As I reflect on this past year, the words that rise first are 'thank you.'

2025 has been our Year of Expansion – to become a deeper, healthier, more faithful and fruitful church. Expanding our trust in God, our obedience to His leading, and our willingness to step beyond comfort to, “Enlarge the place of your tent, stretch your tent curtains wide, do not hold back; lengthen your cords, strengthen your stakes.” (Isaiah 54:2). That, our keystone promise, captured both the faith and the wisdom required in this season - the courage to stretch, with the commitment to be strengthened.

This year we’ve sought to help people know Jesus more deeply, grow as disciples, and go into the world equipped with purpose and courage. Through teaching, worship, community, and evangelism we’ve seen God powerfully at work - drawing people back to Himself, rebuilding relationships, restoring hope, and shaping lives.

Encouragements

One of the great encouragements of this year has been the spiritual depth and focus of our teaching. Together we’ve lifted our eyes to a bigger vision of Jesus, rediscovered the supernatural unstoppable nature of His Church, and (if we found our SHAPE) what it means to live out faith in everyday life.

Our Kingdom influence continued to extend through our online output and LAUNCH - in a world that needs to see a bold and radical church make a ‘High Impact.’ I’m pleased we finally got the work on the Didsbury building over the line, and the Weekend Away captured something very special about who we are as a church that values presence, belonging, fun, and spiritual formation. I’m grateful for the ‘First Fruits’ generosity that made it possible and aware that growing in generosity will remain vital as we continue to reach out and make space for more people.

A special word of thanks to our serving teams.

Week in, week out, you’ve faithfully welcomed, prayed and led - giving time, energy, and love. Ivy exists and flourishes because of your quiet obedience and joy. Thank you for building God’s house and blessing so many people so well, together with my fellow leaders, teams, and staff.

On a personal note, I’m realising that ministry fruit may be best measured over decades, not years! I regularly hear from people who express gratitude for seeds planted many years ago, encouraging me to keep leading with faithfulness rather than striving for quick results. Now as we review with gratitude and look ahead with faith, I do so with expectancy and hope, praying Ivy Church will continue to be a supernatural community, all about Jesus, welcoming all, and helping people find their way back to God.

With love and gratitude,
Anthony Delaney

Knowing God

The buildings have increased in use for ministry notably with regular monthly prayer meetings, Sunday afternoon café-style church gatherings, prayer and prophecy events and WTC Kingdom Theology evenings. The addition of scripture on the walls of the Brockbank Centre (most prominently Isaiah 61) has been the catalyst for introducing people to Jesus.

Growing in Love

Building relationships with the local community and the stakeholders is at the heart of our vision. The Café prayer box is used regularly, and people have been attending the café to receive prayer from the team. Meeting the needs of the community and caring for them through events such as funeral receptions and 90th and 100th birthday parties has been really impactful on the attendees.

Going into the World

Going into the world is exactly what we are trying to do through Ladybridge Connect. By providing excellent and affordable facilities people encounter the love of Jesus by engaging with us through their various activities such as support groups, charities, counselling services, pre-school groups, and the sensory space. The Ivy Café is thriving with record numbers visiting, and with the introduction of the ‘Pay it Forward’ scheme we have been able to bless users of the Food Bank with vouchers to use in the café.

Knowing God

2025 will be remembered as a turning of the tide. Against a backdrop of steady decline in the UK Church, people from many unexpected places are finding their way back to God. Alongside this, confidence and opportunity are growing to share the gospel in creative ways. My alarm still sounds at 10:02 each morning when I pray Luke ch10 v2 with growing expectation and gratitude rather than limited hope:

“The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”

This year, nine Ivy members trained with Mission24. Alongside teaching and local outreach, they joined trips praying for and witnessing healing, miracles, and salvation in places such as Mexico, Rwanda, Leicester and North Manchester, partnering with local churches. Others have taken part in Great Commandent Training weekends and the Influence course.

Growing in Love

Monthly asylum meals continued, bringing together people from many nations, and All Things Common regularly gathered us to share stories and listen to one another.

Eight people took part in the Discipleship Pathway training, going deeper in their faith and reaching others. We joined The Send event in Manchester, part of a UK-wide movement calling believers to live missionally, alongside citywide prayer events throughout the year.

Going into the World

Regular activities through the Brockbank Centre, Ivy Café, sensory space, sports grounds, and the Didsbury building continue to reach new people. Many of you are praying for and responding to family, friends, and colleagues asking questions about faith, as well as helping with or taking part in Alpha.

