If I asked you to think about what a mission organisation does, you’re probably picturing an agency involved in the process of sending mission workers overseas. Naturally, this is a key part of the work here at SIM – but it’s not the whole story.
The UK’s cultural landscape is constantly shifting: in the 2021 census, there was a four percent increase in people registering as an ethnic group other than ‘white’ since the 2011 census, from 14 to 18 percent. With this, the faith landscape right on our doorstep is also changing, and cross-cultural ministries are responding to the gospel need across the country.
In the north of the UK, David and his wife and family live in one of the most multi-ethnic cities in the UK, where they share the gospel through building relationships and engaging with local communities.
They serve in some of the most deprived areas (in the bottom 10% of the country) where people suffer from extremely low incomes, crime rates are high and the cost of rent is steadily rising. This often means that large families are living in cramped, poor living conditions, as this is all they can afford.
“It’s hard living in an area like this; challenging behaviour in schools, problems with litter, gangs and knife crime are a reality. But there is also a great opportunity to get alongside people and be a light,” shares David.
At previous Easter events, David and family saw around 20-30 people coming along to their house. But this year they had their biggest event ever, with over 100 people joining from all different backgrounds and faiths.
After an Easter egg hunt at a local church, the children who’d come along had the opportunity to listen to the Easter story. And the hard work over the years is bearing fruit:
“We were surprised by their knowledge, but think their understanding is growing as we run more and more events,” says David. “We pray that the children and their parents are impacted by these events and that they come to understand more of who Jesus really is.”
Engage
As the church becomes more intercultural, we’re responding through our Engage programme, which invites cross-cultural workers from overseas to partner with UK receiving churches, helping them to reach out to their communities and share the hope found in Jesus.
Through Engage, we see a valuable partnership between worker and receiving church, a desire to serve God and cross-cultural experience that will enable the church to better reach the community around them.
Christiane, sent from Canada, has been a part of SIM for almost 20 years, previously serving in South Sudan before coming to the UK. Part of Christiane’s role is within Engage, where she supports both the workers and churches who receive them.
“Some of our workers don’t have any experience in a western context, and some of our churches haven’t ever had someone from another culture on their ministry teams. There’s usually a learning curve for everyone, so my role is to help bridge that gap (whether small or large) in any way possible so that both can transition into productive ministry together over time.
This is a process that takes time but as our workers navigate the transition to life in a new cultural context, it’s a joy to see them start to thrive and dive into the variety of ways and means that God is at work here in the UK, both in diaspora communities and in local British communities,” shares Christiane.
Read stories of God at work through Engage in our article Who will come?
Sports Friends
The UK is just one of 20 countries where Sports Friends work. In 2019, they initiated a ministry in the UK focusing on marginalised young people without father figures or strong male role models. Mission worker Somchai, based in Manchester, is pioneering the UK Sports Friends ministry.
“Our approach is both intentional and relational”, shares Somchai, “Through regular sports sessions, we create safe and consistent spaces where young people can belong and build trust. From there, we share the gospel through mentoring, small group studies, and personal conversations.”
“This reflects our wider strategy of using sport not just as an activity, but as a bridge into discipleship – developing relationships that lead to long-term spiritual growth and transformation.”
Sport provides a unique opportunity to share the gospel in the UK, a country where it’s deeply embedded in the culture. But, for Somchai, it’s not without its challenges.
“Serving in the UK context when English is not my first language can be a struggle. People are so busy here, and it sometimes feels like time is the most difficult thing for people to give,” says Somchai.”
However, the opportunities to support and mentor young people – especially those who may lack strong role models – through sport are vast and exciting. Find out more about Sports Friends’ ministry in the UK.
Talk to us
If you’re interested in serving in one of our UK ministries, please email us at [email protected].
To find out more about Engage, visit our webpage or email [email protected] if you’d like to find out more about serving with Engage, or you’re part of a church interested in hosting an Engage worker.
Please pray
- with David, that more Christians will move to the disadvantaged areas in the UK and be a light for Christ there;
- for more people and churches with a heart for cross-cultural mission to serve with the Engage ministry;
- for the Sports Friends team in the UK: that they will be able to use their ministry to engage with people well and share the hope of the gospel.