Mission offers ‘home away from home’
Emily Pollok
Date posted: 31 Jul 2025
At 82-years-old, Roeli Elbers is still going strong spreading the gospel and serving weary travellers through her work with the Norway Seaman’s Mission.
“It’s the Lord!” said Elbers of her ability to coordinate the work of the ministry, which provides a home away from home for cruise workers and seafarers while their ships dock at Norwegian ports.
‘Exciting’ London Gospel launch
en staff
Date posted: 29 Mar 2025
A galaxy of leading evangelical organisations is supporting what is described as an “exciting” new edition of Mark’s Gospel for mass distribution across London.
The giveaway Gospel is soon to be published by Grace Publications, in collaboration with Holman/Lifeway and London City Mission. Designed in what is described as “a contemporary zine format”, it combines “keen affordability with compelling graphics and design.”
Mission Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow: GBM day
Naresh Mistry
Date posted: 23 Nov 2025
Grace Baptist Mission’s (GBM) Annual Mission Day had as its theme “Mission Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow”.
Attendees gathered to celebrate 164 years of dedicated service by missionaries supported by the churches. Missionaries from diverse regions shared stories of encouragement and challenges. Ray Evans from Grace Community Church, Bedford delivered a compelling closing message drawing from Acts 16.
The Church Mission Society's new CEO
Lydia Houghton
Date posted: 1 Oct 2025
Andy Roberts has been appointed as the new CEO of the Church Mission Society (CMS).
Roberts – a former mission partner and CMS director of mission – is originally from York and has lived much of his life in Brazil. There, he spent several years serving vulnerable children and young people, alongside his wife, Rose. The couple launched ReVive – a charity providing shelter and holistic support for girls affected by abuse, exploitation and neglect. In 2021, Roberts was awarded an MBE for his work with vulnerable children in Brazil.
Missionary who survived massacre dies age 99
Brian Davis
Date posted: 23 Nov 2024
A missionary who survived a massacre at a mission station where she was working, many years ago, has died.
Margaret Hayes MBE had to take to the jungle with others where she survived for many weeks before being rescued, having been presumed dead – with a funeral and thanksgiving service being held for her.
Gospel shared in Manchester Christmas market
The sounds and smells of the Manchester Christmas market wafted their way through the city centre. As people rushed to and fro on their way to keep appointments or get in some Christmas shopping, a sound was heard – the message of the season – good news on the streets: the Saviour has been born!
Amongst the hustle and bustle, a team from The Open-Air Mission had set up and was busy sharing the message of God’s love. A few people paused to listen, others took tracts and spoke with team members. Also set up was a ‘Free Bible and Literature’ table, which proved to be a magnet for people. As people walked by, they stopped at the table to browse the literature, then they would take a booklet or Bible.
letter from Spain
Hampers of grace: witnessing to local businesses
Trevor Ramsey
Date posted: 18 Dec 2024
Approximately 50,000 English speakers live on Spain’s Costa Blanca. Many of them operate small businesses, cafes, bars, and restaurants, or provide other legal or residential expat services.
Their lifestyles are not just laid back and easygoing, as you may imagine. That may be the lot of the ‘retiree,’ but for the business owner, life is just as challenging as running a small business anywhere.
The Fourth Lausanne Congress: what's happening today?
Caleb Davison
Date posted: 23 Sep 2024
This Congress is the latest in a series of several global gatherings aiming to catalyse global mission. The first took place in 1974 in Lausanne, Switzerland, convened by evangelical leaders like John Stott and Billy Graham, while subsequent gatherings were in Manila in 1989 and Cape Town in 2010.
Once-in-a-generation Lausanne Congress gathers for fourth time
Milla Ling-Davies
Date posted: 20 Sep 2024
In a magnificent display of unity, over 5,000 Christians from across 202 countries and territories gather in Seoul, South Korea this September. Together they will pray, listen, and discuss how Christians across the world can fulfil Jesus’ command in Matthew 28 to ‘go and make disciples of all nations’.
