Bible references are from the New International Version unless stated otherwise.
In recent years we have often been confronted with reports describing the British Church as in decline. However, in my years serving with OM in the UK and visiting different churches, I have increasingly observed and heard, especially post pandemic, of a subtle but growing change taking place in British churches. Pastors have shared with me that they are noticing a growing interest in Christianity and the Bible especially among younger people.
In this light I was very encouraged to read the recent report published by the Bible Society who surveyed over 13,000 adults in the UK.* The data shows that since 2017 there has been growth of 56% in those attending Church – that’s over 2 million extra people regularly attending church in our country. The growth is especially seen among 18–24-year-olds. A part of this growth is attributed to Christians migrating to the UK, but there also seems to be something stirring in the hearts of many young people in our country today.
So, what might this church growth mean for global mission?
My prayer is that alongside the numerical growth of those attending church services, there would also be a revival for each of us in our passion for knowing Jesus and making Him known. As the Lord is at work, bringing spiritual hunger and much prayed for and awaited growth to our churches, may we also see a growing desire for all of us as followers of Jesus to understand our calling to make disciples especially in places and among people where Christ is least known.
May I finish my final editorial as OM in the UK Director by quoting OM’s founder George Verwer who, with some of his final words before he was promoted to glory, reminded us “Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labour in the Lord is not in vain.” (1 Corinthians 15:58)
Thank you for your continued partnership in the Gospel,
MATTHEW SKIRTON, UK CHIEF EXECUTIVE, OM
* Figures from biblesociety.org.uk/research/quiet-revival
More than waffles and windmills: the heart of the Flemish people
PHOTO BY HADLEY TOWEEL
When the world thinks of Belgium, images of rich chocolates, golden waffles and charming medieval cities come to mind. Yet beyond the tourist postcards lies one of Belgium’s people groups with a deep-rooted identity — the Flemish. Industrious resilient, and steeped in tradition, they have long shaped the soul of Belgium. But as the tides of secularism rise, what role does Christ and His love play in their story today?
The Flemish are the residents of Flanders, the northern region of Belgium. Their language is almost identical to Dutch as spoken in the Netherlands, but their culture and way of thinking is very different to those in the Netherlands.
The spiritual landscape of Flanders is bleak. Of the 6.4 million* indigenous Flemish people, only 0.5%* identify as Bible-believing Christians, making them one of the least-reached people groups worldwide. While immigrant churches grow, few new Flemish churches have been planted. Once a Catholic stronghold, Belgium has embraced aggressive unbelief — 66%* of Flemish people now claim there is no God. The culture of the country is reflected through its high divorce rates, suicides and even the legalisation of child euthanasia laws.
Operation Mobilisation (OM) wants to change that. Through In het Echt (“In Real Life”), a digital evangelism
initiative on YouTube and Facebook, OM Belgium aims to reach over 2.5 million* views, having already covered 1.2 million* for the first time in history. Our vision is to engage Flemish people with the gospel and inspire repentance in Christ.
As interest in the gospel grows, a major challenge remains — the lack of Bibles in the Flemish language. Existing translations feel outdated or foreign, reinforcing the belief that Scripture is irrelevant. While modern Dutch Bibles exist, they do not always resonate with Flemish readers.
To bridge this gap, OM is translating the Bible into an easy, accessible, contemporary Flemish version. The New Testament is complete, and work is underway on the full Bible. This translation will be clear, accurate and accessible, ensuring every Flemish speaker can engage with God’s Word in a language that speaks to them. OM will release
it under a creative commons license, allowing free printing and distribution by churches and ministries. Additional resources like audiobooks, graphic novels and digital formats will further increase engagement.
Despite Belgium’s secularism, God is at work. Acts 3:19 reminds us: “Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.” Let’s pray that through these OM ministries, the Flemish people in Belgium will experience a revival and deeper connection with Christ.
Would you consider partnering with OM through prayer and financial support to help ministries like these? If you feel led, you can give here:
A passion to make Jesus known
Led by faith and fuelled by purpose, Matthew Skirton, CEO of OM in the UK, prepares to pass the baton as he moves into a new season within OM. In the following interview, he shares his highlights, future plans and the heart behind his leadership.
