All the stories from the Spring 2026 edition in one place

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The post CMS Magazine Spring 2026 appeared first on Church Mission Society (CMS).

John V Taylor, a former leader of CMS, once said, “Look to the fringes. Watch the things that are pushing out on the edge.”

Jesus intentionally sought out people on the margins and made them part of his story.

And today, the risen Jesus is still going to the edges: in the Middle East, in DR Congo, in Ukraine, across Britain and in so many other places and spaces.

It’s our great privilege to follow him and see him working, bringing new life. That’s why we love to say “There is life at the edges!”

Even when the world feels overwhelmed by shadow, new, living hope is rising where we least expect it.

Transcript

Hello friends and Happy Easter! He is risen!

I’ll say it again: He is risen!

Throughout Lent this year, CMS has been focusing on Jesus’ encounters with people at the edges, the edges of religious acceptability, the edges of society at the time, and the edges of many of the disciples’ comfort zones.

We’ve seen how Jesus intentionally welcomed people such as a severely disabled woman who could not even stand up straight, or people with leprosy, or outsiders like tax collectors, or others considered to be “sinners”.

Jesus paid special attention to these people, he brought healing to them and he made them part of his story.

So much so, that today, two thousand years later, we get to read about them and be challenged to keep the kind of company Jesus keeps.

A huge thank you to those of you who have been journeying with us in this, through our Lent email series, Fringe Dweller. We hope you have found it meaningful to look at these stories and consider how you might keep following Jesus to the edges in your life.

One thing that’s crucial to understand is that we are not called to the edges out of a sense of pity – we go to the edges out of a sense of possibility.

Jesus looked at someone like the Gerasene demoniac – and he saw a disciple, someone who, once healed, could take the good news of Jesus far and wide.

And it’s the same for us in CMS today.

We love to say there is life at the edges because it’s true.

We are seeing victims of horrendous violence become voices for peace in South Sudan and DR Congo.

We are seeing indigenous Christians in Latin America – once considered second-class citizens, rising up to become passionate leaders who are imparting the gospel to the next generation.

We are seeing marginalised women in the Middle East playing a key role helping others discover the love of Jesus.

And the list goes on and on. You see? There is life at the edges!

You might be looking at the state of the world right now, and be tempted to despair. Violence, poverty and oppression continue to push people to the edges. But new hope is rising, often where you might least expect to find it.

For example, just over a year ago we watched in horror as Goma, DR Congo was seized by the M23 rebel group, leading to chaos, bloodshed and fear. Yet, in the past year we have seen local Christians in DR Congo stepping up and bearing witness to Christ, offering help and hope to thousands. Our Easter appeal highlights this.

Yes, things are still incredibly difficult in Goma, but hope is breaking through. Because Jesus loves people at the edges.

I think of how after Jesus’ crucifixion, his disciples were devastated. Bewildered. Lost. And then – there he was!

It’s wonderful to remember that, just as he drew near to people at the edges before he died and rose again, Jesus continues to dwell with people on the fringes after his resurrection, too.

The first witnesses to the resurrection were women. He came to those who were broken in spirit and fearful, those who were full of doubt and traumatised, to Peter, who had denied him.

The risen Jesus still does this today.

He’s still choosing to appear to people at the edges and he’s still working through people at the edges to redeem the whole world back to wholeness.

A pastor and hip-hop artist called Trip Lee once wrote:

“I don’t know the future.
I don’t know the answers to every big question.
I don’t know why everything happens the way it does. But I know Jesus got up.
And that changes EVERYTHING.”

I pray that today, if you are struggling, you’ll allow the reality of Jesus’ resurrection to bring you profound joy.

Our struggles are not the end of the story. New hope is rising. We just have to know where to look.

As my predecessor John V Taylor advised: “Look to the fringes. Watch the things that are pushing out on the edge.”

I’ll close now with these words from Scripture; let’s read them together:

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” (1 Peter 1:3)

Once again, happy Easter to you.

Truly, God is with us.

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Join us and Bishop Martyn Snow for an afternoon of stirring stories, a slice of mission life and inspiring conversations over a cuppa or two.

This is a unique opportunity to connect with Rev Dave and Tricia Rollett before they embark on their journey from the East Midlands to East Africa.

Highlights of the afternoon

• Personal stories: Hear Dave and Tricia share their heart for mission and the journey that led them to this amazing adventure.
• Global perspective: Gain insight into what daily life and ministry look like in regions where Christians are a minority.
• Interactive fellowship: Enjoy a “cuppa or two” while engaging in inspiring conversations with like-minded supporters.
• Prayer and support: Join a collective moment of prayer to commission the Rollett family for their upcoming work.

