The Call & Prayerlines combined edition - Autumn 2020

The Call ISSUE 16 | AUTUMN 2020

IMAGINATION. IN ACTION. Meet people who are using their imagination in God’s mission – and join in the adventure

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IN THIS EDITION PRAYERLINES CAN BE SEEN ON EACH PAGE

ARTICLES AND FEATURE STORIES CAN BE SEEN ON EACH PAGE

Each week has dates at the top – go through page by page.

Thank you for your prayers!

These are the pieces you are used to seeing in The Call. If you haven’t read it before, you might find something new to interest you.

04. Mission news

What God is doing through your prayerful support

10. Imagining God’s future…

Church Mission Society Watlington Road, Oxford, OX4 6BZ

… in Gambella, as Chris and Suzy Wilson bring different tribes together

T: +44 (0)1865 787400 E: info@churchmissionsociety.org

12. Imagination for creation

Read how Kailean and Kim Khongsai saw possibilities in Southall

churchmissionsociety.org

18. How to…

/churchmissionsociety @cmsmission

… use your imagination – Jonny Baker encourages us to connect with creativity

If you have any comments about The Call, please contact the editor: the.call@churchmissionsociety.org. Opinions expressed in The Call are those of the authors, not necessarily of Church Mission Society.

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Church Mission Society is a mission community acknowledged by the Church of England Registered Company No. 6985330 and Registered Charity No.1131655 (England & Wales) and SC047163 (Scotland).

Also part of CMS: The South American Mission Society, Registered Company No. 65048 and Registered Charity No. 221328 (England & Wales); The Church Mission Society Trust, Registered Charity No. 1131655-1 (previously 220297). Registered and principal offices of all above entities: Watlington Road, Oxford, OX4 6BZ.

22. Be still

Mission partners in training reflect on lockdown learnings

26 and 28. Fundraising feats Celebrate the imaginative fundraising efforts of supporters of all ages

32. Annual review

Look back at how your gifts made mission possible in22019 THE C A LL – S UM MER 20 0

1–4 OCTOBER 2020

WELCOME

Prayerlines Th 1 OCT // SOUTH ASIA This year, B and K moved to a new area and settled into new roles related to fighting human trafficking, before turning their focus to food relief after the pandemic hit their country. Pray as God takes them in new directions and they continue to adapt.

IMMERSED IN IMAGINATION ALASTAIR BATEMAN, CEO, CHURCH MISSION SOCIETY

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ver the last few months we’ve been using the practice of Dwelling in the Word from the Partnership for Missional Church journey to focus on Mark 4:35–5:3 as a staff team. One of the things I most enjoy about Dwelling is allowing space to really immerse myself in the Gospel in a deeper way. It’s been helpful to bring the story to life and to imagine my own involvement in God’s mission in new ways, drawing on the passage.

Jesus calming the storm has been a relevant metaphor for mission through 2020 as our people in mission around the world have had to adjust to living out their mission in new ways. I hope you’ve been inspired as I have by the stories of “Mission Unscripted” that have regularly featured in our communications.

Despite the challenges, our people in mission have imagined new ways of operating in the context of lockdown and heightened anxiety around COVID-19 and its economic impact on livelihoods. It’s amazing how the combination of immersion in Scripture and engaging in context, inspired by the Holy Spirit, can lead to creative ways of sharing God’s love with those in need.

Of course, using our imaginations to create something new is nothing new in itself.

Genesis 1 makes it clear that the Creator God created us in his image. So, while we’re created and not the ultimate Creator (which is important to remember lest we get ahead of ourselves), we are encouraged in the use of our creativity and imagination to partner with him. It’s striking how often Jesus, through parables or by asking questions, empowers us to think for ourselves and encourages us to put ourselves into other people’s shoes rather than providing fully formed answers for us to digest and regurgitate. It’s a creative, imaginative process where we partner with him.

Some of you may remember former CMS general secretary John V. Taylor, who wrote a great deal in this area. Staff at CMS remain inspired by his writing, which seems even more fresh and relevant today. Three themes that reoccur in Taylor’s reflections (and I’m told he wrote 124 newsletters during his tenure!) are immersion, imagination and improvisation.

Three themes as relevant today as ever as we continue to discern the way forward in our fast-changing world.

F 2 OCT // NEPAL Andrea and Andrew Young have continued to offer pastoral care to United Mission to Nepal from the UK during lockdown, including developing a UMN staff care group.

Pray for them as they prepare a group of Nepali staff to become “listeners” to staff who are going through difficulties.

WEEKEND FOCUS Saturday–Sunday 3–4 October

HEAVENLY RIVER

By Ian Adams, mission spirituality adviser for Church Mission Society As we focus on imagination and mission in this issue of The Call we pray this weekend with a line from the canticle Song of the Heavenly City (based on Revelation 21–22).

I saw the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb.

Take some prayerful time outside in your city, town or village. Reflect on how you see this place. Look for signs of the heavenly river that is already running through this place, bringing life and restoration.

Gracious God Help me to see this place with renewed love; and when I see the “river of the water of life” give me imagination and courage to enter its flow.

3 Amen.

Email: ian.adams@ churchmissionsociety.org

5–9 OCTOBER 2020

Prayerlines M 5 OCT // GUATEMALA

MISSION NEWS ast

irut after the bl

Clearing up in Be

Mark and Rosalie Balfour provide pastoral support for Street Kids Direct workers in Central America. They ask for prayer to know how best to support and love friends and church family who have lost loved ones as a result of the virus.

T 6 OCT // CHILE Local partner Gabriel Parra, church planting in Playa Ancha, Valparaiso, asks for prayer for the church missionary communities to continue to be active, fervent and winsome. Pray for more people to join these communities and for them to become a firm base for planting churches.

W 7 OCT // BRAZIL Pray for God to continue to use Daniel and Sarah Brito Medeiros to build friendships among local church leaders as part of their calling to minister to local children who have suffered trauma and abuse. Pray for God to use friendships to open doors into churches so Daniel can advocate for adoption of children into loving families.

Th 8 OCT // SPAIN Latin American local partner Noel Diaz is pastor of a small congregation in Zaragoza. Earlier this year, Noel and his team started sharing daily audio devotionals through WhatsApp and email, and hundreds of people have signed up. Pray for God to meet powerfully with each person listening to these audio devotionals.

F 9 OCT // PERU Paul and Sarah Tester, leading the development of CMS’s work in Latin America, ask for prayer for the building of community among CMS people in mission in the region and for continued sensitivity to the Spirit’s leading in the 4 shaping of CMS’s mission in and from Latin America.

Audrey Gibson helps to prepare food for those on the front line of the clean-up operat ion

BEYOND THE BLAST: SHARING JESUS’ LOVE IN LEBANON Amid chaos, confusion, grief and anger following the explosion in Beirut on 4 August 2020, CMS mission partners have been sharing the hope of Jesus.

“It seems impossible that Lebanon will ever be the same,” say Phil and Sylvie Good, who worked with Resurrection Church Beirut to raise funds for relief in the city. “[T]he thousands of people who heard the screams and saw the blood are still processing what has happened… people are feeling very sad and… angry.”

The Goods, along with Audrey and Colin Gibson who work with LSESD (Lebanese Society for Educational and Social Development), report that many want to leave the country, as political instability, coronavirus and economic collapse were already burdensome before the blast.

Despair has deepened among the traditionally resilient, resourceful population.

The Goods and the Gibsons ask for prayer for the Church in

Lebanon as they comfort the broken-hearted. Reporting from the frontlines of the clean up a week after the explosion, Audrey said: “…nearly all the work is being done by volunteers…. Churches, other faith groups and multiple NGOs are doing what they can – from sweeping up glass to handing out food…. [The scene] was truly appalling. As well as practical support some of the team offered to pray with people and were giving out audio Bibles to those who wanted them.” LSESD is now offering trauma recovery services for children and adults.

In choosing to stay and minister among Lebanese people and Syrian refugees in the country, the Goods and the Gibsons have sought to demonstrate the faithful presence of Jesus: “We bring a simple message that Jesus comes to us and dwells among us and brings us life and hope and will move us towards justice and peace,” says Phil.

Neema masks now in the UK Earlier this year we shared the news that Neema Crafts, pioneered and led by Church Mission Society mission partners in Iringa, Tanzania, had started making face masks for healthcare staff in Tanzania. Now churches in the UK can also buy these vibrant and colourful Neema masks!

Ben and Katy Ray explain, “The Neema Crafts Centre is now open, with the cafe and shop resuming a normal service, but we are only seeing a trickle of customers where normally we

would expect a deluge during the summer months. Since we have been producing more masks than there is now demand for in Iringa, and with the announcement by the UK government that face coverings should be worn in public places, we have sent some of our masks over to the UK.” The masks are available in boxes of 50 or 100 – ideal for churches to sell in their congregation or local community. For more information, contact neemamasks@gmail.com

New book: inspired by imagination Jonny Baker and Cathy Ross have recently released a new book inspired by former CMS general secretary and mission thinker John V. Taylor. Cathy Ross recently gained increased access to Taylor’s travel diaries and newsletters from the 1960s and 70s, and uncovered a treasure trove of insights into mission so fresh and radical, they could have been penned for 2020 and beyond.

Imagining Mission with John V. Taylor was released on

Masks from Neema Crafts are now available for UK chu rches

30 August. Jonny Baker describes the book, “It is inspired

by Taylor’s writings – but it really isn’t a historical book.

It’s more about soaking in his ideas and imaginings and then speaking boldly into today’s questions and issues in church, mission and society.”

Taylor was one of the earlier voices in the Church to speak out about the environmental crisis, for instance.

Cathy and Jonny believe tapping into Taylor’s ideas will help people become more bold, creative and innovative in mission today. “He was a prophet figure without a doubt,” says Jonny.

The book is available from SCM Press using discount code MISSION2020.

Hearing hope in refugee camps

gee camps in Usual church gatherings in refu possible n bee not e hav nda northern Uga

Distributing pre-loaded digital audio players in refugee camps is bringing healing, hope and even saving lives as food rations are cut and stress soars due to the pandemic.

One mother went from feeling suicidal to being determined to carry on, thanks to the recorded trauma healing sessions featured on the players provided by local partner Sam Malish and his colleagues to South Sudanese refugees in Uganda.

The digital audio players (DAPs) come pre-loaded with

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holistic transformational messages including sermons, teaching on trauma healing, talks on parenting strategies and Bible teaching specifically for children.

Sam and the team are hearing stories of real change as a result. A refugee in her 50s who was planning to quietly divorce her husband was inspired and encouraged when she listened to the trauma healing messages recorded on one of these DAPs. Her relationship with her husband improved significantly and she changed her mind about divorcing him.

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Southern conference

MISSION NEWS

The Southern conference planning team has decided in view of COVID-19 to cancel the CMS Southern conference scheduled for 19–21 February 2021 at High Leigh. They are looking into running a virtual conference that weekend.

