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The Made For More initiative within the Tove Benefice is continuing to gather momentum, strengthening its vision of nurturing deeper faith, encouraging shared learning, and growing confidence in gentle, everyday faith‑sharing across the community. What began as a hopeful idea has already sparked new connections, new volunteering, and a renewed sense of purpose among those taking part.
The first Made For More gathering in January set the tone for what has become an encouraging and Spirit‑filled journey. Revd Charlie Nobbs from the Diocesan Mission Team, Liz Kelly from Anna Chaplaincy, and volunteers from the Open the Book team in Whittlewood Benefice all joined the morning, offering stories, prayerful support, and practical insight.
Around 30 people attended - a sign of real appetite for shared exploration. Several left feeling so inspired that they later enrolled in the summer Anna Chaplaincy course. Others expressed interest in joining Open the Book, which will begin after Easter in the benefice’s two church primary schools, with hopes of reaching two local community schools in time.
For many, the morning felt like a glimpse of what church community can be at its best: people learning together, discovering new ways to serve, and encouraging one another in faith.
Building on this early momentum, the second Made For More session took place on 28 February. This time the gathering welcomed the Revd Becky Dyball - Bishop’s Missioner and founder of Coffee Ark, a mobile coffee shop with a heart for people who feel isolated or unseen. Becky shared how simple acts of presence, friendship, and hospitality can help someone discover hope again. Her gentle wisdom sparked thoughtful conversations about how faith can be shared naturally and kindly in daily life.
Revd Nigel Clent, Curate of the Tove Benefice, offered a warm invitation to this session. Speaking with honesty and humour, he reflected on how some church words - especially “evangelism” - can make people want to disappear behind their chairs. Yet he invited the Benefice to re‑imagine evangelism not as pressure, but as blessing: the simple act of being a gift to another person through listening, kindness and authentic conversation.
If faith‑sharing begins not with speeches but with conversation, he suggested, then perhaps we are more equipped than we think. “You don’t need to be an expert,” he encouraged. “You simply need to be yourself, and that is more than enough.”
Plans are already in motion for the next Made For More gathering in May. Details will be posted on the Tove Benefice website and Facebook page in the coming weeks, and all are warmly encouraged to look out for updates.
As this initiative continues to unfold, there is a sense of gratitude for what God is growing: community strengthened through learning, hearts encouraged through shared stories, and a renewed confidence that every person has something precious to offer.