Dear Heartcry Family,       

Summer is here! Kids are out of school, exam season is finishing, students have left our cities for home and the temperature is ramping up. We were HOT these last weeks with temperatures of  over 32C in Oxford – about 90F – we British were convinced it was too warm! 

At the same time I believe that the spiritual temperature is rising too. This week I have heard of three different churches who are having to have regular baptisms, stories of people just coming to church after dreams or just feeling curious. A young man appeared in church and stated – please I need to speak to someone. He had had a dream three nights in a row where a person was pointing at him and saying YOU NEED TO GO TO CHURCH! After some conversations he gave his life to Jesus and is now on fire. People are calling it the Silent Revival or Quiet Revival. Statistics show that GEN Z are buying bibles! Christian publisher SPCK has reported an increase in Bible sales of 87 per cent between 2019 and 2024, and identified it as a generational culture shift – it is the under 35 year olds who are buying bibles. A survey by OnePoll in January found that 62 percent of 18 to 24-year-olds identified as “very” or “fairly” spiritual, compared to 35 per cent of people over 65. An Oxford student recently posted this on his social media site- “What’s with the converting people at Oxford? I’m not saying anything is wrong with being religious but since going to University, I have seen so many friends become religious since attending. I have friends who were the most atheist type of people, now they are very strict on religion and obsessed with Christ. I know the colleges are old fashioned and have traditions but for me if I heard about a religion or new idea, I would not necessarily convert and just gather knowledge as a learning aspect. It’s just a bit strange to me that people who were very atheist, left winged and even LGBT have become super conservative and religious since attending this University. I don’t see this happen at other Universities, so it’s quite shocking to me.” 

These are exciting days to be Jesus people. There is a hunger and a curiosity about God. I have felt God say that these days of encounter that are coming are not just about knowing the presence of God and a new depth of relationship with Him but also a time of NEW authority against the devil, and the spiritual powers and all the godly atmospheres and attitudes that we have had in our nations. This is a time when we need to pray and harvest – days of acceleration are coming. Swift, fast moving days when we need to learn to run with the plans and momentum of God. 

““The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when the reaper will be overtaken by the plowman and the planter by the one treading grapes. New wine will drip from the mountains and flow from all the hills, and I will bring my people Israel back from exile. “They will rebuild the ruined cities and live in them. They will plant vineyards and drink their wine; they will make gardens and eat their fruit. I will plant Israel in their own land, never again to be uprooted from the land I have given them,” says the Lord your God.” Amos 9:13-15 NIV

June has been a very busy but rewarding month. Our feet have hardly touched the ground since we returned from America. Helen is still on a recovery plan but now able to stand for more prolonged periods of time and to drive for about an hour! She was able to minister at a ladies breakfast in Camberley this month, her first ministry since her surgery in February. In the meantime Gordon has helped me, ministering in Okehampton and Sheffield, preaching at the Bible school and imparting a passion to carry Jesus into our communities. I travelled to West Ireland alone and spoke at the women’s conference, but also ministering to the leaders, youth, young adult and other church teams. I had the privilege of speaking in Tuam on the Sunday morning on Father’s Day and encouraged them to know He is the God who heals the wounds of the land. We also had the joy of being part of ONE DAY for the Hillsong girls as Nicola spoke powerfully on the theme of ARISE. It was a prophetic call to the woman to arise in this season, breaking all the insecurity and inferiorities of the last season, time to nurture our nation with God’s love. 

While doing so much ministry within church walls, Gordon, Helen and I have also sat with many leaders on zoom calls or in our home, praying with them and encouraging them with strategy and confidence in this next season. So many leaders are in a time of transition or having a time of sabbatical and rest. We also had our two Roundhouse Leaders Days where we discussed, connected, empowered each other to plan for transformation. We felt the challenge of being prepared, consecrated, dedicated and commissioned in this new season. There is a desire to cultivate good practice, healthy rhythms of life and a more Jesus-centric, presence aware community lifestyle. There is a new hunger for God in leaders. Often the conversations are about how we can help people live in true freedom from emotional trauma, fears, anxieties and mental conflict. 

Time has also been spent writing! Helen is writing the training manual on The Holy Spirit and prayer ministry. The Eat the Word study guide has just been completed and published on Amazon. I have spoken on podcasts and given an INSPIRED story on the Simon Guillebaud podcast that will be released soon. It is also a time for prayer. With the global crisis, war and rumours of wars and the ethical choices our governments are making,  we need to pray.  So life is busy!

Helen writes: Rachel was not going to tell you this herself but as a team we are too proud of her to keep this quiet! At the beginning of June Rachel was given a special “Woman of Distinction” award in Windsor by HRH Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, on behalf of the “She Leads” network who honour the contribution of women in senior leadership roles across the spheres of society. We were thrilled that Rachel’s dedication was recognised in this way.   

There will be NO Heartcry news in August so we have included the ministry schedule for both July and August below.  Our Fresh Bread messages will be a summer special of conversations with two amazing ministers, Diane Fink and Pastor Trevor Seaman, so do look out for those on our YouTube and Facebook page on the first Sunday of July and August respectively. Also for your diaries, please save the date of our next Legacy Day here in Oxford on Saturday 28 September.  Bookings for that will be open from mid-August so please watch our social media for that announcement. 

Ministry Dates June 2025

2 July            Elim Leaders network, Crewe, UK (Rachel & Gordon)
5-6 July Barking Elim & East Ham Elim training days and church services (Rachel & Gordon)
6 July Fresh Bread message, Heartcry social platforms (Conversation with Diane Fink)
13 July Alive Church, Grantham, UK (Rachel, Gordon and Helen)
19 July Filling Station, Brandsby Hall, York, UK (Rachel & Gordon)
20-27 July Rachel & Gordon on leave
30-31 July Retreat days (Rachel & Helen)
3 August Fresh Bread message, Heartcry social platforms (Conversation with Ps Trevor Seaman)
2-5 August Hosting pastors from Australia
11-26 August Rachel & Gordon on leave
29-31 August Bergen, Norway (Rachel & Gordon)

So thank you for all your support, prayer and encouragement. In July I will be having some routine planned surgery, and will need 2 weeks to recover and then Gordon and I will take holiday time in August. We will start the autumn ministry season in Norway at the end of August. 

All our love and a thousand hugs and blessings.
HAPPY SUMMER BREAK!
Rachel, Gordon and Helen.