Here at UFM we pray daily that God would send out workers into the harvest fields of the world. When you hear that, in places like Oman, there are likely more branches of Starbucks than there are national believers, we’re reminded of the huge, global, gospel need that remains. The harvest is still plentiful and the workers are still few.
It has been our great joy therefore to see God raise up many new workers from the UK in recent years and it continues to be our privilege to support UK churches as they send mission partners to make disciples of all nations.
Alongside this, we are also greatly encouraged to see how God is raising up mission workers from all over his global church. In 1970, just 12% of the world’s cross-cultural missionaries were sent from Asia, Africa and Latin America. Today, that figure stands at 47%. Mission sending that had been ‘from the West to the rest’ is being transformed as God raises up workers from all across his global church.
The opportunity to support these new mission sending movements in areas such as training, pastoral support and finance, without just replicating a Western mission structure, is as challenging as it is exciting!
Introducing the UFM Development Fund
We are investing staff, research and resources into this important area of modern-day mission and – as conversations open up for us with different church groups where we have historical relationships in parts of Asia, Latin America and Africa – we have launched a new Development Fund to help support new gospel initiatives.
We hope that over the next five years the fund will facilitate:
- Training, mentoring and encouragement for partner churches in the majority world who are considering sending their own mission partners for the first time
- In-person pastoral support for mission partners in Europe sent from partner churches in Brazil
- Bible college placements with long-term mission partners for mission candidates sent from parts of Africa, Asia and Latin America
- Orientation for majority world mission candidates moving across cultures for the first time
- The exploration of platforms that use the latest technology to facilitate majority world mission sending where resources are more scarce
Our aim in all of this is to encourage and equip national leaders as they develop their own sending structures, rather than to expand a Western model overseas.
We believe this kind of partnership will keep local churches in the driving seat of mission sending and be faithful to our aim of “supporting churches in making disciples of all nations”.
Getting involved
We’re praying that God might raise up some new one-off and regular givers for the Development Fund, who want to join us in supporting gospel progress around the world.
You can make a donation below.
Alternatively, you send a cheque, payable to UFM Worldwide, to our Swindon office, enclosing a note giving your name and address and stating that you would like your gift to be used for the Development Fund.
Thank you so much for your partnership in the gospel.
By designating you would like your gift to be used for the Development Fund, you are making a recommendation and specifying your preference for the use of your donation, but UFM Worldwide is a registered charity and has exclusive legal control over all contributions.
Read more about the growing opportunity to support the sending of mission workers in the articles below: