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Dear Friends,
I am very pleased to invite you to St Elizabeth’s for a two-day conference designed for priests and parish leaders seeking practical, real-parish insight into evangelisation and renewal.
Over the last ten years, our parish has been shaped by the principles of Divine Renovation. Whether you are already running Alpha or just beginning to explore it, this conference offers a real-life look at how a focus on evangelisation, leadership, and openness to the Holy Spirit can transform a parish from the inside out.
By sharing the story of our parish and learning from trusted, experienced speakers, we hope to encourage those who long for renewal but may not yet have seen what it looks like in practice. Our aim is to offer ideas you can adapt, confidence to take next steps, and renewed conviction that vibrant, missionary parish life is not only possible — it is already happening.
You are very welcome here, and we would love you to join us on 6-7 May at St Elizabeth’s, Richmond, as we explore a vision of renewal that is realistic, hopeful, and rooted in parish life.
With every blessing,
Fr Stephen Langridge
Parish Priest
Parish renewal is not a programme or a technique to be learned, but a journey to be shared.
This conference offers a grounded, honest, and hope-filled vision of renewal rooted in the life of a parish community. Together, we will explore how a sustained focus on evangelisation and leadership allows the Holy Spirit to transform a parish over time.
Rooted in prayer and lived experience, these days invite participants to listen deeply — to the Holy Spirit, to one another, and to the realities of parish life today. We will share openly what has worked, what hasn’t, and what we are still learning.
This two-day conference is for all who carry responsibility for the life and mission of the parish today — bishops, clergy, religious, and lay men and women involved in pastoral leadership.
Some participants will already be familiar with Divine Renovation or Alpha in a Catholic context; others may be encountering them for the first time. This is not a conference just for “experts,” but for those responsible for real parishes, with real people and real constraints.
Whether you are long engaged in renewal or simply beginning to wonder whether it is possible in your context, we hope you will leave with clarity, confidence, and concrete next steps to help your parish come alive in mission.
Over the two days, we will focus on:
Being inside a parish renewal journey
How evangelisation reshaped the culture, leadership, and priorities of St Elizabeth’s — and what that journey looked like from the inside.
Life after Alpha
Practical pathways, structures, and models that help people grow as disciples once the Alpha experience ends.
Youth ministry in context
How youth discipleship, leadership development, and an intergenerational culture naturally strengthen parish life rather than fragment it.
At the heart of this conference is a simple conviction: the parish remains a vital expression of the Church’s presence in the world.
When shaped intentionally by missionary discipleship, prayer, and ongoing conversion of heart, parish life can be continually renewed — becoming a place of encounter, belonging, and growth in faith for people of all ages and backgrounds.
This conference is not about importing a model, but about discerning what renewal could look like in your own parish context.
Registration is now open via the link below. Early bird tickets are on sale until Sunday the 1st of March, so be sure to secure your place now. Places are limited to support a reflective and prayerful atmosphere, and facilitate meaningful conversation.
If you’re in London for the Alpha Leadership Conference, join us at St Elizabeth’s, Richmond, for a two-day immersion in parish renewal shaped by Divine Renovation principles.
You’ll discover practical pathways for what comes after Alpha, see how youth ministry fits within a mission-first parish culture, and learn from leaders who have walked the renewal journey themselves.
Come to be inspired and equipped — and leave with clarity, confidence, and concrete next steps to help your parish come alive in mission.
For help with booking, or for groups that would prefer to pay by invoice, please reach out to the parish team.
The conference will be led by clergy and lay leaders who have been closely involved in the life and renewal of St Elizabeth's Parish over many years. Each brings a distinct perspective shaped by lived pastoral experience, prayerful leadership, and service within an ordinary parish setting. Together, they will reflect on the realities of parish renewal as it unfolds over time - its fruits, its challenges, and the ongoing work of sustaining mission with faithfulness and hope.
Father James Mallon is pastor of Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia and founder of Divine Renovation Ministries.
He is the author of the best selling book Divine Renovation: From A Maintenance to A Missional Parish, which is due to be republished with a new chapter on renewal at St Elizabeth's. Fr James is also the author of Divine Renovation: Beyond The Parish, a guidebook for Bishops and diocesan leaders.
Fr Stephen read Philosophy and Theology in Oxford before training for the priesthood in Rome. In addition to a wide parish experience, he has also served as full-time Diocesan Vocations Director, and as Episcopal Vicar for Parish Renewal. As well as leading a parish he is also a Coach for Divine Renovation, a network of parishes dedicated to renewal, and is frequently invited to speak at national and international gatherings and conferences. At St Elizabeth's he leads the parish community on its ongoing journey towards authentic missional discipleship in each person.
Georgia has been with the parish since 2020 where she introduced the model of relational youth ministry, creating a 'home away from home' for young people, transforming sacramental preparation, and raising up a new generation of young people committed to Christ and intentional about sharing God's love with their peers.
Now she is also helping Catholic parishes across the UK to discover how Alpha can help them to form missionary disciples who are equipped to share the Gospel in their lives.
Joe works in the day-to-day life of St Elizabeth’s, helping to hold together parish operations and pastoral programmes such as Alpha and Catholicism for the Curious. By working closely with Fr Stephen, staff, and volunteers he can ensure support for people and offer them personalised next steps in their journey towards missional disciples. He brings a practical perspective on how parish programmes can help form disciples who make disciples, and what parish life can look like beyond Alpha.
Speaker to be confirmed at a later date.
