Church was simply irrelevant to many people in Jane Robins’s Nottinghamshire village – yet last year 11 people were baptised and are now involved in God’s mission.

Here, Jane shares how, equipped by CMS training, she sees God at work and faith growing.

In my journey as a pioneer, I’ve learned that our skill is often our ability to adapt and make the most of what we have. I think of Moses in Exodus 4 – given a fearsome commission by God, he is anxious. God, who could have given him any miraculous help, simply asked Moses what he had in his hand: a staff. This provided the means to rescue a nation and perform signs and wonders in God’s name. The simplest thing, with God’s blessing, becomes a powerful force.

Unexpected direction

No one expected me to lead a church. Raised a Jehovah’s Witness, I spent 25 years away before personal trauma drew me to the Anglican church. Driven to active ministry, I became a licensed reader in 2014, breaking traditional moulds. In 2016, my diocese recommended I train with CMS as an ordained pioneer. Despite ordination no longer being possible under a new bishop, I found my home among fellow pioneers at CMS and persevered.

Frustrating beginnings

Full of enthusiasm after training, I began my ministry as a lay pioneer. I established a successful church plant in a social club in a nearby parish, but it was closed by a new incumbent and I was back to square one. I came back to working with what I had and began to think more about where people were, what was important to them and who were the “influencers” in my village of Ruddington.

I realised there wasn’t any animosity towards the church, simply a view that it was totally irrelevant. An affluent, leafy village full of amenities, little deprivation, with many valuable community groups; why would God need to be part of it?

From disinterest to dear friends

I became a parish councillor because that seemed an obvious way for me to pioneer God’s message by joining the influencers. Through this, church, council and the village partnership group have increasingly worked together for the good of the village. The church is now seen as “one of us”.

I believe success is more than numbers, but at the Christmas services last year, over 1,100 people came through the church doors, up from 300 two years ago. People see it as “us and ours”.

Andrew, the vicar of St Peter’s, Ruddington, is now referred to as “our Andrew” by people he meets, whether they have a faith or not. He regularly walks around the monthly village market, talking to people, listening to their stories. At a recent village event, thanks were given to “our dear friends at St Peter’s” – a massive shift from the disinterest a few years ago.

Planting again

With a hardworking team, I started and now lead a second church plant, Framework Church, which runs from a coffee shop. It is a relaxed and informal community, accessible to people moving on from the Alpha course, or who find church intimidating. It has seen as many as 40 people attending and continues to develop its own unique style: distinct from, yet part of, St Peter’s.

Although primarily a missional enterprise, we have found that discipleship among the leaders has grown too. We’re currently using [CMS Britain hub director] Jonny Baker’s book Fringe Dweller, and the whole team love exploring the pioneer thinking that formed so much of my equipping at CMS. Our incumbent has commented that this plant has been one of the greatest motivators of change and growth within the church.

Pioneering Alpha

You might think there is not much pioneering in running Alpha, but there can be! I follow my inclination to relax things: a welcome time, glass of wine and chat to start.

We allow room for where the discussion takes us. WhatsApp groups for each course have been transformational to form relationships on this road people travel together. Last year saw 11 adult baptisms following the course, with everyone now involved regularly in mission.

Two of those baptised are prison wardens, working in one of the toughest prisons in the region. One has established a weekly prayer group at the prison, which currently has about 20 members including both staff and inmates.

The other warden looks after pregnant women prisoners and regularly speaks of her faith while offering comfort. God is alive and well in this prison!

Another baptism candidate came to faith after a 20-year gap. She had given up a baby for adoption in her youth and had carried guilt ever since, believing that Jesus could never forgive her. She is now truly free, experiencing a wonderful deliverance from her guilt during the Alpha Holy Spirit day, realising how truly loved she is. She certainly is a new creation.

This year sees us planning something totally new for our church – Family Alpha. Last year, three people were unable to finish the course because of childcare issues, so I thought, why don’t we make a course for them? We are now well into planning a multi-generational approach that caters for every age, with pizza, kids’ activities and teaching for the whole family, with over 30 people signed up.

Family pioneering

One of the most unexpected results from Alpha involved my youngest daughter, Liz. She was scathing that her mum had become a “Jesus nut”, had trained to become a pioneer (whatever that means!) and was now running Alpha. Liz decided to see who was brainwashing her mum, so signed up to show these people just how false it all was.

On week one, Liz was bowled over by the food. Then after the discussion, a voice I could not believe belonged to my daughter suddenly poured forth her worries about my granddaughter. A team member suggested we pray for her. Instead of “not likely” there was a heartfelt “yes please”. She was completely overcome by the Holy Spirit, in floods of tears and joined in the discussion later about God as if he was the best friend she had known for years. The story doesn’t end there: Liz is now a vicar running a benefice of six churches and, I suspect, a fledgling pioneer herself!

A long road

It’s taken me over 10 years to get the pioneer message into mainstream thinking in my church context – this is a journey for the long haul, and I have learned not to give up, to believe in the impossible, listen to God and wait for his timing. Key to building bridges with the rest of my church and community has been finding the language they speak and learning to talk in ways they understand. Now, both my vicar and an 83-year-old ministry colleague enthuse about the pioneer thinking in Jonny Baker’s book Fringe Dweller – and we’re all finding life at the edges.

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Through simple acts like baking cookies and making space for spontaneous conversations, C and V* and their family have made the most of a recent move from coastal Spain to Madrid.

Perhaps their experiences will inspire you to love your neighbours in new ways?

