Our Synod has a commitment to whole life discipleship and at the forefront of this part of our life is our Discipleship Steering Group (DSG).

The DSG reviews and updates strategies and plans for nurturing faith across all age ranges and for promotes new patterns of activity to further Synod’s mission and growth and seeks to encourage and challenge diverse Local Area Groups across Synod to identify local priorities for growth and service. Childrens and Youth Work, Safeguarding, Mission, Interfaith relations, Ecumenical relations, issues of justice and equality are also covered by the remit of the DSG.

Our lead person for the whole life discipleship work is Revd. Eddie Boon, a Special Category Minister (SCM) serving our Thames North Synod as Discipleship Enabler. Eddie works with people, groups, leaders, congregations, and areas of the Synod in variety of ways. These include consultations, appreciative gatherings, mentoring, visits, and working alongside congregations and Synod committees to respond to grant applications.

Eddie is also building online community in our Synod and wider for discipleship, write blogs, produces short videos and posts regularly on social media.

As a synod, we are in partnership with the London Institute for Contemporary Christianity (LICC) and we have just completed a one year Learning Hub for churches in 2023 giving opportunities for participating church leaders, and other members of local churches to come together, be resourced, and learn from each other about how to create and sustain whole-life disciple-making communities. We are currently planning some new conferences for 2024

We believe that it is possible for us all to identify 1-degree shifts that will begin to influence our way of being church and living out Christian discipleship in our context. As a whole the United Reformed Church seeks to embed the Discipleship agenda (such as Walking The Way) deeply in the life of our church and there are resources available at https://urc.org.uk/your-faith/mission-and-discipleship-toolbox/