On Sunday 28th January we focused on God’s work around the world, learned more about our St Mary’s mission partners and thought about our own roles in cross-cultural mission at home and abroad. Our speaker at the 9.15am, 11am, 4pm and 6.30pm services was Dudley Pate, the European Director of Africa Inland Mission (AIM), who preached on Matthew 28: 16-20 and Matthew 24: 1-4.
For the first time since the Covid lockdowns, the Mission Partner Support Group (which comprises the St Mary’s mission links for our mission partners) organised a lunch for this event. People from all the congregations shared a hearty lunch of soup, bread and cheese, fruit and cookies. During the lunch each table learned about a different mission partner and their ministry, from either the partner themselves or from their St Mary’s mission link – some tables played games or did quizzes. We were given cards and stickers so that we could write encouraging messages to the mission partners. 
Photos were taken of each table, and after the event these were stuck onto the cards and were sent to the mission partners. Halfway through the lunch, the mission partners and mission links swapped tables, so that everyone heard about two partners and the cards and photos were repeated. For the final ten minutes of the meal, Jon Drake interviewed our mission partner Jo Clifford by Zoom from Germany. Do join us next year!
If you would like information on short term mission opportunities, do speak to a member of the staff team, and contact Jo Jobson if you wish to receive a specific St Mary’s mission partner’s prayer letters.