City Vision sets out vision for
UK transformation at London leaders’ conference
www.cityvision.life
City Vision, a national charity with a vision to see U.K cities transformed, co-hosted the “In Every City” conference at The London Academy, Edgware, on Saturday 14th July in partnership with “No Limits International Christian Centre." Church and business leader delegates were encouraged and inspired to see themselves as agents of positive transformation in their communities, especially in London.
Visionary speakers with first-hand experience of facilitating transformation in their own city were on hand throughout the day to provide practical examples of how to grow unity between church, business, community, voluntary and government leaders in order to see God’s Kingdom come to their city. Numerous video examples were shown from leaders across the UK who are involved in transforming their city.
The City Vision approach includes core processes, a growing range of resources and a series of conferences/workshops to support transformation in cities. These have been evolved from the corporate career of City Vision's founder, Tony Hodges with a 30-year career working with large organisations employing hundreds of thousands of people.
Tony, who set the context and broad vision for the conference said, “this was the third conference hosted by City Vision and provides a template for a roadshow for the U.K that can serve as a catalyst for growing church and business unity in any city, resulting in co-ordinated transformational action built upon godly values and the country’s rich Christian heritage. The response from delegates to the City Vision approach was so positive on the day, with the phrase “You’re onto something!” the refrain that’s been consistently fed back at previous events."
Ben Woollard, City Vision Development Director and Naz Masih, City Vision Project Coordinator led a morning session to encourage business leaders to see their work as an act of service to God that’s as relevant for their city as time spent in church.
Ben said, “There was a sense at the conference of a growing momentum of godly transformation in cities right across the UK.”
David Barker, the founder of the Centrist Political party joined the conference for an expert Q&A panel to discuss how the churches of a city can engage with their local government for the transformation of their communities.
Tim Coleman, Communications Director for City Vision, shared from his local government experience, taking delegates through the inner workings of how a city in the U.K functions and how to engage with and influence local government policies.
Eugene Ajayi from the Aylesbury Church Network also gave delegates some tried and tested methods and processes from the front line of positive local change.
Finally Richard Gamble from The Wall (www.thewall.org.uk) – shared his vision and an update on the UK’s first national prayer monument, with its associated answered prayer database, on how it could connect cities across the country and be a national catalyst for prayer.
Discussions continued after the conference had finished around the possibility of boroughs of London serving other boroughs in a “twinning” relationship of mutual service and the sharing of ideas/best practice in the context of transformation.
You can view the videos that were shown at the conference on the City Vision Vimeo channel.
There is also a bigger picture emerging as a number of national transformation ministries begin to work together and serve one another.
His Kingdom Come,
Tim and the City Vision team.
If you’re interested in City Vision running a conference in your city to stimulate and facilitate transformation please call the City Vision office on 01924 379796.