The Gospel of Grace in Ladispoli
There's something special about gathering with brothers and sisters from different nations, languages, and backgrounds, united by one thing: the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Over the weekend of 1-3 May, that's exactly what happened in Ladispoli, Italy, as several churches came together for our annual Italian conference.
People travelled from across Italy, England, Portugal, and the United States. What followed was a weekend full of worship, powerful teaching, encouraging updates, and a fresh sense that God is doing something powerful in this beautiful nation.
Friday Evening: A Night of Worship
The weekend began on Friday evening with an incredible time of worship, led by Gioele Capuano and the youth team from Citta della Pieve. There's something about Italian worship: passionate, heartfelt, and full of life. It set the tone for everything that was to come.
Debora, from the host church, Chiesa Cristiana Agape Dio è Amore in Ladispoli, shared an update on how things have been going. It's been a year of growth: the church welcomed the Cabral family this year, launched new thematic workshops in English for children, and is preparing to start a new Alpha course soon. It was encouraging to hear how the church is reaching out to its community in fresh ways.
Pete Clayton, pastor of Together Church in Torquay, who has been coming to bless the Italian churches over the last three years, brought an excellent word on "I know whom I have believed", a timely reminder that our confidence is not in what we know, but in whom we know.
Saturday: The Glorious Gospel of Grace
Saturday was, without a doubt, the highlight of the weekend. We had the immense honour and privilege of hearing Terry Virgo teach throughout the entire day. Three sessions on the glorious Gospel of Grace, and every single one left us deeply blessed.
Terry, the founder of Newfrontiers, a worldwide family of over 1,500 churches across more than 70 nations, brought the kind of teaching that only decades of walking with God can produce. It wasn't just theology, it was a life lived. His words carried the weight of experience, and the grace he spoke about was the very grace that radiated from him.
His wife, Wendy, received a special card to mark her 80th birthday, and together they were honoured for their extraordinary decades of ministry and service. We gathered around them and prayed, a beautiful moment of gratitude for two lives so faithfully given to the Lord and His Church.
Jon Cotton, who lives in Abruzzo with his wife Sarah and is looking to start something new in Teramo, led the worship team alongside the musicians and singers from the Valle Camonica Church plant on Saturday. It was a wonderful time as two churches, Porta della Speranza from Cerveteri and the Ladispoli church, came together to minister in song and praise.
Patrick and Tabatha Ng'etich, from Porta della Speranza in Cerveteri, shared about their past year. It's always encouraging to hear how God is working in the surrounding churches, and Cerveteri is no exception.
The team from Valle Camonica in Northern Italy shared what God has been doing among them. This young group of believers, recently recognised as a small church in the mountains, is a testimony to the power of the Gospel in unexpected places. If you haven't read about their story yet, do check out Chris Kilby's earlier blog post; it's a beautiful account of how God brought this group together.
We also got to know the large American contingent that joined us: the team from Redeemer Church in upstate New York. Pastor Mike Servello shared a moving story about his grandmother, an Italian immigrant in the United States, who was converted from spiritism to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It was a powerful testimony that reminded us all how God's reach crosses generations, oceans, and spiritual strongholds. It's wonderful to know we have such a strong partnership with them.
Laurence Evans, a New Zealander based in the UK who, together with his wife Rochelle, has lived all over the world and been a friend to the Italian churches for decades, led the offering moment. This year, the offering was directed towards blessing Insieme Nord, a gathering that will take place from 30 October to 1 November 2026 at Darfo Boario Terme, in the heart of Valle Camonica. It's exciting to think about what God will do when believers from across Northern Italy come together.
Chris Kilby closed the day with another excellent message on the Gospel, a fitting end to a day saturated in grace.
Sunday: Go and Preach the Gospel!
On Sunday, the Italian churches that had gathered returned to their own congregations, and the focus was clear: preach the Gospel!
Chris Kilby preached the Gospel at the church in Ladispoli, while Luís Cabral was invited to preach at Porta della Speranza in Cerveteri.
And then, in the afternoon, three baptisms took place on the beach.
There are few things more beautiful than watching someone who has decided to follow Jesus step into the water, obeying His command, and declaring to the world whom they belong to. The waves, the sunshine, the cheers of the church family: it was a moment of pure joy.
God is moving in Italy. From the coast of Ladispoli to the mountains of Valle Camonica, from new Alpha courses to beach baptisms, the Gospel is advancing. And this is just the beginning.
Please continue to pray for us. Pray for the churches in Italy. Pray for the Gospel to reach every creature.
And he said to them, "Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation." Mark 16:15
