Inclusive Church logo
Inclusive Church newsletter
July 2025

The Inclusive Church Newsletter is a digital publication produced every month. It aims to provide supporters and members with the latest news and information from the life of Inclusive Church and our partner organisations.
Well Met Inclusive Church, Well Met

This month’s newsletter has a slightly different feel, because we’re deep in the season of meetings, and in that odd stretch of summer where time seems to both slow down and race ahead. School holidays are looming, working parents are anxiously eyeing their childcare plans, teachers are counting down, students are celebrating the end of exams…

But not everyone is on wind-down. On the estates, in overstretched communities, life doesn’t pause for picnics or wholesome activities. The grind continues, and often gets harder. While some are basking in the sunshine, others are fighting heat-aggravated health conditions, or simply facing daily struggles that don’t ease with the weather.

So here’s a gentle encouragement: pause. Look beyond the surface. Listen for the unspoken stories people carry. Celebrate the small things, and recognise the quiet resilience that so often goes unnoticed.

I know I’m not alone in sometimes feeling frustrated by how far we still are from real equity and inclusion. And yet, we must also pause to see how far we’ve come. The footprints we’re leaving. The shoulders we’re standing on. It’s always both/and.

Last month, Inclusive Church held our AGM. It was great to see many of you there. We looked back at the past year, looked forward to what’s next, and unveiled our ambitious new strategy, seven strands of work I’ve affectionately dubbed the IC Magnificent Seven. We also welcomed new trustees and said a heartfelt thank you to Fiona Macmillan, one of IC’s longest-serving trustees, as she steps back after some invaluable contributions. Thanks also to Matt (MC Online) for AGM tech support and Hayley and Lucy for BSL translation. 

This newsletter includes some AGM highlights — formal minutes will follow soon. You can still catch up on the papers here: https://www.inclusive-church.org/agm/

And next time, I’ll introduce you properly to our new trustees!
Donate to Inclusive Church
We celebrate new churches joining Inclusive Church: Welcome! if you are nearby, why not say hello?
Summary of NatCo report

Reconnection & Visibility
We’ve focused on rebuilding relationships, growing our social media and newsletter engagement, and amplifying voices across the network. Events like Generous Faith and our Make Room at the Inn Christmas resources helped raise our profile and sparked meaningful conversations.

Listening to the Network
Over 500 people took part in our Are You In? survey. The insights were rich, challenging, and hopeful, and helped shape our new strategy. While most respondents were Anglican, there’s appetite for change and wider ecumenical engagement.

Behind the Scenes
We refreshed our database, improved our onboarding and membership systems, paused church signups to refine the process, and now,  just weeks after reopening, we’ve had nearly 50 new churches apply to join. Member churches will now also be issued with a 'relationship agreement' that outlines mutual expectations. We’ve also begun developing a new visual identity and refreshed branding. (I'm calling this entering our Butterfly era...) Watch this space for that!

What We’ve Learned
Inclusion isn’t just about welcome, it’s about representation, leadership, and safety. Theology matters, and many inclusive leaders still feel unable to be fully open. We want to support them more.

Looking Ahead
This next season is all about delivery, embedding our strategy, growing our ecumenical reach, equipping individuals and leaders, and building a sustainable, visible, joy-filled movement. We want our members to feel involved and invested in the IC vision and keen to help make it happen!
IC Magnificent Seven

The summary of the seven strands to our new strategy are detailed here, but further info is available via the button below. 

You can also express interest in finding out more and getting involved here: 

Working Group Deets
Everywhere Accessible Inclusivity

We want everyone to be within 30 minutes of an Inclusive Church, in person or online. We're mapping gaps, boosting visibility, building regional networks, and refining our directory to ensure our communities are findable, diverse, and accessible to all.
Changing How Society Sees the Church

Too many see the Church as exclusionary. We're working to shift public perception through bold messaging, partnerships, and theological storytelling. By amplifying inclusive voices and engaging secular media, we want “Inclusive Church” to become the default, not the exception.
Dynamic Thinking on Inclusion & Intersectionality