This ‘once in a generation’ event is run by the Lausanne Movement, which exists to mobilise Christians to collaborate in order to fulfil the Great Commission. This gathering, their fourth Congress, is only the fourth time such meeting has taken place since the movement was formed in 1974.
New radio ministry in Suriname jungle
Luke Randall
Date posted: 25 Nov 2024
A missionary is partnering with Trans World Radio (TWR) to enable the Wayana people in the jungles of Suriname to hear the gospel – 60 years after his parents first witnessed to the region.
Tom Schoen is following in the footsteps of his parents Ivan and Doris, who initially travelled to Suriname with their three children in the early 1960s. The nation is one of the smallest in South America but is very ethnically diverse.
Alex Hawke appointed
SIM UK
Date posted: 10 Sep 2024
Alex Hawke has been appointed as the new UK Director for Serving in Mission (SIM).
Alex has previously served as a mission worker in West Africa, Mozambique and Cambodia, where he was the team leader of a large mission team.
Africa Inland Mission completes merger
James Patterson
Date posted: 29 Jun 2025
Africa Inland Mission (AIM), an evangelical missionary agency, has merged its South Africa Mobilizing Office and Southern Region receiving office, forming a new ministry called AIM Southern Africa Region.
Tshepang Basupi has been appointed Director of AIM Southern Africa Region, consolidating the processes of sending and receiving missionaries, training leaders and sharing the gospel. The merger is intended to “better reflect the current and future realities of global missions” and will “enhance efforts to minister to the unreached peoples of Southern Africa”.
1,100 attend Pentecostal rally in Bradford
Luke Randall
Date posted: 2 Sep 2024
In a show of unity 'not seen for over 20 years', 1,100 people attended a Pentecostal rally in what was the culmination of a 10-day mission event in Bradford.
The event, run by Sharing of Ministries Abroad, (SOMA) saw missioners descend on the West Yorkshire city, specifically focusing on reaching people within the BD7 postcode, with various outreach events staged with the help of St John’s Great Horton, St Wilfrid’s and St Columba’s churches.
Tributes paid for Daniel Bourdanné
Milla Ling-Davies
Date posted: 1 Nov 2024
Daniel Bourdanné, former General Secretary of the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students (IFES), has died from cancer, aged 64.
Born in Chad, Bourdanné moved to Oxford in 2007 to lead IFES for 12 years – and from then to his death he worked with charity Africa Speaks to promote publishing Christian books across the continent. IFES Chair Michel Kenmogne said: ‘The history of the advance of the gospel throughout the world over the last four decades cannot be written without mentioning Daniel Bourdanné.’
The battle in Benidorm
Trevor Ramsey
Date posted: 29 Oct 2024
In the first week of October, the bars and restaurants of Benidorm’s busy beachfront and area known as 'The Strip' were bustling and alive with many UK holidaymakers, enjoying some autumnal sunshine before returning to the harsh rigours of a British winter.
There was noise and colour, raucous laughter and angry exchanges on the streets and the walkways. The bouncers and security personnel were earning their money! Groups of Stag Dos and Hen Parties roamed the streets in packs searching out the next place of entertainment.
1,500 attend teen mission event in Germany
Luke Randall
Date posted: 3 Aug 2025
About 1,500 people attended the 51st Teen Mission Meeting in Monbachtal, in the northern Black Forest in Germany.
The event, organised by the Liebenzellar Mission, Christian guest houses in Monbachtal and Entschieden für Christus (Decided for Jesus), featured seminars and workshops alongside discussions with missionaries and praise.
Mission isn’t easy – but isn’t that the point of it to start with?
Jonny Pollock
Date posted: 30 Mar 2025
In Western Europe, the refrain is common: mission and evangelism are hard.