Highlights of the afternoon

• Personal stories: Hear Dave and Tricia share their heart for mission and the journey that led them to this “amazing adventure.”
• Global perspective: Gain insight into what daily life and ministry look like in regions where Christians are a minority.
• Interactive fellowship: Enjoy a “cuppa or two” while engaging in inspiring conversations with like-minded supporters.
• Prayer and support: Join a collective moment of prayer to commission the Rollett family for their upcoming work.

The mission: walking alongside

The Rolletts are moving to East Africa with a specific and vital focus:

1. Local partnership: working hand-in-hand with local African Christians
2. Unity in witness: helping the local church work together effectively
3. Interfaith presence: modelling a loving witness to neighbours of different faiths in the community

Church Mission Society has a long history of focusing on “people in mission”: sustainable, locally-led ministry rather than just short-term aid. Dave and Tricia’s move represents a deep commitment to this long-term relationship building.

Event details

• Date and time: Saturday 16 May 2026, 1pm to 3.30pm
• Venue: The Grand Hall, St Martins House, 7 Peacock Lane, Leicester LE1 5PZ
• Accessibility: The Grand Hall is up one flight of stairs. There is a lift available.
• Getting there: St Martin’s House have helpful travel advice on their website

More about Dave and Tricia

• Take a look at their web page
• Download their profile to share with your church
• Give to support Dave and Tricia’s work

Take part

It’s free to attend, but please do book your place so we know how many teacups we need!

Book now via Eventbrite

• See all events

The post Tea for Tanzania appeared first on Church Mission Society (CMS).

CMS Yorkshire invite you to a special online mission event.

Our special guests are:

• Martin Gordon, Bishop of Goma in the DR Congo
• Dave and Tricia Rollett, mission partners in training to serve in Tanzania

Date and time: Tuesday 12 May 2026, 7pm – 8.15pm (approx)

A short AGM for Yorkshire members will follow.

Take part

Please email Bob Lunt to request the
instructions and joining link. These will be available
before the evening. Robert.lunt539@hotmail.com

Email Bob

• See all events

The post Zoom in on Africa appeared first on Church Mission Society (CMS).

Meet Daniel and Liam, two short-termers who have recently signed up to go Argentina with CMS. 

Both Daniel and Liam will be serving with the Diocese of Northern Argentina. Based in Salta, they’ll take part in a variety of different ministries with local churches, fully immersed in Argentinian culture. Daniel and Liam recently came to the CMS office where we interviewed them and got to know them. 

Introducing Daniel

At 18 years old, Daniel is choosing to take a post-A-level gap year before heading to University. After spending the last few months working part-time with his church, he is now preparing for a five-month placement with CMS. 

Daniel chose Salta as a place where he could immerse himself in a completely different way of life, developing his own character while seeing God at work firsthand in Latin America.

The decision to partner with CMS came from lots of research and prayer. Daniel was drawn to our friendly welcome and ethos of “going to the edges” to join Jesus in mission. While he admits to some pre-trip concerns around the language barrier – having studied German rather than Spanish at school – Daniel is looking forward to seeing what he can learn in Argentina. 

Introducing Liam 

Liam, 29, has stepped away from a career in the banking sector to go on a six-month trip to Salta, Argentina.

Having spent years working in fraud and scam departments, Liam’s life has completely changed in the past two years after meeting Jesus and finding his own Christian faith. This profound personal transformation has led him to partner with CMS, changing the corporate world for a time of service and deepening his faith in Latin America.

Liam was drawn to Salta specifically by the impactful stories of CMS’s ongoing work with women’s and children’s ministries. He is particularly eager to engage with indigenous communities in Northern Salta, viewing the trip as an opportunity to see how faith and culture intersect in a completely different setting. 

Part of the reason Liam has chosen to do mission with CMS is because of our long-standing history. He wants to play his part in the impactful work that has gone before him and see where God will lead him next. 

Do you know someone interested in short-term mission? Find out more about short-term mission opportunities.

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All the stories from the Winter 2026 edition in one place

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The post CMS Magazine Winter 2026 appeared first on Church Mission Society (CMS).

As the close of the year comes near, immigration continues to infiltrate our social consciousness and dominate the headlines. What might be a creative and helpful response?

by Tyler Horton

18 December 2025

In just the single day before writing this, BBC news posted about Canada’s population drop due to caps on immigration, arrests by immigration officers at a factory in Swindon, an interview with a French politician about immigration control, and a BBC Verify story checking if the government is keeping up to its immigration and asylum pledges.

