Hope from the Edges
Watch our latest good news stories from DR Congo, Argentina and the UK!
Come with us to the edges
Only Jesus can change a life like Manasseh’s! Please pray for our upcoming Only Jesus Christmas appeal – that people will support this vital work of sharing Jesus in turbulent times and see the kind of beautiful change that only Jesus brings.
Find out more about the stories mentioned in this month’s Hope from the Edges:
From militia man to minister
What can make someone go from being part of an armed militia to a minister of the gospel? A remarkable transformation story.
Ten years of AMARE
An amazing women’s movement in northern Argentina is celebrating 10 years of spirit-filled action challenging the status quo.
Acts 11 Project
Find out more about the vision behind the Acts 11 conference and ongoing project to equip, empower and welcome Christians on the move.
Be sure to receive Hope from the Edges every time!
More stories you may like:
Video transcript
Hello everybody and welcome to Hope from the Edges. I’m Andy Roberts, mission director for CMS.
In the next few minutes, we’ll bring you inspiring news from three edges in our world, stories that you’re making possible through your gifts and prayers.
First we go to DR Congo to meet a man who was once a part of a violent militia group but is now a minister of the gospel. Then we’ll go across the world to Argentina to celebrate the growth of an amazing movement that began among indigenous women. Finally you’ll get some encouraging news from here in Oxford in the UK.
We begin in DR Congo with a remarkable story of transformation. This is Manasseh from eastern DRC. For many years this part of our world has been embroiled in violent armed conflict between warring tribes and militias.
As violence came closer and closer to his village Manasseh was faced with a devastating choice: either join an armed militia group or risk losing his and his family’s lives. Reluctantly Manasseh joined the militia group and took part in terrible acts of violence.
One day his commander was arrested and Manasseh decided now was the time to run away. He ended up in Bunia, close to where CMS local partner Bisoke Balikenga leads a peace centre.
Bisoke recalls that when he first met Manasseh, the former militia man was very withdrawn and unhappy.
The peace centre team invited Manasseh to take part in the trauma healing programme where he was able to face the terrible things he had done and asked for forgiveness.
According to Bisoke only Jesus can bring about the kind of turnaround he’s seen in Manasseh’s life. In the five years since he started following Jesus, Manasseh has done more training with CMS-Africa and trained for ordination.
Today Manasseh is a minister in an Anglican parish and works with Bisoke at the peace centre. He goes into local refugee camps to share his testimony and encourage others to turn to Jesus for hope and healing. You can read more about Manasseh’s journey on the CMS website.
From Africa, we head across the ocean to Argentina where celebrations have been taking place. Ten years ago a movement of God’s love in action was born among the women of Northern Argentina, a good number of whom are from indigenous people groups.
Over the last decade God has been working through CMS people in mission to empower indigenous women to share the love of Jesus in their communities.
In recent years this movement has grown to include more and more women from Argentina and the rest of the province of South America. More than 1,600 women have joined this movement which is called AMARE.
October 2024 marks the 10-year anniversary of the birth of AMARE, which is affiliated with the Mothers’ Union.
Catherine le Tissier, who was there at the beginning, said: “AMARE’s main aim is that women should know just how loved they are, that they are precious in God’s sight and of much worth in a society that does not always value them or their children. As they know more of God’s love they can then reach out to others.”
In the last decade, hundreds of indigenous women and others have worked together to challenge and change the status quo in areas of domestic violence, peace and reconciliation and strengthening families. The anniversary celebration was a joyous event with prayer, worship and a spirit of thankfulness.
Let’s keep praying for all the women in the region to know and share God’s love.
Finally we go to the edges in the UK. Over the summer, the UK faced a series of riots and public unrest, much of which was focused on immigration.
Did you know that in our world one in every 30 people can be considered migrants? What should our response as Christians be living in this reality?
That’s one key question being considered by the CMS team involved in our new Acts 11 Centre for mission and migration, which launched in September.
This project will help migrants – many of whom are Christians – share their faith in the places they migrate to and it will also help UK Christians show hospitality to people who move here from other places.
Go to churchmissionsociety.org/acts11 to learn more about this innovative new venture.
So today we’ve seen that yes, people are being pushed to the edges in our world by poverty, oppression and violence, yet Jesus is bringing New Life at the edges and we get to join him.
Thank you for watching these reports from the edges in DR Congo, Argentina and the UK. Your prayerful support is building hope in these and so many other areas.
Please do share this video with your church or anyone you think could use some fuel for their faith.
Until next time, we are grateful for your gifts and prayers as together we go with Jesus, with each other, to the edges.
Be sure to receive Hope from the Edges every time!
