ANNUAL REPORT
2024
Senior Pastors’ Report
Duncan Clark
It was twelve years ago that, while out running, I sensed the Lord speak to me about Coventry Elim and that we should prepare to receive a thousand people in our Sunday services. At the same time a close mentor and experienced Pastor prophesied the words of Isaiah 54 over our church, ‘Enlarge the place of your tent, stretch your tent curtains wide.’ At that point the church began to hold monthly ‘Pray 54’ gatherings as we asked God to ‘enlarge’ us, we transitioned to hold multiple Sunday services and eventually we met together in the Belgrade Theatre. It was at the start of this year, 2024, that this prophecy was finally fulfilled as we had the privilege of receiving a thousand people (adults and children) at our in-person Sunday services for the first time. It has been a joy to see our local church gradually grow and thrive over the years, and to see God’s remarkable provision for our community.
For those who attend our Sunday services, you will be acutely aware that we often have a space problem! There are many Sundays where we are short of seats and the need of a new facility is obvious. It was last year that we launched our ‘Storehouse Fund’ and we’re so grateful to those who are continuing to sow into this project. Our prayer is that God would lead us to a new location where we can be ‘all together in one place’(Acts 2:1), a ‘storehouse’ for the harvest God is sending to us. Over the past year, as we’ve ‘pushed some doors’ and sought to move forward with this vision, we’ve not yet arrived at a solution. Our leadership team have become very much aware that we will need a miracle from God if we are to find a suitable new home where we can meet together!
While we experience some frustration regarding our own church building, I was delighted when our leadership team made the decision to provide the funds to construct a church building for another Elim church…in Kenya! Back in May it was a joy to host Archbishop Simon and Beatrice Githigi from Elim Kenya, and our church community responded so generously as we heard of the need for a church building for a new church plant. I hope to be able to see that new building in person at the start of next year! In fact, your generosity and faithfulness in the giving of tithes and offerings this year has once again been amazing. You will see from Andrew Varley’s report that your generosity and God’s wonderful provision has set records again this year. Thank you!
As I reflect on the year that has passed there are so many gatherings and groups that I would want to highlight and celebrate. Unfortunately, there’s not enough space to list them all, and I’m sure I would forget to mention at least one of them! And so, instead, I would want to express my gratitude to our wonderful Staff Team, Eldership Team, Ministry Team, Management Team and the army of volunteers who have worked tirelessly to serve our church community, maintaining our vision of being a ‘presence-led people’, prioritising worship, prayer and experiences of encounter in everything that we do together, whether it be serving the youngest child or the oldest adult. You are a dream team!
On a personal note, I continue to enjoy the opportunities I have to serve the wider Elim Movement as a member of its National Leadership Team. Recently this provided me with the privilege of travelling to New Zealand to minister in some Elim churches there, as well as their annual national conference. Earlier in the year I had the honour of taking two trips to Ireland to speak to Elim’s leaders and Pastors there. In February I also had the pleasure of releasing my second book, ‘Live Deeply’, written as a call to leave the shallows and to walk deeply with God, which again was published by Instant Apostle. My hope is that my writing becomes a resource for our church community, enabling you to share with friends and family some of our values and the culture of Coventry Elim.
Once again, it has been an honour to serve you, the local church, as one of your Pastors for another year.
With much love,
Pastor Duncan
When I was a trainee minister, one of the things I needed to evidence was regular reflection on ministry life, which prompted me to stop and ask, ‘What has God been doing?’ This process always filled my heart with gratitude as I reflected on the many ways God demonstrated his goodness. It is no different today (although I am no longer being assessed),as I reflect over the past 12 months with a grateful heart, I can see evidence of God’s goodness and grace towards us as a church community. I’ve had the privilege of reading through hundreds of testimony cards and had dozens of conversations all of which confirm that God is so mindful of us here at Coventry Elim.
Just this week, my heart was filled with joy when a lady from our community shared with me that her waiting season for a new house was over, as God had answered her prayers. In addition to this fantastic news, it was heart-warming to hear that members of our church community had already been around to help this lady paint the walls as she began to turn her house into a home. I’m grateful to be a part of such a wonderful church family.
Unsurprisingly, one of my personal highlights this year was the Roar Women’s Conference. Over 200 women from across the region (and beyond) accepted the invitation to ‘speak life’ and have life spoken over them, with each delegate receiving a prophetic card on arrival.