Understandably, many people are feeling uncertain about what ought to be done and worn down by the enduring confusion and pain that so many have to live with. At the Acts 11 Project, we are posturing ourselves to help the church meet these realities and recognise the opportunities for mission that arise within them.

In our December newsletter, Joseph Ola prompted us to remember the role of migration in the Christmas story.

And now, at Christmas, we are reminded that the story of our Saviour begins with migration – with God-with-us arriving into a world marked by displacement, political tension, and fragile hope. Christmas is the story of a God who moves toward us, and of a holy family that becomes, quite literally, a migrant family.

The world that Jesus entered through the incarnation was marked by uncertainties and tensions very similar to our own. If that did not prevent the flow of grace from reaching the corners where it was needed then, there is no reason to think that it will now.

The question is, what can we do? What lies at hand that we can take up toward meeting the needs of the hour in which we live? We think one thing that will help us is to read together. That is why we are launching the Acts 11 Project Book Club in the New Year. We are inviting you to read some of the great ‘migration’ novels along with us.

Sitting down and reading a book might seem like a move in the wrong direction. Shouldn’t we get out into the real world rather than retreating to a fictional one? There is truth to that of course. We fall far short of our calling if we never move from reading about it to actually doing it. All I am suggesting is that reading these novels together will help us all to face the real-world realities of migration and mission on surer ground.

There is good science to back this up. Research published in Science (a publication of the American Association for the Advancement of Science) suggests that reading literary fiction deepens our ability to recognize and engage with the situations and states that we encounter in other people. Reading novels expands our knowledge of the lives and others and by doing so, helps us recognise our similarity to them. It opens our eyes to a world beyond our own experience.

But reading great literature not only changes what we think about others, it also seems to change how we think about others. These researchers used a set of experiments which distinguished ‘literary’ from ‘popular’ novels and found that the former category had a much greater effect. These works bring us up against the unexpected and draw us toward the inner lives of others. They invite us to recognise that these inner lives deserve exploration, but they do so without simply handing that content to us. Crucially, novels allow us to work at this in a less risky setting, but these skills then become available for real-life situations.

Great novels give us something that lies beyond the reach of a textbook. While they are, of course, fictional, they are often more true to humanity than the non-fiction history books which cover events and movements from a suitably academic distance. Migration literature gives us an opportunity to see more, and  it provides a powerful means of reducing the ‘strangeness’ of others.

Our first book will be a classic of American migration literature: Willa Cather’s My Antonia. We invite you to come and read with us! Not because reading a novel makes the world a better place for migrants, but because reading a novel together will make us people who are better equipped to be a means of grace for those living at the intersection of mission and migration.

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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…

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

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The Ways We Pray project seeks to share and exchange ideas and practices for prayerful presence between people, communities and churches across the globe who are seeking to live, to pray and to go with Jesus, with each other, to the edges.

by Ian Adams, Mission Spirituality Adviser

In God’s grace we have just published our 50th post, and we continue to invite more contributions. The invitation is to send in a photo depicting how we pray, with a few words of text, which can be shared in a harmonised format, initially in the growing Presence WhatsApp group, then more widely through CMS media, encouraging prayerful presence.

What are we learning through The Ways We Pray?

We love to pray alone. There’s something essential about the willingness to be in prayerful solitude, this practice of Jesus finding echo and response in us.

But we are also drawn to pray with others, and recognise the gift and power of communal prayer.

We are drawn into prayerful presence in recognisably religious places – churches, chapels and cathedrals. These much prayed-in places seem to re-arrange us, opening us up to the possibility of divine encounter.

It will come as no surprise that attentive reading of scripture continues to be a particularly important way into prayer. 

Loving attention to the natural world – the great text of God’s creation – seems to be another vital entrance – a kind of narthex¹ – into prayerful presence for many, settling our anxieties, and lifting us into praise and thanksgiving to the Creator God. Being close to, on, or even in open water seems to bring us into prayerful presence in a particularly profound way.

If beauty can inspire prayer so too, we are discovering, can the dust and disturbance – the broken things – that lie all around us. Through attention to that brokenness we are finding  ourselves more readily praying from our own brokenness, and into that of our world.

Stillness, quiet and silence are experienced as vital elements in the journey into prayerful presence.

