Introducing Project 125
Raising an army of local church evangelists. Counties CEO, Martin Erwin, shares the vision.
“Our vision is to help local churches recognise and raise their own evangelists.”
Jesus gave a clarion call as he commissioned his first disciples: “Go and make disciples of all the nations.” Matthew 28:18. But often we are overtaken by the sheer busyness of church life. The demands on leaders are many and varied: Sunday services, children’s and youth work, pastoral care, staffing, managing volunteers, outreach programmes and administration.
Leadership in the local church is challenging, whether in growing churches, declining churches, or churches of all sizes. Amid it all, keeping the main thing the main thing – making Jesus known and making disciples – can be challenging.
With that in mind, in the Spring of 2025, Counties launched the Connect Evangelist Training Programme (CETP) to offer Counties training in evangelism more widely. Over 40 people have already begun the programme, and this number is rising steadily. Those training with us have said:
“Really inspiring.”
“Very clear.”
“I am so grateful to be on this training course, and I am feeling liberated as I learn. Thank You, Jesus.”
“Well unpacked for easy understanding.”
This is thrilling. However, our vision is not simply to train people in evangelism, but to help local churches raise and recognise evangelists. So, how do we translate ‘training’ into ‘raising’ evangelists?
Most churches believe that every church should have a pastor, but why not an evangelist? While we believe that every member should care for one another and that parents should disciple their children, most churches still recognise pastoral teams and children’s teams. In the same way, of course, every church member is a witness, but why isn’t it normal for a church to raise an evangelism team?
What if every local church had someone who could champion evangelism, do the work of an evangelist, and help support the leadership team in keeping both evangelism and making disciples at the heart of church life?
We would love to see many hundreds of people train with us through the Connect Evangelist Training programme in the next three years. However, our desire is to raise evangelists, and so to support you in your work in the local church, Counties are launching “Project 125”.
If every church recognises pastors and teachers, as they should, why not also an evangelist? Our Project 125 team will work with CETP trainees and mentors to help you identify those who may be gifted and called to serve in your local church as a “Connect evangelist.”
“Counties’ goal is to help raise at least 125 local church Connect Evangelists in the UK.”
Counties Connect evangelists will be recognised by their local church through this project, inspired by 125 years of Counties across the UK.
A Connect Evangelist will be:
Trained and raised through CETP.
Recognised by their local church and Counties as a “Connect Evangelist.”
Supported by their local church.
They are likely to be in secular work, bi-vocational or possibly employed in their local church.
A champion for evangelism in their local church.
Invited to become part of a Counties Regional Cluster gathering of evangelists, to receive support, encouragement and training.
Begin the journey to have a Connect Evangelist in your local church by emailing project125@countiesuk.org or sign up to begin your journey here.
Be inspired: Pray for this vision, that through God’s help, we may see local churches raise and recognise evangelists
Be equipped: Join the Connect Evangelists Training Programme wherever you are in the world
Be engaged: Share this vision with local church leaders and partner with us.
Would you like to sponsor us to raise 125 Connect evangelists?
To raise a Connect Evangelist will cost, on average, £1,750.
£17,500 will help raise 10 Connect evangelists.
Achieving our goal will cost around £220,000 over the next 3 years.