Something very special happens when a group of women lift their voices in prayer and praise, a hunger is stirred, and as always, God meets us all where we need Him most.
Like many other activities in the church, the size of the building limits the capacity of the conference. As a team, we believe that God wants us to remove the lid of limitation, so we are in the process of securing a bigger venue within Coventry for Roar 2025! I look forward to telling you more about these exciting plans in the coming weeks, but in the meantime, I ask that you pray for us as we take some bold steps of faith.
Praying for every blessing for you as this year draws to a close, I look forward to 2025 with great expectation and anticipation as we continue to be a people led by the presence of God.
Blessings
Pastor Shirene
SHIRENE AGBELUSI
Associate Pastors’ Report
Executive Pastors’ Report
Gaz Hutchinson
Looking back on this past year I find my heart is full of gratitude for all the amazing ways we’ve seen God move in our church family. I love the moments we get to gather and worship together and I want two start by thanking our amazing worship and production teams who serve so diligently during these meetings. They serve in so many ways, each one playing an important part. Some are on stage and some behind the scenes but each of them has the same heart; to worship God through their gifts and see Him glorified in His Church. In his recent trip to New Zealand Pastor Duncan shared with me a story of a Pastor he met who regularly watches our services online from the other side of the world! Testimonies like this are possible because of the faithful people who give up their time and energy so willingly to serve in these teams. It’s a wonderful example of what God can do through us as we serve him faithfully!
One of the joys of my new(ish!) role as Executive Pastor is the space it leaves for emerging worship leaders to step into, and I’ve been so blessed to see so many of our team grow in this way during the past 12 months. In fact I am on track to have led worship the least amount of times in a year since joining the staff in 2012! I appreciate that this might seem like a strange thing to highlight in an annual report however for me it is a sign of life in our church. God is raising up the next generation of leaders and it’s my joy to invest in them and support them as they follow His call on their lives. I’m so grateful for every one of them and all they do for our church. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the amazing team of people I get to work with. Dan, Lèna, Sam and our intern Jason serve the church with excellence and diligence week in and week out. As a church we LOVE to make our services special however it takes a lot of effort to do this well! I want to thank these guys for the hours they spend planning, filming, editing, setting up, packing down and many more things that help create environments that are special and that encourage people to worship God and encounter His love. They are a blessing to me and the church!
This past year I have continued to serve on the City Praise & Prayer planning team and we have recently launched some new regional meetings within the city. I’m excited to see how God uses these gatherings to equip and encourage the church to be people of light all across Coventry.
Pastor Gaz
Jeremy Hobday
Operations Director report
This has been another busy and exciting year, and one aspect of my work is to try and ensure the building inside and out is ready for each of the many events and meetings throughout the week, this is done of course with the help of all the staff and the many volunteers that serve here at Coventry Elim and I would like to thank them for this.
The other aspect to my work is the maintenance of the building which involves repair and replacement of various things around the building inside and out. The biggest single repair project this year has been the gutters and drainage for the bulkhead around the lower part of the building. The gutter had to be completely reconstructed and then re-lined, it had been in place over forty years. This totalled £17K but has enabled us to re-instate the lighting around the building just in time for the darker evenings.
Other tasks have included: Re-commissioning the office locks and a new side door lock while at the same time introducing new security code numbers for access. General decorating and cleaning of floors and carpets has been done in several areas and is ongoing as we make such good and frequent use of the facilities.
In the coming year we expect to carry out work on the guttering on the higher level and hopefully eliminate the leaks which affect the main roof over the Encounter room.
New Building Space – We are continuing to look at new spaces in terms of another building or adjacent land but the key to any purchase is the requirement of a significant percentage of the cost being needed as a lump sum for which we have setup the ‘Storehouse’ account. I have made enquiries regarding a large building nearby for perhaps renting space and we are waiting for further information from them.
We are grateful to God for this space, and I am so pleased we make such efficient use of it to His Glory.
Jeremy Hobday
Elders report
Bashir Jimoh
Greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is my privilege to present this report on our church's activities, and progress this year. This will be the first time writing the report on behalf of the church Elders. I give God all the glory for the opportunity to be part of a great team of Pastors, Elders and a Spirit–led church. Looking back at all that has happened in our church and Elders meetings, it is obvious that the hand of God is upon the church members.
