How do we lead our churches through global instability? How should we respond to Philip Yancy's affair? What can we learn from an FA Cup upset?

In this episode of In:Dependence, Phil Topham (FIEC Executive Director), John Stevens (FIEC National Director), and Adrian Reynolds (FIEC Associate National Director) discuss news over the past few weeks and how they can teach us about church leadership.

Show notes

• Journeys (fiec.org.uk)
• Rising Lights (fiec.org.uk)
• Why are there protests in Iran and what has Trump said about US action? (bbc.co.uk)
• Trump latest: US will 'do something' on Greenland 'whether they like it or not,' says president (news.sky.com)
• ‘I don’t need international law’: Trump says power constrained only by ‘my own morality’ (theguardian.com)
• Philip Yancey confesses to affair, retires from ministry (premierchristian.news)
• Bolton stun 1992 FA Cup holders Liverpool 2-0 | Goals & Highlights (youtube.com)
• Macclesfield poised for FA Cup fourth round draw after major giant-killing (independent.co.uk)

About In:Dependence: In:Dependence is FIEC’s official podcast, where you’ll hear conversations on topics for church leaders.

About FIEC: We are ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠a fellowship of Independent churches⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ with members of the family across England, Scotland and Wales. Our mission is to see those Independent churches working together with a big vision: to reach Britain for Christ.

00:00 - FIEC news

07:44 - Leading in global instability

12:45 - Gospel movement in and from Iran

15:06 - The language and leadership of Donald Trump

21:01 - Philip Yancy's affair and disqualification from ministry

26:25 - FA Cup revitalisations and giant killings

2025 has seen encouragement and growth in the church in the midst of division and polarisation across the culture.

As the year comes to an end, Adrian Reynolds (Associate National Director) and John Stevens (National Director) look back at the big picture of 2025 and the themes that have impacted church leadership during the past 12 months.

Show notes

• The Quiet Revival: Gen Z leads rise in church attendance (biblesociety.org.uk)
• The Quiet Revival: Growth in the UK Church (fiec.org.uk)
• Sarah Mullally: A calm voice & firm hand, but not an evangelical (e-n.org.uk)
• God's Mission, Mobile World (Leaders' Conference 2025) (fiec.org.uk)

About In:Dependence: In:Dependence is FIEC’s official podcast, where you’ll hear conversations on topics for church leaders.

About FIEC: We are ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠a fellowship of Independent churches⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ with members of the family across England, Scotland and Wales. Our mission is to see those Independent churches working together with a big vision: to reach Britain for Christ.

00:00 - Introduction

01:15 - "The Quiet Revival" and growth in churches

11:22 - Responding to "The Quiet Revival"

21:19 - A fractured world full of polarisation

27:58 - Unity in evangelicalism

33:50 - FIEC serving churches in 2025

What should we make of the terror attack in Australia? Do we need to put Christ back into Christmas? What can we learn from losing a cricket match?

In this episode of In:Dependence, Phil Topham (FIEC Executive Director), John Stevens (FIEC National Director), and Adrian Reynolds (FIEC Associate National Director) discuss stories in the news and how they relate to church leadership.

Show notes

• Visual explainer: how a night of terror unfolded in Bondi (theguardian.com)
• Civilisational erasure is real, but Trump is part of the problem (telegraph.co.uk)
• Tommy Robinson holds London carol service with around 1,000 punters (metro.co.uk)
• The Ashes 2025: What is Bazball? (bbc.co.uk)

About In:Dependence: In:Dependence is FIEC’s official podcast, where you’ll hear conversations on topics for church leaders.

About FIEC: We are ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠a fellowship of Independent churches⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ with members of the family across England, Scotland and Wales. Our mission is to see those Independent churches working together with a big vision: to reach Britain for Christ.

00:00 - Different experiences at Christmas time

02:35 - Anti-semitic terror attack in Australia

12:15 - Is Europe facing civilisational erasure?

21:17 - Putting Christ back into Christmas

28:54 - Losing the Ashes and contextualisation