The Call is for All

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IS FOR...

The call in action T HE C A LL I N AC T I ON

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Church Mission Society, Watlington Road, Oxford, OX4 6BZ T: +44 (0)1865 787400 churchmissionsociety.org

E: info@churchmissionsociety.org

/churchmissionsociety

@cmsmission

Church Mission Society is a mission community acknowledged by the Church of England. Registered in England and Wales, charity number 1131655, company number 6985330. Some icons & illustrations throughout designed by: www.freepik.com

THE CALL IS FOR...

All of God’s people are called to join in God’s mission...

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...THAT’S RIGHT. ALL OF US. God hasn’t exactly been unclear about this. Ever since he called Abraham to step out of his comfort zone, he’s been calling his people to cross boundaries, take risks and share his love:

“I will give you as a light to the nations...”

Isaiah 49:6 4

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“You are the light of the world.”

Matthew 5:14

“Go into all the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation.”

Mark 16:15

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THE CALL WILL LOOK DIFFERENT FOR EACH OF US. For the founders of Church Mission Society back in 1799 it meant campaigning to abolish the slave trade, fighting for the rights of oppressed people at home and launching out on dangerous seas to share Jesus with the world.

Our founders include: John Venn, John Newton and William Wilberforce 6

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Today our people in mission worldwide are putting their call into action in a variety of ways. This call takes some people overseas and some over the road... ...like Rachel, who is empowering women in Kenya through helping them grow their own businesses

...and Barbara, who faithfully leads a local group that prays for people in mission

...and Dominic, who ran a marathon to raise money for mission

...and Dan, who works as Church Mission Society's graphic designer, using his skills to communicate what God is doing in our world T HE C A LL I N AC T I ON

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PEOPLE IN MISSION: THE CALL IN ACTION Currently hundreds of people are putting their call into action with Church Mission Society in 40+ countries across four continents.

Some people are called to pray faithfully for mission. Others are called to invest in mission through giving. And many, like the people in the following pages, are called to give their time and skills in God’s mission. Church Mission Society celebrates all of these calls.

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me...

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Name: Stephen Edison Location: India

“My call is to help bring about peace, justice and reconciliation in South Asia. My role involves providing pastoral care for Asia CMS people in mission throughout the region.”

Name: Paul and Sarah Tester Location: Peru

“Our call is to see children and young people know Jesus and grow in him.

Our role is serving in national youth and discipleship ministries with the Anglican Church in Peru and in local church youth and children’s work.”

Name: Ann-Marie Wilson Location: Africa

“My call is to help end female genital mutilation (FGM) and violence against women and girls globally, specifically across Africa and the diaspora where FGM is practised. My role is founder and leader of an anti-FGM charity.”

Name: Harvey and Nancy Kwiyani Location: UK (from Malawi)

“Our call is to train, equip, and unleash the missional potential of the global church in Europe and to build cross-cultural bridges between African and British Christians. Our role is to lead Missio Africanus.”

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Name: Doug and Jacqui Marshall Location: Malta

“Our call is to serve those who have fallen into the cracks of society. Our role is helping asylum seekers recover their lives.”

Name: Tanas Alqassis Location: Europe, Middle East and North Africa

“I am called to build bridges and to grow new leaders. My role is Church Mission Society regional manager for Europe, the Middle East and North Africa.”

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Name: Luke Larner Location: United Kingdom

“My call is to shine light in dark places. My role is pioneering a ‘church for ragamuffins’ for people living on the margins of society.”

Name: Kailean and Kim Khongsai Location: UK (from India)

“Our call is to do all we can to preserve God’s wonderful world which he lovingly created and entrusted to our care. Our role is building bridges among different faith communities through environmental activities.”

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...to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.�

From Isaiah 61

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WHAT WE DO We have six priorities in mission: MAKING DISCIPLES

By God’s grace, we want to help grow communities of Christians who act like Jesus with one another and within their neighbourhoods.

ENCOURAGING LEADERS Wonderful work is happening through local Christians worldwide and we want to walk alongside them, learn from them and invest in their mission calling through education and training.

