In issue 34 of the connexion, we highlight several churches that have been trying new things in order to support their communities.

In Hull, the fourth most deprived area in England, a small urban church is coordinating initiatives designed by and for community members facing multiple deprivation. In Northamptonshire, a community hub has been established by church members spurred into action by the stabbing of a local teenager, while in St Ives, Cornwall, a parent and toddler group is providing opportunities for vital mutual support for families.

Volunteers at a Tea and Toast drop-in project at a Huddersfield church are, themselves, finding a sense of purpose through journeying with locals struggling to make ends meet, and in Hampshire a congregation’s drive towards net zero carbon emissions is facilitating more community outreach.

Also in this issue, we bring you a report on the new President of the Methodist Church, the Revd Helen Cameron’s pre-induction visit to Kenya and Uganda, and news from the annual Methodist Conference meeting held in Leeds in July.

It’s our hope that, wherever you are in your own life and on your own faith journey, you will be inspired by reading about the people and projects featured in these pages.