It is a pleasure to serve alongside a dedicated, humble and anointed team of Pastors; we are grateful to God for providing us with such leaders who are willing to serve, follow and lead in the things of the Kingdom. The sermons delivered have been enriching and transformational. As a church, we have heard from God through the sermons and sermon series: Live Deeply, Fruitful Life, Red-letters, and Consecration series. The recent sermon series on Consecration has been well received, and many members have expressed how it has influenced their spiritual lives.
We are grateful for the continued generosity of our congregation. The tithes and offerings for this year have been astronomical. This has enabled us to support our various ministries and outreach programs.
The youth and young adult groups have been actively participating in various activities and the children's ministry has been thriving, with children given an opportunity to play, pray, practice the word, and praise our God.
I have had the opportunity to attend the Ablaze men's ministry meetings, and it has been great praying, singing, and fellowshipping with brethren of different ages. Kudos to Nelson and his team for the great work they have been doing working together in unison to the glory of God.
We have seen a steady attendance at our weekly worship services. We also have the privilege of ministering to people each week alongside our wonderful Ministry Team. We thank God for the testimonies read out during the church service and shared in private by our church members. We give God all the glory for the marvellous things He is doing in the lives of men, women, youth, and children.
In conclusion, I would like to thank all the members of our congregation, partners and volunteers for their unwavering support, dedication and prayers. Together, we are making a difference in our community and growing our faith. Let us continue to pray for God's guidance and blessings in all our endeavours. I believe God will continue to mesmerise us with His blessings. Shalom.
Bashir Jimoh
Limitless Youth Report
Daniel Duncan
God is moving so abundantly and profoundly in this ministry and I believe He’s only getting started, there is so much ahead of us as a youth family! We are seeing a new found hunger for the presence of God, for His Word and for the transformative power He brings. Our focus, especially since September, has been for the youth to go from people who are “Aware of Jesus and know about Him” to becoming people who “know Jesus in reality” – they know He is real, they have heard His voice, know what it means to fellowship with Him (based on John 17:3) and we are definitely seeing this.
One big highlight of the year had to be Limitless Festival in August. We took our biggest group yet to this year’s festival, 50 youth and 10 leaders! I truly believe something was deposited by God to the youth over the course of those 5 days. Many of the youth heard the voice of God for the first time in prayer and moments of worship and a new desire to be in the place of prayer with God was birthed. We heard many of the youth share stories of how this was the first time they worshipped with “true freedom”, not caring about how they looked, who was looking at them, but just being undignified in their praise and worship of Jesus. We are glad to say that this has not stayed at Limitless, but the youth have brought this zeal with them back here to Coventry Elim.
Wednesday nights are known at the church as the “best night of the week” as it is the day we gather as a youth group. Our nights are spent socialising with one another, worshipping together and hearing the word of God. There is a burning desire from the youth to go from “hearers of the Word” to “doers of the Word” and it is seen by the conversations we have as a youth group. We are seeing an increase in the size of our youth ministry, as people are constantly inviting their friends to Wednesday nights, on average we’re seeing numbers between 65-85 people per week. Adding this to our Sunday youth sessions, we are seeing well over 100 people attend youth gatherings per week.
With these increased numbers one of our focuses has been ensuring that bonds and friendships between the youth continue to be strengthened. We do not want to just say that we are a family, but truly practice that and there has been an emphasis this year on allowing the youth to know each other better. We have carried out a lot more sessions in groups, to get the youth interacting with each other, hearing each other’s views, and learning from each other! The Christian journey is not one to do alone!
We are so proud of how the youth are growing in their giftings and service. We have around 15+ who make up a core of the Limitless Kids Team here at church. A lot of the youth are carrying their light to their schools and everyday spaces too, in the last few months we had some youth performing worship in front of some MP’s and some doing Christian spoken word at a school event. In September, some of our youth shared a word and helped lead worship at a city wide youth event called Youth City Praise & Prayer, where over 400 youth across Coventry gathered to worship God.
None of these things would be possible without the grace of God and our amazing youth team. We have a team of around 25 volunteers who deeply love the youth and want to see them become the men and women of God He desires them to be. They serve them relentlessly, selflessly, and patiently and I would not know how to lead this ministry without them. I am so grateful to God for gifting me with such a great team and a great youth. The Lord is at hand!
Daniel Duncan
Soar Students & Young Adults
Tiana Holgate
It is a privilege and a joy to reflect on all that has grown amongst the young adults of our community. One year ago, we began a transition to serve 18-30-year-olds (previously 18-25), defined a set of core values, built a new team and launched a new rhythm of events. It’s a blessing to share that God has been present and faithful as always, and the community is growing and thriving.
