Vision Sunday Follow-Up Letter

Thank you to everyone who was with us on Sunday. It was good to look back over the last year with thanksgiving and look ahead to where we believe God is leading us as a whole church — one church, two bases, Philadelphia and King’s Centre together. For anyone who couldn’t be there, or who would like a reminder, I wanted to send this letter with a summary, a link to listen again, and where to find your next steps.

Looking back with thanksgiving

Over the last year we’ve had a lot to be thankful for: the sale of two of our Philadelphia buildings to Victory Assembly Church; provision through a tight financial season, including the £46,000 the whole church — King’s Centre and Philadelphia together — gave so generously towards the roof and boiler repairs here; the life and growth we’re seeing through King’s Kids and food bank; a significant joint service with St Thomas Crookes; and a deepening partnership with the 24-7 Prayer Network.

The vision that doesn’t change

We were reminded that our calling, rooted in Isaiah 61, Luke 4 and John 20:21, is to bring the good news of the kingdom to bear on three kinds of poverty — spiritual, relational, and material. We are blessed, as Abraham was, so that we can be a blessing to others (Genesis 12). And we were reminded of the scripture that has informed us over the years: the open door that no one can shut (Revelation 3:8), and the recent prophetic call to dig into wells that haven’t dried up but that only need drawing from again.

Five priorities for 2026–27

• Prayer & Presence — everything flows from seeking God first: monthly whole-church prayer gatherings alternating between Philadelphia and King’s Centre, growing rhythms with the 24-7 Prayer Network, and our staff team gathering here once a month to seek God together as one NCS team.
• Buildings as Mission Hubs — both our sites becoming true seven-day community hubs — food bank, King’s Kids, Connect Café and supper clubs — with clear pathways from receiving to belonging to following Jesus, as capacity allows.
• Communities — growing our understanding and practice of community here at King’s Centre, so that everyone has people to walk closely with, not just the Sunday gathering.
• Whole-Life Discipleship — recognising that most of our following Jesus happens Monday to Friday, at home, work, school, or university — what are you doing this time tomorrow?
• Partnerships & Tribe — continuing to grow alongside those God has given us to walk with: St Thomas Crookes, the 24-7 Prayer Network, our mission partners, and organisations like CSW.

Five ways to step in

• Go deeper — settle in your heart to draw near to Jesus first, and find a rhythm that helps you do that.
• Belong — commit to gathering with us and to being part of a community here at King’s Centre.
• Serve — ask God where he might be calling you to give your time — and thank you for how many of you already do.
• Give — prayerfully consider what you might give financially this year.
• Tell your story — talk about Jesus, not just about church, with the people around you.

Listen again

If you’d like to listen to the full talk again, or share it with someone who wasn’t with us, you can find it here: Vision Sunday | Mike Rutter — King’s Centre, 27 September 2026 (Spotify).

Explore the next steps

You can find all the ways to go deeper, belong, serve, give, and tell your story — with practical next steps for each, shaped for King’s Centre — on our website: ncsheffield.org/kings-centre-next-steps.

What’s God saying, and what will you do about it?

Can I encourage you to do two things? First, keep asking those two questions we sat with on Sunday: what is God saying to me, and what am I going to do about it? Second, look at the next-steps opportunities above and take whatever step he’s showing you.

God bless,

Mike