New place, new possibilities

The security guard at our new housing complex claimed to not believe in God. But one day when V was coming home from the park with our kids, she asked him how he was doing.

We can’t remember exactly what he said but his response was unusual enough to make V pause and sensitively ask some questions. This led to a whole conversation about guilt, remorse and how Jesus died on the cross and rose again so that we do not need to carry our guilt and remorse anymore.

Standing by the main door of our complex, V offered to pray for this man. He was very keen for prayer for him and his family, so she started to pray right there. The security guard’s eyes filled with tears. It helped us realise that, even if people claim not to believe in God, they are desperate for hope.

The move to Madrid

This is just one of the everyday encounters we’ve experienced since our somewhat stressful move from a small town on the Spanish coast closer to the capital, Madrid, in 2025. If you’ve ever moved, you’ll know it’s a daunting experience, especially when you go to a place where you don’t know anyone. But God has brought us to the right place and surprised and blessed us with wonderful new neighbours. We were especially delighted when we discovered that another two Christian families had moved into the very same housing complex. We believe God has put us in this neighbourhood together for a purpose.

Holiday hospitality

As well as sharing fellowship with these families, we have been finding opportunities to connect with the people around us. This started back in October, at Halloween, as we wanted to do something to celebrate life. V and a neighbour got our families together to bake cookies and wrapped them up with Bible verses for neighbours.

The mums spent the evening praising God and praying for the neighbours, for the community and for Spain. Meanwhile, our kids were playing outside and giving out cookies with Bible verses. It was such a special evening! And the conversation with our security guard happened just a few days later.

We did something similar at Christmas to share the hope of Jesus – we gave out cookies again, and we saw in the New Year singing songs of worship together and praying for our neighbours. Getting to know our neighbours here has been a real blessing, and we use opportunities God gives us on a daily basis to share the love of Jesus.

Street level

As well as connecting with our immediate neighbours, C loves street evangelism, just chatting to people and hearing what they think about God. Now we are closer to the capital, he sometimes goes into the city and spends time in a busy area of central Madrid. He aims to be really non-aggressive, so simply poses questions, and creates space for people to talk and share their opinions – and some share their deeper questions about faith.

Whole-family mission

Building connections isn’t just something we do as parents – our daughter has also been involved in running a children’s club at our local church. She shares, “Every Friday, we open the church for the children in the community to come and have a Bible lesson. We usually sing some praise songs, study a Bible story, play some games and have a snack. Many of the children don’t come from Christian homes, so this ministry is a great opportunity for the church to reach out with the gospel message.

As I met some of our neighbours, I was able to invite some of their kids to come to Kids’ Club. Although they come from a non-Christian background, they enjoyed the club and we get on really well with their family.”

This children’s club has helped the church to engage with families who are otherwise unconnected with church, and some have come along to services.

Spanish inspiration

As we visited our supporters in the UK this summer and spoke in churches, some of them were inspired to try something similar in their area – maybe you could, too?

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Or is God calling you to step into mission with CMS?

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*Names withheld due to some of their mission work being sensitive

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Earlier this year, as airstrikes and escalating violence turned lives upside down across southern Lebanon, our local partners were thrust into navigating personal grief alongside widespread destruction. 

Yet, as Jad,* a Church Mission Society (CMS) team member from Beirut, shared during the height of the crisis: “As Christians in Lebanon, we feel we must respond – and we are responding.”

Because of your extraordinary generosity and faithful prayers during our summer appeal, local leaders did not have to respond alone.

We are deeply grateful to share that together, we have reached our goal of raising enough money to provide life-saving relief and trauma support to 1,000 displaced families.

More than food

Your gifts have directly supplied urgent practical relief, including emergency food parcels, blankets, essential medicines and hygiene supplies. But as our partners on the ground frequently remind us, physical supplies are only part of the story:

“We don’t just need food – we need peace inside.”

Beyond emergency provisions, adults and children are receiving ongoing emotional care, spiritual comfort and trauma support. Through these personal encounters, displaced families are experiencing the peace and hope of Jesus. Here are three stories that illustrate the impact of your partnership:

Nour’s story: “our lives still mattered”

When relentless shelling hit her neighborhood, Nour* and her family crowded onto a single motorbike in the middle of the night to escape. In the chaos, they were struck by a car – a collision they miraculously survived – before taking shelter in a makeshift tent.

When our local team visited them, they brought they brought practical supplies, yet it was their presence that the biggest impact on Nour:

“Before the food parcel reached our hands, their care reached our hearts. The assistance met an urgent need, but their presence restored something war had tried to take from us: the assurance that our lives still mattered and that we were not alone.”

Easing a family’s fear

Fleeing the southern suburbs of Beirut overnight as bombs fell nearby, another family left behind everything they owned, quickly running out of basic supplies and food. In the midst of uncertainty, local partners stepped in – and stayed with them:

“The team did more than deliver food parcels and leave; they stood beside us and reminded us that we had not been forgotten. The assistance eased our hunger, but their presence also eased the fear and loneliness of displacement.”

Rania’s story: hope rising from rubble

For Rania,* the reality of war struck without warning. As her family gathered inside their home to hastily pack a few belongings, an airstrike destroyed the house, burying everyone beneath the rubble. Rania shielded her two-month-old granddaughter in her arms. Though Rania was eventually pulled alive from the collapse, her hand was badly crushed – and tragically, her granddaughter did not survive.

