in episode four of the Proximity podcast.

We’re back with episode 3 of the Proximity podcast! Sam and Nat continue their series looking at Luke 4 and Jesus’ manifesto. This time, they’re chatting about what blinds us from seeing the goodness of God and how making issues of poverty personal can help us remove our blind spots.

What does true freedom look like in our communities? In the second episode, Sam Ward (Message Trust) and Natalie Williams (Message Trust) are looking at how we can bring Christ's freedom to the lives of our neighbours and why it’s so important to celebrate the small changes we see in people’s lives.