Northern pioneer training centre has arrived The first weekend of Pioneer Mission Leadership Training at the Northern Mission Centre took place on 12 and 13 September. A group of 18 students from the north of England and Scotland gathered in Penrith as part of this partnership with the Diocese of Carlisle.

The course means CMS training is available to a much wider geographical area, and will offer an authentically northern pioneer approach embedded in practice, equipping, enthusing and enabling mission thinking and action.

Feeding families in India In India, Asia-CMS recently worked with an organisation called Sahayak to get food to 100 migrant labourer families – and the community’s children helped lead this effort.

Sahayak works mainly with migrant labourer children and women as they are often the most in need. Asia-CMS’s offer to partner in food distribution came at just the right time, as food was becoming scarce and families had nowhere to turn.

“The Sahayak kids were instrumental in identifying and helping struggling families come one by one to our centre to pick up food packets,” Sharon from Sahayak reported.

One mother, who had walked for days with her three children, was worried about how to provide for them.

When one of the Sahayak boys told her about the food packages, she felt her prayers were answered.

Suzane from Asia-CMS said, “[People’s] prayers and support have helped us walk alongside our partners who had the opportunity to be the face of Jesus to so many who don’t know him.”

This story is published by kind permission of Asia-CMS.

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Pioneer peak This year, there are more ordinands than ever starting CMS Pioneer Mission Leadership Training with 10 new students this year – six undergraduates and four postgraduates, including the first ordinand studying for on the DTh doctoral programme.

Newest recruits Despite the challenges of the coronavirus pandemic, CMS has recruited two new mission partner families in recent months. Both are looking forward to leading churches in strategic places.

Jennifer and Kevin Cable will re-open the historic Anglican Church in Jaffa, where the doors have been closed for more than 70 years. Jaffa is the historic Joppa: the place from which Jonah attempted to sail to Tarshish, the port where the cedars of Lebanon arrived to build the temple in Jerusalem, and where Peter received his vision to preach to the Gentiles. Jennifer and Kevin comment, “We feel honoured and humbled to have been called to work with CMS in re-opening this church, which will re-energise and encourage the Christian community in Jaffa and beyond.”

Lea and Petra Williams, with their two children, will lead a small Anglican congregation in Brno in the Czech Republic, creating opportunities for Czech and English-speakers to worship and explore issues of faith. Brno is a vibrant growing city, home to thousands of students and internationals. There are few Englishspeaking congregations, and according to recent Pew Research the Czech Republic is the most secular nation in Eastern Europe.

Lea and Petra are excited to develop a vibrant international Christian community where people meet Jesus and grow as disciples.

Our recruitment team are always keen to help people explore their call to mission – contact vro@ churchmissionsociety.org if you are sensing God calling you on a new mission journey.

“During this time we have continued to be in awe of God’s faithfulness to us.”

FINANCE UPDATE

It has certainly been a challenging few months for all of us! We just couldn’t have imagined this scenario only six months ago.

BY CHARLIE WALKER, CMS DIRECTOR OF FINANCE AND CORPORATE SERVICES

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write to you having now returned (partially) to the office, and I can report that CMS House is looking very different. Our head of facilities, Cley Crouch, has worked extremely hard to make it COVID-19 secure.

During recent months we have continued to be in awe of God’s faithfulness to us. We’ve been blown away by you, our generous, committed and faithful supporters and we’ve been thankful (especially to our IT team!) for the ways in which we have been able to adapt to new working environments.

We are keeping a close eye on the financial situation, and I will personally be glad when I don’t

have to do another forecast for 2020–21! We have continued to put some roles on furlough, freeze budget lines, reduce cash outflows where possible and reduce planned capital spending for the year as we have sought to minimise volatility to our financial position.

Halfway through the year and certainly things have improved (both in terms of income and reduced expenditure) for which we are deeply thankful. However, we still remain uncertain about the second half of the year and going into 2021–22, so please do continue to join in prayer with us.

One of the great privileges of working life at CMS is our 8:45am prayers – 15 minutes at the start of each day placing people, work and our world into God’s trustworthy hands.

WEEKEND FOCUS Saturday–Sunday 10–11 October

GODLINESS WITH CONTENTMENT

By Nick Drayson and Catherine Le Tissier, currently in the UK. As diocesan bishop, Nick oversees 150 churches in Northern Argentina, while Catherine coordinates the Mothers’ Union in the Province of South America.

We read in the Bible that St Paul had a pretty scary life: shipwrecks, stonings, persecutions (2 Corinthians 11:26–28), and the like, but his faith in his loving God was such that he was able to say, in Philippians 4:11, “I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.” Now that is quite something!

We are all learning to be content, and for sure, it is a lot easier for us right now than for many others! For us it is, in a way, a time of “plenty”, of reuniting with our family and friends, and enjoying being in England. We are grateful for the little things and trying not to get stressed over what we can’t control.

The weeks and months are passing by, and we can’t help but remember that for “everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven”.

So we will make the most of this season, grateful for this time, mindful of those who are suffering, and relying on God’s purposes. “For godliness with contentment is great gain.” (1 Timothy 6:6).

Pray for the many near and PRAY far who are learning to be content in a wide 7 variety of circumstances.

12–16 OCTOBER 2020

WORLD VIEWS

Prayerlines M 12 OCT // KENYA Local partner Kenneth Ambani Buluku had to stop theology evening classes for lay pastors as a result of the pandemic.

Pray for Kenneth as he explores the practicalities of moving training online to help more church leaders transform their communities for the glory of God.

T 13 OCT // UGANDA Tom and Verity Clare write that they are learning of a great deal of brokenness, family breakdown and addiction in Arua. Pray for Tom, a GP, as he takes part in the community’s fight against gender-based violence, and for Verity as she looks after their four sons.

W 14 OCT // SOUTH AFRICA Based at George Whitefield College in South Africa, Dick and Caroline Seed provide training and curriculum consultation for Anglican theological institutions across Africa and beyond.

Having run training online during the pandemic, pray that courses will be able to run in person in 2021.

Th 15 OCT // DR CONGO Jeff Sikabwe, local partner in Kinshasa, writes that CMS-Africa’s training is yielding life-changing results.

Following a CMS-Africa course, a local man started raising chickens and growing vegetables, which helped his family survive during lockdown food shortages. Pray for this training to change more lives.

F 16 OCT // UGANDA Helen Kisakye, dance advocate, focuses on changing attitudes towards people with disabilities and now also teaching children about their rights through dance via video tutorials. Pray children 8 have fun as well as take away will important lessons.

WHEN A PANDEMIC GETS PERSONAL Azaria Spencer, working with Street Kids Direct in Guatemala, shares her experience of the pandemic coming too close for comfort.

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have taken the virus seriously but not been overly concerned for myself. My concern lies primarily with vulnerable people here in Guatemala, not just their health but also their need for food and rent. I have been helping prepare and distribute food parcels fortnightly to families we work with. A food kitchen in a poorer part of the city is feeding 150 people daily and going there once a week has helped me see hope as people have come together to support those most affected.

In addition, my concern has been for friends and family in the UK. When I first heard of the virus spreading in the UK, my thoughts were for my sister, an NHS nurse.

When she told me that she would be working on a COVID-19 ward, I didn’t want her anywhere near the virus. Yet God reminded me that we are not called to do the least we can, but the most. So, I prayed for her protection and my admiration for someone I already adore grew as she faithfully did her job.

Then the news I had been dreading came. My sister had the virus and I was undone. Suddenly the pandemic had become far too personal.

Being far away from family for long periods of time has many challenges. Missing the good things – celebrations, birthdays and Christmas – is difficult, but missing the bad things is even harder. It was made even tougher as I felt that my usefulness here in Guatemala had dropped during lockdown and curfew.

My sister stayed home and recovered from the virus. I learned valuable lessons in humility, trust and faith. Paul advises us to seek contentment in every circumstance (Philippians 4:11–13). Several months into lockdown, I might finally be learning what it is to be content right now.

Azaria giving out food to some of the most vulnerable in Guatemala City

TRAPPED IN UNCERTAINTY A mission partner in South East Asia shares about the added uncertainty of long-term health issues for those in an already difficult prison environment.

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received news that an inmate had been admitted to hospital. Things didn’t look good – he was unconscious and unresponsive.

I had got to know KM quite well while he’d been in prison.

Before his detention, KM ran a restaurant, and in prison he cooked for other inmates. A couple of times, he asked me to bring cooking spices for him (I checked the contents thoroughly to make sure it wasn’t drugs!).

As well as exotic ingredients, KM had asked me to help him with supplying insulin and syringes because he was diabetic.

I was worried for him, as healthcare at the prison is dire.

Any kind of long-term health issue, like diabetes, adds another layer of uncertainty to an already uncertain existence.

When I visited, KM was in the prison wing of the hospital, one of the most depressing places I’ve ever been. Patients are behind bars and I was locked in. KM was unconscious but repeatedly pinched his leg with his thumb.

I held his hand and grimaced from the force he was exerting.

He was on oxygen and hooked

up to a drip and I also noticed a nearly full catheter bag. The small room was crowded with other patients and visiting relatives.

There was little evidence of care being given, save for the patients being attended to by relatives. I put some Christian tracts in his language in his pocket, hoping he might get some encouragement from them when he woke up, then said goodbye.

I visited KM several more times.

He was moved to the ICU. The doctor treating him apologised for the delay, but I was too relieved to see evidence that KM was being looked after to be judgemental.

A few days later, the doctor told me KM’s breathing was deteriorating. I went to see him and explained that I wanted to pray with him. I was not sure if KM heard my prayers. The doctor waited at the foot of the bed as I prayed. I don’t know how much she understood but I hope God communicated with both of them

that he loved and cared for them.

Early the next morning, I received a call telling me KM had died. He hadn’t recovered consciousness after suffering a stroke.

KM’s family, who live in other parts of the world, had asked me to take care of things for them. I took his funeral three weeks later.

Apart from some police, the only people there were C, who was videoing it to send to KM’s family, J, who read the scriptures in KM’s language, and myself.

This whole episode is tragic.

KM was in his forties and if he had been treated properly, he may well have recovered. I long for a better justice system and healthcare for inmates – those with chronic health conditions are being failed and this is frustrating, upsetting and wrong.

Yet we believe God is present in this mess and places us here to do whatever we can to make a difference.

Read more from our people in mission at churchmissionsociety.org/stories

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IMAGINATION IN ACTION

IMAGINING GOD’S FUTURE IN GAMBELLA Mission partners Chris and Suzy Wilson, who help lead St Frumentius’ Anglican Theological College in Gambella, Ethiopia, share the importance of imagination in the face of great obstacles.

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hat has imagination got to do with mission? In The Sacrifice of Africa, Emmanuel Katongole speaks frequently of the imagination. King Leopold of Belgium, and other European colonial powers, imagined Africa to be a site for exploitation and violence.

