Evangelical Futures: Diversity - a powerful witness to a divided world
Graham Miller
Date posted: 1 May 2022
As we consider our future as evangelicals, we should return to the commission the Lord Jesus gave before His ascension: ‘But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth’ (Acts 1:8).
Sharing our faith is core to our identity as followers of Jesus Christ, and Christians sharing their faith with others has been used by God to underpin the growth of the global church – despite heresy, persecution and scorn, the gospel prevails!
How a vision led Muslim Sakina to faith
Graham Miller
Date posted: 1 Jun 2021
The most recent Annual Population Survey found 1.25 million followers of Islam in London – that’s one in eight Londoners.
If, by God’s grace, the gospel is to flourish among these people – Bangladeshis in East London, Arab-speakers in West London, and Turkish and Iranian communities – it will be due to ordinary Christians faithfully and patiently building relationships, breaking down misconceptions, living and speaking the teaching of Jesus.
The training is over, the iceberg is here
Graham Miller
Date posted: 1 Apr 2021
After 100’s of hours of hearing the gospel preached, will Bible-believing Christians now apply what they have heard, and be a conduit for God’s blessing to the poor?
The tip of the iceberg has been horrendous. The number of deaths is impossible to even reconcile. And they tell little of the pain and suffering that each death has left behind.
LCM: God’s work goes on
Graham Miller
Date posted: 1 Jul 2020
May 2020 marked 185 years since three
Victorian visionaries – horrified at
the
huge numbers of people in London living
in appalling conditions and without the
hope of Christ – formed the London City
Mission. They quickly assembled a group of
missionaries to go to the slums to proclaim
the gospel.
Yet most of our missionaries were forced
to mark the anniversary by staying at home.
Despite a massive increase in people raising
serious questions about life, death and the
meaning of it all, we are having to enforce
social distancing
and
stop our physical
meetings – initially it was so frustrating.
A new home
Graham Miller
Date posted: 1 Dec 2019
The Christmas holidays tend to be a great time for kids. The average family in the UK will spend an additional £2,000 over the Christmas period on gifts, food and trips.
It is not the same picture for everyone, though. 700,000 kids in London are living below the poverty line, after you’ve taken housing costs into account. For these homes the additional financial stress of Christmas can often be the cause of family arguments, stress, and domestic abuse. It is not surprising that, despite the cold weather, winter is a time when many kids run away for the first time.
Freedom for the captives
Graham Miller
Date posted: 1 Sep 2019
I long to see people come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ all over London – particularly people from other cultures or faith backgrounds, or those who are marginalised by society or living in some of London’s most deprived communities.
Well before the horror of the 2017 fire at Grenfell Tower brought the area to national attention, my colleagues at London City Mission were talking with churches, praying and planning how to bring the good news of Jesus Christ to more people in the area. Having marked the two-year anniversary since that terrible night on 14 June 2017, I want to share with you some of the stories I’ve heard from people who are now ministering in the area alongside local churches.
LCM: love that crosses the divide
Graham Miller
Date posted: 1 Jun 2019
Despite the anger and vitriol that fills the front pages of our tabloids, there is good news on the streets of London…
Let me tell you about my friend Ilyas Ayoub, who works in one of the most diverse parts of our capital – Forest Gate in East London. Ilyas works at a mission centre, sandwiched between a temple and a mosque, where he partners with local churches to love the community and by sharing the gospel message.
Capital Gains
The invisible mission field
Graham Miller
Date posted: 1 Nov 2015
Reading through Scripture I am struck by Christ’s commitment to those on the margins of society.
I feel challenged that he didn’t use clever strategies to aim first to reach the best and brightest from the Jerusalem temple school so that they could be useful for his efforts. Instead, Jesus spent time with lepers, tax collectors, fishermen, women and Samaritans. In recent years the movement to revitalise the church with new plants and initiatives has sometimes focused on the young, the bright and the mobile. If we are to be faithful to the Great Commission we must be careful that our outreach doesn’t leave out large segments of society.
Capital Gains
Regular visiting
Graham Miller
Date posted: 1 Aug 2015
We live in a shallow world of internet ‘friendships’.
In contrast to this, the London City Mission perseveres with the long-term commitment and depth of relationships that we find described in the Bible.
Capital Gains
Courageous perseverance
Graham Miller
Date posted: 1 May 2015
One of the greatest joys of gospel ministry is to hear stories of lives transformed by the good news of Jesus Christ.
However, the Bible warns us that for every seed planted in good soil, there will be others that land on stony ground or among thorns. For LCM missionaries working among the Muslims of Newham or the council estates of New Addington it is necessary to be patient. It can take several years to see a contact come to church, so we cannot give up on a ministry for lack of fruit after 18 months. Instead, we teach evangelists the biblical value of courageous perseverance; courage to reach the difficult, unreached people groups, and perseverance to keep going through the disappointments and daily sacrifices of gospel ministry.
Capital Gains
Samaria on Thames
Graham Miller
Date posted: 1 Feb 2015
The Great Commission calls us to reach out in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and the ends of the earth.
The UK’s Commonwealth heritage makes us a remarkably diverse nation with London the most globalised city in the world, and we are surrounded by ‘Samaritans’ – those who are culturally very different from ourselves.