Multiple surgeries reconstructed Abeer’s hand, but she carried deep emotional and spiritual wounds. In the months that followed, our partners connected with Rania for prayer and trauma support helped her process her profound grief. Through spiritual care and devotional literature provided by our partners, a message reached her wounded heart: “We can trust God with the unknown.”

“The rubble was still part of my story – but it was no longer the end of my story.”

Today, Rania says she feels an inner renewal. While her pain is not forgotten, despair has given way to genuine peace and restored hope.

Standing together between gratitude and grief

Living between deep gratitude for survival and grief over immense loss, local Christians in Lebanon continue to serve on the front lines as a vital lifeline to their communities. 

Your kindness has sent a clear signal to our Lebanese brothers and sisters: the global body of Christ stands firmly by their side.

On behalf of our regional team, our courageously faithful partners and the families whose lives you are touching: thank you for showing God’s love in Lebanon.

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Video transcript

Hello and welcome to Hope from the Edges. I’m Andy Roberts, CEO of CMS.

In this episode, we’re sharing three remarkable stories of lives transformed at the edges, showing how God is bringing belonging, restoring dignity, and planting vibrant communities of faith in unexpected places.

First, we’ll head to Brazil, where a remarkable prison ministry has been given the go-ahead to plant a church behind bars.

Then we’ll go to Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, where families living in conflict zones are finding sanctuary and hope as new local churches are planted there too.

And finally, we’ll visit a UK pioneer community where art and creativity are opening doors for people to experience church in a whole new shape.

We begin in Brazil, where hundreds of men in a local prison are experiencing life-changing transformation.

For years, CMS mission partners and local leaders have walked alongside these men, offering Bible studies, discipleship courses, and a chance to encounter the love of Jesus. The outcome has been profound. Men who felt completely written off are finding forgiveness in Jesus and choosing a brand new path. Andy Walsh, who works with CMS in the prison, reports that hundreds of men have come to faith. Yet for a long time they were not allowed to gather together for any kind of worship service.

Now, after persistent advocacy by Andy and local Christian leaders, prison authorities have officially granted approval for a church plant inside the prison. Every week a chapel time forms behind bars, giving inmates a supportive community and real hope for their future outside. Our hope is that this will become a model for other churches to be born in prisons across Brazil.

Next, let’s go to Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo to see more churches growing on the edges.

For decades, the district of Kibumba has been deeply affected by armed conflict, forced displacement, and resulting trauma. Rev Innocent Kwitonda, vicar of St John’s Church in Buvira, was born in this area. And his life story reflects both the deep suffering and incredible resilience of the local people.

Where violent conflict has uprooted lives and shattered stability, Rev Innocent and St John’s Church have refused to let fear have the final word. During the most recent brutal conflict in Goma, St John’s welcomed war-displaced families, providing clean water, basic household items, and temporary shelter for over 2,000 households.

Now, at the direct request of this local community, they have also planted three new churches in the area. These churches continue to grow in size and impact. Women who suffered sexual violence and harassment are gradually rediscovering hope and dignity through biblical teaching, pastoral care and supportive fellowship. Children participate in trauma healing sessions, educational activities, and structured play times that help make their restoration possible.

Rev Innocent says, “We firmly believe that the Lord alone is the healer of broken souls, and that the Church remains his chosen instrument to bring healing, reconciliation, and lasting transformation to wounded communities.”

Finally, let’s return to the UK, to the London area, for a wonderful story from CMS pioneer training graduate, Hayley Humphreys. A story of creativity, community, and connection.

What has become known as Art for Wellbeing, or Art Church, began a few years ago with 10 people, a table, and some paint and brushes. Hayley says, “There was no grand strategy, no detailed blueprint, just a sense that creativity mattered, that people needed connection, and that God might be present in the simple act of making something together.”

People who are unlikely to feel comfortable in a traditional church setting arrive, often carrying loneliness, grief, anxiety or doubt. And they are finding a non-threatening space where everyone belongs, no matter their artistic ability or background. Each session opens with a simple spiritual reflection, followed by open time for conversations about life and faith.

The fruit has been beautiful. Participants have discovered hidden gifts. Seven new leaders have stepped up from within the group, and people have taken significant steps in faith, including baptism. This year the group was formally recognised as a fresh expression of church. It is a powerful reminder that church doesn’t always look traditional.

As Hayley puts it, “The Kingdom of God is appearing right there in brushstrokes, conversations, and cups of tea.”

What strikes me about all three of these stories is the power of belonging, whether in a prison cell, a conflict zone, or around an art table. God’s love meets people right where they are.

Thank you for your prayers and financial support that empower local leaders to bring this hope to the edges.

Please share this video with your church or small group to encourage others today.

Until next time, we are so grateful for your gifts and prayers as together we go:

With Jesus
With each other
To the edges

ENDS

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God is using the church in DR Congo to bring healing, reconciliation and lasting transformation to wounded communities. 

For over three decades, the district of Kibumba in the eastern DR Congo has been severely affected by armed conflict, forced displacement and deep trauma. Yet amid the shadows of war, a movement of spiritual restoration and practical aid is proving that fear will not have the final word. At the heart of this renewal is Rev Innocent Kwitonda and the ministry of St John’s Church, Buvira, where he is vicar.

Conversion and calling 

Rev Innocent’s commitment to the people of the Kibumba district comes from an intimate understanding of their pain. When he was just two years old, his father – a church pastor – was kidnapped during an outbreak of local violence. His family never recovered the body, and looters stripped their home of almost everything they owned.

