The new Bible Month for 2026 is Philippians

For the New Year, Bible Month turns to the letter to the Philippians – a book overflowing with joy, encouragement, and Christ-centred hope. Written by Paul in prison, Philippians shows us how to rejoice in every circumstance, stand firm in faith, and press on towards the goal of knowing Christ.

This edition of Bible Month will allow churches, small groups and individuals to explore how to be a “joy and crown” (4:1) and discover strength in Christ (4:13). Let us press on together in the joy of the Gospel.

This new edition of Bible Month has been published in partnership with The Methodist Church, who will be providing a suite of additional online resources to help with your studies. These resources will be free to access and made available on both the Preach and Methodist Church websites.

We’ll keep buyers of Bible Month up-to-date when resources are released in early 2026. We expect the Philippians study guides to be in stock and available for distribution in early January.

If you’d like to be one of the first to receive the booklet, you can order in advance now through the shop.

 

Listen in to LWPT 

This month sees the launch of LWPT’s Podcast – The Word Shared. This exciting new development brings you another way to interact with us and will allow you to hear directly from your favourite Preach magazine columnists and join conversations with influential voices in 21st-century Christian leadership across the UK.

Upcoming episodes feature insights from James Catford and Mark Woods, interviews with Tom Wright, Tyler Staton, and Charmaine Yip, plus special bonus content with Louise, Carolyn, and Philip Yancey. We pray this podcast encourages and equips you in your ministry or passion for faith and staying true to Scripture.

Find out more and  how to tune in at preachweb.org/podcast

News Round Up

LWPT training day for preachers

As part of our commitment to invest in developing local church-based leadership throughout the UK, LWPT held a training day in October in Bedworth, Warwickshire, with a gathering of Wesleyan Reformed Union (WRU) preachers.

We led the preachers through three very practical workshops: Sermon preparation, Sermon visualisation and Sermon application. We asked preachers to think how they could refine the process of sermon preparation, whilst always considering how congregations hear and process what is said.

Being able to visualise what is preached can be a huge benefit for congregations holding phones in their hands and clicking on images that they can share later with friends and family. In congregations with a growing number of people whose first language is not English, this addition can make a significant difference. Being able to visualise the direction of the talk can increase the value of the preacher’s investment in the sermon.
Your sermon matters to God and his people. He uses what you have shaped in the study and the pulpit to shape his people. May your next sermon have our Lord’s inspiration built into every word and image that you have created.

Find out more about LWPT’s work and our development of Bible-based communication skills; Bible-based resources; and better access to tuition grants for further Bible-based training at lwpt.org.uk.

Can you speak Gen Z?

In the current issue of Preach, we explore how we can better speak to Gen Z – those aged roughly 13 to 28. We ask how preaching and church life can nurture godly, life-affirming outlooks while challenging those that are not.

Contributors Justin Brierley, Chi-Chi Obuaya, Charles Merritt, and Martin Saunders, among others, reflect on Gen Z’s culture and how we can communicate with and disciple them effectively.

Catch up with our latest webinar with Rick Lewis

Rick Lewis, Christian leadership mentor, explores the vital role that personality, character and self-awareness play in effective leadership and teamwork.

Learn from real-life examples, practical insights, and open discussion – all designed to help you grow in your ability to both lead and be led.
• Gain fresh insight into the role of personality in everyday church leadership.
• Learn practical approaches for managing conflict and building trust.
• Strengthen your leadership and followership skills.
• Discover what your fellow preachers were keen to learn from the Q&A session

Watch now here.

LWPT video stars

As part of our programme of spreading the word about LWPT, we recently produced a short promotional video to tell people more about us and our work.

t includes an introduction from trustee, Ian Coffey, and some wonderful contributions from LWPT alumni. Watch it now on our YouTube channel here.

Feel free to share the video far and wide to help us promote the good work of LWPT!

Coming up in Preach Issue 46 Spring 2026: Exodus

It’s the second book of the Bible but also a book of beginnings as the children of Israel become a nation in covenant with God and are given laws with which to know and follow him.

Amidst the thrilling events and miracles that have inspired Hollywood films, there are questions about how we best read the book today as New Covenant believers? What role should the Ten Commandments and other laws play today?

And what does this book teach us about God that revealed himself to these former slaves, on the way to the Promised Land? Look our for the issue in February 2026.

Thank you to all our fundraisers

We really appreciate all the efforts of everyone who has organised a tea party for us this year. The average amount raised was about £250, which is phenomenal.

There’s still time to organise your event and help LWPT give more support to preachers across the UK. You’ll find our fundraising toolkit at lwpt.org.uk/fundraise

Don’t miss our Preach online workshop with Ian Paul

Ian Paul, theologian, author and speaker, explores the question ‘Why do we preach?’ He’ll share tips for consideration on sermon preparation, understanding your congregation, and the origins of ‘preaching’ and its importance.

Ian is a theologian, author, and speaker, and the Managing Editor of Grove Books. He also runs the widely read theology blog Psephizo.

Watch live at 1pm on 19 November at preachweb.org/ workshops or catch up on our YouTube channel youtube.com/@PreachMagazine

Applications for LWPT grants are on the up

November sees us reviewing all grant applications and the holding of our LWPT Grants Committee Meeting. Again, we have been inundated with applications from around the UK and across all denominations.

If you’ve applied in this round of applications, we will be in touch to share results with you by the end of November. Our LWPT vocational grants are available to individuals who require financial support to enable them to pursue their  vocation in ministry.

Your donations to LWPT are vital to help us provide this support.

Please visit lwpt.org.uk/vocational-grants for further information and lwpt.org.uk/alumni to see how your donations help theological students in their future Ministry.

 

 

Extracted from Ichthus newsletter Winter 2025