King Leopold may be gone but

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his ghost persists: the denial and exploitation of Africa remains “hard-wired into the imaginative landscape of modern Africa”. Katongole stresses the need to transform this imaginative landscape, and tells of remarkable African Christian leaders whose stories emerge from “a different social imagination grounded in a story of forgiveness and selfsacrificing service.”

Katongole’s account of the imaginative landscape of Africa profoundly describes the situation in Gambella, Ethiopia.

Hatred and rivalry between the Nuer and Anuak communities is hard-wired into the imaginative landscape of Gambella. This rivalry is essentially political and is animated by frequent power-grabs for the regional government and long-running disputes over land rights.

Widespread corruption, which makes it easier to exploit power and position for gain, increases the stakes and thereby intensifies the rivalry.

This imaginative landscape has profoundly shaped the churches in Gambella.

Monoethnic congregations, denominations, synods and dioceses are the norm. On our side of town, the different church denominations regularly invite one another to a “unity” conference which is monoethnic.

Those who question the appropriateness of a monoethnic “unity” conference in the midst of an ethnic conflict can expect to receive a lecture on the value of unity between different denominations.

In this social context, St Frumentius’ Anglican Theological College was established. Since 2015, we’ve been striving to

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Top left: Chris with Simon, Kech and Ochalla who completed their studies this year Top right: Students reunite after two months separated by ethnic violence Left: A period of ethnic violence forces us to improvise a classroom on the Nuer side of town

provide excellent theological education and spiritual formation in the context of a multi-ethnic worshipping community. Each day, students from the Nuer and Anuak communities – as well as the Opo, Dinka, Maban and JumJum communities – gather together. We come together to worship, study, eat and have fun together.

We lift our eyes to God. Our imaginations are fired by visions of God’s promised future, of great multitudes from every nation, tribe, people and language gathered to worship before the throne and before the Lamb (Revelation 7).

These visions shape our practices.

Morning prayer is a beautiful cacophony of different people responding with the liturgy of their mother-tongue. We sing and drum together: every student at the college can expect to learn two or three praise songs from five different languages. And it drives us to develop new ways of worshipping together: earlier this year, students wrote a single song in which one verse is then repeated in five different languages.

During our four years at the college, many students have testified of their hearts and imaginations being changed. Kech Nyak is one of many students to have publicly repented of hatred during his time at the college. In a video interview in January 2020, he said, “Before I hated Anuak people... but now I have a great love... now, even if there is a fight, I still call my brother Ochalla [an Anuak student].”

On occasions, what we are doing at St Frumentius’ has radiated out into the wider community. In November 2018, after two months of violence and total segregation, a car full of Nuer students pulled up at an Anuak restaurant where Nuer

people generally don’t go. These students were warmly embraced by their Anuak brothers and after eating, they praised God together, drumming on the table with empty plastic bottles and singing in Anuak and Nuer. In August 2019, several of our former students organised a joint conference for Anuak and Nuer youths. These students greeted one another on the road, washed one another’s feet.

Following the conference, they set off to walk home together singing as they went. Gradually this singing became more passionate and they started dancing. They praised and danced for 3km through the centre of Gambella, eventually stopping to pray together at the roundabout which marks the centre of Gambella. Those who experienced these scenes will not forget these beautiful and truthful interruptions.

Yet what is love and unity between 20 students in a massive political, economic and cultural system that seems set on its destruction? Sometimes it has felt like trying to put out a fire with a drop of water. And often the obstacles and resistance have made keeping going a near impossible task. But God calls all of us to be faithful to him and to his promised future. Our God, who gives life to the dead, has changed nations and continents through small numbers of people many times before. And he is able to do that in Gambella through the lives of these young men and women.

IMAGINE

Join us on an adventure of the imagination!

Go to churchmissionsociety.org/imagine

WEEKEND FOCUS Saturday–Sunday 17–18 October

DOUBLE THINKING

By Malcolm Pritchard, serving at Archbishop Janani Luwum Theological College in Gulu, northern Uganda Double thinking is critical to glimpsing Africa. Thinking once, I’m grateful for the new fence around campus. Thinking twice, the land survey says the actual boundary is 150m beyond the fence.

We know that when aid is “given” there are hidden agendas for donor and recipient. Typically, aid reaches those it is meant to relieve but a little. Throw in some famine, floods, locusts, diseases, corruption, violence and a handful of bad “isms” and Africa is the worst place on earth. But of course it is not. Good news doesn’t sell so well.

There are young people in Gulu praying for the nation every day – or every night. They add members to a cell group chat and it’s a prayer meeting just as many of us are having via Zoom.

The daily allowance starts at midnight.

That’s when they begin to pray. The sad stories are never the whole story.

Thinking about such stories against the background of all that’s going on, I think about Jesus, who had time for each person but also challenged the wider system, the world’s way of organising things. In many countries not only are personal stories being told but background injustices are also being exposed. To follow Jesus means not only thinking about each person’s story, but working to see the Kingdom of God put things right, on earth as it is in heaven.

And that is always cruciform in shape.

Pray wisdom for Malcolm and PRAY willingness for the Church to challenge worldly systems, to work for the Kingdom as 11 well as for each precious person.

19–23 OCTOBER 2020

Prayerlines

IMAGINATION IN ACTION

M 19 OCT // BRISTOL Pioneer James FoxRobinson is developing an app to help selfsupporting people (such as people in mission) fundraise and communicate better. Pray for this app as it goes through coding, design and testing, and for it to make a real difference to people in mission.

T 20 OCT // SOUTHALL Kailean and Kim Khongsai, working in creation care, are struggling to find enough volunteers due to the pandemic having caused fear and anxiety. Pray for courage and wisdom as Kailean and Kim navigate and explore new ways of working within A Rocha and the local community.

W 21 OCT // AFRICA/UK “Following a challenging health year, I have been experiencing complications and a couple of falls. Please pray for my health and mending bones and confidences alike following recent new diagnoses and complications,” writes mission partner Ann-Marie Wilson, working to end female genital mutilation (FGM) in Africa.

Th 22 OCT // CORNWALL Pray for Festo and Grace Kanungha. Grace is currently in Cornwall while Festo is in Tanzania awaiting a visa. Pray for Festo’s visa to be granted and for their children as they settle into a new school in Cornwall.

F 23 OCT // POOLE Pioneer Rachel Dismorr, an outreach pastor, asks for prayer for those who attended her church’s online Alpha Course to feel at home in the church community, to form good friendships and continue to grow in faith.

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IMAGINATION FOR CREATION How many people look at a polluted area, mutter something like “yuck” or “what a shame” or “someone should really do something about that” – and then move on? How many people look at such a place and see possibility for a green community space where people can connect, socialise, plant food, enjoy nature, play, even worship?

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he difference is imagination. And it turns out imagination is something CMS mission partners Kailean and Kim Khongsai have – quite literally – in spades.

Originally from Manipur, north east India, the Khongsais have lived in Southall, London, for 11 years. Though they both grew up in Christian families where Jesus was at the heart of their households, they say they never dreamed of working in mission.

Then they learned they could marry their respective areas of expertise (Kailean studied

ecology and environmental waste management and Kim studied botany and education) with their Christian faith – and their imagination has expanded while working in creation care ministry A Rocha, through a secondment via CMS. Kailean said, “God placed us in Southall, a multicultural, vibrant place but sadly [when we arrived we saw] the area suffered from lack of community engagement and environmental

Top left: Kailean and Kim Khongsai at Wolf Fields Bottom: Wolf Fields was once a dumping ground – yet the Khongsais imagined beauty there Top right: Now Wolf Fields is a celebration of creation

understanding. Many green spaces were neglected. We felt the need for a community project that could address the issue. With very limited resources, we took up a small plot in an overgrown allotment and started a food growing project in 2010.

“It was daunting as this was the first community project in the area and we just didn’t know how people would react – we prayed a lot! The project was well received by the local community and local churches. This triggered our imagination to grow wilder.”

In 2013, Kailean and Kim spotted a three-acre piece of derelict land called Wolf Fields in the area, close to a housing estate, a church and a school.

“The site was very abused, used for drug taking, littered with beer cans, syringes, old mattresses.

Even nearby residents avoided it.”

But the Khongsais fell in love: “We could see the site’s potential.

We had no doubt that God would love to see his creation well looked after (Genesis 2:15).” Getting planning permission from Ealing council, the landowner, and startup funding for the project was no easy task. “It required lots of prayer, determination, and patience.”

Permission granted, one of the first tasks was clearing 54 tonnes of rubbish. To attract wildlife, nest boxes and a bird feeding station were installed. New paths were laid to improve site access. A food growing project was started.

All of this was accomplished with help from people in the surrounding multicultural, multifaith community. In 2014, a competition was held across four local primary schools to design a sensory garden, and the final design was crafted by a sevenyear-old. Local people helped with

planting, and various companies donated products, time and expertise to help the sensory garden become a reality. In February 2018, a Braille information board and an audio post were installed in conjunction with Ealing Association for the Blind.

“The Wolf Fields project has given us the opportunity to work in partnership with local churches in reaching out to the wider community. It also gives us the opportunity to serve people with physical or mental challenges.

Last but not least, we have the opportunity to proclaim good news – God’s love for his creation – in a practical way to various faith and cultural backgrounds,” Kailean and Kim said. Creation care can serve as a strong bridge between different faith communities as environmental concerns are a common denominator for people from all faiths and none.

Today Wolf Fields is a tranquil green oasis for Southall residents.

A community orchard and an apiary have been added. As for future plans, “Our dream is that local churches or the local community will take ownership, and the site will become a thriving demonstration where people can learn about the benefits of green space and replicate this project where possible,” said Kailean.

He added: “Through this

process, we have learned that imagination requires faith, courage, passion and a certain degree of creativity to bring it to fruition. Our faith in God, the creator… helps us to imagine the future and act for his glory. I would like to think that imagination is God’s gift to humans. God himself used imagination in the creation of everything…. Our imagination allows us to rise above our limits and act beyond our comfort zone.”

The Khongsais are grateful to work with organisations that encourage imagination in action for the sake of both planet and people: “Becoming CMS partners seconded to A Rocha UK has in many ways refined us to become better disciples of Christ. There have been lots of challenges, and perhaps there are more to come, but we are rooted in our identity in Christ and feel that God has rubber stamped our call to serve him in this field.”

ACT

How might God be awakening your imagination or calling you into action? Our vocational recruitment team would love to explore your call with you – get in touch on vro@churchmissionsociety.org or go to churchmissionsociety.org/explore

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IMAGINATION IN ACTION

IMAGINING AND REIMAGINING We sometimes describe students on the CMS Pioneer Mission Leadership Training as “dreamers who do”, who see ways to turn God’s dreams for our world into reality. But during lockdown, some of our pioneers found themselves reimagining again in new circumstances…

RUNNING AND RELATIONSHIPS Natalie Burfitt works on a new housing development, as part of a diocesan project using sport (including fun games and wellbeing) to connect with children, families and young people.