Our Young Adult ministry, named ‘SOAR’ serves young adults within our community of varying life stages – including students, working professionals, parents and more. The tile SOAR (based on Isaiah 40:31) is also an acronym for our core values as a community: safe, open, anchored and ready.
One of our primary goals stepping into the 2023 academic year, was engaging 25–30-year-olds, to whom our young adult ministry was new. I’m delighted to share that this group now make up about 40% of our community!
The beauty of a young adult community is that we have a large proportion of university students, from a variety of backgrounds and with a great diversity of life experience. It’s been a blessing to see people find Jesus at this pivotal life stage and give their life to Him, surrounded by chosen family ready to spur them on.
In Term 1 during Autumn 2023, we launched ‘SOAR Nights’ – a monthly gathering for the community where we eat together, worship together, hear biblical teaching and discuss practical ways we can apply what we’ve heard to become more like Jesus. Around 75 of us gather in this way each month, as we’ve explored topics from spiritual rhythms to healthy relationships.
In Term 2, in response to a prompting from God to ‘stick to the basics’, we launched SOAR Bible Study where we walk through scripture in small groups, share what God may be saying to us, and solidify what we’ve heard in prayer. Between 30 and 40 of us meet weekly and the fruit is evident!
To close of the academic year in Term 3, we headed off-site for a SOAR Summer Social, where we had dinner to celebrate the gift of community, and all God had done amongst us this year.
A personal highlight has been seeing the SOAR community embed themselves across church life. Many of them consistently attend Formation Academy, serve across various teams in the church, and are actively discipling others.
As a team, we are committed to supporting and walking alongside the young adults and students in our community. As we enter the 2024/25 academic year, the focus remains on ensuring we provide a safe home for our young adults; remaining open to where God is steering us; staying anchored to His word and getting our community ready to step into the spaces God has for them.
I’d like to take the opportunity to say a great thank you to the SOAR team, my fellow staff members, our Elders and our wonderful congregation – all who cover us in prayer continually. I am hugely expectant for all that God will do amongst us in 2025!
Tiana Holgate
Limitless Kids report
Emma Bacon
This year we have seen many new families come and join us. As Sunday’s grow we continue to use the Ramada hotel for our year 5&6’s. We are really thankful for the amazing volunteer team in Limitless Kids and for all they pour out to make a Sunday happen! Our young leaders are a massive part of our team and God is using them in amazing ways. I am thankful for such a solid, committed, passionate team serving who serve wholeheartedly for the One children amongst large numbers.
Additional Needs/Belong Conference
We held our 3rd Belong conference this year. and it was yet again another amazing space where around 160 children and youth workers from across the UK attended (with a waiting list). This year we had a new parents room open where we saw many parents and carers gather together for prayer and community. Our additional needs ministry at Elim Coventry has continued to grow. It is so beautiful to see families joining together and finding their home in Elim Coventry. Having an increased number of children coming in who require additional support has faced us with challenges in terms of space and team, however we are tackling this currently through a 1-1 sign up system on planning centre. This is a big prayer request moving forward as it continues to grow and we continue to seek God in ways in which the church can be inclusive.
Midweek groups
We realised that a lot of the children had a real desire to play football, which was taking them away from midweek life group due to football commitments. Jesse from the Limitless kids team came forward to launch a new football ministry. Before every session Jesse leads the children in prayer and they always end with a focused devotion. AT7 centre know who we are now, and recently introduced a couple of parents to us whose children are now joining us fortnightly for Goalz. We are seeing it as something that could be an outreach!
Ignite Camp
This year we held our first ever in-house camp. The name of the camp came from 2 Timothy 1:6. Something was ignited in our kid and team during this camp! It was an incredible weekend. I have never heard our children pray like they did that weekend. Prayer was ignited in them. One child prayed, “God I pray we will be hungry for you before our breakfast” at the chapel. We had ongoing worship throughout the day in the main tent, lead by team, worship band and children. The camp ground was a thin space and God’s presence was thick. Every time the kids walked into the main tent, they were ready to press-in and worship.
Holiday Club
This years’ holiday club was called ‘Create’ and it was all about being God’s masterpiece, with a focus on identity. We had around 150 children attend. Around half from our congregation and half from outside. We had many children give their lives to Christ, Children were having dreams with God speaking to them, worship was on fire and children stepped into a call to leadership. We also saw a child who was non verbal speak! Holiday Club was amazing.
Emma Bacon