Could you let us know a little bit about your new role as Director of Mobilisation for OM International?
In OM, our vision is “to see vibrant communities of Jesus followers among the least reached”; we want to see these communities/churches within reach of everyone so that all might have the opportunity of hearing about and responding to the Lord Jesus. For this to happen, we need to see many more followers of Jesus mobilised to go out and make disciples, and this is where this new mobilisation role within OM comes in. My mandate is to champion mobilisation internationally and to work with fields within OM to establish practices and models through which we can
see a significant increase in Jesus followers going out to engage in God’s mission to all peoples. This is a new role for OM, and one I am very passionate and excited about.
In what ways will your new role differ from leading OM in the UK?
The UK field leader’s role is very broad and varied, needing to ensure the running of a legally registered organisation, as well as giving oversight to outreach, training, mobilisation and partner/ communication ministries. My new role is more focused, concentrating specifically on mobilising people towards our vision — although broader in the sense that it spans all 145+ countries we serve in,
rather than only the UK. I’ll miss the day-to-day direct connection with one team in one country, but as a member of the International Global Leadership Team, I will be a part of the team that oversees and provides leadership to the direction of OM as an international movement.
Over these last 10 years, what have been your main highlights leading within OM in the UK, and mobilising the UK church?
As I reflect on my time with OM in the UK, I am so thankful to God for His faithfulness and leading. We have often experienced the Lord’s provision as He has brought the right people (and finances) at the right times. Seeing young people take first steps in mission work and discover that God calls and uses ordinary people to fulfil His purposes is always exciting and rewarding. Highlights for me include seeing our Disciple-Making Ministries (DMM) work in the UK develop with people coming to faith and churches among least-reached peoples growing, long-term workers being equipped, sent out, cared for and flourishing in ministry, the launch and development of missions discipleship programs like REACH and TeenStreet in the UK, new exciting short term outreaches like Hope for Hebrides and Race Across Europe, the rebuilding of our short term outreaches post pandemic, and certainly seeing British Christians continue to be mobilised into mission work through church and conference speaking has been a highlight for me.
Following on from the previous question, could you also let us know what some of the main challenges have been for you?
Of course, the pandemic, in the middle of my time as field leader, provided a significant challenge for us as it did for so many Christian ministries. But what also comes to mind for me is the significant cultural change that I had to navigate through as I moved from ministry in Eastern Europe to the UK. It was a steep learning curve for me to operate and lead in an environment where compliance, legal governance, data protection, safeguarding and risk assessments often threatened to dominate my ‘to do’ list. I fully appreciate the importance of these things when leading an organisation, but I have found it challenging to ensure we faithfully adhere to these things whilst also ensuring that we do not lose the cutting-edge, risk-taking, innovative, living-by-faith heart of OM. Of course, the ‘decline’ in many areas of Church and Christianity in the UK coupled with a noticeable decline in depth of discipleship, a watering down of the understanding of ‘mission’ and seemingly, at times, less passion for Jesus has all, inevitably, led to less passion for and engagement in mission.
How do you feel that God has been preparing you for your new role?
I believe that I have grown in my passion for mobilisation in these last years as I have continued to see ordinary people stepping out by faith and understanding how they can be
used by God in extraordinary ways. This has encouraged me and excites me to want to champion mobilisation and help OM fields more widely engage more efficiently in inspiring people towards God’s mission. We are Operation MOBILISATION, and I would like to think that my growing passion for wanting to know Jesus and make Him known will continue to encourage and inspire others to be involved in reaching the world for Christ.
What are some of your hopes and dreams for this new phase of leadership?
My dream is that all around the world OM fields would be seeing a huge increase in the number of followers of Jesus who are inspired to begin a mobilisation or discipleship journey towards sharing the good news in places where Christ is least known. My prayer is that we would not just see some hundreds joining OM each year, but tens and hundreds of thousands inspired to engage in ministry — not necessarily to work with OM but having been inspired somehow through OM.
As you prepare to depart, do you have a message for supporters of OM in the UK?
I would like to sincerely thank OM partners who have faithfully prayed for and supported the work of OM over so many years. OM ministry around the world would not be able to continue were it not for the faithful support of so many.