Imagining what this could look like, Natalie focused on building relationships, earning trust and piloting one or two activities. She explains, “I’m not a sports minister – I’m a minister who likes running, cycling and fitness. We want to experiment with new ways of living the Kingdom and exploring faith.”

She comments: “One of the most fruitful things I’ve tried out is a couch-to-5K (C25K) running group.

The first session attracted 20 and this settled to a group of about 12.

There is lots about this course that models discipleship and community.

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You have to run three times a week, so there’s a commitment that goes beyond the weekly group meeting. Friendships have formed and people have become running buddies, with a culture of mutuality and encouragement. Several have commented on how the accountability of the group has got them through the course.

“Chatting helps the running go by so we were getting to know each other in anatural way. I told the group at the start that I’m a vicar and that they could ask me anything about that but that it was up to them.

“C25K is a nine-week course and we went in to lockdown at week seven. We stayed in touch via WhatsApp (although the actively engaged group reduced to about six people) and kept running. We hope one day we’ll be able to run our celebratory parkrun, as planned.”

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COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS Pioneer student Tammy Oliver and her husband, Jon, help to lead Monty’s community hub in Southampton. The team imagine the whole community enjoying abundant life in a flourishing neighbourhood – and create a space for that to happen through sharing life, getting active, making friends, learning skills, offering help and having fun. The organisation has a Christian ethos and welcomes those of all faiths and none.

Under normal circumstances Monty’s would be welcoming people of all ages to groups and community events throughout the week – but this had to stop during lockdown.

So Tammy and the team had to reimagine their activities.

Like much of the rest of the world, some activities moved

online. Zoom connections came about – from a lunch together to keep in touch, through youth and parent support groups, to Sunday night prayers that proved more accessible online than in person for those with children at home. They also shared ideas for kids’ activities, simple low-cost recipes, reflections and well-being tips on social media.

But not everything works online – so the team got to work collecting waste food from local shops for the community fridge and to cook into ready meals, delivering supplies to local people self-isolating or shielding. They also helped keyworkers to commute safely by offering free bike repairs and half price bikes at their Bike Hub. As summer has progressed and lockdown eased, there has been more change, with community picnics, family walks and craft afternoons outdoors. And so as autumn approaches and the school term starts, the team begin imagining once again!

REVS REIMAGINED Pioneer vicar Adam Gompertz developed REVS, an initiative for classic car enthusiasts, during his time studying on CMS’s pioneer programme, bringing together his passion for cars and mission. But REVS normally involves gatherings, so how does this work in lockdown?

Enter REVS Limiter, a Facebook Live virtual event to lift people’s spirits, with video content from classic car enthusiasts, interviews and input from experts. The inaugural event in May attracted more than 3,000 people – far more than expected!

The event created a space to talk about mental health issues as well as cars. Adam, known to the REVS community as “The Rev”, explained: “Car-related themes of restoration, design and creation have a natural

resonance. At each event I hear stories of people whose lives have been damaged. These classic car lovers need to know that God loves them.

“While REVS Limiter was not overtly spiritual, restoration is a key theme, as people speak about their motoring restoration projects as well as their own stories of hope, trial and restoration.”

The event closed with a prayer and blessing, and Adam shared plans for future events to include a chance to send prayer requests.

Next came REVS Restored in June – another success with more than 5,000 people connecting.

And at the time of writing, Adam and the team are working on REVS Refuelled and Ready, to run from Bicester Heritage (where Adam is chaplain and who have supported the event with space and expertise) on 12 September.

These events have connected with the classic car community way beyond expectations. Adam comments, “It’s not just me – there are so many people getting involved and not asking for anything in return.” The events have even been nominated for the lockdown initiative category at the Historic Motoring Awards!

Jonny Baker, CMS’s director of mission education, said: “Mission pioneers have responded to the coronavirus crisis with inspiring and progressive ideas. At a time when so many people are dealing with issues of isolation and wellbeing, this innovative mission can impact lives beyond the natural reach of the church.”

JOIN IN

Find out more about CMS Pioneer Mission Leadership Training at pioneer.churchmissionsociety.org

WEEKEND FOCUS Saturday–Sunday 24–25 October

MAKING THE CRITICAL DIFFERENCE

By Paul Bradbury, pioneer hub coordinator at CMS I wonder if coronavirus might tip the Church into a new structure and a new way of operating. In the context of the Church already struggling with issues of decline and sustainability, already under pressure and in disequilibrium, COVID-19 may well be the event that makes the critical difference.

If this is the case, I think we need to ask: What are faithful ways of being church that may well be more suited to the world that is to come? Has the age of digital church arrived? Will church affiliation be more blended than exclusive, a mix of digital and local, gathered congregation and neighbourhood presence?

The idea is to open up a conversation in which the creative presence of the Holy Spirit can be listened to. It is in the conversations and flows of relationships within the Church where the Holy Spirit mediates the presence of God and invites the Church further on in her journey. It is in the threshold places that the Holy Spirit so often speaks and shapes the future. Are we listening with ears to hear where the Spirit is leading?

Pray for the Church to tune in PRAY to what the Spirit is saying and be willing to humbly reevaluate methods and formats.

26–30 OCTOBER 2020

IMAGINATION IN ACTION

Prayerlines M 26 OCT // SOUTH ASIA After seven and a half years working in South Asia as a primary school teacher and helping to train other teachers, mission partner R has retired and returned to the UK to live. Pray for her as she settles into church and community and begins this next chapter of her life.

T 27 OCT // THAILAND Mission partners Jason and Tracy Day ask us to pray that in this time of economic instability and hardship, children would not be sold into the sex trade and young men and women would not turn to working the streets for money.

W 28 OCT // SOUTH EAST ASIA Working in South East Asia in education and church ministry, B and M are in the UK at present and are planning to return to South East Asia next month. Pray for wisdom as they consider the timing of their return and plan the next few months.

Th 29 OCT // PHILIPPINES Pray for inspiration and wisdom for Eric and Sandra Read and local churches as they look beyond food aid and seek to help people get back on their feet. Pray for churches to begin to share Eric and Sandra’s vision for holistic mission through practising it during this difficult time.

F 30 OCT // THAILAND Pray for local partner Helen Avadiar as she disciples and equips believers in underground churches and unreached people groups in Asia. Pray for God to lead her to make the right connections and find the key people God wants her to invest in.

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THROWING OUT STIGMA, UNCOVERING BRIGHT FUTURES A and L live in South East Asia, where they are raising their three sons and reimagining life for two groups of people: L is reimagining the future for children with special educational needs (SEN) and A is reimagining life for people struggling under the weight of trauma and emotional issues.

LIVING WITH SEN IN SOUTH EAST ASIA

I

n this part of the world, children born with a disability are often invisible: absent from official statistics and hidden away. Children with SEN are often isolated from their peers or even abandoned by their families.

But things are changing. As the founding chairperson of the local chapter of SENIA (Special

Educational Needs and Inclusion Association), L is networking with others to increase the level and quality of special needs teaching in her location. L works day-today with teachers to identify and support children with SEN and their families and facilitates professional development for teachers.

L, who holds a postgraduate certificate in special educational needs coordination, discovered a love and passion for children with SEN to be recognised and included

while working with nursery-age children with SEN in the UK. “For me, SEN provision is about inclusion and justice. It is only right that these children are afforded the same opportunities as their peers – to learn, to play and to grow. Children with SEN often have a different way of looking at and processing the world, and like different cultures and languages, can bring us more understanding of the nature of God. My passion and desire is to show God’s love and acceptance to children and their parents. Jesus advocated for the forgotten and the ostracised.

My aim is to do that too, to be a voice for the voiceless as he was.”

Dara (not his real name), a child on the autistic spectrum, joined the school where L works when he was three years old. His parents were desperate for Dara to socialise with his peers and learn to talk. L supported the class teacher to provide differentiated learning for him within the class, provided training to his teaching assistant and found an appropriate therapist to work with him at school and at home.

A year later Dara has started saying some words and using actions, joins in with activities like swimming and music, and has gone from playing alongside his peers to playing with them.

CELEBRATE RECOVERY

Photos: A and L, pictured here with their three young sons, are imagining a bright future for people in South East Asia

A is also reimagining: in his case, a life of freedom for so many who have been left in their brokenness for so long.

“We see a history of violence and trauma which is not being fully addressed and which results in wounds being passed down the generations,” A says. In this culture, talking through trauma and acknowledging emotions is traditionally taboo, meaning people don’t have the tools to deal with their pain.

A is leading a Celebrate Recovery (CR) group, following the Godcentred, group therapybased model pioneered

by Saddleback Church, California, in the 90s, which has brought healing to people around the world. Through this group, A is offering a Christian space where locals can find acceptance, support each other and open up and start talking about things.

Though hugely countercultural, the groups are proving successful as participants live out their healing and family and friends see the real difference in their lives.

Each session includes worship and prayer, helping attendees to focus their minds on God as their deliverer, and fellowship in the form of a meal, giving members a chance to go deeper with others on the same journey. This holistic approach of inclusion, care and provision is essential here, where people are often shunned for their Christian beliefs.

One of the ways A has been able to come alongside those who are suffering is through sharing his own past experience with addiction. This had a great impact on his friend AP. Through being vulnerable himself, A has been able to bring AP out of denial and help him to see that his addiction

is just that, an addiction.

AP realises now that his pain, dependence and shame are issues that God recognises, cares about and that God loves him too much for him to stay that way. AP is now well on his way to a life free from alcohol.

A has seen God set people free from a range of issues, from minor unhealthy habits to significant addiction and major trauma.

A counts it a privilege to serve alongside people as God brings healing.

God is transforming lives as A and L follow their call and reimagine the future for children with SEN and adults in need of healing in this part of the world.

GIVE

A and L’s work is only possible because of generous supporters like you. If you would like to support them financially, go to churchmissionsociety.org/anon and use the fund code M.HAAL or call 01865 787489.

If your church would like to connect with mission partners like A and L, contact churchrelations@churchmissionsociety.org

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HOW TO...

HOW TO...

USE YOUR IMAGINATION John Taylor, former general secretary at CMS, called mission an adventure of the imagination. Yet many people think creativity is a gift you either have or you don’t – and often they conclude they don’t have it. But it is more like a muscle that is strengthened through use – we all have it, but need to practise using it. So how do we get started?

BY JONNY BAKER, DIRECTOR OF MISSION EDUCATION AT CHURCH MISSION SOCIETY

O

ne way to be creative is to combine two things from different areas. Einstein called this combinatory play. A classic example is the printing press: Gutenberg famously observed the way that a screw press was used in winemaking to press grapes and combined that with typesetting to create the printing press. A more recent example is James Dyson observing dust extraction at a factory and combining that with a vacuum cleaner to come up with the Dyson.

