Pastor Paul's Blog

Hello Church family,

It's been a little while since I last wrote to you!

Over the past few weeks, one of the greatest highlights for Debi and me has been celebrating ten years of The Higher Place. We've spent time reflecting on all God has done over the last decade, the journey we've shared as a church, and how we've celebrated this milestone together. Our hearts are incredibly full. July is always a special month for us because, alongside our church anniversary, we also celebrate our wedding anniversary. This year, Debi and I celebrated 12 years of marriage, making it an especially memorable month. We truly feel grateful for God's faithfulness.

Thank you to everyone who prayed, served, gave, planned, celebrated and honoured us throughout our anniversary celebrations. We were deeply encouraged by your kindness, generosity and love. It meant more to us than you know, and we're so grateful to be part of such an incredible church family.

One of my greatest joys over these ten years has been watching people discover God's purpose for their lives and then begin helping others do the same. Many of the leaders serving today first walked through our doors simply looking for a church to call home. Seeing them now faithfully leading teams, serving others and helping others grow in their relationship with Jesus brings me tremendous joy. That's one of the greatest privileges of pastoral ministry.

In many ways, ten years feels like a significant milestone. Yet at the same time, it feels like we're still in the early chapters of the story God is writing through The Higher Place Church. I’m filled with overwhelming gratitude when I look back, but looking ahead fills me with even greater faith and expectation. I believe the years ahead will bring more people to encounter Jesus, more leaders being equipped and released, more families strengthened, our communities impacted and many more lives transformed by the power of the Gospel. As a church, we're continuing to grow, mature and prepare ourselves for everything God has ahead.  If you'd like to hear more about the journey so far, you can watch our anniversary message here.

One area I've been speaking about recently is our vision to purchase a permanent base for The Higher Place. As we continue to grow, we believe having a home of our own will create even more opportunities for discipleship, prayer, leadership development and serving our local community throughout the week. I'd encourage you to keep praying with us for this vision and, if you're able, continue giving towards it.

Alongside this vision, I've also recently released my new book, Faith Mindsets. Writing this book has been a real joy, and my prayer is that it helps people develop a deeper confidence in God and a faith that remains steadfast in every season of life. If you haven't already picked up a copy, I'd love to encourage you to do so, and perhaps even gift a copy to a friend. Every penny from the book is being given towards the purchase of our future church base, so thank you to everyone who has already supported it.

The Summer

Summer can sometimes be a season where it's easy to drift, especially with holidays and changing routines. My encouragement would simply be this: stay connected, keep gathering, keep praying, keep serving, keep giving, keep inviting people. God doesn't stop working during the summer, and neither should our expectation for what He wants to do.

I'm really looking forward to the start of our new teaching series, Wisdom from Heroes and Sheroes on the 9th of August, as together we learn timeless lessons from some of the remarkable men and women of Scripture. I also hope you'll join us for our Presence Prayer gathering this Friday, from 7:15 - 8:15 PM at GSU Room 025. In August, we'll have one prayer gathering—our Summer Prayer Gathering on 14 August—alongside After Service Hangouts, Sports Day, Women's Weekend Away and many other opportunities to build friendship and community.

You can find all our upcoming events and key dates on the church calendar, and I hope you'll make the most of everything happening over the summer.

As always, thank you. Thank you to our leaders. Thank you to every volunteer. Thank you for continuing to believe, pray, serve and give. Every one of you is part of the story God is writing at The Higher Place Church, and I'm excited to see all that He has in store for us in this next season.

As I always say, the best is yet to come!

Much love,

Paul

Pastor Paul's Blog

Three months into full-time ministry, life has continued to be both busy—busier, in fact—and fruitful. I’ve found a renewed sense of focus and have become more single-minded in purpose. I’m now leading with fresh energy, stronger faith, and clearer direction for the team.

In the midst of all this, I had the privilege of attending and sharing the story of The Higher Place at an event for pastors and leaders in Germany. It was especially meaningful that four of our team members could join us. We were deeply encouraged by the prayers spoken over us and the sense of support from ministries from far and wide.

Since I last wrote, so much has happened in church life. Mission Month brought inspiring guest speakers who helped deepen our passion for mission. Our three Super Sundays, beginning on Easter Sunday, brought fresh faith and flexibility into the life of our church. We’ve heard many praise reports—the unchurched trying church for the first time, the dechurched returning after time away, and others giving their lives to Jesus. It’s been especially encouraging to see many of them now taking next steps in the church.

The “Anxious for Nothing” series has also been a real blessing. Many have shared how it deeply spoke into their current situations, and it’s been encouraging to hear ongoing conversations around what God is doing through it.

It’s been wonderful to welcome new members, see more people serving, and experience a growing sense of unity, faith, and togetherness.

