Dear mission partners,

               Rishi Sunak became the UK’s new prime minister last month. He is the UK’s first British Asian and Hindu prime minister. The UK is no longer the old imperial empire but has become the greatest melting pot in the world, with many ethnic groups living together. People of different ethnicities often have their own lifestyles, cultures, and religious practices. As Chinese immigrants in the UK, we also bring our own culture into this melting pot. I believe most of us are trying to explore and search for ways to live in harmony with one another, to develop our communities, cities, and countries towards a better future. But it is never easy to seek common ground while reserving differences. 

               Our COCM family is no exception. We were called by God from all over the world to serve together in the mission field of the UK and Europe. Some of our missionaries are from Hong Kong, Taiwan, mainland China, Singapore, and Malaysia; some have relocated to the UK from North America, and some were born and raised in the UK. When we have meals together at the mission center, we hear people alternating between two or three languages in the same conversations, sometimes mixing up different accents and dialects in heartfelt sharing. But when people from different backgrounds are put in a team, it can be a big challenge to have mutual understanding and appreciation at a deeper level.

                              Give thanks to God that we are bound together by the love of Christ! Regardless of our nationality and background, we share the same identity in Christ as God’s children. “For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus. And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have put on Christ, like putting on new clothes. There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus.” (Galatians 3:26-28)  

                              Today’s Britain has become a front line for cross-cultural mission. We give thanks for our first IMPACT cross-cultural mission day event at the COCM mission center in October. More than 40 brothers and sisters came to take part in various activities designed to help them to understand the need for cross-cultural mission and ways to get involved. Please continue to pray for our cross-cultural mission team members to have divine wisdom as they plan and develop more cross-cultural ministry events.

Serving together in Christ 
在主裏與你們同工的
General Director Rev. Henry Lu