“I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord. Yes, and I ask you, my true companion, help these women since they have contended at my side in the cause of the gospel, along with Clement and the rest of my co-workers, whose names are in the book of life.”

Philippians 4:2-3 (NIV)

Paul’s words to the Philippians offer both challenge and encouragement as he calls two believers to “be of the same mind in the Lord.” He recognises that even in faithful gospel partnership, differences can arise, yet these need not fracture fellowship when Christ’s work remains central. Instead, the church is called to unity of heart, mind and purpose, grounded in the Lord Himself.

Rory, Kim and Hannah at Rising Lights in Torquay.

We recently saw this principle in action when we taught Philippians at the Rising Lights event. The TnT team served different age groups: Hannah led the 5–7s, while Rory and Kim led the 10–11s group. Although the event is run by the Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches (FIEC), it is open to all churches, offering a valuable opportunity to serve children from a wide range of backgrounds within a shared gospel framework.

This dynamic is increasingly evident in our training ministry. As we serve churches across diverse contexts and traditions, we consistently see people with real differences on secondary issues drawn together around the shared task of discipling the rising generations. We noted this unifying effect in Latvia last year, and it was again clearly evident this January as we ran Day 2 in Riga. Once again, a largely sectarian church context was strengthened with renewed unity and vision for discipling children and young people.

Publishing

The material we produced for Rising Lights is now also available on our Mustard Seeds website as a resource for 3–11s. It complements our existing 11–18s Philippians material and therefore forms the third strand of our Whole Church curriculum range.

So if your church is preaching through Ephesians, Philippians, or Psalm 139, why not encourage the whole church to study the same passage each week together? Details can be found on www.mustard-seeds.net.

Training

It has been another very busy first quarter, with repeat training at various UK venues including Cornhill Glasgow, alongside new opportunities in Salisbury and Corsham.

Beyond the UK, we also undertook further training in Latvia and a short training expedition to Italy, packing in sessions in Pisa, Bologna, and Siena into just four days—an intense but fruitful period of ministry.

Rory speaking at the Growing Young Disciples Fortify training day in Glasgow.

While the rest of the year is certainly not expected to be as travel-heavy as last year, two trips do require special mention and prayer. Rory is due to conduct training in Jordan in September, as well as further work in Asia. The current geopolitical situation in the Middle East makes planning for Jordan complex and uncertain. This would be the first opportunity to conduct training in Arabic in almost four years, and the work planned is highly strategic, but it will require wisdom and careful discernment.

The trip to Asia also requires wisdom for different reasons. Although we will be working primarily with an English-speaking church, there is significant scope to continue supporting a Mandarin-speaking congregation too, as well as other Chinese-speaking leaders from further afield. We are hoping to go deeper with a smaller, more select group this time, using our new online training resources as a platform for more intensive discipleship and training. Our aim is to train trainers who can then go where we cannot go. Please do be fervent in prayer for both of these areas.

Translation

We have recently begun translation work into Burmese—an exciting but daunting prospect. The script is complex and requires considerable adaptation to fit our original activity sheet layouts.

However, we are thankful for a faithful brother in Myanmar who has been using our resources for many years and is committed to serving other churches by making them available in their mother tongue.

Funding

We concluded the financial year with a deficit of just over £18,000. This shortfall is not due to our usual running costs—these continue to be well supported through Mustard Seeds subscriptions. Rather, it reflects the impact of GYD Academy and Conference sponsorships and our significant and strategic investment in Siyakhulisa Kids (South Africa) and our Chinese ministry (Asia).

While we have received some funding for both the Chinese and African initiatives in response to our December appeal, further support will be needed in the coming year. A recent increase in Mustard Seeds subscription fees will help to bridge the gap to some extent, but we are also appealing to existing donors to consider a modest increase in their support. We would also be grateful if you could introduce our work to potential new donors or consider making TnT one of your church’s mission partners.

Giving is simple, safe, and secure via the Stewardship giving platform, and UK taxpayers can increase the impact of their giving through the Gift Aid scheme. You may choose to support our general fund or designate your giving towards our work in Africa or Asia.

www.stewardship.org.uk/pages/siyakhulisakids

www.stewardship.org.uk/pages/chinese

For direct giving, banking details and Gift Aid forms are also available by emailing us: info@tntministries.org.uk

With sincere appreciation for your support and gospel partnership.

Rory, Kim and Hannah

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Items for Prayer

• Give thanks that our training is bringing a diverse group of faithful believers together to be equipped for ministry. Pray that the Lord would continue to deepen this gospel unity as we disciple the rising generations.
• Give thanks for the new Burmese translation project and a faithful partner in Myanmar. Pray for wisdom and faithfulness as the resources are adapted, and for lasting fruit in local churches.
• Give thanks for a fruitful first quarter of training in the UK and overseas. Pray for continued energy, wisdom, and gospel faithfulness for the rest of the year.
• Give thanks for the growing use of our training resources as a platform for deeper discipleship. Pray that we would be able to train faithful trainers who can go where we cannot.
• Give thanks for opportunities to train in sensitive contexts such as the Middle East and Asia. Pray for wisdom and for the Lord’s sovereign hand in all our planning.
• Give thanks for fruitful partnerships in Africa and Asia. Pray for the financial resources to continue supporting these projects, and that more individuals and churches would partner with us in this work.