So, thank you! My prayer is that as we continue together to cry out to the Lord of the Harvest, we might experience a growing love for the Lord Jesus, a spiritual revival in our hearts and in our churches and consequently a growing number of Jesus followers who will be wanting to cross geographical, linguistic and cultural barriers to bring the good news of Jesus to people who have yet to hear.
How can we be praying for you and your family during this transition?
Both Helen and I will have a couple of months of sabbatical break this summer before starting fully in the new role in September. Please do pray we can finish our responsibilities with OM in the UK well, be refreshed and re-energised over the summer months and jump into the new responsibility with our eyes fixed on Jesus, expectant to see how He may work in and through us for His glory.
Though Matthew’s season with OM in the UK may be coming to a close, his impact and the relationships built along the way will leave a lasting mark. It also serves as a reminder that through every season, the mission and ministry for Christ remains the same, and carries on with renewed purpose.
Please pray for Matthew, Helen and their family as they transition into a new phase with OM.
Taking the next ‘STEP’ in Florence, USA
Join the ‘STEP On Shore’ programme today for a new adventure and a great first multicultural ministry experience abroad!
Visitors to the ships often ask the crew how the books they buy get to the ship. And it’s a good question, because the Ship Ministry is not only made up of the crew on board, but extends to teams serving on shore, including those who prepare the book containers in Florence, South Carolina, USA, with the help of the STEP participants.
‘STEP On Shore’ is a unique opportunity for people to serve God for two or three months, with OM’s Ship Ministry at the Literature Ministry Center in Florence. The participants receive orientation and training to serve alongside the team at the centre — receiving, sorting and packing the literature for Logos Hope and bookfairs, for sale online or for shipping in bulk to bookstores around the world.
Pavel Martinez, STEP On Shore coordinator, explains, “It’s a programme that mobilises
participants to bring the love of Jesus to people who don’t yet know Him. We draw on what the Bible says on the subject, consider the different ways to be involved and how the participants become mobilisers once they return to their home churches. As part of the programme, we go through training for intercultural ministry.”
Participants stay in guest houses and apartments on the Florence campus where they can attend Ministry Center activities, prayer times and other team events during the week. They also enjoy free time on weekends together or visit the surrounding area and experience the history and culture of the Southern States.
Debby (South Korea), is currently head of the communications department on board Logos Hope and is an alumna of the STEP programme in Florence. She says the programme is an opportunity to understand how the warehouse works as a part of the Ships Ministry and to get to know local churches over a longer period of time.
She recounts, “I saw how the books we wrapped [were] going [to] the ship’s container. At that point, even before I came to the ship, I learned that my small job was actually contributing to the Ship Ministry.”
STEP opportunities, whether on board or on shore, are a great first approach to ministry and can open the door to a longer commitment. And even on their own, they are a valuable experience.
The uniqueness of ‘STEP On Shore’ as Pavel explains, is that it “exposes the participants to a blend of cultures and ministry styles in a very safe environment, which makes it an excellent entry experience for multicultural ministry experience overseas.”
If someone you know is looking for a new adventure and a unique insight into OM’s Ship Ministry in a shore-based environment, why not share about ‘STEP On Shore’ with them today?
PHOTO BY DEBBY HWANG
Help and hope in Siberia
OM is working with local churches in Gornaya Shoriya to share God’s love with the least-reached Siberian nation of Shor.
Almost all residents said that their property was seriously damaged by the natural disaster.
In response, the volunteers helped practically and shared about the hope found in God. “We cleaned, restored, built, moved furniture and renovated. This was a great help to the local church and a good testimony to local people. They felt that they were not abandoned, that they were needed,” Andrei said.
OVERCOMING CHALLENGES
outreach, such as with one Shor family with five children, with whom the team had been in contact for several years. During the children’s programme the woman’s husband was hospitalised. A few days after the children’s programme, the volunteers learnt that the man had died. The team continues to pray for this family, that the Lord would comfort them and that the biblical truths they heard would help them to get through this tragedy.
REMOTE OUTREACH
Teams of volunteers regularly visit Gornaya Shoriya to participate in outreaches, organise children’s programmes and talk with people as a part of church projects.
PRACTICAL HELP
Last summer, several churches from Novosibirsk and other Siberian regions organised an outreach to the area. Unlike previous occasions, this trip also included practical assistance as there had been flooding in the spring.
