Activate Your Life is celebrating its Diamond Jubilee in 2026, marking 60 years of equipping, encouraging and empowering women across the UK to share God’s love in natural, authentic and life-changing ways.
What began decades ago as a small gathering of Christian women has grown into a vibrant, interdenominational charity reaching hundreds of women each year through events, resources and relational evangelism.
Activate encourages ordinary women to live out extraordinary faith through friendship, authenticity and everyday conversations. Women are supported to love the people God has placed in their lives, using their own personality, gifts and life experience. Activate comes alongside women to equip, encourage and stand with them as they serve their communities.
A rich history of faith in action
Activate developed from an earlier movement known as Christian Viewpoint for Women, originally founded as The Christian Ladies Luncheon Club. Inspired by a challenge from Ruth Bell Graham to reach women relationally and directly.
Leaders including Fiona Castle and Helen Cooke began hosting hotel events and conferences that combined relevant discussion with a clear gospel message. The charity relies on a dedicated volunteer-led team and generous donations from its supporters, many of whom have experienced first-hand the lifechanging difference friendship evangelism makes.
Alongside the annual weekend away, ‘days away’ events now support churches nationwide with speakers, training and encouragement.
Weekend away
The Diamond Jubilee Weekend in 2026 was the largest celebration of the year and featured multigenerational panels and workshops, dedicated sessions for under-18s, and a balanced mix of teaching, creative spaces, worship and fun! The Saturday night disco party has become a joyous highlight, with an eclectic mix of requested songs from across the decades and an increasing amount of favourite Christian praise songs!
One participant wrote: “There is nothing quite like worshipping with hundreds of women. It feels like coming home.”
Women describe the Weekend Away as:
“Inspiring, encouraging and real.”
“An uplifting, empowering and enlightening weekend.”
“It took the fear out of evangelism.”
“It’s a safe space where I can relax and hear what God wants to say.”
One long-standing attendee shared:
“Activate has been a kind of barometer of where I am in my faith. Each year I’ve been refreshed and blessed.”
Days away
Alongside the weekend away, Activate runs days away hosted by local churches across the country. When local resources feel stretched, Activate brings experienced speakers, worship leaders and practical teaching directly into churches, facilitating affordable women’s events rooted in real life. These collaborations often help rejuvenate women’s ministries and encourage church leaders to reach out into their communities in fresh new ways.
Books that equip and inspire
Activate’s influence extends beyond events to published resources. Christian Viewpoint pamphlets and magazines were sent through the post until the early days of the Internet, when website articles and books were written to include supportertestimonies and practical ideas on how to share God’s love in natural ways.
One of the first of these books was Freewheeling and is a resource book encouraging women to find balance and worth in all aspects of their lives.
Unlocking the Door was revised and published in 2015 and provides a practical guide to friendship evangelism, including Bible studies and creative ideas for building meaningful friendships.
Be: Godly Wisdom to Live By, Fiona Castle and Friends (Authentic Media, 2022) is a daily devotional written by Activate women offering encouragement through Scripture, reflection and prayer. Many describe it as ‘like a reassuring chat with friends.’
Activate is pleased to announce that a new daily devotional will be published in 2027. Still: Godly Wisdom Across the Generations is a sequel to Be and celebrates Activate’s 60-year legacy with contributions from women of all ages. Our youngest contributor is 15 and our oldest is 85!
Looking ahead
Activate Your Life continues to bring women together across generations to learn from one another, support one another and empower one another. Through friendship, practical evangelism and authentic community, lives are being changed quietly but significantly.
The Diamond Jubilee marks 60 years of faithfulness. But even more, it signals a confident and hopeful future.
For more information, event details or to share your story, visit activateyourlife.org.uk or follow us on social media.