Advertise on podcast: In Context

What does it take to be a church where people on the margins find welcome, care and belonging? In this episode of the Ragged Podcast, Ian and Mez talk with Jonathan Parkinson, CEO of Caring for Life and pastor of Grace Community Church Leeds North, about how churches can better reach and care for those society often overlooks. Together, they explore what it means to share the hope of the gospel through practical compassion, faithful friendship and a commitment to walking alongside people for the long haul. Sign up for the Caring for Life Weekender here https://www.caringforlife.co.uk/events-1/caring-for-life-conferenceAnd follow the Ragged Podcast here:www.raggedpodcast.com InstagramFacebook Youtube

The in Context Podcast will be returning in November. Until then you can listen to The Ragged Podcast. You can find out more about the Ragged Podcast by visiting www.raggedpodcast.com Tim Farron’s article on patriotism and idolatry prompted Ian to write Before You Diagnose Idolatry, Listen to the Working Class. In this episode of The Ragged Podcast, Ian and Mez pick up that conversation. Why do some working-class people feel that Tommy Robinson hears their concerns more readily than church leaders do? The conversation takes in flags, migration, cultural loss and the difference between challenging those who think differently to you and assuming you know what is in someone’s heart. Ian and Mez ask whether Christians have spent enough time listening to the communities they hope to reach. If we want to speak faithfully about Jesus, we need to understand what people mean before we tell them what they’ve got wrong.

In this weeks episode, Mez and Ian introduce The Ragged Podcast — a collaboration between 20schemes and Medhurst Ministries, bringing honest, gospel-centred conversations about life and ministry in some of the UK’s poorest and most overlooked communities. They explain why the podcast exists, what listeners can expect, and why reaching working-class and deprived communities with the gospel matters.

In this episode of the In Context podcast, Mez McConnell—Pastor of Grace Church Orkney and Director of 20schemes—opens up Ephesians 3 and explores what it means for the church to know and experience the fullness of God. Mez reminds us that true Christian unity is not built on personality, background or shared preferences, but on a deepening knowledge of Christ and his love. In the midst of the pressures, disappointments and trials of life and ministry, our greatest need is not simply greater comfort, visible success or easier circumstances. It is to be strengthened by God in our inner being. This encouraging message calls us to become increasingly rooted and established in the love of Christ, to grow in our understanding of the gospel, and to seek spiritual depth before outward success. Mez challenges us to pray for more than relief from difficulty: to pray that God would fill us with his presence, deepen our faith and enable us to grasp more fully the immeasurable love of Christ.

In this episode of the In Context podcast, Jonathan Parkinson, Pastor of Grace Community Church in Leeds and CEO of Caring for Life, opens up 2 Timothy 2 and explores what it means for the church to live visible Christian lives. Jonathan challenges believers to display the reality of the gospel through faithful endurance, godly character and everyday obedience. In a culture that often misunderstands or dismisses Christianity, how can local churches live in a way that makes Christ clearly seen? A timely and practical message for Christians seeking to live faithfully and bear witness to Jesus in their communities.

Is sanctification simply the result of God’s grace, or does growing in holiness require real effort from us? In this week’s episode of In Context, Ian and Steve discuss the relationship between grace, obedience and personal responsibility in the Christian life. They ask whether trying harder undermines the gospel, what it means to work out our salvation, and whether there is ever a right time to tell someone struggling with persistent sin to “man up” and take action. A frank and practical conversation about resisting sin, pursuing holiness and depending on Jesus every step of the way.

In this week’s episode of In Context, titled Encouraged, Ian and Steve reflect on the recent Medhurst Ministries event. They share how uplifted they were by the turnout, the many new faces, the new venue, and the wonderful hospitality of their hosts, Caring for Life. From the brilliant children’s work to teaching and worship that was good for the soul, the whole event left Ian, Steve, and many others grateful for the fellowship, refreshed by the teaching, and reminded most of all that they are deeply loved by Jesus.

In this episode of In Context, Ian and Steve reflect on the challenges of finding a good local church after stepping down from pastoral ministry. They discuss the tensions involved in choosing a church: should we stay local and sacrifice some of our preferences for the sake of community and commitment, or travel further afield to find a church that better serves the needs of our families? With honesty and pastoral insight, they also ask whether, when we struggle to find a church we like, the problem may sometimes lie with us rather than the churches around us. Together, they explore what really matters when looking for a church family and how Christians can think wisely about belonging, serving, and worshipping in a local congregation.