I’ve also started a monthly write-up for our men titled “Discipling Men: Growing Faith, Building Brotherhood.” I’m looking forward to continuing that journey with them.

As we look ahead to May, I’m looking forward to training the next cohort of leaders through our Basic Leadership Training. We’ll also be hosting Men’s and Women’s evenings during our usual prayer times—similar in spirit to last year’s “Pray and Dine” meetings. 

As I shared in my sermon titled “God at Work” during Mission Month, there is a growing desire to intentionally support and encourage the professionals and business people within our church community. I’m therefore really looking forward to our Professionals and Business Forum on 13th May, which will be a great opportunity to connect and be equipped.

I’ll also be setting aside time to prepare for our upcoming 10th anniversary series. I hope you’ve already saved the date for the anniversary. In the lead-up, we’ll be sharing “10 Stories of Changed Lives from 10 Years” starting mid-May, alongside other events including the Greenwich Fun Day on 11th July, all building toward our grand celebration on 19th July.

As always, I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to each of you—our leadership team, all the leaders and everyone who gives, serves, and believes in this vision. Thank you for being part of this journey—what God is building among us is truly special, and I’m expectant for all that’s ahead.

I hope to see some of you at the Life Group Weekend this weekend. Please remember that due to London Marathon road closures, we’ll have an online-only service this Sunday 26th April at 10:15am.

The Best is yet to come!

Much love,
Paul

PS: Below is a forward look at key dates for your diary (also available on our website -https://www.thehigherplaceuk.com/calendar):

Forward Look

• Life Group Weekend – 25–26 April

• Online Service Only – 26 April

• Youth & Young Adults Service – 3 May

• Alpha Course for Students Starts – 3 May

• Women’s Evening – 8 May

• Young at Heart Afternoon Tea with Pastors Paul & Debi – 10 May

• Professionals & Business Forum – 13 May

• Basic Leadership Training – 17, 20, 24 & 27 May

• Men’s Evening – 22 May

• Pentecost Sunday – 24 May

• Young Adults Hangout with Pastors Paul & Debi – 31 May

• Father’s Day – 21 June

• Leaders Assembly – 27 June

• Greenwich Fun Day – 11 July

• 10th Anniversary Celebration – 19 July

• Sports Day (After Service) – 16 August

• Women’s Weekend Away (TBC) – 21–23 August

• Mobilisation Sunday & Back to School Sunday – 30 August

• Multigenerational Month – September

• Multicultural & Multigenerational Sunday – 27 September

• Freedom Weekend – 2–4 October

• Christmas Service – 13 December

• New Year’s Eve Service – 31 December

Pastor Paul's Blog

Hi Church,

It has been a while since I last wrote to you, so I wanted to share some reflections as we come to the end of January 2026. 

Looking back on January
I’ve found myself reflecting with gratitude on all that God has done in and across every generation and nation in our church family this month.

We began the year together with our Crossover Service at Greenwich Theatre, and it was such a powerful way to step into the new year. There was a real sense of God's presence in the room—a reminder that God was inviting us to please and partner with Him wholeheartedly this year.

One of the most encouraging parts of January for me was our 21-day fast. It was really great to see people showing up daily—both online and in person—to pray and seek God together. I was especially blessed to see new leaders step up to lead prayers during the fast. Watching God stir courage, faith, and responsibility in people’s hearts, for me, was a beautiful picture of the body of Christ in action.

We also gathered for our Team Assembly this month, and I’m so thankful for that time together. We were able to set direction for the year as a team and agree what we need for the stage of our church. I’m always grateful for the commitment, humility, and heart with which our teams serve.

Vision Sunday was another key highlight in January. It was a great opportunity to share where God is leading us as a church this year. The key takeaway from Vision Sunday was this: God is not calling us to observe, He is calling us to participate. 

Alongside this, our Holy Habits series all through January reminded us that lasting spiritual growth is often formed through faithful and daily obedience. It was a real privilege to welcome our dear friends, Pastor Mo and Nikki from Nashville, USA, who joined us to conclude the series this past Sunday. Their ministry was a blessing, and we’re thankful for the gift they brought to our church.

As I look back on this month, my heart is full of gratitude. None of this happens without faithful people—those who pray, serve, give, plan, and show up consistently. Thank you to every leader, volunteer, team member, and partner. Your support, commitment, and willingness to say yes make moments like these possible.

I truly believe that January has laid a strong foundation for what lies ahead.

Forward Look to February

I’m now looking forward to February, with our brand new series Relationship Rehab starting this Sunday, 1st February at Greenwich Picturehouse. 

This is not your typical relationship series, this is what it says on the tin, it’s a relationship rehab. The word rehab means rehabilitate or restore.

It is a series that will help us with our relationship foundations so we can function in our relationships in the way God intends for us to function. This is a series for everybody—every generation and nation, so again another powerful opportunity to be on mission!