PEOPLE AT RISK We want to show those made vulnerable by unjust systems or circumstances that they are valued by God.

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“We are called to be part of God’s creation, called to be agents of that new creation here and now.”

NT Wright

LASTING ECONOMIC CHANGE It’s about dignity not dependency, encouraging entrepreneurship and generating income for generations to come.

PEACE AND RECONCILIATION “An enemy is someone whose story you have not heard.”

Inspired by the prince of peace, we want to help people in conflict share their stories with each other, build bridges and find forgiveness and a way forward.

CREATION CARE “For God so loved the world” – the planet and the people – and we want to join him in the renewal of both.

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OUR VALUES Although we come from a variety of backgrounds, we have some things in common. Individually and together, we aim to be pioneering, evangelistic, relational and faithful in all we do.

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PIONEERING

RELATIONAL

In the spirit of our founders we’re never afraid to try something new, even if it sounds a bit crazy, or perhaps especially when it sounds a bit crazy.

When authentic connections are made between people, that’s where we find gold – especially between people of different cultures.

EVANGELISTIC

FAITHFUL

Running like a thread through all we do is the desire to see people discover a living, loving relationship with Jesus.

With God, we are in it for the long haul. To date, 200+ years of not giving up.

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OUR PRINCIPLES You know the phrase,“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”? These principles have served us well since one of our founders, John Venn, first came up with them: FOLLOW God’s lead, like the missionaries of the early Church. FOCUS on prayer before money. BEGIN humbly and on a small scale.

RELY on the Spirit of God. T HE C A LL I N AC T IO N

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OUR COMMUNITY None of us could do what we do on our own, at least not very well.

We need each other.

Anyone with a passion for mission is welcome to join the CMS community.

Within our global family there are members who are called to pray for mission, to give to mission, to be a voice for mission in their church and to participate directly in mission. Together.

You might call us mission-obsessed.

We’d be okay with that.

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“...mission is quite simply, the participation of Christians in the liberating mission of Jesus, wagering on a future that verifiable experience seems to belie. It is the good news of God’s love, incarnated in the witness of community, for the sake of the world.”

David Bosch

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CHURCHES PUTTING THEIR CALL INTO ACTION We want to see both individual disciples and communities of disciples set free to play their part in the mission of God. Like Saint Paul's Wokingham, Saint Nicholas Embrook and Woosehill Church, who have started a three-year journey to focus on mission in their local community. Or like hundreds of churches who have chosen to get alongside a person in mission overseas for mutual support and learning.

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“It is not the church of God that has a mission in the world, but the God of mission who has a church in the world.”

Tim Dearborn

“Without the mission, a church is not a church; it’s just a group of disobedient Christians hanging out.”

JD Greear

Globally. Locally. Everyday.

All mission. All the time.

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YOUR CALL The call is for all. So the question isn’t if we’re called to mission but, “What does this call look like for me?”

Church Mission Society is here to help individuals and churches figure out how to take their next step in God’s mission.

At churchmissionsociety.org you can:

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APPLY for our innovative Pioneer Mission Leadership Training course

EXPLORE church resources like Partnership for Missional Church

DISCOVER gap year, short-term and long-term overseas opportunities

GET TO KNOW AND SUPPORT our people in mission and help them put their call into action

FIND fuel for your prayers and living a mission life

JOIN THE COMMUNITY and connect with others who love mission

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The call in action

churchmissionsociety.org /churchmissionsociety

T HE C A LL I N AC T I ON

@cmsmission

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CHURCH MISSION SOCIETY BELIEVES THAT ALL GOD’S PEOPLE ARE CALLED TO JOIN IN GOD’S MISSION: TO BRING CHALLENGE, CHANGE, HOPE AND FREEDOM TO OUR WORLD. AS A COMMUNITY OF PEOPLE IN MISSION, WE WANT TO HELP AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE BE SET FREE TO PUT THIS CALL INTO ACTION – WHETHER THAT MEANS GOING OVERSEAS OR OVER THE ROAD.