Ivy’s mission partners serve in many different ways. Hope Lebdyn, despite the horrors of war, continues to serve people in the Sumy region of Ukraine, baking bread, meeting practical needs, running children’s and youth camps, and celebrating baptisms. Around 10,000 people are homeless in the city - one in every 61 and Barnabus continues to grow, supporting over 1,000 clients in the past year and helping more than 400 into accommodation, with 10 new beds added. Many clients attended the Holy Spirit Day as part of Alpha hosted at Ivy Didsbury. Boaz also serves those experiencing homelessness and people facing destitution in the asylum process, supporting over 600 people in the past year and advocating at city and government levels amid increasing hostility and upheaval.

Henneke Cook leads teams reaching women and families arriving at or stuck in Greek refugee camps who share their heartbreaking stories while Henneke’s team offers the hope of Jesus through trauma care, prayer, support, and friendship.

We enjoyed spending time with Nick and Becky and their family over the summer before they returned to Northern Africa, where they continue to see people come to faith, baptisms, discipleship, and new churches emerging in a challenging context.

We celebrate the work of NewDay United, seeing lives restored and communities transformed through initiatives that equip people for self-sustaining lives through training, employment, and Jesus. Dignity Life Groups are transforming lives across southern Africa and the UK, creating authentic communities of Bible study and prayer which deepen faith and empower people to reach others and meet practical needs.

Early Essentials has expanded its work, delivering more newborn baby packages than ever before. Safe Networks and Hope for Justice continue to confront human trafficking. Steve and Flor serve churches across Thailand through teaching and speaking. The Message Trust has had face-to-face contact with over 100,000 young people in the UK, spent 2,500 hours in prisons, delivered 16 million meals through community groceries, and trained evangelists in over 100 nations. Eden continues to live out the gospel in some of the UK’s most underserved neighbourhoods. Ivy’s involvement in planting Message Community Church is now being replicated as MCC supports a new Church of England plant in Wythenshawe.

What a year of growth! I pray that you have seen - and will continue to see - fruit as you live out God’s call in your home, on the streets, and wherever you spend your days.

Knowing God

This year marked my first as Discipleship Leader, and much of my focus was on listening, learning, and laying strong foundations for the years ahead. A significant highlight was our Autumn Alpha, where 29 people journeyed with us in exploring faith. Across the term we shared over 300 meals, created space for honest conversation, and celebrated people coming to faith as well as others taking meaningful steps forward in their walk with Jesus.

Growing in Love

We refreshed and relaunched The LAUNCH Podcast with Anthony Delaney, moving from occasional episodes to a weekly rhythm that equips listeners—inside and beyond Ivy—with biblical wisdom and confidence for discipleship. We also ran the Discipleship Pathway Course in spring, with eight participants deepening their understanding of what it means to follow Jesus and become disciples who multiply disciples.

Throughout the year we also gave away numerous Bibles, refreshed key resources, and introduced Sunday-story moments where people shared their BC/JC/AD testimonies—encouraging the whole church to grow in faith and boldness.

Going into the World

This year we equipped the church to share the gospel in everyday life, from Good Friday outreach on the streets of Didsbury, to giving away Discipleship Pathway resources at the LAUNCH Conference so other churches could be empowered to make disciples who make disciples.

2025 here at the Ivy CAP Debt Centre, is best told in 3 stories and words of our clients:

One large family has been supported very well by four Ivy folk, in their different profession roles, over the past 8 years. They can't believe they are finally debt free after so long.

Our longest standing CAP client faithfully repaid his debt and finally is debt free. He said “Thank you so much!! Been waiting for 7 years to hear this great news. I couldn’t have done it without the help of everyone at CAP. You guys were there for me when I really needed it and I’ll never forget that! "

The most complex and heartbreaking case I have seen is a woman who has just become debt free after many years of struggling. She said "I can't believe it! I have been in tears, it's been so long coming, thank you so much. Nothing good ever happens to me. Your church has done more for me in 6 months that all the other years of help combined".

We have also been able to help apply for energy trusts, give fuel vouchers, do emergency food shops, befriend, buy school uniforms and help appeal against injustices.  2 of our Debt free clients even featured in The Sun newspaper.

The CAP Debt Centre has both helped people overcome crippling financial stress and opened doors for them to engage with the church community and hear about Jesus in a context where they feel cared for and supported. These stories highlight how CAP can be a springboard for deeper connection and is a practical missional opportunity to meet real needs, and demonstrate God’s love in tangible ways. Knowing, growing, going.

Thank you, Ivy, for enabling this to happen.  

Knowing God

In 2025, LAUNCH continued to stir fresh confidence and spiritual renewal among leaders across the UK. Through the Catalyst gatherings, high-quality teaching, worship and ministry created space for leaders to encounter God deeply and regain clarity in their calling. Our developing partnership with Living On The Edge further strengthened this with a focus on ‘High Impact Church’, providing additional discipleship resources and apostolic input that helped leaders grow in their understanding of God and their identity in Christ. Feedback remained overwhelmingly positive, reflected in an excellent NPS of 88%.