Andrei* (Russia), one of the volunteers, explained that the water level in the river had risen significantly, completely flooding one village. “It was necessary to provide practical help to the residents of the village. Water flooded houses and destroyed buildings and fences,” he said.
While one group of volunteers was involved in practical ministry, another ran children’s programmes in two further villages. “There were even more children than we expected. There were also parents, who later thanked us for the programme,” Liliya* (Russia) said. “About 60 children came to our programmes.”
The theme of the programmes was Fort Boyard, with the children completing challenges in a fun way and learning how to overcome difficulties by the example of Job and his trust in God.
The story of Job was also relevant to the volunteers, who faced numerous challenges during the
During the outreach, volunteers had the opportunity to visit remote villages to share the gospel with local people.
“We travelled to one village by boat; you can only get there by water,” Vova* (Russia) said. “We distributed solar-powered audio players with pre-recorded Bible stories. We also donated books in Shor and Russian languages, and solar-powered lanterns as humanitarian aid.
“In these remote, hard-to-reach areas people lead hopeless lives. You could see in their eyes that they needed some kind of hope, and we tried to talk with them about the hope that God gives.”
Would you consider joining a short term outreach to help OM teams like this one share the hope and love that God offers through Jesus Christ?
PHOTO BY OM INTERNATIONAL
The world – right here
Here in the UK, the peoples of the world are literally on the door-step, so how do OM in the UK’s Disciple Making Ministries reach out to them in Jesus’ name?
If your area’s like mine, your neighbour could be newly-arrived from Hong Kong, or a young man with great-grandparents from Pakistan, and a new wife brought from there, speaking little English. Maybe Kurdish guys from Iraq and Syria are working all hours at the local ‘Turkish barbers’, while Afghan families live in the asylum hostel nearby, or longerestablished refugees from Somalia are studying at the local university…. it’s easy to believe that London and Birmingham, for example, boast over 300 spoken languages between them.
JESUS — UNKNOWN TO SO MANY
Many people are ‘least reached’, with no gospel witness in an accessible community, language or style. They may also feel marginalised as minorities; conversely, in areas where their own language and culture predominate, they can feel isolated from the rest of the UK. Hence not speaking English can be a major ‘felt need’, others might include social isolation after breakdown of an extended family network, concerns about a child’s progress at school or emotional stress during the asylum process.
Many of the teams comprising OM in the UK’s Disciple-Making Ministries (DMM) respond through projects offering practical service and care, partnering with local churches and other mission agencies. Andrew Berry, Director of DMM, describes these as ‘access ministries’, giving Jesus-followers, over time, a platform of hospitality and friendship from which to share the truth about Him — respectfully and sensitively, to those who ask. But what’s the bigger picture?
A HEART FOR NEWBORN CHURCHES
As they serve, DMM teams pray hard, and dream big, of a churchbirthing continuum — to see new-born believers in love with Jesus, gathering together in a life of worship and hospitality, spreading truth about Him amongst their peers, growing in Christian character through the Spirit and the Word; emerging leaders seizing training opportunities and eager to see God glorified not only amongst their own people group, but through bodies of believers representing every background in their locality. Growth and maturity bring natural progression towards reproduction — new churches planted, the Kingdom being extended in a cyclical fashion.
OM puts it thus: “…to partner with the Church to see vibrant communities of Jesus followers (VCJFs) among the least reached people groups (of the UK)”. So how do different DMM projects fit into this continuum between ‘access
PHOTO BY OM INTERNATIONAL
ministry’ and ‘vibrant community’?
Andrew first describes three community drop-in projects run by local church trusts, but managed and/or staffed by OM workers. Each is slightly further along the continuum.
THREE DEVELOPING ‘ACCESS MINISTRIES’…
One project serves the long-term needs of both asylum seekers and refugees from across the Black Country area of the West Midlands, focusing on humanitarian assistance and emotional support, whilst a new initiative in a very deprived area nearby offers English lessons to isolated women refugees.
Meanwhile, a Birmingham drop-in has become an oasis of care for many South Asian ladies and their families over the years, through ‘tea and chat’, English classes, sewing classes and after-school clubs. Building on these relationships, a Discovery Bible Study has been running once a week for the past year.
