Andy Roberts, CEO of Church Mission Society, ponders the possibility of “disruption” as we follow Jesus to the edges together.
We might not naturally enjoy being disrupted…yet sometimes it ends up being good for us.
After all, God taking on human form with all our vulnerabilities and choosing to dwell directly among us – that is the ultimate holy disruption.
And it is for our sake and the sake of the world God is actively working to redeem and renew.
Stories from the Middle East…
Powerful witness of Middle Eastern women
Following Jesus makes them outsiders but they are helping hundreds of others do the same
Transcript
Christmas is a time to reflect and to thank God. As Christians, it’s also a time to embrace the celebrations for what they really are.
At the centre of it all, we’re celebrating a life-changing, world-saving disruption.
Now, disruption isn’t your traditional Christmas message, but I believe it’s a great description of Jesus. Jesus unsettled what was comfortable in order to call people into a deeper life with God.
And I believe CMS is being called into that same spirit-led disruption to be stirred, stretched and sent again.
We believe God is on the move, especially at the edges. At the edges of society, the edges at church.
Our Christmas Appeal tells a remarkable story of God on the move at the edges. Of the gospel breaking through in unlikely places. Thank you for giving to our appeal. Your generous donations are delivering discipleship and mission training in Middle East.
In the midst of upheaval across the Middle East, thousands of people are asking questions about Jesus. Many of the questions have been answered by faithful local women like Mariam.*
Mariam was raised as a devout Muslim in Syria. When civil war broke out, she fled to Lebanon where her family lived as refugees in shocking poverty. Feeling desperate, she went to a church for help. They offered her food, hygiene supplies, and prayer.
Maryam’s husband was furious when he saw the Bible she had been given. But Mariam kept reading in secret and she chose to follow Jesus herself, which cost her. Her husband tore up her Bible, beat her, and took her children away.
Mariam could have given up on her new faith, but she turned to Jesus, who gave her strength. She started teaching children in a local church, and a CMS partner invited her to take part in mission training. This training equipped Mariam to share her faith and to nurture new believers.
Today, Mariam leads a group for more than 80 women who have turned to the Jesus. I’m a missionary now, Mariam says.
There are many women, like Mariam, who are showing hundreds of others in the Middle East the way of Jesus. Your gifts this Christmas will help transform lives and communities. Please go to the CMS website to donate.
Just a few weeks ago, I was in Tanzania visiting CMS colleagues and projects. I met a woman whose story has really impacted me.
Imani is a small business owner who is part of a CMS women’s empowerment group. This group grew out of training which CMS-Africa recently ran in Imani’s community, a majority Muslim area.
Imani told me how previously she had turned to witchcraft to try and bring success to her business. But it wasn’t working. She started going to the Women’s Empowerment Group at the church and she ended up meeting Jesus.
Joining the group has given Imani new skills and tools to grow her business, but the real success is that she now knows Jesus.
CMS may have provided the people and the programme to minister to this woman, but it was Jesus who broke through the darkness surrounding her life to meet with her.
Jesus was already at the edges of our churches, our plans, our ideas, waiting for us to join him.
I was reminded this summer of how great it is to connect with you, our CMS family. It was our first summer gathering in August and marked my stepping into this new role.
More than 200 CMS people in mission, strategic partners, supporters and staff met together to share, learn, reflect, and celebrate God moving together. I look forward to more opportunities in 2026 to connect with more of you and hear your stories of how God is on the move in your lives, communities, churches, and countries.
CMS believes that God is the move. We see him moving in the Middle East with inspiring women like Mariam stepping out with God.
We see it in Tanzania where God is replacing darkness with light and hope.
And we see it with you, moving in your hearts, inspiring you to give time and prayer and financial support.
We’re stepping into 2026 with a confidence in God that as we follow him to the edges, daring to disrupt our ideals, our traditions and our norms, it’s then that we will see his kingdom come.
Happy Christmas. And thank you for sharing in God’s mission.
*Name changed