By age nine, Innocent faced another crisis when he was sent home from school because his family could not afford the school fees.

“When I arrived home my mother was sick, I went into her room and I found an old Bible that my father used in his ministry,” Innocent recalls. “There and then, I made a personal oath with God: ‘Lord Jesus Christ… help me to study and when I grow up I will serve you faithfully and proclaim you in all nations.'”

The next day, God performed a miracle and a woman provided the money for his school fees. That answer to prayer sparked a lifelong calling. Innocent rose through Sunday school volunteering and leadership to graduate with distinction from the Lake Kivu Christian Centre. Since then, he has trained nearly 2,000 lay pastors across North Kivu, led 25 Portable Bible Schools and helped to plant six new churches. 

A church for others

For more than 30 years the population of the Kibumba region, north of DR Congo’s capital city Goma, have lived in a state of displacement, seeking refuge in Internally Displaced People (IDP) camps around Goma. “I was born in this area, and my life story is closely connected to the suffering and resilience of its people,” says Innocent. 

In response to this prolonged humanitarian crisis, St John’s Buvira chose to embody a church that walks alongside the suffering people. As thousands fled their homes, St John’s transformed into a sanctuary, welcoming war-displaced households and providing clean water, temporary shelter and essential supplies.

For Innocent, practical aid and the gospel are inseparable. The parish did not just offer physical relief; it offered spiritual hope to families who had lost everything. He quotes the teachings of Dietrich Bonhoeffer who describes a ‘Church for others,’ insisting that “the Church is only the Church when it exists for others.” 

Three new churches

After the M23 had taken Goma, a period of comparative peace allowed displaced families to return home and the community of Kibumba issued a plea to the parish of Buvira. Acknowledging how the church had stood by them during their suffering, residents asked for a permanent church presence to help them rebuild their lives, teach resilience and heal from war.

Since 2025, St John’s has planted three new churches in Kibumba that are growing steadily in both spiritual depth and community impact. These churches emphasise resilience, love, reconciliation and holistic ministry through their work in the communities around them.   

Women who suffered sexual violence and harassment are gradually rediscovering hope and dignity through biblical teaching, pastoral care and supportive fellowship. Children, who are especially vulnerable to the psychological effects of war, participate in trauma-healing sessions, educational activities and structured play that contribute to their emotional restoration.

Now studying for an MA in African Christianity with CMS while serving as the vicar of St John’s, Rev Innocent remains grounded in his core mission.

“Through all these experiences, we firmly believe that the Lord alone is the healer of broken souls,” says Innocent. “He heals the broken-hearted, and binds up their wounds (Psalm 147:3) and the Church remains his chosen instrument to bring healing, reconciliation and lasting transformation to wounded communities.”

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Video transcript

Hello everyone and welcome to Hope from the Edges. I’m Andy Roberts, CEO of CMS.

In the next few minutes, we’ll bring you inspiring news from three edges in our world, stories that you are making possible through your gifts and prayers.

First, we’ll go to South Sudan, where people from two tribes in conflict have planted a church together.

From there we’ll go to Brazil, where CMS partners are reimagining church and seeing people meet Jesus in a local park.

After that, we’ll go to South Asia, where a family in crisis got to see God turn things around for his glory.

Finally, we’ll stop by Lebanon, where CMS church partners are making a difference in the lives of those who need it most.

First, let’s go to South Sudan, where a cross-tribal church is thriving despite the odds.

How would you feel about sharing a church pew with someone who had robbed you? Or worshipping alongside a member of a community that, for years, had been locked in a deadly conflict with yours?

Brothers and sisters in Turalei, northern South Sudan, are doing just this. Christians from two tribes in conflict – Dinka and Nuer – have planted a church together.

These tribes have a longstanding conflict over grazing lands and many lives have been lost over the years.

CMS partner Paul Lueth, a Dinka himself from Turalei, knows the weight of this division first-hand. In early 2024, Paul and other Christian leaders from both tribes gathered to try to find a way forward, starting their time together with prayer and worship.

To their surprise, when they started discussing how the tribes could peacefully share the disputed grazing land, their shared faith helped them find a way forward. During the meeting, one participant looked around and asked, “What is this Jesus, that we are able to speak to each other beyond tribes?”

This impossible-sounding church plant now has over 450 members and new people join them every week.

Paul and other leaders are baptising visitors as they encounter Jesus for the first time and commit their lives to him. Adults from opposing sides of the conflict build community while their children play together.

How is this possible? Their explanation is simple: “God has done this.”

Now, let’s go to Brazil, where people who are unlikely to go to church are encountering Jesus through mission.

In Indaiatuba, CMS partners Marcio Ciechanovicz and Noemi Celeti and a team of volunteers are reimagining church, creating space in a local park for people to engage with fun activities, join in with worship events, ask questions and have meaningful conversations.

Over the past few months, Marcio and Noemi have seen God working through many different activities.

A young artist who was just walking past a worship event was invited to pick up a canvas and paint as part of the event, and painted a beautiful scene of Jesus holding a lamb. He said he hadn’t been to church in ages, and had never been given the opportunity to use his gifts as part of a worship event. He left feeling so recognised and welcomed.

Another weekend, a volunteer set up a clothes donation stall, which helped lots of people find items they desperately needed and inspired generosity in others. A man who was walking through the park with his family stopped at the stall. The volunteers wondered if he needed anything. To their surprise, he took off his brand-new tennis shoes, donated them and walked away barefoot!