Inclusion is not static. We're evolving our theology and practice to reflect lived experience and intersectionality. By collaborating with theologians and networks, and telling grounded stories from our members, we’ hope to respond to emerging challenges with clarity, courage, and deep solidarity
Active Network

We’re moving from broadcast to relationship. That means clear membership pathways, better data, regular reflection, and empowered Regional Ambassadors. We want members to be active, connected, and supported, part of a living, growing movement that shares stories, stretches faith, and inspires change.
Support Hub

Inclusive Church are already a trusted source of resources, not all our own, but we want to signpost to these better. We’ll curate, create, and update tools to support churches and individuals on their inclusion journey, always shaped by lived experience, and always asking: what’s ours to do?
Mutual Partnerships

We’re reviewing who we walk with and why. Partnerships matter, and we want to be clear about shared values, expectations, and purpose. We’ll build stronger links with existing allies and seek out new ones to broaden impact without compromising conviction
Charity Sustainability

To do all this well, we need solid foundations and financial support. We’ll continue reviewing our staffing, monitoring our income streams, and being honest about what’s working. Sustainability isn’t just about money, it’s about people, pace, and learning together as we go.
Events + Training Opportunities

We'd love to celebrate with you, so do send us your stories.
Proud and Visible

Thanks to all who responded to my shout out over social media for experiences with vandalism of Pride flags and why flying them is so important. 

It was great hearing your defiant resilience!

If you’d like to read the article it is here: Parishes proud of Pride CT
Regional updates

The new information and application pack for Regional Ambassadors is now available on our website so if you'd like to find out more and/or apply to be an RA please head over there.

I would especially like to have some more RAs who aren't Anglican! And some more folks based in the East Midlands and East of England would be great. Do get in touch if you're interested!
A Transformational Weekend Retreat

1-3 August at Holland House, Worcestershire (hollandhouse.org) £330, including meals and accommodation, 25% bursaries are available.

Step into a weekend that will stir your spirit and ignite your heart!

“It’s All About Love!” is a bold, joy-filled journey into the very core of the Christian life. Together, we’ll explore the deep love of God, the healing call to love yourself, and the radical challenge to love your neighbour. We’ll celebrate God’s wildly inclusive love, learn what radical inclusivity looks like in action, and boldly proclaim: the Kingdom of God is here—now!

Led by the Rev’d David Babbington—Dean of Pastoral Studies at the College of the Resurrection, Mirfield, founding pastor of Emmaus LGBTQ+ Christian Asylum Seeker and Refugee Support Group, and a member of the College of Archbishop’s Evangelists.

Come ready to be inspired. Come ready to be changed. Come as you are—because it’s all about love!

More details and booking information can be found here.
Prophetic Dreamers Weekend

A Christian youth event for LGBTQIA+ young people and their families. The ethos of the weekend is to create a space in collaboration with LGBTQIA+ young people for LGBTQIA+ young people. August 15-17th. Aged 11+

More info
Contributions welcome! If you'd like to suggest something for the Newsletter, please email it to NatCo@inclusive-church.org by the 25th of the month for publication in the first week of the following month. Contact office@inclusive-chruch.org to add/remove details from the mailing list.
Is it YOU they're looking for? Inclusice Church of Community-based jobs being advertised. Let us know if you have a vacancy. Please note: We only share vacancies that are from places known to us but we still encourage you to do your own research and explore local nuances.
If you'd like to make a financial contribution to the work of Inclusive Church, please click the link below. Thank you!
Donate to Inclusive Church

office@inclusive-church.org (admin)

07375 392285 (Dan)

 Facebook  X / Twitter  Web  Instagram  Youtube

To ensure that you continue to receive this newsletter, please make sure you let us know if you change your email address.

The content of the newsletter is drawn from a number of sources including individuals and partner organisations. The views expressed here do not necessarily reflect a 'formal viewpoint' of the Inclusive Church trustees, individual members of Inclusive Church or registered inclusive churches.

You can see an online version of this newsletter and previous newsletters by going to the newsletters page of the IC website.

To unsubscribe from this mailing at any time.