Tuesday, 10 February 2026

Don't Do Life Alone

Left to right: Isata, Thomas, Renee, Claire, Tamira, Jen, Thomas N, Meg Prowting, Ho

One rainy day at Wesley’s Chapel last month, we watched a mustard seed of an idea grow into a tree pleasing to Him; as the London District hosted a Children, Youth and Young Adults event: ‘Don’t Do Life Alone’.

The phrase, inspired by 1 Corinthians 12, reminds us that though we are different parts of one body, Christ orchestrates us into a beautiful concerto. Yet today, especially in London, many still live like scattered puzzle pieces—encouraged to be soloists. We wanted to challenge the belief that “it’s OK to do life alone,” and declare that in Christ we can’t, don’t, and won’t walk alone.

Young people gathered from across the London District, creating an atmosphere filled with energy, openness, and joy.

Each age stream gathered at various points in the day, brought together by collective worship, creative prayer and food. The energy that radiated throughout Wesley’s Chapel was powerful, as it was a display of what happens when we show up for each other and with it each, actively living out the theme of ‘Don’t Do Life Alone’. It was a reminder of how important it is to carve spaces where youth and young people feel supported, valued, and empowered.

Our keynote speaker Shermara Fletcher Hoyte, encouraged our youth that they are the church of today and can make change. The youth were also encouraged to stand firm without each other not in likeness but in difference. We came together in both opening and closing worship, grounding the day in prayer and shared faith. For a day, Wesley’s Chapel became a playground, restaurant, and café—spaces filled with joyful togetherness.

Renee, Thomas, Meg, and Tamira had the privilege of leading the Young Adults group. Here are their thoughts and reflections:

Renee:

‘A key element of the day that left an impression on me was how warm, engaged and open the young adults were with each other. Whether they’d met before or gathered on the day laughter was shared, interactive games were enjoyed and true emotions were expressed surrounding tops on, success, loneliness, scripture, social media, community and more. A moment I found particularly meaningful was the young people’s commitment to their relationship with God, expressing a desire to grow their spiritually. This resonated with me as faith becomes stronger when it’s shared and a journey that we are encouraged not to do alone.

The experience as a whole reaffirmed that community is a gift. And I pray that Methodist youth and young people within the district and beyond continue to show up for one another trusting that God will meet them every time. ‘

Ho:

‘It was my first time being behind the scenes of an event of this scale, and I quickly realised how much unseen work goes into making a day meaningful. Hours of refining, rethinking, and examining every corner of the programme taught me that events don’t simply “happen”—they are shaped with care and prayer. Yet even with all our planning, I sensed that the true turning point came when we released our need for control and allowed Him to work in the hearts of everyone who attended.

We ended the “Don’t Do Life Alone” event with gratitude and started the quiet revival in youth ministry across London District through Jesus. I’m thankful for the Connexional Team, the London District of Methodist Churches, Wesley’s Chapel, and the ministerial team at MCHW who support, and believe how a beautiful instrument youth ministry can be for His Kingdom.’

Tamira:

‘From the very beginning, the group engaged wholeheartedly with one another and with the activities planned. The honesty and enthusiasm shown throughout the sessions were truly encouraging. Through mini-conversations such as What is it like being a young adult in your church?, What does a successful young adult look like?, Social media – good or bad?, and Music and faith – what works for you?, participants were able to reflect deeply, share experiences, and learn from one another in a safe and supportive space.

One of the highlights was the Photo and Video Bingo Card game, which brought lots of laughter, creativity, and teamwork. The workshop led by JPIT further challenged and inspired young adults to think about faith in action, while the tour of John Wesley’s House provided a meaningful connection to our Methodist roots.

Overall, the event was a great success. It reminded us that faith journeys are not meant to be walked alone and that when young people come together, powerful conversations and genuine community are formed.

Thomas:

Don’t do life alone’ included everyone! We had a good spread of ages across streams that fitted the capacity of the event, the mix of all age worship with individual activities in streams worked well.

The young adults were engaged and interested in our activities, talking with those they hadn’t come with, and many signed up for further Young Adult involvement. The feel of the space was really positive, with an atmosphere that felt frenetic but joyful; lots of movement of people between spaces, I think everyone felt they belonged.

The keynote speaker handled the group really well, and brought up young people to speak from the front, as we did at the end with shared testimonies, which were effective at ensuring a variety of voices platformed.

The tours of Wesley’s House went down really well with the young adults; it was good to get them to move around the space and not feel stuck in their own room. Having the magician present was brilliant and kept lunchtime engaging for all ages.’

As a District we are committed to creating a church body where youth and young people do not do life alone; rather they are united in faith and action.