Marcio and Noemi and the team have also recently joined in with prayer walks, an immersive prayer station, an art evening, visits to the local skatepark and a service at a tattoo studio. God is on the move in Indaiatuba, Brazil!

Next, let’s go to South Asia to meet a family who saw God change an impossible situation.

A couple who we won’t name for security reasons were living a very unhappy life.

They’d been married for a few years and had two children together, but they fought every day.

It was so bad that the police had to be called most weeks. So, why all this fighting?

Well, the wife was having an affair. As the affair continued, the fighting got worse. Even though the couple couldn’t see a way forward, everything was about to change.

A neighbour, Sister Nitu, was a Christian and belonged to a church planted and led by Asia-CMS partners Deepak and Kareena. Sister Nitu prayed for this family and invited the wife to come with her to church.

She made new friends at church who showed her Jesus’ love in action. They listened to her pain, read the Bible with her and prayed for her family. When the husband suddenly became ill, the church supported him too and over time walked through counselling with the couple.

It was the first time the wife had learned about the sanctity of marriage and the true meaning of faithfulness to God and to a spouse. But the story doesn’t end there.

While the couple’s relationship was still very fragile, the wife discovered that she was pregnant. The last thing she wanted to do was bring a baby into this home of non-stop fighting and even thought about ending her pregnancy. But her friends from church supported her through this as well, and she decided to keep the baby. Their beautiful, healthy baby was born a few months later. They were so grateful for this unexpected gift from God.

Earlier this year, the couple took the most significant step of their lives together – they were baptised, and started a new life on a solid foundation.

Finally, let’s go to the Middle East.

We recently launched an appeal focused on Lebanon, where 1.4 million people have been displaced due to airstrikes and ongoing violence, and many families have lost everything.

Our partners in Beirut are living between gratitude and grief, grateful to have survived but in grief at the loss all around them. Our partners are working tirelessly to provide emergency food packs, medicine and trauma support to people in desperate need.

With your help, we’re aiming to provide this lifeline of physical relief and spiritual refuge for 1,000 families. To support this appeal, go to churchmissionsociety.org/Lebanon and find out more.

Thank you for joining me for these stories from the edges and for your prayerful support, which makes them possible.

Please share this video with your church, small group or anyone you think could use some fuel for their faith.

Until next time, we are so grateful for your gifts and prayers as together we go:

With Jesus
With each other
To the edges

ENDS

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Could you sit in a church pew next to someone who had robbed you? Could you worship alongside a member of a community that, for years, had been locked in a deadly conflict with yours?

In Turalei, northern South Sudan, a bustling town of around 100,000 people, a newly planted church is answering that question every week.

On Sunday mornings, the congregation is made up of both Dinka and Nuer believers. They come from opposite sides of an ongoing violent conflict but share the same service. Afterwards, children play together outside while the adults sit in the shade, eating together and talking.

A few years ago, people on both sides of the dispute would have called this impossible. So, how did it happen? Their explanation is clear: “God has done this.”

The border dispute

The conflict between the Dinka and Nuer communities in this border region began in 2017. While rooted in historical disputes over grazing lands and water sources – realities increasingly under pressure due to changing climate patterns – the tension has been compounded by local political and economic factors.

People from the Dinka and Nuer tribes could tell you many stories about how the long-standing conflict and years of cattle raiding has displaced families, disrupted trade and cost hundreds of lives.

One of the more recent incidents took place in late 2023, when under the cover of darkness, four young Dinka men crossed the border into Nuer territory. Local residents caught the young men in the act of attempting a cattle raid, and a skirmish broke out. Two of the Dinka men were killed. The remaining two fled, seeking refuge with Garang Turoah, a respected spiritual leader among the Nuer community. In line with Nuer tradition, Garang granted them sanctuary. Their lives were spared, but the Nuer community held them indefinitely, refusing to let them return home.

Finding common ground on disputed land

Paul Lueth, a local church planter and theology lecturer, knows the weight of this longstanding division firsthand. A Dinka from Turalei, Paul and his wife Regina Atany (both working with CMS) have lived through the ongoing instability of the border conflict. With no clear path to resolution, Paul and other Christian leaders on both sides recognised that if things were going to change, the two communities needed to start talking.

Paul worked with church leaders from both sides to host an initial meeting in early 2024, hoping a shared Christian faith could help the groups move towards reconciliation. Leaders from both tribes – including Garang Turoah – sat down together.

They started their gathering with prayer and worship, before launching into a discussion about how to peacefully share the disputed grazing land. They were surprised to find that their shared faith gave them common ground and helped them move forward. As one of them put it during that first meeting, “What is this Jesus, that we are able to speak to each other beyond tribes?”

Following this, the Nuer leaders made a formal gesture of reconciliation: they released the two young Dinka would-be cattle raiders they had been holding for several months.

Sustaining the peace

To build on this initial breakthrough, Paul, Regina and other local Christian leaders have spent the last two years running joint training sessions for both Dinka and Nuer believers.

Because traditional church buildings are scarce and often targeted for destruction during border raids, Paul has focused on training both Nuer and Dinka women to lead house churches. The teaching reinforces that the church is a community of people rather than a physical structure, transcending tribal identities.

At the same time, Regina Atany has been hosting savings and microfinance groups where people from both tribes sit side-by-side to learn and work together to build financial stability for their families. Regina also uses these gatherings to run a discipleship framework called Disciple-Making-Disciples, equipping women to share these peacebuilding tools across the border with neighbouring communities.

