On behalf of the Activate team I'd like to give you a warm welcome to the Activate website. Our aim is to offer a wide variety of stimulating articles, fun ideas and challenging topics for discussion that you can take and adapt as tools to help you be effective as 'salt and light' wherever you go.

Of course there are many resources for Christians available today, but we feel that Activate takes a unique approach because we encourage 'ordinary', individual Christians to be active outside of the church environment. We know that you can be effective just by being yourself, without feeling that you must first enrol on numerous evangelism training courses, and we'd like the chance to convince you!

Firstly we don't assume that you already have a wide network of un-churched friends just waiting for you to share the Gospel with. Our research has shown that this is rarely the case and that many Christians are so busy in their churches that they have little or no time to enjoy relationships with people outside their fellowship circle.

Secondly, we try to suggest ways in which you can invite friends, neighbours and work colleagues to spend time with you, so that you can enjoy building those relationships and drawing closer to people, which will eventually bring opportunities to share appropriately about God's love in a very natural way.

Finally, we encourage you to take an active interest in the current affairs of your community, so that you can speak effectively into real situations.
George Carey, the former Archbishop of Canterbury spoke of the need for Christians to seek 'to promote an effective evangelism rooted in the culture of those to whom we speak'. He said 'I believe that you and I need to understand our culture, to find out what makes people tick, what they value most, what they are most concerned about and what they fear most in life.'

Many people outside the church are put off by what he called 'institutional religion'. It doesn't seem to offer a way in for them. Their interests lie in sport, fun, art, theatre, books, nature, good food and good wine. And as I read that there is nothing in that list which is alien to you and me.

He continues, 'I do plead for a rooted faith which is in touch with life, which endeavours to understand the concerns and interests and needs of the people we serve and which can make the Christian faith accessible... taking evangelism out of the church and into the home, bridging the gulf between church and community.'

Over to you and over to me...
Warm regards, Fiona Castle

PS: Please do take time to look around the website and email us with any comments and queries. We love to hear what you are doing, and to pass on your stories and insights as encouragements for other.