In a mainly Bangladeshi and Urdu-language community in east London, a similar centre (co-led with London City Mission) assists isolated elderly people (mostly men) to navigate contacts with ‘officialdom’, for example the NHS, utilities and local government. From friendships formed, a weekly Bible study has been established, and 12 new believers from South Asian backgrounds gather twicemonthly on Sundays for worship and fellowship — being discipled into a budding community of Jesusfollowers by the drop-in’s leaders.
…AND TWO ‘VCJFS’
Andrew next describes two young assemblies with OM workers in leadership. The first, in north London’s Turkish-speaking community, began small, as a housechurch group out of a larger ‘mother church’. Through discipleship and training of the leaders by senior members of OM’s Turkish ministry, the church has grown to over 30
believers, and actively reaches out to Turkish people in surrounding neighbourhoods.
The second, in Wolverhampton, was founded during lockdown by experienced church-planters. Through active outreach since then, the leaders have gathered and discipled over 50 people from a dozen nations into a growing body, focused on small groups, actively exploring a plant-out through twin strands of evangelism and ‘access ministry’.
Please pray for these ‘access ministry’ projects and young ‘vibrant communities’!
With over 40 members living out God’s heart for the nations right here in the UK, other teams and individuals within Disciple Making Ministries have many stories to tell — read them in future editions of Global.
PHOTO BY CITY CHURCH WOLVERHAMPTON
As Christians, we have received a divine mandate to proclaim the gospel of salvation, that Jesus Christ is Lord and is the Way to eternal life. It is essential we are actively sharing this good news. Visiting university Christian Unions to share about mission, I’ve been so encouraged to see students passionate about the Lord; the younger generation are open to spiritual things! What is more, the nations are coming to Britain, so the least reached can be found in our corner shops, hairdressers and high street! The harvest is truly plentiful, and the world needs to hear that Jesus is alive — as Paul exhorts Timothy, we must endeavour to “do the work of an evangelist” (2 Tim 4:5).
INFLOW AND OUTFLOW
PHOTO BY RJ REMPEL
Ready for every good work
A life of missional discipleship is God’s plan for every follower of Jesus, and He equips us through the Scriptures, His Holy Spirit and our fellow believers. Lawrence Rabone from OM in the UK’s Mobilisation team draws key challenges and encouragements from Paul’s second letter to Timothy.
*All Scripture quotations in this article are from the ESV
But where does the power come from to bear effective witness to Jesus Christ? Surely the level of our missionary zeal corresponds to the degree that the things of God indwell us; mission is the result of a close walk with Him. What we put into our hearts and minds is what comes out: if we are immersed in God’s Word and filled with His Spirit, this will overflow in an abundant desire to obey the will of God and “be ready for every good work” (2 Tim 2:21).
Paul’s final letter, from a prison cell to a young and somewhat timid Timothy, gives numerous exhortations about faithfully living the Christian life. These include sharing in suffering for the gospel (2 Tim 1:8; 2:3), devoting ourselves
to the study of the word of truth (2 Tim 2:15) and setting ourselves apart as holy (2 Tim 2:21). What a call to courageous and active Christian living!
NO SHORTCUTS
None of these exhortations are easy — Paul offers no shortcuts for us to flourish as Christians. Rather, he calls us to a counter-cultural life of diligence and discipline. But how can we live up to this “holy calling” (2 Tim 1:9) in such an ungodly age? After all, these “last days” are “times of difficulty” (2 Tim 3:1). In 2 Timothy, Paul emphasises three keys to living life for the Lord, which I would like to look at briefly. These are the Spirit, the Word and fellowship.
POWER FOR WITNESS FROM THE SPIRIT…
Firstly, God has given us the Holy Spirit to embolden our witness: “God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control” (2 Tim 1:7). Whether this refers to the Holy Spirit, or to the effect of the Spirit upon our own spirits, either way the Holy Spirit gives us the power, love and discipline to get out there and declare to the world that Jesus is Lord.
…AND THE WORD
Secondly, we can be “equipped for every good work” by having the divine Word, that was breathed out by God, breathed back into us: “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in
righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work” (2 Tim 3:16).