It’s an oft-heard lament, one that sparks endless discussion, strategy sessions, and even discouragement among Christians. But what do we really mean when we say it’s “hard”? Beneath the surface, it often seems we’re using “hard” as a catch-all term for something deeper – uncomfortable, difficult, and complicated. These realities, while challenging, are not legitimate reasons to abandon the Great Commission, or to throw in the towel in despair. Instead, they demand that we reframe our approach, recalibrate our expectations, and reaffirm our commitment to the task at hand.
Missionary family escape Amazon riverboat disaster
Nicola Laver
Date posted: 22 Aug 2024
An American missionary and his wife who escaped a burning boat on the Amazon river with their young family have spoken about their incident, in which several died.
Ezra Brainard, a distant relative of 18th century missionary to the Native Americans David Brainard, was on the boat with wife Joanna and four children, including a young baby, on 29 July when it caught fire, exploded and sank. The couple’s two-and-a-half year old slipped away from Ezra after they jumped into the water, but someone pulled her into a canoe and took her to shore.
Ben Stansfield to lead Global Connections
Luke Randall
Date posted: 17 Jul 2024
Ben Stansfield has been appointed as the new Chief Executive Officer of Global Connections, (GC) replacing Chris Wigram who had served in an interim capacity in recent months.
GC exists to equip the UK church and mission community in the world. Ben has spent over 25 years working for international charities, church ministries and discipleship ministries, so has helpful experience ahead of taking on the role.
Isaac and Rebekah: Narrative 'nesting' in Genesis 24
Stephen Moore
Date posted: 5 Dec 2025
It is a remarkable thing about the book of Genesis that it tells universal history by means of particulars – the small details.
"And before he had finished speaking, out came Rebekah – who had been borne to Bethuel son of Milcah the wife of Nahor the brother of Abraham – and her water jar was upon her shoulder. Now the young woman was very beautiful, a virgin whom no man had known. And she went down to the well and filled her water jar and came up. Then the servant ran to meet her and said, ‘Let me gulp a little water from your water jar’, and she said ‘Drink, my lord’ then hastily brought her water jar down onto her hand and gave him a drink. And when she had finished giving him a drink she said, ‘For your camels too I will draw water until they’ve finished drinking" (Genesis 24v15-19).
Faith in the ring: Wrestling fans hear the gospel
Emily Pollok
Date posted: 23 Dec 2024
Certain things just make sense together. Batman and Robin. Tea and biscuits. But, church and wrestling?
‘Wrestling and faith evolved alongside each other for me,’ explains Gareth ‘Angel’ Thompson, founder of Kingdom Wrestling, a ministry that combines throwing down in the ring with sharing the gospel – all for the glory of God.
TGC-UK: Council unveiled, criticisms voiced
en staff
Date posted: 11 Dec 2025
Organisers of the new Gospel Coalition UK (TGC-UK) have shared details of who is on its inaugural council.
It contains a number of high-profile names, including John Stevens of the Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches (FIEC), Robin Sydserff of the Proclamation Trust, Affinity’s Graham Nicholls, CofE complementarian bishop Rob Munro, AMiE bishop Lee McMunn, Elizabeth Harewood of the Association of Christian Teachers, and others.
What is faithful church ministry?
James Burnett
Date posted: 7 Dec 2025
Would you make a good "Traitor"? Have you got the mojo of a chameleon to hoodwink fellow contestants, like the comedian Alan Carr - this year’s winner of BBC’s The Celebrity Traitors?
Game show The Traitors was inspired by the sinking of the Dutch ship Batavia in 1629. When the Batavia sank off Australia, 250 survivors scrambled ashore an island archipelago. Mutinous traitors fought against a small band of faithful soldiers, culminating in a live-or-die boat race towards an oncoming rescue ship. Who would get there first - the "Traitors" or the "Faithful"? A true story!
After Lausanne
Amid many bleak and discouraging items in the news of late, the Fourth Lausanne Congress on World Evangelisation can bring us both some joy and hope.
Apart from its more major achievements, the Congress produced a staggering number of photographs chronicling the event, and browsing through them it is hard not to be encouraged by the sheer breadth of those attending and the evident joy. It is worth taking a moment to flick through some of those pictures online.