Thrive 2026
Our annual gathering, equipping us to build thriving churches that advance the kingdom.
Thrive is the annual gathering for the Salt & Light Advance family of churches. Gathering together as a wider family of churches is important! We catch sight of a bigger picture. We see that he’s called us to be a movement, together impacting our part of the world. We are inspired, taught and equipped and filled afresh with the Holy Spirit. We have the opportunity to deepen old friendships and create new ones. We eat, pray and worship together.
If you’re considering coming to Thrive for the first time, why not check out resources from Thrive 2025 and Thrive 2024 to get a feel for what we do?
Who is Thrive for?
Thrive is our annual gathering for all those keen to play their part in building thriving churches that advance the kingdom.
That includes people leading within the church, and people leading beyond the church, as well as people without formal leadership roles yet keen to play their part.
Speakers and hosts
Jonathon Conrathe
Jonathon is an evangelist, and Founder and CEO of Mission24, an inter-denominational Christian ministry that burns with a vision to equip the Church and reach the world for Christ. • Friday evening and Saturday plenary sessions
Rebecca Smith MP
What does it mean to be an Esther or a Daniel in today’s world? Come and hear from one MP about her journey of becoming a Christian MP in parliament and what it’s like to be a Christian in politics. • Saturday seminar
Catherine Gladwell
Founder of Refugee Education, Catherine has led programmes in sixteen countries for clients including UNICEF, UNHCR, and Save the Children. A regular speaker in the media, she will help us think about engaging with justice in God’s world. • Friday seminar
Katherine Brown
Katherine works for Evangelical Alliance (‘Being Human Engagement Lead’), writes for Living Out, and is part of the leadership team at New Community Church Sidcup. She equips the church in evangelism, including sexuality and relationships. • Friday plenary and seminars
Lydia Moyo
Lydia and Anderson lead Sheffield Community Church, the S&L ‘Momentum’ network of diaspora churches, and is part of the S&L International Team. Lydia also leads MannaHouse, supporting people through social action. She comes as a friend, an intercultural adviser, and a powerful woman of prayer! • Saturday plenary session
Georgia Boon
Handling conflict well is an ongoing challenge for any leader. Georgia, Director of Place for Hope, will help equip us to handle conflict well, in a manner that dignifies and honours, yet brings clarity and truth. • Saturday seminar
David Ritchie
David and Elizabeth lead a team that planted Bracknell Community Church in 2024. Recently adopted into the S&L Advance family of churches, we’re delighted to have this opportunity to understand more from them about how to plant and build missionally healthy churches. • Friday seminar
Al & Caroline McNicoll
Al and Caroline have been part of Oxford Community Church since their student days (apart from some years leading a church in Wheatley), and have grown to be amazing pastors and disciplers of people. • Saturday seminar
Event hosts:
Rich and Anna Ellwood
Team leaders for the Salt & Light Advance family of churches, Rich and Anna spent many years in Brussels establishing a thriving and multicultural local church. They now lead our family of churches, as well as Witney Community Church.
Programme
Friday 20th February
10.00am Doors open, refreshments*
10.30am Morning session: Katherine Brown
12.30pm Lunch*
2.00pm Salt & Light Advance vision and updates
3.00pm Choice of seminars and other sessions (see below)
4.00pm Refreshments*
4.30pm Choice of seminars and other sessions (see below)
5.30pm Break
5:45pm Dinner* - opportunity to connect with old friends and new, over a spacious, excellent meal
7.00pm Delegate arrivals for evening session
7.30pm Evening session: Jonathon Conrathe
9.30pm End
Saturday 21st February
9.30am Doors open
9.45am Morning session, with mid-morning refreshments*: Jonathon Conrathe
12.30pm Lunch*
1.45pm Choice of seminars (see below)
3.00pm Closing session: Lydia Moyo
4.30pm End
*All refreshments are included in the conference ticket.
Seminars
Friday 3.00pm
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Thames Hall, repeated at 4:30
How can we, as leaders, approach the topic of sexuality with both truth and grace? Join Katherine as she shares her personal story of same-sex attraction and explores God’s better story for human flourishing. Discover why the gospel truly is good news for every person.
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Cherwell Room, repeated at 4:30
The call to bring change to society through being salt and light is at heart of the role of the Church. How, though, do we go from carrying a desire and dream to shape society to seeing those hopes and dreams come to reality? How are we to be salt and light in today’s world? Catherine will help us answer these questions as she shares her story of establishing Refugee Education UK, a charity which helps refugee children and young people get into, and thrive in education. Drawing on her experience of many years of working with refugees arriving in the UK, Catherine will also offer ways in which the Church can respond to the increasing division and polarisation around issues of forced migration and asylum that we are seeing in our society and communities today.
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Hinksey Room
This seminar explores how churches can move beyond a maintenance mindset and into a life of intentional mission. It focuses on essential, practical priorities that help cultivate a thriving, missional culture—one that meaningfully engages the surrounding community, empowers disciples to live out their faith, and aligns the church’s vision and practices with God’s mission in the world.
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Vale Room
The Advance Arts Team lead by Bev Jones will be hosting a session exploring how we, made in God’s image as creators, can use all forms of art within our church communities to add to a fuller picture of who our God is.
Understanding who God has made us to be through the use of creative activity can help our churches to thrive!
There will be a talk and time to engage with different creaive options.
All levels of experience/skill are actively encouraged to come!
Friday 4.30pm
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Thames Hall, repeat of 3.00pm seminar.
How can we, as leaders, approach the topic of sexuality with both truth and grace? Join Katherine as she shares her personal story of same-sex attraction and explores God’s better story for human flourishing. Discover why the gospel truly is good news for every person.
