World Mission Team

GO . . . . INTO ALL THE WORLD  . . .THE WORK OF LIBERTON KIRK’S WORLD MISSION TEAM

 

OUR CALLING—is to spread God’s word throughout the world, whether that is just outside our door or across the globe. Here are the words of Jesus to his followers:  “Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And surely, I will be with you always, to the very end of the age.” (in the Bible in Matthew’s Gospel Chapter 28, verses 19-20)

OUR AIM—is to increase awareness of God’s world. We try to play our part in Liberton Kirk’s overall aim “to draw closer to God and each other so that, through us, He can make known, to ALL people, the joys and challenges of following Jesus.”

WHO ARE WE?  The World Mission Team is made up of church people with a particular interest in how God is working around the world. They seek to raise awareness of this as widely as possible. The Team is led by Roslyn Wilson, and individuals have particular responsibility for events and activities throughout the year.
The Team is always on the lookout for new members who would enjoy contributing to this key activity of the Kirk’s ministry.

World Mission Partnerships

WALDENSIANS + MEDITERRANEAN HOPE IN ITALY
We have a long-standing connection with the small Protestant Church in Italy founded by the Waldensian community through visits in both directions and regular updates. One of their very practical ministries is Mediterranean Hope, helping to settle incoming migrants arriving in Italy through the support of humanitarian corridors, provision of small-scale accommodation and language training.    We have a live link with Fiona Kendall, a Scottish lawyer sent by the Church of Scotland working in the agency’s Rome office.     In 2021 the Waldensians, in conjunction with other faith-based agencies, agreed a new protocol with the Italian Government granting another 1,000 refugees (currently in Lebanon) entry to Italy through humanitarian corridors.

REFUGEES IN EDINBURGH

A couple of years ago, Liberton delivered a Family Day for a group of Syrian refugees now living in Edinburgh, meeting in the Kirk Centre and taking them on an outing. This was under the auspices of Scottish Faiths Action for Refugees (SFAR).

Hampers are delivered to some refugee families at Christmas, and the church has been involved in running a 10 week pilot conversation café with support from Edinburgh City Mission, to help refugees in SE Edinburgh develop their English.

Again in conjunction with Edinburgh City Mission, we recently  welcomed a group of Ukrainian refugee families to the Kirk Centre and took them on an outing to Dalkeith Country Park.

 

KENYA

Personal relationships are often the best with Mission Partners. At Liberton Kirk, we have the active involvement of the Mturi family (Nelson and Fidelis), who both work in the NHS in Edinburgh. In normal years they return to their home village, Rutune, North of Nairobi in rural Kenya.

They have a burden for the physical and spiritual well-being of the community there. Through them, Liberton has channelled some of its annual Mission giving, which has been used for some very practical items: mosquito nets, medicine for the local pharmacy and grain.   Community life in Rutune can be quite fragile since crops are not only dependent on weather and climate change. In 2021, they lost some crops as a result of trampling elephants . . . not something we need worry about in SE Edinburgh!

WORLDWIDE

Christian Aid is a longterm partner.   On their website they state they are  on a journey—building a world free from poverty, and based on dignity, equality, justice and love.  Their strategy is based on three pillars:

  • Poverty—Reaching those most in need, in some of the hardest to reach places around the world.
  • Power—Challenging the systemic and structural causes of poverty by holding those in power to account.
  • Prophetic Voice—Speaking truth to power.

We support them in special campaigns, but particularly during the annual Christian Aid Week in May, when we deliver envelopes door to door and publicise the collection widely, including through a “Big Brekkie” event.

We support the Church of Scotland’s HIV Programme through the annual Souper Sunday.

We encourage Fair  Trade  both generally within the church and specifically with a Christmas Tearfund Just Gifts stall available for Christmas shopping.

We are also keen to raise awareness of Eco matters, since the world’s poor are the most vulnerable to climate change, which is already causing extremes of weather bringing drought and then famine, or floods.

We also support the Scottish Bible Society, which works around the world providing scriptures to people in their own languages, so that they are able to read the Good News of Jesus for themselves.

 

WATCH OUT FOR OUR FUNDRAISING EVENTS AND HELP US TO SUPPORT THESE GOOD CAUSES!