Jesus told a very simple parable saying that the Kingdom of God is like a teacher who took something old and something new out of the cupboard (Mt 13:52). He too knew

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this art of combinatory play. His parables were invariably this kind of combining of, say, yeast and messianic expectation or Jacob and Esau with a story of homecoming.

The essence of contextual mission is exactly this kind of combinatory play. It’s an adventure to combine the story of Christ with a culture or context.

Let me give you a few examples.

When I have helped at Mind Body Spirit fairs sharing Christ with spiritual seekers, I use something new – a pack of cards called the Jesus Deck – with something old – lectio divina. The Jesus Deck is a set of cards with four suits of scenes from the Gospels. Using something from the culture of spiritual seekers, card reading works amazingly well combined with an old method of Scripture reading.

Jo and Darren Howie have combined coffee with communion

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to develop the Sacred Bean eucharist. They work with exoffenders and have set up a coffee roasting business around which they are building community and training people so they can get jobs. They have developed a wonderfully creative ritual to remember Christ which the guys absolutely love.

KimSon Nguyen has written a brilliant book on contextual theology in Vietnam in which he explores combining the Vietnamese spirituality of the Dao (the way) with the gospel.

In this case he is combining something old with something old to come up with something new!

A fresh expression of church in Brighton called Beyond combined beach huts with Advent to create a beach hut Advent calendar.

This ran for 11 years and really caught the public imagination.

A beach hut was opened each day with an art installation about the Christmas story and people gathered to share a short reflection, mulled wine, mince pies and carols. Simple but so Brighton!

In the wake of George Floyd’s tragic murder, I read James Cone’s book The Cross and The Lynching Tree. The book explores the combination of Christ’s death and lynching. This has largely been avoided by white theologians in America but Cone demonstrates how artists combined these two things in very powerful ways. CMS’s much-loved resource The Christ We Share is really combinatory play like this – combining the image of Jesus with representation in local cultural forms.

What’s great about combinatory play is that it is really easy and anyone can do it, including you. It just requires a couple of things. One is getting outside your area, so don’t remain stuck in a church bubble.

Crossing cultures is brilliant for this. Secondly, it requires practice, and as you do that you will get better at it – that creative muscle I mentioned can go flabby through lack of exercise.

So to help you get started, here are a couple of exercises to try. It’s actually more fun being creative with other people, so why not do these with a friend or a small group?

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2

Choose one of the Gospel stories where Jesus encounters someone, such as the woman at the well.

Combine it with your village or neighbourhood and retell the story in an imaginative way with characters and places from there.

Take a photograph of something that catches your attention in your neighbourhood. Combine that with an approach to prayer you are familiar with such as confession, the Lord’s prayer, silent prayer, praise, the examen, or a communion prayer. I tried this out and took a photograph of a parking sign and combined it with communion at home. For me this was a powerful reaction to the Church’s response on communion at home during lockdown.

Recently Cathy Ross and I have really enjoyed exploring John Taylor’s themes and imaginative approach to mission in his CMS newsletters. We have just released a book which is really combinatory play in itself – combining Taylor’s insights with mission challenges in today’s world. We conclude each chapter with an exploration like the ones above to help people exercise creativity and imagination.

Imagination may well be the church in Britain’s biggest challenge.

READ

Imagining Mission with John V. Taylor by Jonny Baker and Cathy Ross is out now from SCM Press. Use code MISSION2020 on the SCM website to get a discounted copy.

WEEKEND FOCUS Saturday–Sunday 31 Oct–1 Nov

CONSTANT REASSURANCE AND CONSTANT LOVE

By A and L, leading a Celebrate Recovery group and working in special educational needs provision respectively in South East Asia Lockdown hasn’t been easy but we know we are blessed more than most here. We are fortunate enough to live in a very quiet part of the city where we can take the boys out for walks with little to no traffic (essential in a country without pavements). While it has been incredibly hard having three small children stuck in the house for so long, it has been wonderful to get to know our kids on a deeper level.

In May, our third son was born.

This pregnancy had been more of a rollercoaster than we expected, but once again God’s blessings shone through. In this pregnancy and time, God has shown that none is like him. From our very first scan there was the potential for minor complications that could lead to us not only using a different hospital but having to give birth in another country. This pushed us towards God in ways that little has before. Through constant prayer and listening we felt God’s comfort and reassurance that all would be okay, and it was. We had an incredibly smooth birth at the same hospital where our first two were born.

God doesn’t promise that everything will be easy but he does promise to always be here for us and that message has been repeated to us over and over in recent months. Constant reassurance and constant love.

Praise God for his faithfulness PRAY to A and L through this difficult time.

Pray for difficulties to always push 19 them towards God.

2–6 NOVEMBER 2020

Prayerlines M 2 NOV // MIDDLE EAST Mission partners J and R write that J’s Old Testament translation work continues remotely, and that both J and R are doing language study online. Pray for good progress with the translation, that J will still find some time for language study and for R to progress with her studies.

T 3 NOV // SPAIN Felipe and Sarah Yanez’s work with local food banks has become more important than ever during the pandemic, as so many in Spain are now unemployed. Pray for adequate provision for families in need, and for job creation to be a priority for the government.

W 4 NOV // SPAIN/N AFRICA M and T have had to adapt quickly this year as they couldn’t run residential courses for workers in the nations of North Africa in the same way as before.

Pray for wisdom as the situation keeps changing and they make decisions about staff and facilities.

A unique gap year opportunity from Church Mission Society

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17–25 D E G A

SEE. KNOW. SERVE.

For info email vro@churchmissionsociety.org or visit churchmissionsociety.org/wonder

AFRIECRA ENCE

CONSHFIP IN CHANGING TIMES

G ON OES LIN E!

D IS C IP LE 2020 6–7 NOVEMBER MS Paul Thaxter, C Main Speaker: on rnational Missi Director of Inte

ission in Africa: Connect with m ace online ering will take pl our annual gath s from CMS ns and workshop with contributio n. io people in miss and CMS-Africa

For more information and to sign up for the online conference, go to churchmissionsociety.org/ac2020

Th 5 NOV // MIDDLE EAST Nabil and Sarah Shehadi, seconded to Alpha International, ask for prayer for Nabil and the Middle East team as they translate the various Alpha Course materials into Arabic and for Nabil as he trains churches online in Lebanon, Syria and Jordan to run them.

An invitation to imagination

UP CLOSE

F 6 NOV // UKRAINE Local partner and church planter Valery Alymov writes that last winter’s focus on discipling young people bore fruit earlier this year as they baptised five young people as part of a service in the forest by a small river this summer.

Praise God for this growth and ask for 20 more!

A free resource to run a Christmas carol event, big or small, online or in person, in your street or in your church Includes all you need: Service plan, invitation flyer, service sheet, presentation slides and a video bringing the hope of Christmas from CMS people in mission around the world.

SIGN UP FOR UPDATES AT churchmissionsociety.org/hopeupclose

APPEAL FOLLOW UP

THANK YOU FOR GIVING OVER £170,000!

We were overwhelmed and amazed by your generosity in response to our urgent coronavirus appeal. Because of your extraordinary kindness in these turbulent times, our people in mission are able to continue serving their communities.

LIFE-SKILLS LESSONS IN LATIN AMERICA Sharon Wilcox, who empowers people with learning disabilities through life-skills classes in Ecuador, has adapted her teaching. Since March she has continued to equip her students with essential skills through WhatsApp worksheets and YouTube tutorials. Now, she is looking forward to setting up four new projects in Quito.

LAYING THE FOUNDATIONS FOR DISCIPLESHIP TRAINING IN AFRICA Derek and Jane Waller used their remaining time in Madagascar to prepare plans for discipleship training once they leave. Working alongside local leaders, Florent and Bishop Samy, they have prayed, studied the Bible and formed thoughts for

ongoing discipleship training in Toliara Diocese.

JOY IN JORDAN! The past few months have been a time of great hardship for many, but there was joy for Fiona and Joel Kelling in Jordan! Thanks to your giving, we supported Fiona through the birth of their second child which, due to travel restrictions, unexpectedly took place in Jordan. Praise God – on 6 June, they welcomed Nora into their family.

THE CHURCH IS BUILT UP IN UKRAINE Quarantine in Ukraine has been a period of spiritual growth for the Tabernacle of the Living God church in Kiev, where CMS mission partner Alison Giblett serves. Since 12 March, the church has met

Photos left to right: Socially distanced Bible study in Madagascar, house church gathering in Ukraine, life skills training at home in Ecuador

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in house groups of 10 people with leaders and musicians in each. In these smaller groups, more members have discovered their spiritual gifts and found freedom to tell their stories or share a word from God.

EMERGENCY RELIEF IN ASIA With money saved from overseas travel, Asia-CMS has provided emergency food for hundreds of families suffering from the financial impact of the coronavirus lockdown.

CMS mission partners and local partners have been instrumental in this.

God’s mission through CMS has continued throughout lockdown – thank you for playing your part in making this possible.

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REFLECTION

BE STILL

By M and H, mission partners in training, waiting to return to North Africa (words by M, illustration by H)

I

write this five months since the lockdown began, eight months since our family left Africa to retrain with CMS. There are so many uncertainties, so many unknowns and the borders to our country of work are still closed.

Yet the enforced pause has been a blessing in many ways. It’s helped me take my eyes off all the things I normally have to do, and to push in to God, the one who always IS. Be still and know that I am God Birds were singing as we bundled the kids into the car, but we barely heard them. We had a four-hour journey ahead, a meeting with a church leader we had never met, and then presentations and talks to finalise and present. Normal life in February was really busy for

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a family of six. There were unread emails, huge to-do lists and so much to accomplish. We felt busy, exhausted, frazzled, but tried to feel fulfilled. A busy life is a valuable life, whispers the unspoken mantra of Western culture.

Be still and know that I AM...

We’re trying balance our diaries, seeing old friends, fulfilling more church appointments, attending parents’ evenings, writing assignments and still getting enough exercise to stay healthy. As we run around Aston’s Eyot nature reserve at dusk one evening, we barely notice the muntjac deer silently waiting behind a hawthorn bush, his patient breath on the cool evening air whispering “be still” as we charge by.

Be still and know...

It’s March. Rumours start circulating of the virus spreading in Oxford. One of the kids at House 244 where we live has a temperature, so we don’t send our kids into school the next day. We wonder how we’re going to get our final essays done if we have to do childcare all day. As we sit planning next weekend’s church visits, crowds continue to rush past the windows, but now one or two people wear masks. The vibrant cherry blossom lies trampled on the pavement, unnoticed.

Be still...

The whole country has been told to stay at home. An unearthly silence has descended on Oxford.

