Young people from disadvantaged areas often don’t enjoy the same head-start in life as others their age. But we believe these young people have just as much potential as anyone else to bring about change – in their own lives, and also in their community. That’s why we started Thrive Teams in 2010, Innovista’s Oxford hub. Thrive […]
‘I have been caught twice and fined many times.’ Pastor B is a church leader in a Central Asian country, where being a church leader attracts the attention of the secret police. Being found with a sermon on your phone can lead to a heavy fine. Over the last few months, he’s been busy building […]
Being a Christian leader in Eurasia is isolating. Training and support gave JJ courage to act and see God work …
For the first six months that Jo came to church, she didn’t smile. She had built up a protective wall around herself. Over time, as she and sons Josh and Jake got to know the church and the Thrive Team members who live near them on the Barton estate, that began to change.
Moving to the UK when she was seven and being separated from most of her family for several years was very hard.
Last September Devon was busy packing for university. Rewind a few years and life was school, gaming and sleep – on repeat.
When we first met Morgan as a 14-year-old, he was obsessed with video games. He would play them for up to 12 hours straight. Morgan used school as a place to catch up on sleep! We began meeting with Morgan every week to help him become more sociable. Morgan’s next goal was to start his […]
Once, with a few exceptions, to be Irish was to be Catholic. But as far-reaching abuse scandals linked to the church have come to light, many have turned their back on faith. Confidence in any church has plummeted.
A few summers ago, I took my adventurous daughter, then aged 10, to ‘Go Ape’. We were promised “unforgettable adventure” as we climbed and swung through the trees, high above the ground. As I followed Emily climbing up into the trees, I started to struggle. The forest started spinning around me. I felt sick. My […]
Yegor grew up in a Christian home in Russia, but when he was a teenager, he turned his back on God. His church didn’t think his music taste was appropriate – Yegor is a big fan of Alternative Rock.‘I was tired of feeling judged by Christians, and stopped going to church.’ ‘I’m not interested’ Now […]