Rachel Gardner - Proximity to the Next Generation

This is the third episode from our Proximity Conference series. Abi Thomas talks with Rachel Gardner about the joys of church, youth work, and watching hope grow in urban communities. Rachel observes how young people are often already agents of change, experiencing God’s Kingdom at work in communities long forgotten in the political realm. Discover how one church is breaking barriers, supporting young people, and creating transformative spaces of love and belonging in Blackburn.

During Proximity Conference 2025, Abi Thomas interviewed a range of contributors digging deeper into the topics they discussed in our time together.In this episode, Abi Thomas interviews Cris Rogers, an urban theologian and church leader from East London. Cris shares his approach to urban ministry, and the importance of deep community engagement. He delves into discipleship beyond social media, emphasising the need for relational, intentional faith practices and living so deeply within a community that your roots are intertwined. For Cris, theology is best understood and practiced on the street, not in the classroom.

During Proximity Conference 2025, Abi Thomas interviewed a range of contributors digging deeper into the topics they discussed in our time together.In conversation with Abi Thomas, therapist and church leader Judy Potts discusses her work integrating therapy with her faith. Noting that mental health issues often stem from feelings of inferiority, Judy tells Abi about the listening service she set up to address mental health needs and the role churches can play in providing support. Judy also suggests low-cost therapy options!

What can we do as Christians today in the face of a broken society? How do we renew proximity to one another and live out the type of community that Jesus calls us to? In this talk, recorded at Proximity Conference 2025, Head of Eden, Sarah Small, unpacks this for us...

Emerging generations are asking questions like what can I put my feet on that will hold me? Who can I trust? What will stay still in a world where everything is shifting all the time? How do we respond well to the young people in our communities? In this talk, recorded at Proximity Conference 2025, Rachel Gardner tells us more.

How close are we to Jesus? Are we yoked to our ministries or yoked to Christ? In this talk, recorded at Proximity Conference 2025, Andy encourages us press into intimacy with Jesus and in doing so catch God’s heart for our communities.

How can we see our communities transformed? What part do we have to play in being salt and light in our estates? In this talk, recorded at Proximity Conference 2025, Cris Rogers shares how we can bring transformation to our communities simply by living in close proximity to those people God has called us to serve.

Join us for the final episode of season 2 of the Proximity podcast! Sam Ward (The Message Trust) and Natalie Williams (Jubilee+) round off their journey through Isaiah 58 by discussing the role that the people of God have collectively in serving the people of the communities in which we live.

Has the church looked for prosperity in areas of our lives that God has not called us to prosper in? In this episode of the Proximity podcast Sam Ward (The Message Trust) and Natalie Williams (Jubilee+) explore the connection between serving those experiencing brokenness in our communities and the blessing of God.

In episode 4 Sam Ward (The Message Trust) and Natalie Williams (Jubilee+) wrestle with what it means to spend ourselves on behalf of those experiencing poverty. In their conversation they argue that we musteachgo beyond arm’s length Christianityto make poverty personalfor us.