To Lead, To feed, To Care

Presented by Pastor Matt Davis

“A vision does not have a finishing line or a completion date, there is a crossover between what has been and what is going to be. Presenting the new vision simply refreshes, re-energises and refocuses us on why we are here and what we are doing here.”

In 2016 we wanted to reach out, bring in and build up. In 2019 we wanted to build, with the focus being on the health of the church being more important than the growth of the church. In 2022 we wanted to focus on the invitation and now we arrive at 2025 ready for the next part of the journey.

I would not be where I am now without the support of my amazing wife Athena and family. I have been blessed by working with a great team of Elders, a fantastic Staff team and a wonderful Church who step up to serve and be a part of what God is doing in advancing His kingdom here on the Shankill in Belfast.

This vision is being presented by the Lead Pastor Matt Davis on behalf of the Oversight of Living Hope Belfast on Sunday September 7th 2025.

The Biblical Basis for the New Vision

In John 21 Jesus has risen and He spends some time with Peter who is feeling guilty at his denial of Jesus before He went to the cross. The following conversation takes place.

15 When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.” 16 Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.” 17 The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my sheep.”

The first thing to establish in this story is a picture of church as it is and should be:

  • Place of forgiveness

  • Place of restoration

  • Place of purpose

  • Place of mission

  • Place of hope

Each of the three statements of Jesus to Peter illustrate the three commands that he has to follow as each has a different meaning.

Take care of my sheep - To LEAD them

To FEED my sheep – To provide for them

Feed my lambs – To take CARE of them

The Biblical meaning of the word ‘feed’ is to provide food for nourishing and instruction that encourages the growth of a believer. A shepherd’s primary roles are to lead, supply, guard and protect.

The Change

Our church has grown both spiritually and numerically, as we began our journey to look after the health of the church, the church began to grow because healthy things grow. Our numbers attending on a Sunday are a reflection of that and it has made me realise that we have to make some changes as far as leading church goes. The vision for the next three years falls under three headings:

  • TO LEAD

  • TO FEED

  • TO CARE FOR

TO LEAD

We have been a church in recent years that equips and releases people into the ministry that God calls them into. There will be, over the next three years, a focus on the development of the leadership of the church. ‘If we want something we have never had before we have do something we have never done before.’

TO FEED

There has to be a spiritual purpose to all we provide as a church. We currently have nearly 40 ministries within the church that people can get involved with and serve. To grow as a believer we emphasise the importance of three areas:

1.CHURCH

We divided into two Sunday morning services in April 2024 with the aim of 100 people coming to each service.

There is in church an opportunity for everyone who has made LHB their home to join a Life Group. There are currently six groups running once a month, meeting on different nights and they follow on from the Pastor’s Bible Study, as well as pray for and encourage one another.

Our Young Families ministry has led some courses - ‘Raising Faith’ ‘The Dad, Connection’ and a ‘Mind of their Own’, all with the aim of helping, supporting and encouraging parents.

Our Youth Work and Young Adults work has grown and the first and third Sunday night of the month in church is a focus upon those generations with a program running after the church service.

2. PRAYER

Prayer is the foundation of our church. It takes on many different approaches in our church:

ENCOUNTER Prayer Meetings – twice monthly on Tuesday evenings

Prayer Ministry – after every Sunday service

Prayer Time – before every Sunday evening service for 30 minutes

Week of Prayer – Every six months a week is set aside to pray in the morning and evening in the church

Prayer Page – Many needs are presented by people on our social media platform

3. THE WORD

  • Teaching

  • Pastor’s Bible Study

  • Academy

  • Life Groups

TO CARE FOR

Our church is multi-generational; there is no one group that is more important than another, and each generation needs each other. Our investment into all those generations over the years have seen an increase in the number of people attending church. The church has an important role in caring or the flock that has been entrusted to them. We are not a club to join, but a family to belong to. We want to follow on from the effect of the ‘Invitation’, that has been our focus for the past three years, to discipling those who have come along and accepted the invitation.

WHAT’S NEW?

With this new vision in mind there are some things we would like to do by the end of this new vision:

  • The appointment of three new Elders as the Oversight of the church.

  • Twelve Tuesday nights spread out over the next three years for a course called ‘LEAD’ that will develop the existing and new leaders in church. This will form the ‘equipping and releasing’ part of the vision.

  • We have reached the target of 100 people at each of our Sunday morning services so we now look to see 150 people attending each service by the end of this next vision.

  • We plan to have 12 life groups running in the church, which could include a group for parents, daytime etc.

  • We want to continue to develop ministries that support and help people in a practical way. There will be a focus on the Kintsugi Hope ministry.

  • Our Maids of Honour Event will now be run across two nights in the same week.

  • Development of a creative arts program.

  • Mission to Helping Hands becoming yearly and also some mission trips closer to home within CCI.

  • A Young Families Church service (11.30am) starting once every 6 weeks that will incorporate and involve our children under 11 into church participation.

  • The Visitation team will be changing its name to the Pastoral Care Team, and will now include the Elders of the church and the established members that currently are involved. The Pastors will continue to do all hospital visits and visits of a serious nature, with the aim of the whole church being visited at least once a year to be encouraged, helped, supported and prayed for.

25th Anniversary

On September 4th 2026 I will be marking 25 years of full time ministry at Living Hope. It has been a privilege and an honour for Athena and myself to serve for as many years as we have here and we have been so blessed to be a part of what God has done and what he is doing in people’s lives and the church. From starting out as the church worker through to becoming the Lead Pastor, I am so thankful to God for what I get to do on a daily basis. I never thought beginning this journey 25 years ago that being used by God for his purpose would bring so much joy, fulfilment and blessing and I am so thankful to the church for their part in all of that over these many years. I still believe our best days are ahead of us.

- Pastor Matt Davis