Growing in Love

Community and collaboration flourished this year. Catalyst events brought together a diverse mix of leaders—pastors, pioneers, ministry teams, networks and Christian organisations. Across both gatherings, we welcomed representation from 69 churches, 44 Christian organisations and 14 church networks, demonstrating the wide reach and relational strength of the Launch movement. LAUNCH Communitas further supported this by offering regular opportunities for connection, shared learning and encouragement.

Going into the World

The impact of LAUNCH extended far beyond our physical gatherings. The LAUNCH Podcast continued to equip and challenge leaders nationwide, while Anthony’s blog reached a broad audience with posts offering encouragement, strategic insight and apostolic perspective. These digital channels significantly broadened our influence, mobilising leaders to carry Jesus’ mission into their churches, communities and beyond.

Knowing God

We had a week of Prayer and Fasting in February, seeking God and His will for us as a church and individually. As a church, we want to go deeper in knowing who God is and to work with Him in all we do.

We have continued with our monthly Ignite nights, refocusing on intercession alongside worship. We’re expanding our prayers so that we’re praying and trying to capture what is on God’s heart.

We’ve also started the weekly Prayer Hut prayers slots on Monday evenings, pursuing God and interceding for the city.

Growing in Love

In worship teams, we encourage building relationships with each team member alongside serving on Sundays, including that we share any prayer points to support and encourage one another.

A new youth mentoring programme has been set up starting with a small group, with the view to expand in the new year. It’s important that young people understand the foundation of why we worship and to help build their confidence to get involved in ministry.

Worship Leaders have been meeting regularly to build the community in love and support for one another, to build on their knowledge of worship, and of the practicalities of worship leading and to equip them to serve with confidence.

Going into the World

We had the opportunity to worship in Didsbury village at Easter alongside Sarah sharing the good news. We have a number of people going onto the streets to pray for them. We’re so encouraged that many people respond positively.

Knowing God

This year, we celebrated multiple baptisms across both Didsbury and Cheadle Hulme, rejoicing as people publicly declared their faith. Our Tuesday morning prayer gatherings have continued consistently, forming a faithful rhythm of intercession. We also joined with other churches for united prayer meetings every lunchtime throughout January and took part in leading an all-night prayer event where 27 churches were represented. We have really felt a deeper call to prayer this year and believe it’s just the start of that journey.

Growing in Love

We invested intentionally in discipleship and leadership development. Leaders were trained for the upcoming Healed and Whole course, which we plan to launch in 2026. I travelled to Germany to learn from Steiger, gaining fresh insight into mission and discipleship among the next generation. We also established a new online Grow Group and continued to host weekly online services, creating accessible spaces for being members of one body together. We also had 5 members of the church finish the Mission 24 training in the summer, and 3 new starters in the 2025-26 cohort.

Going into the World

A new monthly missional group began outreach in Didsbury, sharing the gospel and building connections in the community. Alongside this, our mission weeks with Mission24, Fusion and Steiger saw hundreds of people make commitments to follow Jesus. We also piloted a Beauty for Ashes evening, helping shape plans for a series of “music, mission and miracles” nights in 2026.

Knowing God

This year at Ivy Kids we have seen children continue to grow in their knowledge of God, His Word and experience His Holy Spirit in their every-day lives. We encourage every child to practise both in church and at home - learning to listen to the Lord together and to hear and discern His voice for themselves.

In September, Holly attended the Supernatural Kids Ministry Leaders Summit in the USA. She returned fired-up and inspired, bringing fresh vision and practical tools to develop Ivy’s families, and parents ministry. We are excited to see what the Lord will do through all she learned.

Growing in Love

It has been wonderful to welcome new families to Ivy Kids this year and see them settle in and grow in friendships together. Every child is welcomed and included by the team and by our Ivy kids who are amazing at welcoming and making everyone feel part of the group!

A major highlight for us this year was our Ivy Church weekend away, where children worshipped alongside adults, developing greater freedom in worship and spent time in their sessions and around the dinner tables to get to share and grow in their church community.

Going into the World

Through each of our Ivy Kids outreach events, Backpackers, Light Party, and the Grotto & Nativity Trail, we welcomed over 260 children and their families, preaching the gospel and sharing the hope and light of Jesus in our community.

Ivy Buds has continued to impact little ones and their carers, with the Cheadle Hulme group booking up as much as a week ahead of time and we are planning how to develop these links further. Thank you to the teams who serve each week.