In this emotive episode of In Context, Rachel speaks with Cee Kulemann as she shares her powerful story of coming to faith after setting out to disprove Christianity. From a life marked by chaos, childhood trauma, and its lasting effects into young and adult life, Cee reflects on how reading the Gospels led her to conviction, peace, and hope in Christ. Now serving alongside her husband, Matt, as a ministry apprentice with 20schemes at Grace Church Orkney, Cee reflects on the vital role of women’s ministry, the importance of walking alongside women who may be suffering in silence, and her desire to see the love of Christ shared throughout the local community.

In this episode of the In Context podcast, Ian is joined by Justin Gill, Intercultural Ministry Advisor at FIEC. Born and raised in North Pakistan, Justin has worked in politics, relief operations, development, and cross-cultural church ministry, and now helps churches think carefully about intercultural mission in the UK. Together, Ian and Justin take an honest and pastoral look at some of the most pressing and contested issues facing Britain today: Tommy Robinson, migration, poverty, illegal immigration, the white working class, and calls to “unite the nation.” Rather than offering easy answers or party-political slogans, the conversation asks how the UK church can listen well, speak truthfully, love courageously, and remain faithful to the mission of Christ in a divided society.

In this episode of In Context, Rachel chats with Natalie Williams, CEO of Jubilee+, about what it means to live intentionally in a world where it has become easier than ever to avoid one another. From contactless payments and self-service tills to headphones and busy schedules, everyday life is often designed to keep us from noticing or speaking to the people around us. Natalie encourages the church and Christians to resist that drift and to be intentional about reaching out, especially to those who may feel ignored, overlooked, or pushed away. This conversation is a reminder that following Jesus means making space for people, choosing connection over convenience, and seeing those whom others might miss.

Rachel interviews Sharon Dickens from 20schemes about her ministry in Scotland’s housing schemes. A member of Niddrie Community Church, Sharon serves as Director of Women’s Ministry with 20schemes and is one of the directors of the Ragged School of Theology. She shares what motivates her to serve communities often marked by poverty and spiritual need, and why planting and strengthening healthy local churches in Scotland’s schemes is so urgent—especially where many have never heard the gospel.

In this episode of In Context, Rachel interviews Miriam Mc Connell about her remarkable ministry journey, from serving in the favelas of Brazil to gospel work in the schemes of Scotland, and now to the Orkney Isles. Miriam shares how the Lord has led and sustained her and her family through different cultures, communities, and seasons of ministry. Today, she serves alongside her husband Mez at Grace Church Orkney and with 20Schemes, seeking to make Christ known in some of Scotland’s most overlooked places. 20schemeshttps://20schemes.com/ Grace Church Orkneyhttps://gracechurchorkney.org/about-us/

Ian sits down with Aaron Reyes, a pastor and church planter from Texas now serving in Birmingham, to hear his journey from El Paso to gospel ministry in the UK. Aaron reflects on growing up in a Latino, working-class context, coming to faith as a young American football player, and being called to serve among working-class, multi-ethnic communities. Together, Ian and Aaron explore class, culture, ethnicity, fatherlessness, church planting, and how the gospel creates a new family that unites people across deep social and political divides. A rich and honest conversation about ministry, identity, and building churches centred on Christ among the overlooked and underserved. You can visit the website of the church that Aaron pastors by following the link below: https://charltonroadchurch.org.uk/

Matt Kuhlmann, who is married to Cee, joins the podcast to share testimony and ministry journey with 20 Schemes in Orkney, Scotland. He speaks honestly about his troubled past in London, marked by addiction, mental health struggles, and broken relationships, and how God graciously saved him and led him into full-time ministry. In the episode, Matt reflects on the churches and influences that shaped his faith, including the damage caused by unhealthy teaching and the life-changing impact of faithful biblical preaching. He also talks about serving alongside Cee in a 20 Schemes-supported church and the creative ways the church is seeking to reach their remote island community through initiatives like a drop-in café, football group, and poetry group. It is a thoughtful and encouraging conversation about grace, perseverance, and gospel ministry in a challenging place. Visit Grace Church Orkneyhttps://gracechurchorkney.org/ If you want to support Matt and Cee, click the relevant link and select Matt & Cee Kuhlmann from the drop down box. USA Donationshttps://app.aplos.com/aws/give/20schemesInc/British UK Donationshttps://20schemes.infoodle.com/f/OnlineDonationsFormBritishWorkers