Birds sing, uninterrupted by traffic noise. There’s no laughter at the restaurant opposite, no one on the streets. The entire world is taking a breath, a pause, a moment of silence. The birdsong goes on, louder than I’ve ever heard. The

blue tits, robins and wrens sing with everything they’ve got in case the humans go back to their normal noise tomorrow. The flowers bloom in extravagant beauty, sharing the joy of their Creator with everyone who sees. As the early spring sun shines down, it’s a reminder of God’s goodness, despite the unprecedented disruption to human freedom as we know it.

Be. It’s the middle of lockdown. We inhabit a liminal space the likes of which humanity has never known. Every day has the same routine: wake up and light a candle, then sit gazing out into the garden for a half-hour of contemplative prayer. Then the kids wake up, we do breakfast and homeschool. After lunch, it’s naptime, some short physical exercises, then take the kids round the nature reserve to get them out of the house. We marvel at every flower, every birdsong, every brief sighting of a deer. We love being outside for a few short minutes every day, and wish we hadn’t taken this freedom for granted. Then back into the house for dinner and bed, before another day exactly the same.

I AM Somehow the enforced lockdown has moved us into a space of simply being. There seems to be an unspoken assumption in our Christian culture that if we can just be busy enough, God will turn up and do something. So it’s been a huge blow to our egos, especially mine, to be able to do nothing during this time. When we can do nothing because we have to stay at home, we discover that God is still here, and still at work.

For me, lockdown coincided with a deepening practice of contemplative prayer, and somehow lockdown has

become an integral part of this: a wonderful chance to learn to be content, to realise that I am not quite as “in control” of my life as I thought, and to trust that’s okay, because God is in control. I found by sitting in silence every morning, I was somehow given a glimpse of the eternal stillness and love of God’s presence. The words of Psalm 46:10 became my daily mantra. I would light a candle and speak them over slowly in my mind, gently dropping a word off the end with each repetition until I held in my consciousness the phrase “Be... I AM”.

“When we can do nothing because we have to stay at home, we discover that God is still here, and still at work.”

I realised how often I fail to appreciate that God is always present right here, right now, and that the only thing I need to do is to recognise that fact. I found myself reflecting on John 17:21, “just as you are in me, and I am in you. May they also be in us”. What does it mean to be in God, and God in me, especially in these crazy times when I can’t do anything for God? I hear God whispering, “Be still. I AM.” Somehow it means resting in the fact that God knows what is going on, that although the consequences of this virus are terrible, God’s greater purposes are not thwarted.

Somehow he is shaking us out of our busy, comfortable lives, and making us all face the Unknown.

Faced with this mystery, it’s been hard even to pray. I’d always thought that prayer is about getting God to act, and asking for things, isn’t it?

“God, I don’t even know what to pray.

All I can do is mutter a feeble, ‘help’.”

As the days of COVID-19 go on and the uncertainties mount in the silence, I hear a still small voice whispering back again and again, “Be still, and know that I am God.” Be still. I AM. Be.

WEEKEND FOCUS Saturday–Sunday 7–8 November

HELLO DARKNESS MY OLD FRIEND

By Phil and Sylvie Good, working with refugees alongside churches in Beirut I recently saw the heading Hello Darkness, which took me straight back to the first words of the Simon and Garfunkel song The Sound of Silence: “Hello darkness, my old friend/I’ve come to talk with you again…”

Here in Beirut we fear the darkness, not just because of our instinctive fear of the dark, nor because darkness reminds us we are alone. The darkness here reminds us that the paper castle we are living in is falling down around us and no one seems able to save it.

But when days are hard and conflict is all around, sometimes we long to return to our bed, pull up the covers and return to darkness. Our old friend where we can rest from the continual demands that surround us.

In the darkness there is a friend who is closer than a brother.

In the darkness, if we will allow, this friend can bring light.

Jesus comes in the darkness and scatters my fears.

Jesus is the light of the world; there is no darkness in him.

In my darkness I see my need for light, I see how inadequate is my own light.

In my darkness I discover how easy it is to accept the light of Jesus.

Hello darkness my old friend. For now I can see Jesus and receive his light.

PRAY

Pray for Phil and Sylvie as they come alongside people who are still looking 23 for Jesus in the dark.

9–13 NOVEMBER 2020

MISSION SPIRITUALITY

Prayerlines M 9 NOV // PARAGUAY Bev Richardson, supporting a local church leadership team and teaching at Colegio San Andres in Asuncion, asks for prayer for the Anglican Church of South America. Pray for the church as leadership continues to transition to Latin Americans and for God’s vision for the bishops as they lead their dioceses.

By Ian Adams, mission spirituality adviser for Church Mission Society

CANTICLES: SONGS OF THE CHURCH

T 10 NOV // BRAZIL Over the past few months, Agua Viva Anglican church in Recife has seen people returning who have been absent for a long time. Pray for local partner and rector Flavio Adair to lead the church in receiving new people, and for discernment and wisdom in this phase of revitalisation.

Over two millennia the Christ story has been prayed, lived and shared by a huge variety of people in different contexts, shaping the mission of the church. One brilliant repository of this experience lies in the collection of texts we know as canticles that emerged from some of the earliest songs of the Church.

W 11 NOV // ARGENTINA After suspension of visits and training courses due to the pandemic, mission partners David and Shelley Stokes are now approaching their final months of service among mainly indigenous churches in northern Argentina. Pray for it to be possible to make necessary visits before they leave and for wisdom in timing.

Th 12 NOV // URUGUAY Pray for local partner Mechi Tarragona in her work of training and working with leaders and building community in Uruguay. Pray for her as she assembles a team of professionals who can together offer mental health workshops and oneon-one support to the community.

F 13 NOV // GUATEMALA “Praise God for his goodness, faithfulness, and constant presence,” writes Azaria Spencer, who works with street children and young people at risk through Street Kids Direct. Pray for Azaria as she spends time in the UK, visiting family, friends and churches from this month.

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5 I saw the river of the water of I saw no temple in the city, life, bright as crystal, flowing for its temple is the Lord God from the throne of God and of the Almighty and the Lamb. the Lamb.

2 And the city has no need of 6 And either side of the river sun or moon to shine upon it, stood the tree of life, yielding for the glory of God is its light, its fruit each month, and the and its lamp is the Lamb. leaves of the tree were for the 3 By its light the nations shall healing of the nations. walk, and the rulers of the earth 7 The throne of God and of the shall bring their glory into it.

Lamb shall be there, and his 4 Its gates shall never be shut servants shall worship him; any be re the ll sha nor , day by and they shall see his face night; and his name shall be on their they shall bring into it the glory foreheads. * and honour of the nations.

1

*Common Worship: Services and Prayers for the Church of England © The Archbishops’ Council 2000 and published by Church House Publishing.

PART 6: A SONG OF THE HEAVENLY CITY

T

hese songs have been sung in times of plenty and in times of need, in times of joy and in times of persecution.

Grounded in Scripture and shaped by experience, they offer gifts to us now as we seek to live and share the Jesus Way. What might happen if we begin to speak or sing these canticles again? How might we be changed if we allow them to seep into us?

This series in The Call continues by exploring the canticle A Song of the Heavenly City, inspired by Revelation 21–22. The photo was taken on a sunny winter’s day in London preCOVID-19.

This canticle is a song of imagination and mission. It calls us to reimagine our contexts in the light of Jesus’ liberating mission.

The challenge of this canticle is to see this act of imagination not just as a future dream, but as a current possibility.

The opening lines bring strange encouragement. If in many places we see the apparent receding of visible church life, we are also invited to see something else.

Namely that the temple – think of the visible church – is in fact the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb (note that mix of strength and humility). Not a building, as helpful as that can be. Not even a people, as

vital as they are. But the Lord who will provide all the Light that a place needs.

This revelation of God’s presence at the heart of every place sets the tone for the rest of the canticle. It invites us to reimagine what we see in that Light, encouraging us to see how the mission of God is already underway, wherever we are. Even where I am, even where you are!

It encourages us to ask a series of imaginative questions:

1

What might it take for people to once again walk here without night fears?

2

How might the barred shutters and closed doors of this street be reopened?

3

Can you recognise the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, that is flowing here?

4

What might be the tree of life already growing in this place?

5

Can you taste the fruit that will grow here?

6

What is the healing that is needed here, for which the tree’s leaves will both flourish and fall?

7

How might barriers of nation, ethnicity, gender and other perceived difference begin to break down?

The canticle ends not with a temple but with a throne. And a relationship. With God, and with God’s people, connected in intimacy and devotion: and they shall see his face and his name shall be on their foreheads.

We, and all the people around us, carry “names” around with us.

Usually invisible, but there all the same. The names are our fears and our losses, our hopes and our desires. One day the only name we will need is his name.

The Song of the Heavenly City is an invitation into a radical new way of seeing. This will not be easy.

The way things are can often feel like the way things will always be. But the canticle invites us to imagine another possibility, one that will enable our participation in a mission that is already, gloriously, underway.

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EXERCISE You can do this exercise on your own, but it can be particularly insightful to do it prayerfully with others. Walk the streets of your village, town or city together. Take photos. Try to see the place with love. Look for the good, but don’t hide whatever is discouraging.

Print the photos onto large sheets of paper. Take a prayerful pause. When the time is right, start to write phrases or lines from the canticle around the photos. Reflect prayerfully on what, in God’s grace, this exercise may be revealing to you.

To the One who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honour and glory and might, for ever and ever. Amen.

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FUNDRAISING FEATS

FUNDRAISING FEAT CAPTURES THE COMMUNITY’S IMAGINATION Top: Former mission partner Canon John Harwood walked from his home to church and back 94 times for his 94 years – and celebrated with a cake at the end of his last walk!

Right: Canon John was applauded by local residents as he completed his 94th walk

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“The Racing Rev!” “CMS is lucky to have you!” These are just a couple of encouraging comments Canon John Harwood received as he undertook an extraordinary fundraising challenge for Church Mission Society this summer – raising a remarkable amount of money for mission at a crucial time.

I

nspired by Captain Tom Moore’s amazing achievement in raising over £30 million for NHS charities, Canon John decided to do his own challenge: “94 walks for 94 years” – a walk for every year of his life.

Though he did joke: “I don’t expect a knighthood!”

Starting in May, Canon John committed to completing two walks per day, from his home to his parish church, St James’s Emsworth, and back again, for a total distance of 47 miles, the equivalent of almost two marathons.

For each walk he finished, he deposited a numbered slip into the rectory letterbox.

A former CMS mission partner himself, Canon John served in Nigeria and Sierra Leone for a decade before joining the UK staff for a further eight years. He said he did this challenge because, “I am convinced of the continuing need to support Christian mission in the UK and worldwide. I have seen for myself in recent years the effectiveness of CMS in training pioneers in the UK and abroad.” One

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person who particularly inspires him is entrepreneur Rachel Karanja in Kenya, a member of the CMS-Africa team, who among other things has shown local women and men how to convert waste materials into a sustainable energy source.

John set an initial fundraising target of £1,000, but by the time he completed his challenge in early July, hundreds of people had generously contributed more than £15,000 to his effort, including Gift Aid. His story was featured in various media outlets including the Church Times and BBC South.

