New Networks = More Impact

In many areas around the world, urban churches are coming together to transform their cities. Viva is using our 30 years of experience to walk alongside them as they establish child-focused networks or embed a child focus in existing networks. Read on to find out more about new networks: how they get started, how Viva supports them, and the forms they take, highlighting the breadth and scope of opportunities and potential that can be maximised when churches and organisations come together for children.

What is involved in supporting a new network?

As we turn 30, one of our strategic goals is to help more networks be established and join the Viva network. After assessment and alignment, once agreements are in place, Viva provides emerging networks with an experienced coach to guide them. We also offer them access to our Network Training Course and Child Protection training, help them do situational mapping to discover the needs and gaps in a city, support them as they form working groups, and guide them as they plan and raise funds for collaborative programmes that respond to the needs identified in the mapping exercise. The new networks also benefit from joining Viva’s wider family of networks, including learning from seasoned network leaders, participating in online forums, and accessing resources. Sometimes, an existing network in a country plants a new network, or a focal person in a country with no Viva presence may reach out for support. It is an exciting season as new networks are emerging in a variety of places, including the Philippines, El Salvador, Venezuela, Peru, the United Kingdom, Sierra Leone and India - all bringing churches and organisations together to have a greater impact in the lives of children.

A New Network in a New Country: Sierra Leone

A new network partnership currently being explored is in Sierra Leone. A network called Save the City (STC) – Freetown was established in 2023, and the overarching aim of forming a network of Christian-led organisations was to provide programmes that focused their interventions on child growth and development. STC carried out a situational mapping exercise in July 2024 and identified 34 child-centred organisations operating in Freetown. The findings revealed that children face multiple threats, including high rates of sexual violence, harassment, child marriage, and teenage pregnancy. Many children are exploited as sources of income for their families, engaging in street selling or prostitution to survive. Engagement with Viva has been ongoing through online meetings, and in March, a Senior Coach based in Uganda is visiting the network leader to explore synergies and determine whether this network could become part of the Viva network.

Supporting Mapping: The United Kingdom

Viva staff and volunteers, including some of the Doorsteps team, supported a mapping exercise in Oxford, in partnership with Renew Oxford. Using a survey completed by 50 churches, as well as literature reviews and research, this exercise helped identify what was already happening for children, potential gaps, and areas of synergy. The report was launched in October 2025, and, on the day of the event, around 80 people gathered from over 30 churches across the city, along with community partners, to celebrate what God is doing across Oxford and imagine what more could be made possible together. “We heard some amazing snapshots from local projects, reflected on insights emerging from the mapping listening process, and explored how we might collaborate more deeply around key themes of children, youth & families; housing & homelessness; mental health; and wider city collaboration. The energy, unity, and sense of shared vision in the room was incredible and such a beautiful picture of how we can strengthen what the Church is already doing to see even more of God's Kingdom come in Oxford!” (Viva staff member)

Support has also been given to a mapping exercise in Norfolk, and the results of the mapping exercise were captured in a report, which ‍“is a fascinating read for churches; providing encouragement, challenge and calling them to work collaboratively in order to best serve children and young people here. We're really excited to see what comes next from it.- Jon Price,  Team Vicar at the Beacon Church, The Church of EnglandTeam Vicar at the Beacon Church, The Church of England.‍

Bringing a Child Focus to Existing Networks: Viva India

Historically, Viva India formed networks of churches and child‑focused ministries, usually involving around 100 organisations already committed to children’s work. Recently, Viva India has undergone a strategic shift and has now become an integral part of the much larger Delhi city movement, which brings together over 300 churches and other diverse actors, such as nonprofits and businesses, around shared goals. Within this environment, Viva India has found a powerful platform to more effectively engage churches in ministry with children. Many churches wanted to support children but lacked training or resources, so Viva now connects them to expertise and existing child‑focused initiatives. The Viva India board chair notes, "What we realised is no single network or no single church or business can on their own bring about that change. What is needed is a genuine sense of collaboration and movement."

This new collaborative approach has led to significant growth with opportunities. Delhi, Dehradun and Patna are leading the way, with opportunities emerging to support child-focused networks in Greater Noida, Chennai, Mumbai, Shillong and Goa. As the leader of Viva India, Gary, says, the new approach “has resulted in a fresh lease of getting new ministries, new churches into the children’s ministry network in Delhi.” Encouraging outcomes have already been seen. Many churches had struggled with curriculum and training, so Viva India facilitated collaboration among national and global partners, resulting in dozens of new teachers being trained. Vikas was a young man who attended a Viva Christmas party and, after training, now leads a Sunday school for 25 children. Another participant, Michelle, was inspired by the conviction that “if we don’t reach out to children now, no one else will,” prompting her to begin teaching teens in her church.

Current Networks Planting New Ones: Perú and the Philippines

In Perú, a new network is being planted as the established network supports a new leader in establishing work in a different city, which was explored in a previous article here. It is also encouraged to see our partner, thePhilippine Children's Ministries Network, involved in the development of the emerging Cebu Children's Alliance Network. Born out of a larger network in the area, this subgroup aims to help churches working with children come together, with the founders realising this is a critical need in Cebu: "being a top province for OSAEC (online sexual abuse or exploitation of children) cases, it is timely to form this group."Similarly, partner networks in countries such as El Salvador and Venezuela are exploring how they can support new networks to begin.

Looking Forward Together

Regarding the strategy that is emerging of helping networks in cities engage more with children, Gary, the leader of Viva India, notes, "Many of the churches and ministries desire to do ministries with children, but they don’t have the means to do it or the expertise to do it. So that’s where Viva comes in." Similarly, we are excited about how we can use our 30 years of experience to support churches and organisations that work with children, but in a fragmented way, to come together and leverage their expertise and resources. Enabling churches and organisations to do more together for children — whether by embedding child‑focused work within broader city movements or by birthing new networks — enables more churches and organisations to unite for the wellbeing of more children. If you are interested in joining a group of supporters who will help make this happen, please consider donating today.