Just as a front-line soldier needs weapons and armour, we can only succeed in the calling set before us through familiarity with the Scriptures, so powerful to bring transformation in people’s lives. No wonder Paul’s concluding exhortation is to “preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching” (2 Tim 4:2). Scripture is key in training us for missionary service!
RUNNING THE RACE TOGETHER
Finally, our faith is personal, not private — Christian fellowship should stir us from spiritual slumber into radical obedience to God’s will, so we flourish in our discipleship. As Paul exhorts Timothy, “flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness,
faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart” (2 Tim 2:22). The Christian race is a team marathon — praise God for those fellow runners the Lord brings into our lives, to help us grow in Christian maturity and encourage us along the way!
Being a witness of Jesus is not easy, but God has promised that by His Spirit, His Word and the loving fellowship of our brothers and sisters in Christ, we can flourish as missional disciples of our Risen Lord!
The world is waiting to hear about Jesus.
Could you join an OM outreach for a week or more this year, either abroad or here in the UK?
UK.OM.ORG/SHORTS
PHOTO BY ACHIM SCHNEIDER
Satisfying both physical and spiritual thirst
When believers in central Africa purchased land for planting crops and digging a well, they had no idea the income-generating project would yield surprising fruit.
In the heart of Africa, where the desert meets the savannah, the gospel is spreading in a land-locked, Muslimmajority, French and Arabic-speaking nation — all because of a well.
group purchased the land, dug a well and started planting.
*names changed
It started when OM workers began a farming project in an impoverished area outside of a city. The goal was for the farm to not only provide food for those working the land, but also to generate income for them as they sold the excess produce. The
The workers prayed and planted both long- and short-term crops, from mango, guava, lemon, orange and banana trees to rows of onion, garlic, okra, peppers, sesame, peanut, sorghum, millet and maize. Some of the crops take longer to grow and produce than others, but already the garden has started to provide for the more than 20 workers who are part of the project.
PHOTO BY RJ REMPEL
However, the physical food is not the most surprising fruit from the farm project.
This resource-rich nation experiences annual wet and dry seasons. During the dry season, many villages suffer from water scarcity. Some communities migrate in search of water, and when that happens, people drink from rivers and do not have access to sanitary bathroom facilities, meaning that sickness is common. Practising Muslims also need clean water for ritual washing.
In addition to providing food and the possibility of income for the workers, the farm project has also become a source of clean water for the surrounding community.
“When we began the farm project and dug the well, people began visiting the farm in order to access the well, seeking clean water both for themselves and for their cattle,” shares Isaac*, the OM leader in the country. “And, if they do not have work to return to, those who come for water will hang out at the water point.”
The believers began conversations about religion with those who came to the well, and slowly realised that people were more open to these discussions than they’d expected. Within 18 months, the group moved from one-on-one evangelism to starting a Discovery Bible Study (DBS) group at the well. As of the end of 2024, 25 people meet regularly in the garden to study the Word of God.
While people go the well for water, the OM team has seen how visits satisfy a spiritual thirst as well, as they hear the good news of Christ.
MULTIPLICATION INSTEAD OF ADDITION
Around the time the farm project began, Isaac had just attended a discipleship training in a neighbouring country. There, he learnt to think and pray about the multiplication of believers. “We were just doing addition before,” Isaac remembers. He returned home and sat down with the believers on the garden project, encouraging them to each go and start a new group. They went to their own villages and did just that.
The next year, other believers went to the same training and came back inspired as well. Now, there are 25 group leaders. Two groups are in other regions, several are in different refugee communities and three others are in villages with only one believer. In addition to the group leaders, 15 others are a part of OM nationwide.
“We thank God this garden is bringing a lot of fruit, both spiritual and physical. People are hearing the gospel and believing in Jesus through this project,” shares Isaac. “We are also trying to think of different income-generating activities so we can sustain the workers. As all of us are Believers from Muslim Backgrounds (BMBs), we cannot ask for financial support from families or friends.
“God has given me a dream for multiplying groups of Jesus followers and farming projects together. These projects are not only income-generating and practically providing food and water for the workers as well as their communities, but also are safe places where believers and seekers can study the Bible together.”
Please continue to pray for the farming project, for the multiplication of gardens and wells throughout the nation and for the gospel to spread with them.