The Sensory Space is well used and much appreciated by families of kids with additional needs and by new mums with babies, many booking regularly and looking forward to coming back.

We are hugely thankful for our 40 amazing team members both adults and youth who serve regularly on Sundays, discipling and teaching our children each week, and for the additional 40 people, adults and youth who served on our outreach events teams. - You are all AWESOME!

(More opportunities to join our team in 2026 so please contact Holly to find out more!)

Please continue to pray for our Ivy Kids and their parents and carers as we move into another year of seeking the Lord and learning and growing together in our faith, and for the Ivy Kids team who serve with love and passion for Jesus!

Knowing God

This year Ivy has facilitated and partnered with believers from Manchester, Chester, Liverpool and Stoke-on-Trent in ‘knowing God’ in exciting and transformational ways through the WTC Theology Hub. Students have come from all different walks of life to meet together to think about God in deep and rewarding ways. It is impossible to spend such focussed time and energy looking at God and not find Him looking back at you in return - and feel yourself deeply known. We have so many stories this year of what that has meant for students, and how it has changed and shaped them: seeing Jesus through fresh eyes, understanding more of what it means to be the Church, being challenged about what living in the kingdom looks like, and being able to bring deeper understanding when they read the Bible. It has been a fun year.

Growing in Love

We sat at the beginning this new term and shared what God had been doing in people’s lives through study. Again and again students have been surprised and deeply grateful for this journey of growth. Everyone comes in at a different place, but each one goes on a journey. In many ways its a head journey, but it is also one of the heart and in the Spirit. We find God in the teaching, the reading and the writing; but also in this community that we’re in. The Hub is a vibrant, loving community and we grow in God as we walk together and learn from each other, as we discuss, pray and worship.

Going into the World

Hub students come from different contexts - charities, ministries, industry, healthcare, police. No matter what the arena, learning more about God equips them for every day life. Whether it is visiting the persecuted church or being a call handler for the most urgent of life’s moments, knowing God impacts each one. It is such an honour to witness God shaping and forming people as they choose study as an act of worship for a season of their life. Ivy has the opportunity to host a place of growth and transformation that is making an impact as that transformation enters into the real life contexts of every student. Thank you Ivy!

Knowing God

At the start of the year, the Elders gathered for a retreat to pray and define our Ivy Vision. Through prayerful discussion, we affirmed that Knowing, Growing, and Going has always been central to Ivy under Anthony’s leadership and will continue to guide us. Throughout the year, we have asked whether our decisions and ministries help us know God more, grow in faith, and go with His love into the world.

God has drawn us closer to Him through excellent Sunday teaching and the rich conversations within our Grow Groups. Our understanding has been deepened and challenged by the exceptional teaching from Anthony and the staff team. We especially thank those who stepped into teaching across our locations within all our ministries, particularly those teaching courageously for the first time.

Growing in Love

During our retreat, we also completed a church governance audit as the first step in our work with the Maclellan Foundation for Church Governance. As an eldership team, we take our calling seriously and want to be well equipped with the tools and biblical insight needed for healthy, effective leadership. We are grateful for this opportunity and look forward to continuing our development with Maclellan in the coming year.

In November, we ventured out for our Church Weekend Away, braving wind, rain, and floods to reach Swanwick. The effort was well worth it as we grew closer in worship, through practical and life‑shaping teaching, and in the conversations and seminars where we dug deeper together. We also enjoyed time playing sports, walking, and learning more about praying for and trusting God for healing. We sincerely thank everyone who organised, served, led sessions, planned activities, and contributed to a wonderful time together. We are already looking forward to the next one!

Going into the World

At February’s AGM, we shared our desire as a church to go into the world and invite others to Know God, making His love tangible through our words and actions and carrying His kingdom into the places where we live and work.

This year we have seen that vision expressed in many wonderful ways, with testimonies of people stepping out in boldness bringing great joy and encouragement. Ladybridge Connect continued to reach out through the Ivy Café, offering conversation and prayer, thank you to all who serve and faithfully support this work in prayer. We are deeply grateful for volunteers leading Grow Groups and our men’s, women’s, youth, children’s, and community ministries across Didsbury and Ladybridge. Alongside these, Alpha, CAP, Mission 24, our mission partners, the Didsbury Saturday group, Together at the Table, Baby Buds, and many other initiatives have helped extend God’s love far beyond our walls.

Thank you to everyone who has served, both in the seen and unseen. God knows every act of service, every prayer, and every moment of quiet faithfulness, and we are deeply grateful. As we look toward 2026, we trust the Lord to continue His work among us, bringing the restoration and renewal only He can give.

With love and prayers,
The Elders