The ultimate result of this quiet, relational work is the new congregation in Turalei. What began in late 2025 as a small group of Dinka and Nuer pioneers has now grown into a steady, weekly community of over 450 people and counting, where former enemies are choosing to build a peaceful future together.

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In a modest neighbourhood in South Asia lived a young family: S and V and their two children. To many people, they looked like a happy family.

But this “happy” family was not happy at all. S and her husband V fought every day.

Beneath the surface of all the arguing lay a wound that had never been addressed: S had been unfaithful. Her affair had caused a kind of damage that couldn’t just be swept under the rug. But even so, S’s affair quietly continued. Much of the fighting happened in front of the children, and it was bad enough that the police were called almost every week. But no one could see a way out – this was a household in gridlock.

Finding new hope through new friends

Even though S and V couldn’t see a way forward, everything was about to change. They had a neighbour called Sister Nitu. Sister Nitu was a Christian and belonged to a church planted and led by Asia-CMS partners Deepak and Kareena. As well as sharing the gospel and building a Jesus-centred community, Deepak and Kareena support local families through an after-school education programme designed to help children improve their future prospects.

Sister Nitu had been praying for this family, and soon enough, she invited S to her church and began sharing the good news of Christ with her. S didn’t come every week at first, but the team at church were determined to support her and share God’s love with her. They sat with her in her home, opened the Scriptures with her, listened to her pain and prayed for her family. Her new friends didn’t share Jesus’ love with S as an abstract concept – she saw it and felt it in action.

Suddenly, V became very ill. People from Sister Nitu’s church visited him in hospital and he shared openly about the years of struggle, about the betrayal, about the weariness that had settled deep in his bones. As the team listened, V’s heart began to soften. As the team grew closer to both S and V, they began a careful process of counselling. They taught about the sanctity of marriage – how God designed it to be a covenant, not a contract. They unpacked the vows: what faithfulness truly means, to God and to each other. For S, much of this was entirely new. No one had ever explained the meaning of the promises she had made.

A big surprise

In the midst of this season of counselling and fragile hope, S became pregnant. This should have made her happy, but all she felt was despair. She had helped create a world of fighting, instability and shame. How could she bring a baby into all this? Surely she couldn’t keep this baby.

She confided in her new friends from church, who spoke gently about the sacred value of the life growing within her. They prayed. They wept with her. And by the grace of God, S decided to keep the baby.

Several months later, a healthy, bright-eyed baby boy was born. Today, he is an active toddler, always smiling, a living testimony that God can redeem any situation.

Starting something new on a solid foundation

Earlier this year, S and V took the most significant step of their lives together — they were baptised. Standing in the water as a couple, publicly declaring their faith in Jesus Christ, they buried their old life and started something new.

Today, their home is completely different – it is a place of peace. Their neighbours can see it, and are curious about what could have caused such a transformation.

S, who once spent her days in bitterness and strife, now lives a life of peace and takes her Bible to work with her every day. In her work as a nanny, she shares the gospel – not just with words, but through living a changed life. New people have come to church because of her testimony. V has found stability in his work, selling toys to provide for his family. Their two elder children attend Deepak and Kareena’s after-school programme, where they receive an education and the love of a caring community. And little Ashish – that smiling, energetic boy who almost wasn’t born – is a daily reminder of what God can do when a family surrenders to him.

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Video transcript

Hello everyone and welcome to Hope from the Edges. I’m Andy Roberts, CEO for CMS.

In the next few minutes, we’ll bring you inspiring updates from three different edges of our world, stories of resilience, transformation and hope that your gifts and prayers are making directly possible.

First, we go to the Democratic Republic of Congo, where local church leaders are stepping onto the front lines of a critical health crisis. Then we cross the ocean to Brazil. For a mission story that happens to be very close to my heart. And finally, we’ll return to the UK to celebrate a remarkable story of community resilience and a grand reopening in Carlisle.

We begin today with a sobering situation unfolding in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

The country is currently facing its 17th Ebola outbreak in 50 years, with over 1,000 suspected cases. And more than 200 tragic deaths already officially reported. The epicentre is in Ituri province, but confirmed cases have reached the major city of Goma and crossed borders into Uganda.

If you’ve kept up with CMS mission efforts in DRC, you’ll know this crisis is compounding severe humanitarian and political instability. Over 10 million people are currently living under the control of M23 rebel authorities. An ongoing conflict has forced the closure of local airports, severely restricting the flow of vital medical supplies and response teams. In these incredibly vulnerable, volatile spaces, the Church is proving to be a primary safety net and lifeline.

CMS mission partner Martin Gordon, the Bishop of Goma, reports that local churches are uniquely positioned to respond because they remain among the very few institutions truly trusted by the community. This local trust is a matter of life and death. Widespread public mistrust of health authorities has unfortunately fueled scepticism about the virus’s existence, even leading to two treatment centres being set on fire.

Drawing on their hard-worn experience, the Diocese of Goma is mobilising rapidly. They’ve already circulated vital pastoral guidance on tracking symptoms, introducing strict hygiene and sanitation standards. And managing medical referrals safely. Plans are also underway to equip local schools and churches with temperature screening equipment, launch awareness conferences for clergy and teachers, and partner with local journalists to actively combat misinformation. Because this involves a rare strain of Ebola, for which there’s currently no approved vaccine or cure, containment through community education is our most critical line of defence.