Would you consider joining an OM team such as this one longer term to serve people around the world in practical and spiritual ways? UK.OM.ORG/LONGERTERM-OPPORTUNITIES
PHOTO BY RJ REMPEL
Young lives reach out
At OM in the UK, we want to mobilise and inspire the next generation for a life of mission, living out God’s Great Commission to reach the nations. Our REACH UK programme does just that — an 18-week mission discipleship programme designed to equip participants with the knowledge and experience needed to serve God in any cross-cultural context.
The REACH UK programme is for 18-25 year olds with a passion for learning more about God’s heart for the nations and living it out in a multi-cultural team setting. Every REACH programme is made up of young people from all over the world, leaving behind their ‘normal’, everyday life for a life-changing experience with God. Through daily Bible studies, teamwork and new experiences, participants are discipled to grow in faith and relationship with God. REACH is built around three main components: Biblical training, crosscultural outreaches and mentoring.
LEARNING AND LIFESTYLE
The training takes place at OM in the UK’s base at The Quinta in rural Shropshire. Through interactive sessions, workshops and discussion groups, participants spend time learning about the Biblical basis
of missions, spiritual formation and leadership. It’s not all theory, though; they are fully immersed in an international community of people who love Jesus and are excited to share the gospel with all nations. And through the cultural and evangelism training, participants gain practical tools and knowledge to share the gospel and contextualise it, reaching different people from all over the world.
MISSION ADVENTURES
Alongside being equipped through training, participants put everything they have learnt into practice on outreach placements across Europe and in the UK’s largest multi-cultural cities. Throughout the REACH programme, they learn how to lead small Bible study groups, share their faith with non-believers and people from other faith backgrounds and
work as a team to show Jesus’ love everywhere they go.
Whether participants are sharing their faith in Orthodox Eastern European villages or getting involved in street evangelism among Muslims in London, the REACH staff team journey with and encourage them to try new things while stepping out in faith with Jesus!
GROWING IN EVERY WAY
REACH isn’t just about training and outreaches, however — OM wants to invest in and disciple participants along the way. Each one is paired up with an experienced OM mentor who meets with them each week to give guidance, encouragement and help in setting meaningful goals that will help them grow spiritually, emotionally and practically.
PHOTO BY OM IN THE UK
Jinseo, a REACH UK participant from South Korea, felt God calling him into a life of missions during the most recent programme. Through the training and Bible study times, Jinseo’s faith was deepened as he gained knowledge about God’s heart for the nations and working in a team. During the outreach placements, Jinseo was equipped to lead a team, run children’s programmes and serve people from different cultures and backgrounds. He plans to follow God’s calling by serving on a future REACH UK programme himself, helping inspire more young people to follow God’s calling on their lives.
Are you ready to be equipped and inspired to REACH the nations for Jesus?
Come and join us as part of something bigger, putting your faith into action with an international community of Jesus-followers from 16 September 2025 – 15 January 2026, or 16 February – 19 June 2026.
UK.OM.ORG/REACH-UK
Upcoming events
Come and meet the OM team at one of these events across the UK this summer!
PHOTO BY OM IN THE UK
Where will you go for Jesus?
Join us in making Jesus known across the UK and Europe as part of one of our outreach teams:
EUROPE
Race Across Europe
2 – 28 JUNE 2025
1 – 29 JULY 2025
LONDON Reaching Our Muslim Neighbours
26 JULY – 4 AUGUST 2025
Race Across Europe offers a unique opportunity to combine the excitement of interrailing with the spiritual growth of a missionary journey.
Here is an opportunity for you to learn how to start conversations about Jesus, how to build relationships and how to share your faith cross-culturally with Muslims.
HEBRIDES Hope for the Hebrides
2 – 9 AUGUST 2025
LONDON The Turning London
12 – 21 SEPTEMBER 2025
Come and join us as we share the true hope of Christ with people of all ages on Scotland’s beautiful Outer Hebrides. OM will be partnering with the local Church to share the gospel on the Isle of Lewis.
Come and join London’s Christians as we share the gospel in their communities. The Turning aims to see every believer equipped to share the gospel and trained to disciple those who respond.
Find out about these outreaches, and many others, at uk.om.org