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Cherwell Room, repeat of 3pm seminar
The call to bring change to society through being salt and light is at heart of the role of the Church. How, though, do we go from carrying a desire and dream to shape society to seeing those hopes and dreams come to reality? How are we to be salt and light in today’s world? Catherine will help us answer these questions as she shares her story of establishing Refugee Education UK, a charity which helps refugee children and young people get into, and thrive in education. Drawing on her experience of many years of working with refugees arriving in the UK, Catherine will also offer ways in which the Church can respond to the increasing division and polarisation around issues of forced migration and asylum that we are seeing in our society and communities today.
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Hinksey Room
Jesus taught his disciples to go and make disciples that make disciples. This kind of dynamic discipleship is crucial to releasing an unstoppable Jesus movement and it is much needed in the church as we see awakening happen among the younger generation.
In this seminar, we will hear from the Fusion coaching team, who will help us learn how to disciple people as Jesus did, and build a discipleship culture among Students, 20s and Gen-Z.Fusion believes that every student should have an opportunity to find hope in Jesus and home in the local church. They are passionate about seeing the younger generations discipled well, and raised up to be all God created them to be and play their part in his mission.
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Boardroom
A time of refreshing through personal encounter with the Lord in an atmosphere of reflective worship. As appreciated in previous years, a short time of reflective worship, away from the hustle and bustle of the main event. Led by Andy Bruce.
Saturday 1.45pm
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Thames Hall
How do I live out a calling to be salt and light in the world around me? How can I be a fruitful disciple of Jesus in the workplace? What does it mean to be a Daniel or an Esther in today’s world? Come and hear from Rebecca Smith, MP about her journey of becoming a Christian MP in parliament and what it’s like to be a Christian in politics.
Rebecca is the Member of Parliament for South West Devon. In 2015 she moved back home to Plymouth to try and become an MP. Over the following ten years she was elected twice to Plymouth City Council, served as Chair of the Planning Committee and Cabinet Member for Strategic Planning, Homes and Communities and led Plymouth’s Commission on Violence against Women and Girls. Since her election to Parliament in July 2024, Rebecca has served on the Transport Select Committee and has been an Assistant Whip since November 2024. As such, she is also a Junior Minister in the Shadow Department for Work and Pensions team. Alongside this Rebecca is Vice Chair of the All-Parliamentary group, Christians in Parliament and an active member of the Formula 1 and Motorsport All Party Group.
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Cherwell Room
Conflict is a constant in our world - we see among colleagues, family members, friends and even nations. Conflict is also so often present within the church. Handling conflict well is an ongoing challenge for any leader and one leaders often shy away from. This seminar will help to equip you to handle conflict well, in a manner that dignifies and honours, and brings clarity and truth.
Georgia leads Place for Hope (P4H), a mediation and reconciliation charity. Formerly the Church Commissioners’ Director for Planning and Engagement and Reparatory Justice Programme Director, Georgia brings more than 20 years’ senior leadership experience across the charitable and faith sectors.
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Hinksey Room
Pastoring and discipleship have been at the heart of the Salt & Light family for many years and are essential for churches to thrive – and yet, in many of our churches they are at low ebb.
What is our understanding of personal pastoring and discipling, and how can we bring fresh life to this practice in our churches today?
Come and be envisioned and equipped to reinvigorate your own pastoral relationship, and to disciple others with fresh clarity and faith.
Offering
God has initiated a new season in our family of churches - a season of working together more closely and more intentionally with a variety of joint initiatives and projects as we seek to journey together with shared vision and purpose. God is calling us into a fresh season of fruitfulness and thriving!
Please could you pray and reflect on how you could generously contribute to this? We will take an offering during Thrive to help us train leaders, disciple young people, support churches, impact other nations and see our towns and villages touched with the love of God.
Although each church gives regularly to help cover everyday costs, this fresh season of building together needs further finances to really give it a boost. Please consider giving generously and joyfully to this offering.
Booking
Volunteers: Thrive 2026 will rely on a good team of volunteers. Would you like to get involved behind the scenes, with a team, and benefit from a discount? Volunteers will serve drinks and food, clear venues and manage the car park. Full training given.
We ask you to volunteer for part of the time, as well as giving you space to attend some sessions. First, tell us you’re interested, and then we’ll reach out to you to discuss what you’d like to do, and how much.
Youth: We welcome Y12/Y13 youth to book, free of charge, to participate in Thrive. Other than nursing babies, we ask that children are not brought to Thrive. More on this below.
Car parking: There is an adequate amount of free car parking on-site, as long as we all maximize our occupancy by car-sharing. More on this below.
Booking is now closed (as of midnight, Monday 9th February).
FAQs
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We are a group of smaller churches in which Sunday gatherings often rely on key leaders, so we plan our annual 2-day conference to avoid Sundays.
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Thrive is one of our four main annual events. We welcome children and youth to the two Celebrations and to Wildfires, but unfortunately it is not feasible for us to offer childcare at Thrive, and we ask that children (other than nursing babies or Y12/13 youth) are not brought to the event.
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With 94 spaces on-site we anticipate adequate onsite parking for delegates, however, this is dependent on effective car-sharing. Please help your fellow delegates by car-sharing if at all possible.
Outside of Mon-Fri 8.00am-6.30pm there is also some on-street parking.
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All rooms being used for the event are acccessible by wheelchair, please let us know if you are likely to need to use the lift.
The prayer room (upstairs, also accessible by lift) will be available as a quieter space and there are a range of seating options throughout the building.
If you have differing capacity or needs which you would like support with please email events@advancechurches.uk
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For general terms and conditions, including discounts and accessibility, please visit https://advancechurches.uk/event-tc
For event-specific T&C please see the ChurchSuite sign up page.
We have suggested travel information here. Please be aware on road parking is not suitable Monday-Friday as it can only be used for 2 hours.