Summer evangelism teams in England
Reflections from GLO Summer Teams 2025, by Judith McKeown and Stephen McQuoid.
GLO Europe is a long time mission partner of Counties, with a focus on Summer mission teams, church planting in Europe and training.
“Expect the unexpected.” It’s a familiar phrase, but one that proved particularly fitting for GLO’s 2025 summer team programme. Over the course of the year, teams served in fifteen locations across the UK and Europe, sharing the Good News of the Gospel through a wide range of ministries and encountering God at work – in places both familiar and new.
Some teams returned to locations that have been part of the programme for many years, while others stepped into communities where GLO has never been before. The shape of the outreach varied from place to place. Activities included international evenings, outreach concerts, English teaching, practical street work, and children’s and youth ministry. In each setting, teams sought to serve local churches and organisations, responding to the needs of the community while creating opportunities for conversation and witness.
One particularly encouraging development was the launch of a team in Slovenia for the first time. During Reformation Day celebrations in October, the team engaged with children and families, building relationships and sharing the Gospel in a context where Christian outreach is less common.
Elsewhere, in Marseille, a man came to faith following conversations with the team, while in Edinburgh, people from many different cultures encountered the Gospel through street evangelism during the summer festival season.
Sharing Jesus at the Edinburgh Festival
Edinburgh once again proved to be a particularly strategic location for a GLO team. With a population drawn from across the world, and an additional two million visitors during August for the city’s festivals, the city offers unique opportunities for Gospel engagement. A team based at Bellevue Chapel worked alongside partners from the Heralds Trust, distributing a Gospel tract written specifically for the festival, running a street café offering free tea and coffee, and giving away copies of John’s Gospel. Around 900 Gospels were distributed over the course of the outreach.
Alongside street conversations, the team also engaged in open-air preaching, recorded interviews on the theme of loneliness, and took part in church-based activities, including a music café and a ceilidh.
Daily times of prayer and Bible study were an essential part of the programme, grounding the outreach in discipleship and reflection.
What did the teams get out of it?
GLO team members were deeply affected by seeing God at work beyond their own familiar settings. One participant commented, “It was great to see God working in a different country to my own, showing that God is a God for everyone, no matter our nationality or background.” Others were impacted by the stories they’d heard of lives being changed, sometimes quietly and gradually, but no less meaningfully for that.
A strong theme running through feedback this year was the value of teamwork. The team members spoke warmly of the experience of serving together, supporting one another, and sharing responsibility for outreach and ministry. One person said, “I loved how connected the whole team was, and how we were always looking out for and caring for each other.”
Preparing activities together, working across generations, and learning to rely on one another were all important aspects of the team experience.
This emphasis on working together reflects Jesus’ own model of mission. In Luke 10, he sends out the seventy-two in pairs, and the discipleship built into GLO teams continues to play a vital role in helping participants grow in faith and confidence.
Several team members noted that serving on a summer team sharpened their awareness of opportunities to share the Gospel after returning home. As one person put it: “It was such a joy to be able to share the Gospel and interact with so many people. It’s changed how I look for opportunities in everyday life.”
Everywhere the GLO summer teams went last year, the impact was seen not only in individual conversations and moments of response, but in the longer-term encouragement of local churches and the personal growth of the team members themselves. Serving in unexpected places continues to shape hearts, build confidence, and deepen trust in God’s work.
Planning is already underway for the 2026 summer team programme. Please pray for wisdom as we explore possible new locations and partnerships, and for those who may be considering taking part.
Are you ready for an adventure this year? Join a GLO team this summer: Visit the GLO website to see what’s planned for 2026 and find out how to get involved.
Growing Leaders Together: One2Lead and GLO
Behind much of GLO’s summer team work sits a longer story of investment in young people, and their development as Christian leaders. In recent years, this has been strengthened through a growing partnership with One2Lead, a Counties programme that shares many of the same priorities and convictions.
The connection between One2Lead and GLO has developed naturally over time. GLO and Counties have worked closely together for many years, and through these relationships, GLO workers were invited to contribute to One2Lead events as teachers and speakers. GLO has helped to promote One2Lead opportunities through its own networks, introducing young people to a programme designed to support them in faith, leadership and service.
At the heart of the partnership is a shared commitment to mobilising and equipping the next generation. Both ministries believe that young Christians should be encouraged to play an active role in evangelism, church life and wider society, while being supported to grow in maturity and confidence as followers of Jesus. There is a strong desire, not simply to involve young people in activities, but to help them become grounded, thoughtful and resilient Christians who can make a lasting impact.
This shared vision has already borne fruit. While individual stories are often best told quietly, there are several young people who have taken part in both GLO summer teams and One2Lead groups. For some, a summer team has been the first step, offering practical experience of mission and teamwork. For others, involvement in One2Lead has provided ongoing discipleship and accountability after returning home. A number of One2Lead graduates have also gone on to study at Tilsley College, continuing their training for Christian service.
The leadership qualities both ministries seek to develop begin with character rather than role or platform. Central to this is a desire to see young leaders grow in Christlikeness, learning to read the Bible deeply, to pray, and to make God-honouring decisions in everyday life. From this foundation flows the confidence to share faith with those who do not yet know Christ, as well as the ability to encourage, support and inspire other Christians.
Alongside spiritual formation, there is a growing emphasis on servant leadership. Young people are encouraged to recognise and develop their gifts, while learning that leadership in the Christian context is rooted in humility, service and faithfulness rather than status.
Exposure to mission through GLO plays a significant role in shaping One2Lead participants. Serving in different cultural and social contexts helps young people recognise the privileges many of them have grown up with, while also deepening their awareness of the spiritual needs of those around them. Encounters on the streets of UK cities or in communities across Europe often sharpen a sense of calling and responsibility, reinforcing the need for personal faith and transformation in Christ.
Looking ahead, the partnership between One2Lead and GLO opens up new opportunities to reach and support a wider group of young people. By working together, the two ministries can offer a broader range of experiences and pathways, from mission exposure to longer-term leadership development. We hope this collaboration will continue to grow, with One2Lead groups established across the country, nurturing the next generation of evangelists, church leaders and Christian influencers.
One2Lead equips young people aged 16-25 as disciples of Jesus and future leaders. Find out more at countiesuk.org/one2lead