For his final walk, crowds of people lined the streets to cheer him on, including CMS CEO Alastair Bateman and CMS director of international mission Paul Thaxter, as well as the Rev Andrew Sheard, rector of Warblington with Emsworth.

Alastair reflected the thoughts of many people, both from John’s local community and supporters from the CMS community around the world, saying: “John’s willingness to put himself on the line like this echoes the selfless sacrifice of countless men and women who have served in CMS throughout its history, putting the needs and wellbeing of others above their own comfort.”

He added: “I’ve no doubt

Canon John’s walk will prove to be an inspiration to many people, especially at a time when many of our mission partners around the world are supporting communities in the face of the coronavirus crisis.”

The Rt Rev Dr Tim Dakin, Bishop of Winchester and a former leader of CMS, added his congratulations: “I wholeheartedly commend John for his splendid effort. His vision, commitment and perseverance are an example to us all, one which I hope will inspire people’s generosity to support the work of Church Mission Society around the world.”

Canon John said: “Now it’s all over, I’m amazed at the response.

There have been gifts from Australia, Malawi and all over the UK…. The walking has not been as tedious or painful as I had imagined.

I usually had brief resting spots on the way to relieve the backache….

“But of course, the final word must be to praise God who has given me the strength and patience to do the walking and who has moved the hearts, minds and pockets of so many kind folk.”

Following a celebration including many congratulations and cake, John said he was now looking forward to a well-earned rest. Huge thanks to Canon John and all who supported his stunning effort.

WEEKEND FOCUS Saturday–Sunday 14–15 November

HEALING LEAVES

By Ian Adams, mission spirituality adviser for Church Mission Society As we focus on imagination and mission in this issue of The Call we pray with another line from the canticle Song of the Heavenly City, based on Revelation 21–22. and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations...

Look for opportunities to understand the nature of the healing that is needed in the village, town or city in which you live. Reflect on how you might be called to be a leaf that brings healing.

Healing God Help me to recognise the healing that is needed here.

Give me to courage, as a leaf, to flourish – and perhaps to suffer – so that, in the name of Jesus the Christ, healing may come.

Amen.

27

Email: ian.adams@ churchmissionsociety.org

16–20 NOVEMBER 2020

Prayerlines M 16 NOV // OXFORD CMS pioneer student Sophia Popham is a daughter, mother, home educator, experimenter and vicar’s wife. She asks for prayer as she and others develop the online church that has come into being because of coronavirus. Pray that they will be open and welcoming and offer a safe place.

LET’S CELEBRATE OUR

FUNDRAISING

HEROES!

T 17 NOV // DERBY Out of her passion for Christian unity, CMS pioneer Liz Matthews has built Derby Christian Women’s Network, a ministry for Christian women of all denominations, nationalities and backgrounds. Pray for wisdom and energy for the leadership team as they grow this ministry and its influence.

W 18 NOV // NORTH YORKSHIRE “Pray for a greater openness for the new ways in which God is calling people from outside church traditions as well as from inside, to deeper relationships with himself and one another,” pioneer student Tricia Frith writes. Pray for God to open up pioneering possibilities for Tricia and others in her rural community.

Over the last few months, as well as seeing a great response to our urgent appeal we’ve been hugely encouraged to hear about fundraising feats around the country. We’ve been so impressed by the imagination in these fundraising challenges – so join us in giving thanks for these fundraising heroes.

Th 19 NOV // OXFORD Dave Cotterill, a CMS pioneer student, started a cafe social enterprise this summer, training young people to become baristas. Pray for God to work powerfully in the lives of these baristas and everyone they meet.

F 20 NOV // SOUTHAMPTON Tammy Oliver is a pioneer ordinand, co-leading community development charity Monty’s Community Hub (see page 14) among other projects. Pray for Tammy and those she works with as they develop a new social enterprise as 28 part of their work.

are helping Nicci Our fundraising heroes ter’s Village Pot at ff sta Maxwell and the tre to make a child crisis and medical cen oro, Uganda.

Kis difference for children in

FUNDRAISING FEATS n: Archie and Sowing the seeds of missio of seeds and ds dre hun d Georgina plante for mission. ney mo se rai to nts sold the pla

Rev Phil Denison’s Deanery Dash in Somerset has been raising funds for miss ion partner Anne Plested (below) in Beth lehem.

Phil Denison took on a parish-toparish pilgrimage to raise money for Bethlehem-based CMS mission partner Anne Plested. In four cycle rides of four hours over four successive days, Phil visited every church in the Ilminster Deanery in the Diocese of Bath and Wells. At nearly 45 miles per day, Denison’s Deanery Dash is an impressive feat… and it’s raised £500 so far!

Judith Trickett, a former CMS mission partner who served in Uganda, completed a mountainsized challenge! Judith climbed the height of Ben Nevis by tackling her apartment stairs 17 times a day for the month of May. Even without the added elements of wind, snow and rain that the real thing offers… a huge effort! Thank you, Judith.

Rosemary Boundy (left) has set out on 70 walks in celebration of her 70th birthday, inspired by Canon John Harwood.

Rosemary Boundy, inspired

by Canon John Harwood (see previous page), has set herself a challenge of completing 70 walks – of at least 35 minutes each – in celebration of her 70th birthday. She is raising money for her church’s mission partner, Nicci Maxwell, and the project for which Nicci works, Potter’s Village child crisis and medical centre in Kisoro, Uganda. Good luck, Rosemary!

St Francis’ Church, West Bessacarr, has gone to extraordinary lengths to ensure that all of their Lent box donations for CMS were collected even though church services stopped.

Mary Pegler, herself nearly 90 years of age, has cycled around the parish giving boxes and collecting donations. We are so thankful for the enduring faithfulness of our supporting churches.

We are hugely grateful to Archie (7) and Georgina (5), who heard Nicci Maxwell speak about her work at Potter’s Village over Zoom. Together with their parents, Lena and Giles, members of St Matthias’ Church, Torquay, they planted hundreds of vegetable seeds and two months later held a socially-distanced plant sale at their gate! Through this greenfingered fundraiser, they raised £300 for mission!

JOIN IN

Do you have an imaginative fundraising challenge in mind?

We would love to help you! Get in touch with our community fundraising expert, Danni, by emailing danni.parker@churchmissionsociety.org or calling 01865 787521.

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29

MISSION ISSUES

RACISM:.

NO LOOPHOLES,.

NO EXCUSES. As the issue of racism has been brought to the fore in recent months, a CMS mission partner (who must remain anonymous) refuses to be silent about racial injustice and shares some reflections on speaking up.

I

received an email forwarded by a friend. It was one of many communications seeking to distinguish between the wood and the trees in this furore around race, and especially systemic racial discrimination in the United States.

Being written by an academic person of colour, this particular communication was considered to have more credibility than some of the plethora of social media posts out there. And it makes some important points about the extremism of certain elements of the Black Lives Matter movement.

I was invited to circulate the email to those in my network, to help educate around the “questionable” morality of those behind the protests being staged in cities around the world.

I’m not going circulate that email. Not because it does not raise good questions, not because

30

it is not well-argued, not because I would unreservedly support all factions of BLM. But because I don’t want to be part of what can so easily sound like an attempt to avoid the responsibility to act justly. I’m just not interested in hearing that you might have found a loophole. Why would you be looking for a loophole? An excuse that releases you from the need to change your ways, to reexamine your world and the way you inhabit it?

Yes, there are some unhelpful and extreme activists out there, and there are also so many layers of what is called “news”, making the truth muddy at best. But here’s the thing: for too long the people of God have remained silent over issues of injustice and, in the space created by that silence, other voices have become loud and rowdy. I am not interested in arguing about whether those

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voices are now too loud or too rowdy, or whether the language they are using is too volatile.

I don’t want to hear that we need to wait to properly separate out the “good” or “worthy” voices from the “not-so-good” or “unworthy” ones. It is true that there are those among the voices speaking up for black lives to matter who also speak for other causes. Some of those causes are not ones that I would support or want to see gain traction.

Nevertheless, there is a roar rising around the world that has reached fever pitch precisely because the

people of God – the very people who should at all times and in any way possible speak up for the poor and the marginalised – we have waited too long, weighing our words to the point of saying nothing at all.

Case in point: I would have posted this last night, only I was waiting for my husband to read it before I went ahead.

He expressed concern that this phrase might be mistaken, or that phrase could cause offence.

While I welcome his input – I asked for it, after all – it very clearly demonstrates one of our current challenges. We can get so tied up in knots about saying the right thing that we end up keeping silent when we should speak.

It’s not bad to measure our words, but it’s more than our words that shall now be weighed. We shall be weighed in the balance that measures righteousness against unrighteousness, and I am afraid we shall be found wanting. If righteousness is being in “right relationship” then to what extent can we be said to be in right relationship with our neighbour?

And if we are not in “right relationship” with our neighbour,

then can we truly be said to be in “right relationship” with God? I don’t know what the big answers are. That is, I don’t know how we will figure out the largescale changes that need to be made when it comes to unjustly weighted systems. But let not our desire for the elusive solution stop us from pausing to feel our way around the problem, and to feel our way alongside those who live with that problem day in and day out.

My job right now – and yours, if you are willing – is to figure out what we want our lives to look like.

Will I find ways to move towards my neighbour?

Will I speak up or choose to remain oblivious to unjust systems?

Will I live generously or in ways that make me feel safer and more comfortable?

Perhaps these are not problems to be solved at all, but rather dilemmas to navigate. May we navigate them with compassion, sensitivity and wisdom, resisting the urge to hide behind excuses, however reasonable they sound.

“The people of God – the very people who should at all times and in any way possible speak up for the poor and the marginalised – we have waited too long, weighing our words to the point of saying nothing at all.”

MORE

We’ll be exploring issues of race, mission and colonialism in a special edition of the Anvil Journal of Theology and Mission – look out for it at churchmissionsociety.org in October.

WEEKEND FOCUS Saturday–Sunday 21–22 November

FRAGILITY IS NOT NEW TO EVERYONE

By Debora and Levi Santana, who were working with some of the most marginalised members of society in Goiania, Brazil, and have now returned to the UK to discern their next steps COVID-19 has taken many lives and challenged our affluence with a reminder of our fragility. It has shocked the rich capitalist mindset which tells us, through coaching and right thinking, that we are unstoppable.

Well, the lie has been exposed and the weakness of our global model revealed.

But in all honesty, only people whose lives were good before the pandemic feel everything has changed. Despair, fear, loss and uncertainty have always been the reality for those at the bottom of our cruel human food chain. And to them the gospel has always been good news in that it offers radical hope. Perhaps now we just relate more to their sense of loss and invisibility from behind our own masks and closed doors. Isolation and social distancing are not new to those who have always been invisible.