Life Groups will start on Sunday, 8th February, and I’ll be spending a lot of time in February with our Life Group leaders, as we want to make sure our people—and everyone God sends us—are well looked after. 

Our bi-weekly prayer meetings start again on Friday 13th February and we also have Freedom Weekend starting Friday, 27th February to Sunday, 1st March. These are key dates in February, so please mark them in your calendar!

Finally, I’m grateful for the privilege of serving and partnering with you to advance the gospel to people from every nation and generation. My prayer is that we would continue to respond with faith and obedience—both individually and corporately.

The best is yet to come!

Mega blessings,
Paul Ilo.

Pastor Paul's Blog

What a Start to the New Term!

It’s been a while since I last wrote to you, so I’m excited to share my second blog update with you today!

It’s been a great start to this new term! We began with three powerful days of fasting and prayer, setting the stage for all that God has for us. September was our Multigenerational Month—what a joy to see every age group represented in all our services, culminating in a beautiful Multicultural and Multigenerational Sunday! So many of you have asked if we’ll do it again… and the answer is yes, we will!

We also moved into our new venue—what a milestone that was! Pastor Tope’s message truly prepared our hearts for this next phase of ministry. A lot has happened already, with Spirit-empowered strength carrying us and the team through it all. God’s hand is on our church, and it is evident that the Lord is in this place! There is a genuine move of God in our midst. This is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes.

As all nations and generations continue to gather, let’s not get carried away or complacent. Let’s protect our unity, and let’s make sure we are growing, giving, and going into all the world. Let’s not forget to disciple them as they come.

If you haven’t already, this is a great time to plug into Life Groups, take the Take a Step Course, start serving, join the Fresh Start study, and continue attending our Prayer Meetings. These are all nets that God has prepared for the harvest!

God has increasingly taught me about the beauty of the body of Christ in this season—that each one plays a part, and when united in mission, heart, and mind, all things are possible. Our unity, like we see in the Book of Acts, serves as a testament of God's presence among us—and when there is unity, the Lord commands His blessing!

I’m now looking forward to our new two-part series, “What Time Is It?”, starting this Sunday. It will speak to how God expects us to respond in these times and in the day and age we live in—you don’t want to miss it! Starting this month of October, we’ll be having Prayer Zoom for men and women/ladies. We will share all the details very soon, but I strongly believe these times will strengthen our community even further as we seek God together. And as we journey through the rest of this term, we’ll build towards our Crossover Service, closing the year with gratitude and expectation for all that’s ahead.

May God continue to bless this church and strengthen us all. I pray God’s blessings over all our Life Group Leaders, team leaders, staff, and pastors—you are truly incredible! I love pastoring this church, and I love you all.

On a family front, Debi and I are doing very well, even in this full and stretching season of ministry. We’re so grateful for the accountability structures and support networks in our lives, and for how you all continue to encourage us. We remain thankful for God’s grace over our home.

See you this Sunday—and don’t forget to bring a friend to our new home!

Mega blessings,
Paul Ilo

Pastor Paul's Blog

Leading with Faith: A Heartfelt Update from your Servant Leader

It has been a very encouraging year at The Higher Place. The launch of the two services has enabled us to make more room to be on mission and see more leaders rise (we must never forget why we are doing this).

Easter weekend was remarkable, with more people attending our church than ever before, and I am excited to hear that this is a story being replicated across many United Kingdom (UK) churches. We are seeing Rumblings of Revival and God is clearly on the move. 

Last Sunday, I enjoyed kicking off our Multiplication Series which is a word that God has spoken over us this year and beyond. It was wonderful to have you join us for the two services. We had fasted and prayed all through the month of June and studied the book of Acts over and over again in preparation and put a lot of thought into the content, so it was very encouraging to read the feedback and hear how God has used it so far.

I'm now looking forward to next month which is a significant month for us as we celebrate our 9th Anniversary on 13th July. We will be celebrating it with what we are calling "One Church Sunday" - where we will all come together in one service to celebrate all that God has done with anticipation for what is to come - we know there is so much more! There will also be baptisms on the day and lots of food!  We will make preparations to welcome everyone.

Church - let's continue to steward these days and play our part to see ordinary people transformed into passionate leaders for Jesus. God is on the move in the UK. Let us continue to step into it together, serving Jesus, making a difference and making our church a home for Jesus and our community!

Finally, I would greatly value your prayers over the next few weeks.  Debi and I will be celebrating our 11th year wedding anniversary next month and also looking to take some time to recharge. It means we will have the privilege of seeing many of our leaders rise up to continue to lead. We have a new series titled Stories in August replacing the At the Movies this year and we will continue to make space to reach more people as we stay on mission.

The best is yet to come!

Paul.