So too are physical movements and stances. Swimming, body prayer and the making, walking and praying of labyrinths are all experienced as practices of prayerful presence.

These are still early days for The Ways We Pray project – and we know that there will be much more to discover together on journey into prayerful presence.

1. In the context of church buildings, the narthex is seen as the entrance, porch, vestibule or gathering place in and through which the people journey into the church proper. ︎

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All the stories from the Autumn 2025 edition in one place

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The post CMS Magazine Autumn 2025 appeared first on Church Mission Society (CMS).

David Hubbard is a CMS supporter preparing to cycle through Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania in 2026 in memory of his father, a CMS mission partner. As he tells Emily Wilson in this interview, his 5,000km East African ride is more than a challenge – it’s a tribute to his father’s life in mission. And a way to raise money for CMS.

David, what inspired this incredible, intrepid undertaking? 

My parents, Laurie and Wendy Hubbard, went to Kenya as mission partners with CMS in 1966, my dad served as an Anglican vicar in the Kenyan towns of Nyeri and Nanyuki for about seven years. I don’t know what drew Dad to Kenya – he was open to anything – but I know that his dad had also done mission work for many years in Nigeria back in the 1920s or 30s.

I was born in Kenya, my wife Rachel was born in Kenya too. My family left Kenya before I turned five, but I have a few childhood memories of Nanyuki. I do remember that on a clear day you would see the very beautiful view of Mount Kenya in the distance.

When Dad died this year we were thinking, what can we do in his memory? And this idea came about. 

I understand you’re a competent and keen cyclist but why such a long way, and why East Africa? 

Any excuse for a long cycle ride, especially in Africa, if I’m honest! But I was thinking, while it’s a fun thing to do, and it’s a challenge, how could I honour my dad and encourage others along the way? 

After discussing with various people, and realising that CMS [still] has links in East Africa, I came up with the idea of cycling a kind of loop around Lake Victoria. I’ve cycled in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania before. My family and I visited Kenya this summer and I had a chance to do some cycling and plan some of the route. I brought out a folding bike in a suitcase, which held up remarkably well on the rough roads! 

How long do you think the cycle will take? 

My hope is I’ll do it in two months. I can use leave or school holiday time in order to have enough time away from my jobs teaching and with Friends International.

Starting in Nairobi, Kenya, I will travel north to Nyeri, near Mount Kenya, to visit a family that my dad knew well, before heading across the semi-arid area called Laikipia, hopefully seeing some wildlife along the way! I’ll meet up with my son-in-law’s family in Busia County, visit the CMS-Africa team, then head into northern Uganda to visit CMS’s work with refugees. From there I will then travel south across the border into Tanzania. I hope to visit schools in Iringa and Morogoro where I used to work. I want to help do some staff training with teachers whenever I get the chance, as teacher training opportunities are quite limited. 

In Tanzania I also hope to visit CMS mission partners Ben and Katy Ray before crossing north back into Kenya to complete the 5,000km loop. 

There are various personal connections – former colleagues, friends, family – but I also want to give as much time as possible to see school projects, CMS projects and to link with other people where I could do anything useful. That would be great. 

Why do you think your father stayed connected to CMS’s work for so many years after he returned from being a mission partner in Kenya?  

“I think he was motivated by a few things. One, he made connections with people. He’d fallen in love with people, their warmth, their kindness. But he also saw the need to care for them, he was very generous and supported CMS and individuals in Kenya for much of his adult life. There are so many physical and economic challenges in that part of the world. 

Two, his work for CMS when he returned from Kenya. He got involved from a different angle. As an area secretary in Kent in the 80s he was encouraging other people, visiting churches and groups to raise awareness of CMS’s work. He believed in what CMS does and what you stand for. Along with my mum, he went to CMS conferences and kept up relationships. You want to support people who have been through something similar to you. 

How will you stay motivated on your ride? 

Firstly, knowing that Dad would be really, really happy and supportive of it. 

Dad maintained contact with, and a passion for, CMS all the way through his life. When you do these things there’s always going to be times when you think, “What am I doing this for?” It’s good to know that this trip is bigger than I am. It’s not just a jolly, a physical challenge or even all about fundraising for CMS – it’s something that will hopefully achieve something really positive.

I want to go and see these people. People are moved when you make the effort to visit them. Whether they are missionaries or local partners, friends, family. They really, really appreciate it. And I know I’ll learn much from meeting them, too.

Give

Will you give today to honour the legacy of those who have gone before us and to keep mission going for the next generation?

Donate Sponsor David via JustGiving

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