‘It has been a source of spiritual growth. Whenever we are there we feel at home.' An EMF missionary on their partnership with a UK church.

‘We are thankful for an opportunity to be involved in seeing a reformed church planted and established and reaching a region elsewhere in Europe.’ A UK church on their partnership with an EMF missionary.

We are thankful for everyone who supports the work of EMF in any way but we are especially excited about Church Partnerships! A Partnership is a meaningful two-way relationship between a UK church and one of our missionaries (and their church).

Even the Apostle Paul felt the value of having partner churches. In Philippians 1:4-5 he says: ‘I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now’. The language the Apostle uses here tells us that, because of their financial giving and all-round care for his well-being, Paul viewed the church in Philippi as co-labourers who shared in his mission.

You may not be able to go and serve God in Europe. Your church may not be able to send someone to any of its countries. But through a partnership you and your church can play a genuine part in God’s work there!

Through a Partnership you will have the opportunity to pray in an informed way, to express care, to welcome your mission partner to your church, to visit their church (perhaps to contribute to some aspect of their work) and to give towards their financial support. As expressed above, this will be a great encouragement to them.

And the benefit will be yours too! The Bible says there is great blessing in giving, but there is great opportunity to receive too – for example, learning about how to present the gospel to different cultures and religious groups, or how to live as Christians and churches when you are a tiny minority that is viewed with suspicion. In my experience it does us so much good to lift our eyes beyond our own immediate situation and see what God is doing throughout the world.

Currently we are receiving regular applications to join EMF, and we are actively taking on new missionaries. The spiritual need is great in Europe– at only 2.5% evangelical, it is the least Christian continent on earth. But God is raising up a new generation of gospel workers – young men and their wives, who are passionate about Biblical preaching, evangelistic outreach, church planting and theological training.

We would love to see these people, and UK churches, benefiting from being in partnership relationships. We want to take on more and more godly and gifted workers, but to do that we need the support of churches through partnerships.

Church leader, would you give serious consideration to a partnership? Church member, would you ask your church leaders to think about it? One of our team would be delighted to visit your church, or to explore this further through a conversation, so please do get in touch!

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