Bishop Martin is calling for urgent prayer for protection over health workers and wisdom for church leaders. To learn more and to stand with them, please visit our website.

Now let’s travel to Brazil for a story close to my heart about how the posture of mission is changing and the beautiful fruit of local leadership.

Many years ago my wife Rose, who is from Brazil, and I felt a call on our hearts to help protect vulnerable girls from exploitation. We founded Revive International. Now, when I had first arrived in Brazil as an 18-year-old gap year volunteer, a young local woman named Elise became my translator. She also joined our dining room table prayer meetings and eventually became Revive’s very first paid employee.

When the time came for Rose and I to move to the UK after 15 years, we faced a choice. Rather than bringing in another foreign leader. We chose to step back and entrust Revive entirely into the hands of Elise and the local Brazilian team. We wanted to intentionally dismantle the mindset that subtly implies that leadership must come from the outside. And when we told them, they burst into tears. Under Elise’s leadership, Revive has thrived. The team have listened to where the Holy Spirit has been moving, bravely transitioning the work away from large residential institutions or safe houses, toward pioneering a growing fostering service. It is a living testament to Psalm 68, which reminds us that God sets the lonely in families.

The same shift towards collaborative, locally rooted mission is beautifully reflected in story of CMS mission partners Stu and Rosie Bayford. During the seven years serving alongside Revive, they partnered with a local church to pioneer a community market in an underserved neighbourhood. Rejecting a dependency-heavy handout model, they built a system where local families could buy food at deeply reduced rates, preserving agency and dignity. The market grew into a thriving community hub, a space for shared prayer, parenting workshops and other seminars. Through these relationships, three local sisters came to faith and were recently baptised.

And just like Rose and I did years ago, as Stu and Rosie now return to the UK, they have handed full ownership of this market over to a dedicated team from the local church.

This is mission at its best, where all parties are listened to, working in genuine partnership, building up each other’s gifts, and stepping away so local leaders can flourish.

Finally, let’s return to the UK to see this exact same pattern of local empowerment and resilience at work. In Cumbria, the Carlisle Community Shed, a project involving CMS mission partner Gary Ion, has been a vital lifeline, connecting with people on the margins who are navigating loneliness or mental health challenges. Through practical, hands-on workshops, the shed provided a safe space for people to find community and purpose. And to explore faith in Jesus too.

However, in October 2025, the project hit a major financial roadblock and was forced to close its doors. The tools were packed away, the contents were moved into a storage unit, and the doors were locked. But the story didn’t end there. What followed was an incredible outpouring from the local community, refusing to let the space of hope disappear.

A powerful local outcry sparked a special fundraising campaign. Thanks to that local determination and prayer, the Shed recently celebrated a grand reopening. Gary shares that the new location is even better than before, featuring a spacious workshop, a dedicated social area with sofas and an indoor game space.

Thank you so much for joining me for these updates from the Edges. And for the prayerful and financial support that makes these breakthroughs possible.

Please consider sharing this video with your church, small group, or anyone who needs a reminder of how God is moving in our world today. Until next time, we are so deeply grateful for your partnership as together we follow Jesus.

With Jesus
With each other
To the edges

ENDS

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Video transcript

Hello and welcome to Hope from the Edges. I’m Andy Roberts, CEO of CMS.

In the next few minutes, we’ll bring you inspiring news from three edges in our world – stories that you are making possible through your gifts and prayers.

First, we’ll go to Honduras and hear about a young woman who went from street life to full life. From there we’ll go to South Sudan where a former cattle rustler was steered towards a better path. Finally, we’ll turn the spotlight on a mission partner who has spent two decades in challenging work that has taken her across the globe.

But before we begin, I want to take some time to acknowledge an anniversary none of us would have wanted to commemorate.

By the time you receive this video, we will have crossed the four-year mark since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and I want to take a moment to ask for your prayers for our mission partner Alison Giblett, who has remained in Ukraine this whole time, faithfully sharing the light of Jesus – despite missile attacks, freezing winters and growing despair.

This is most definitely mission at the edges. Let’s go to God together and keep praying for peace to prevail.

And now, let’s hop over to Honduras for a story of hope nine years in the making.

The country of Honduras faces huge challenges including rampant gang warfare, poverty and corruption.

Many children in Honduras suffer from abuse or neglect and are drawn to life on the streets, which can be both cruel and dangerous.

In 2017, a young girl named Johanni was one of these at-risk children.

She recalls, “When I was eight years old, I spent most of my time out in the street. My parents didn’t send me to school. No one was looking out for me except myself.”

Johanni spent much of her time hanging out with other kids at a local park. She could see no real future for herself.

One day, she met some adults who were different – kind and interested. They listened to her struggles and told her Jesus loved her.

Over time, these people, CMS mission partners Lindsey and Steve Poulson, helped Johanni and 14 other children register for school. This was the beginning of a new life chapter for Johanni as well as the start of what would become a life-changing project for many children.

This group of 15 children were the beginning of Proyecto Alas, a programme that supports at-risk children to continue in education and make good choices for the future. A key part of this programme is that each child is assigned a mentor.

Johanni says, “My mentor listens to me, encourages me and helps me make positive decisions.”

Now 16 years old, Johanni is an aspiring nail artist. She says, “Most girls my age don’t make it to high school so I’m really proud of my achievement and growth.”

The Poulsons are grateful to have walked alongside Johanni these nine years and to have seen her and others reach their God-given potential.

We now journey to South Sudan.

