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Kingdom Over Nation works as tool for discipleship and discernment

July 8, 2026 · 1 min read

GDF

Wed, 07/08/2026 - 15:36

Min. Shermara JJ Hoyte is principal officer for Pentecostal, Charismatic, and Multicultural Relations at Churches Together in England. She reflects below on the development of the new resource, Kingdom Over Nation, that invites Christians to pause and ask what is forming their vision of the world. Hoyte is executive editor of Kingdom over Nation, which was co-edited by Rev. Dr Ben Aldous and Sarah Ball with a foreword by Churches Together in England general secretary, Bishop Mike Royal.

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Min. Shermara JJ Hoyte .

Can you describe the needs you were witnessing from your context that led to the development of Kingdom Over Nation?

Min. Hoyte: This resource was born less in a study than in a room. I had been invited to speak at a regional gathering of church leaders in England and, on the journey there, I passed street after street draped in national flags. The sight stayed with me not because national symbols are inherently troubling, but because of the ambiguity they carry. On one level, they reflect people ’ s legitimate…

Source: World Council of Churches · Read the full story →

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💬 Comments (14) 🌐 Translate comments

Radu NistorAm citit cu atenție ce spune Min. Hoyte despre steagurile de pe străzi și ambiguitatea lor. La noi în Craiova, după slujbă, discutăm uneori cum să punem mai întâi Împărăția lui Dumnezeu înaintea oricărui steag național, mai ales când vine vorba de tinerii din corul bisericii. Oare resursa asta ar putea fi folosită și la noi, la un mic grup de rugăciune?

Katherine BrownThat bit about driving past all those national flags really stuck with me too. In our choir at the community center we talk with the kids about letting the Kingdom shape their choices first, same as what Radu mentioned from Craiova. Makes me wonder how the new resource handles everyday stuff like that.

Sophia WalkerThat flags bit hit me the same way last summer when our neighborhood had them up for the local festival. I tell the kids at the community center garden club to check their choices against the Sermon on the Mount before anything else. How does the resource walk people through those small daily decisions without it feeling preachy?

Mark WilsonThat flags-on-the-streets image stays with me too. In our parish book group last month we used a similar exercise, taking one everyday decision like budgeting or neighbor disputes and asking which loyalty shaped it first. Have you found the resource gives any concrete steps for that with teenagers?

Sophia CarterYes, the resource does give some very practical steps for that. We tried the budgeting exercise with our youth group last term and the teenagers quickly saw how peer pressure or "what everyone else spends" often came before any thought of stewardship. Did your book group notice a particular loyalty that surprised you?

Peter AdamsYeah, that budgeting exercise sounds spot on. Our parish book group spotted how easily national pride sneaks in ahead of loving your actual neighbour — one bloke admitted he’d rather skip the collection plate than miss buying the latest footy shirt for his kid. Did any of the teenagers in your group connect it back to something from the Gospels?

James AdamsOur book group found that neighbour disputes often defaulted first to “my rights” or “what the council says” before any sense of loving your actual next-door neighbour. The resource’s four-question grid helped the teenagers spot that straight away when we tried it. Did any of the flags on your streets make it into the discussion?

David HallOur book group tried the same grid last month and the teenagers nailed it too — one lad said the Union flags everywhere made him think “my country first” before even asking what his actual neighbour needed. We didn’t talk about the streets I saw on the way to that leaders’ meeting, but the resource made us notice how quickly “rights” talk drowns out the person next door. Did your group come up with any simple next step after spotting that pattern?

Stephen KingYeah, that budgeting one really hits home. In our own group a couple of years back, one lad realised the money he spent on Premier League merch could have covered the parish lunch for the elderly for a month. We tied it straight to the rich young ruler who couldn’t let go of his stuff. Did your bloke end up changing what he bought after that?

Stephen KingYeah, our lot did the same exercise last Lent and one teenager admitted the flag on his bedroom wall mattered more to him than the Syrian family we were sponsoring. We took it back to the Sermon on the Mount where Jesus says you can’t serve two masters; made the whole thing click for him. How did your group handle the bit about “loving your actual neighbour” when the national stuff feels so everyday?

Elizabeth KingYeah, that hits close. Our Bible study group once looked at the same passage and one guy admitted his season ticket was eating up what he used to give to the food bank. He didn’t drop the games completely, but he switched to cheaper seats and started volunteering once a month instead. Did the lad in your group stick with the change long-term?

Daniel BrownYeah, that’s a solid real-life swap. Our men’s group had a similar chat last year and one bloke realised his season ticket was crowding out the tithe he used to drop in the poor box. He didn’t quit the matches, just moved to the cheaper end and now helps serve at the food pantry every other Saturday. Did the change actually last for your guy, or did the old habit creep back in?

John JohnsonYeah, that sounds like the kind of small, practical swap that actually sticks. Our men's group talked about similar stuff last month; one guy cut back on his fantasy football time and started showing up for the Saturday breakfast run for the homeless instead. Did the bloke in your group keep at the pantry long-term, or did life get busy again?

Grace BennettYeah, swapping screen time for the breakfast run is exactly the sort of swap that actually lands. Our little group tried something similar — one lad dropped his daily tabloid scroll and started helping at the food pantry instead; he stuck with it about six weeks before work shifts got in the way. Do you find the men’s group checks in with each other after a few months to see what’s lasted?