Through the incarnation, God in Jesus relates to us by experiencing life from our perspective. His relating to our experience of life meant he could redeem us. Maybe this pandemic is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to walk in someone else’s shoes. To see and experience what they see and experience and then, from the vantage point of the cross, share God’s love from a place of true humility.

Pray for Debora and Levi to PRAY be creative in finding ways to share God’s love from a place of true humility in their new context.

23–27 NOVEMBER 2020

Prayerlines M 23 NOV // JORDAN Fiona and Joel Kelling, supporting the diverse Christian communities of the Middle East, ask for prayer for our particularly vulnerable Middle Eastern Christian brothers and sisters at this time. Pray for peaceful resolutions to conflict, new economic opportunities and for displaced peoples to be able to return home safely.

T 24 NOV // EGYPT Joe and Sarah ask for prayer as they settle into life with their third baby, Melody. Pray for Sarah to continue to build good friendships, and for Joe to be a blessing to their church as he takes on more church responsibility alongside his work of teaching English and training other teachers.

W 25 NOV // SPAIN/MIDDLE EAST

F 27 NOV // ISRAEL/PALESTINE “We praise God for how he has opened the door for us in prison ministry,” writes local partner Rami Fellemon, who offers guidance, answers questions, reads the Bible and prays with people as they grow in faith. Pray for salvation for those to 32 Rami and the team minister. whom

Come see some of the new things you helped us achieve in the 2019–20 financial year. Thanks to your prayerful support, CMS people in mission crossed boundaries, forged new paths and shared the love of Jesus around the world. We are so grateful that you have been on this journey with us – we couldn’t do it without you!

INVESTMENT INCOME

OTHER INCOME

GIVING FROM CHURCHES AND GROUPS

INCOME FROM TRADING ACTIVITIES INCOME FROM CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES WILLIAM LEECH TRUST INCOME GRANTS FROM TRUSTS

£341K

Alison Giblett writes that Ukraine’s quarantine has been a period of spiritual growth for the church she is involved with as they continued to meet in smaller groups, giving more people a chance to lead and exercise spiritual gifts. Praise God for this growth and ask him to continue to bless this congregation.

(Isaiah 43:19)

£1.672m

k

Th 26 NOV // UKRAINE

“SEE, I AM DOING A NEW THING! NOW IT SPRINGS UP; DO YOU NOT PERCEIVE IT?”

28 £9

A couple sharing Christ with everyone they meet have recently found new and different opportunities to share Jesus’ love, particularly through delivering food parcels to families in need. Pray for God to work powerfully in the lives of those who are beginning to open their hearts to him.

ANNUAL REVIEW

£2

58

k

£289

k

£377k

£205k

Total income:

£8.358m £2.162m £2.126m

LEGACY INCOME

TOTAL EXPENDITURE:

£7.448m

For every £1 spent on fundraising, we raised £8.70

GIVING FROM INDIVIDUALS As you can see, total income exceeded total expenditure during the year, which gave us an overall surplus. A significant proportion of our income is raised for specific ministries and projects, so much of the surplus has already been ringfenced for use in the coming years.

LOCAL PARTNERS

72 CHURCHES ACROSS 5 DIOCESES

LOCAL PARTNERS

EUROPE/ME/ N AFRICA

have participated in the Partnership for Missional Church process

ASIA

14

21

14 17 LOCAL PARTNERS

LATIN AMERICA

12 BATH AND WELLS

12

15

OXFORD DURHAM

9

24

ELY

CANTERBURY

Our network of pioneer hubs continues to grow across the country, as do our student numbers.

ASIA

EUROPE/ME/ N AFRICA

PIONEER HUB

CARLISLE

Agreement signed

wly

Missi ed

Ne

4

Partne on

train

2

rs.

40

23 2

OXFORD

LATIN AMERICA

118

PIONEER HUB

ST ALBANS

Agreement signed

70 students who took at least one undergraduate module. 48 students who took at least one postgraduate module

26

32 MISSION PARTNERS

AFRICA

PIONEER MISSION LEADERSHIP TRAINING

MISSION PARTNERS

MISSION PARTNERS

LOCAL PARTNERS

MISSION PARTNERS

AFRICA

18

PIONEER HUB

BATH AND WELLS PIONEER HUB 13 LONDON

PIONEER HUB 14 CHELMSFORD

This is just a summary of the financial year 2019–20.

To see more info or the full audited accounts, go to churchmissionsociety.org/annualreport 33

COMMUNITY NEWS CHURCH MISSION SOCIETY STAFF AND PEOPLE IN MISSION CHANGES WELCOME TO:

David Crooks, business analyst (June); Sue Sinclair, personal assistant to CEO (June).

CHANGES:

Victoria Summers, regional personnel officer for Africa, returned

from maternity leave (July); Susan Sugden finished maternity cover and started as safeguarding officer (July).

FAREWELL TO:

Janet Quarry, executive assistant to CEO (June); Julie Hudson, payroll officer (April).

DEATHS OF FORMER STAFF AND MISSION PARTNERS Ethel (Millie) Bennett (Gambia 1980–92).

NOVEMBER 2019 Dr Selwyn Baker (India 1955–67).

Dr Jon Henderson (Rwanda 1958–77).

Rosa Jane Pelly (Nigeria 1973–79).

MARCH 2019 Rev Stephen Coffin (Burundi 1983–85).

JUNE 2019 Carol Gray (Sudan 1979–82).

Elizabeth Metcalf (Nigeria 1969–76).

JULY 2019 Donald Armstrong Gibson (Uganda 1952–59). Rev Canon Raymond Smith (Kenya 1959–70). Dr Lilian (Stella) Walter (Pakistan 1955–63).

AUGUST 2019 Rt Rev John Ellison (SAMS Argentina and Paraguay). Kishori Macwan (India, Nepal and Uganda).

SEPTEMBER 2019 Rev Hedley (Neill) Mackay (Nigeria 1969–76). Hilda Mary Russell (Kenya 1950–70).

OCTOBER 2019 Maureen Austerberry (Iran 1964–70).

Doreen Cory (CMS staff). Rev Elwyn David Evans (India 1960–65). John Hunter (Uganda 1962–65).

DECEMBER 2019 Ann Jacklin (SAMS Chile 1972–75).

Mary Woolman (nee Plummer) (Kenya and Uganda 1953–65).

JANUARY 2020 Rev Josceline Drummond (Nigeria 1963–69). Rosemary Hickey (CMS Ireland – Nigeria and Uganda).

Rev Canon Ian Leakey (Rwanda, Burundi and Uganda 1952–73, MAM Council). John Phillipson (CMS staff 1970s). Irene Simmons (India 1955–66).

FEBRUARY 2020 Elizabeth Allen (Sudan and Uganda).

Paul Bell (MAM Rwanda 1961–81).

June Fluck (Afghanistan 1990s).

Shirley Morris (MAM staff until 1997).

MARCH 2020 Rev Michael Hobbs (SAMS Paraguay).

Judith Rowe (Nigeria 1953–65).

APRIL 2020 Kenneth Baker (CMS staff 1990s).

WEEKENDFOCUS Saturday–Sunday 28–29 Nov

SEND US A PRAYER 34

We invite you to write to us with a prayer request and we will count it our privilege to pray for you: info@churchmissionsociety.org

MISSION PARTNERS ENDING SERVICE:

Jess and Mark Simpson, with River, have ended mission partner service after seven years in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where Mark was chaplain of Christ Church and Jess was involved in the church’s social and environmental outreach.

Bishop Simon Barrington-Ward (Nigeria and General Secretary 1975–85). Diane Julie Belmour (nee Crowley) (SAMS Chile from 1979).

Wallace Boulton (CMS staff). Rev Canon Patrick Coghlan (SAMS Brazil and Chair of Trustees). Jane Fells (CMS staff 1972–87). Dr Sam Gibbs (Tanzania1989–96). Pat Moorse (Uganda 1989–95). Margaret Oliver (Rwanda and Uganda 1956–67).

Sheila Sandford-Smith (Pakistan 1969–71). Bishop Peter Vaughan (Sri Lanka and Principal of Crowther Hall).

MAY 2020 Ann Cutler (Uganda MP 1961–96, volunteer 1996–2001).

Liz Seal (Kenya 1980s).

JUNE 2020 Rev C John Bell (India 1956–60).

Geoffrey Alan Hill (Nigeria 1952–58).

Charles Sutherland (Kenya 1960s–70s).

JULY 2020 Elizabeth Blanchard (Pakistan 1960– 67). M Miles (Pakistan 1978–89).

Florence May Phillips (Sudan and Nigeria 1954–57).

M 30 NOV // RWANDA Local partner Josias Nkusi, based in Kigali, coordinates CMSAfrica’s activities in Rwanda and supports around 100 men and women connected to CMSAfrica as well as teaching on their targeted training courses. Pray for youth, women, children and businesspeople to be transformed and equipped to be changemakers through these courses.

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35

18

13

35

11

10

3

1

34

4

50

CMS PEOPLE ALSO WORK IN SENSITIVE LOCATIONS IN:

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The call in action

15

28

26

46

48 24 38 7

41

North Africa

South East Asia

40

12

9

Middle East

32

25 22 23

49

44

14

39 37 29 6

East Asia

16

31 17 2

Central Asia

42

5

33

43

8 27

47

21

45

36

To find out more about our people in mission go to: churchmissionsociety.org/pim

20

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PLACES WHERE WE ARE PUTTING OUR CALL INTO ACTION 10.

11.

12.

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Argentina Belgium Bolivia Brazil Britain Bulgaria Burundi Cambodia Central African Republic Chile Colombia DR Congo Ecuador Egypt Ethiopia France Germany Guatemala Honduras India Indonesia Israel/Palestine Jordan Kenya Lebanon Malawi Malaysia Mozambique Moldova Nepal Netherlands Nigeria Pakistan Paraguay Peru Philippines Romania Rwanda Serbia South Africa South Sudan Spain Sri Lanka Sudan Taiwan Tanzania Thailand Uganda Ukraine Uruguay

INTRODUCING… IMAGINE ry people using Enter the world of ordina traordinary ex do to n io at in ag im r ei th s. things in the name of Jesu Join us on an adventure of the imagination by making a suggested gift of £5 a month.

Each quarterly Imagine pack includes: a story of imagination in action, giving you a window into the world of the people you’re supporting practical tips on how you can engage with mission at home a link to bonus material online to inspire you further ways to pray for God’s vision to become reality a chance to share what you have learned with a friend or family member

Plus gifts to help you keep God’s mission at the front of your mind!

For a suggested donation of £5 a month you can support people in mission and go on an adventure yourself! Complete the form enclosed with The Call or go to churchmissionsociety.org/imagine WANT TO ENCOURAGE OTHERS IN YOUR CHURCH WITH SOME MISSION INSPIRATION? CMS speakers will spark your congregation’s imagination.

Request a speaker: churchmissionsociety.org/speakers

The call in action