In South Sudan livestock is highly prized. So, cattle raiding is big business.

In recent years, raids have become more intense, more violent and take place on a much larger scale. It’s a crime with a huge cost.

Makol was a cattle raider from Warrap State, South Sudan. He knew that stealing cattle was wrong and that people were getting hurt, but he was making too much money to stop. He also knew if he was caught, he could be executed.

One day Makol was caught in the act, arrested and put in a police car. He knew his fate was sealed.

What Makol didn’t know was this: that night a peace rally was scheduled to take place, led by Archbishop Moses Deng. Drawing on training he’d received from our colleagues in CMS-Africa, the Archbishop spoke to the community on the theme of love and forgiveness.

The governor of Warrap State, General Aleu Ayieny, attended this rally. Having heard about Makol’s crimes, he had planned for him to be publicly executed at the end of the peace rally.

Evening came and Makol found himself sitting in the back of the governor’s car, waiting for his punishment, while General Ayieny listened to Archbishop Moses’ message nearby.

When he had finished, the governor stood up and addressed him:

“Your Grace Moses, I have a living dead young man in the back of my car. I have brought him here to kill him in front of these crowds and multitudes by firing squad. We have spoken a lot against this practice of cattle raiding and today we could have been making an example out of this man…but because you have spoken of forgiveness and reconciliation command I have forgiven him.”

The governor went back to his car and instructed Makol to follow him. Makol followed slowly, walking to his death.

But standing there in front of his community, hanging his head, he heard the words, “You are forgiven.”

Makol was overwhelmed at this mercy and grace. It wasn’t long before he received Jesus and was baptised.

Four years later, his cattle raiding days are behind him. He and his family belong to a local church and Makol provides for his family by working as a prison warden.

Join us in giving thanks for this life that was changed and continue to pray for all CMS people in mission involved in making disciples in areas facing violent conflict.

Last but absolutely not least we want to congratulate a CMS mission partner who is marking 20 years since she first began responding to a huge call God placed on her life.

In 2005, while lamenting the suffering of millions of girls and women impacted by the practice of female genital mutilation (or FGM),

Ann-Marie Wilson asked God: “Who will help girls like this?” 

To her amazement, the answer came back as an audible voice: “You will.”

Two decades later, Ann-Marie is still answering that call. Through her international organisation, 28 Too Many, which merged with Orchid Project in 2022, she has gathered the stories of thousands of FGM survivors and built a global movement dedicated to ending FGM worldwide.

Ann-Marie and the Orchid Project team haven’t just changed individual lives; they’ve shifted global policy and fostered grassroots change across continents.

You can discover the remarkable story of Ann-Marie’s 20 years in this vital work by going to the Stories section of the CMS website.

Ann-Marie’s journey is a powerful testament to how a single person can spark profound global change.

And it all began with a simple, radical act of daring to ask, Who will help?

Thank you for joining me for these stories from the edges and for your prayerful support, which makes them possible.

Please share this video with your church, small group or anyone you think could use some fuel for their faith.

Until next time, we are so grateful for your gifts and prayers as together we go:

With Jesus
With each other
To the edges

ENDS

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The post Hope from the edges March 2026 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.

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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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Elinaja’s life was changed forever when his motorbike was hit by a bus one day, causing him to lose his right leg. He couldn’t walk and he couldn’t work to support his wife and children. But now, he is working to support his family once again as part of a purposeful, friendly community.

Elinaja was an able-bodied man in his early 30s with a job, a wife and four children. One day as he was returning from work, his motorbike was hit by a bus as it veered off the road. His right leg was severely injured. After six painful weeks without improvement, the doctors advised amputation.

The months that followed were some of the hardest of Elinaja’s life. Unable to work, he stayed at home, struggling to move and to support his family. He helped care for their youngest daughter, but as time passed, his hope faded. With no income and no way to afford the £900 needed for a prosthetic leg, despair crept in.

Three years passed before Elinaja found a sponsor who helped him get a prosthesis fitted at the Usa River Rehabilitation Centre. He had already been in contact with SAFI (See Ability First International) Tanzania in search of training opportunities. SAFI, led by mission partners Ben and Katy Ray, offers people with disabilities from across East Africa the opportunity to gain new skills to earn a living.

On the day Elinaja received his new leg, he visited the SAFI office to show how he could now stand and walk with a single stick instead of heavy crutches. At the time, SAFI was looking for a new trainee to join the Sawawa group (one of 12 micro-enterprises that SAFI is setting up over the coming 18 months). Sawawa produces handcrafted wooden homewares.

A week later, Elinaja returned to begin his training with Doris, a skilled deaf carpenter, who had trained with SAFI just six months previously. He initially trained on the large standing lathe and seemed to have a natural talent for woodturning. Unfortunately, standing all day on his prosthetic leg was painful for Elinaja, and so he waited at home until a suitable solution could be found.

SAFI reached out to Tools For Solidarity, an organisation that supplies refurbished tools. By chance, they had just received a compact table-top lathe – ideal for Elinaja. He was soon called in and measured up for the new lathe so it could be set to the perfect height. Two months into his training, Elinaja is now producing his own range of wooden items – bowls, pots, honey dippers and light fittings.

Elinaja is so pleased to be part of a purposeful, friendly community at the centre and to have found work that not only supports him and his family, but also gives him a great deal of satisfaction as he uses a newly discovered talent. Please pray for Elinaja and the carpentry team as we look to raise funds to build a more spacious workshop further from the cafe.

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