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An excerpt from the OM blog, written by workers describing missions from their perspective. Andrew Berry, UK Director of People in Mission, reflects on urbanisation and the opportunities for cross-cultural mission.

THE URBAN OPPORTUNITY

During these COVIDdays, I have been encouraged to hear how the Church in the UK has adapted to new ways of meeting together and sharing fellowship. But what excites me most is seeing the effort and ingenuity being poured into figuring out how to effectively reach out in love to those around us – a society that is very culturally, linguistically and ethnically diverse.

We estimate that there are nearly 5 million people in the UK who come from cultural backgrounds where the Gospel is largely unknown and many of them live and work in our cities. These people are our neighbours, so how can we as believers reach out and make disciples of them?

I believe that if we want to be effective in reaching these ethnic, cultural and linguistically diverse communities we must invest in urban ministry. Imagine with me, a strategic response to urbanisation,

“IN THE UK THERE ARE NEARLY 5 MILLION PEOPLE WHO COME FROM CULTURAL BACKGROUNDS WHERE THE GOSPEL IS LARGELY UNKNOWN.”

where mission communities commit to investing deeply in building relationships and churches in urban areas. There are no quick wins here – love has its speed, and it is slow.

God is always at work, and there are some exciting things already happening – even in these uncertain COVID-days. Christians are finding ways of communicating with ethnic minorities; others are choosing to live in neighbourhoods where the Evangelical Church is missing; new churches are engaging a younger generation. 

We are humbled to witness how God has been moving in the Turkish community in one of our cities. Thousands of Turkish-speakers engaged in online services during lockdown and a constant flow of individuals are turning to Jesus during the personal, faceto-face follow-up that’s been taking place since. In another city, individual friendships within the Kurdish community lead to increasing curiosity in the Gospel, and a mum’s support group among Pakistani women nurtures an openness to Jesus. In many cases, it is now Kurdish, Turkish and Urdu speakers who are the ones sowing the Gospel broadly amongst the diaspora as God’s Kingdom multiplies.

This is my prayer – that the Church in the UK would be bold and loving enough to reach out to the diverse cultural groups in our cities with the Gospel; that many would come to know Christ and would start ‘being church’ together, in their own unique cultural ways; and that they would grow to maturity as believers, wanting to share the hope they have found. Disciples producing disciples and churches reproducing churches. To the glory of the Lord.

This Christmas, your church can join OM in sharing the Good News of Jesus with those who have never heard.

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