From Christian Today. (Image: Pixabay)
Churches are being encouraged to embrace cross-cultural mission on their own doorstep by building relationships with people of different backgrounds and generations who may have little or no contact with Christianity.
Experienced practitioners in overseas and UK community-based mission shared their advice for effective engagement during a panel discussion at the Church Resources Exhibition 2026.
Mike Frith, founding director of the Christian resources website OSCAR, said: “The UK itself is a mission field.”
He explained, “Large swathes of the British community have never grown up in Sunday school. They’ve maybe been to the odd wedding or funeral [but they have] no contact at all with the Church.”
Alongside reaching British people unfamiliar with Christianity, Frith said Christians need to be ready to reach out to people from cultures that are “very different from yours”.
He encouraged Christians to consider the opportunities to engage with refugees and asylum seekers, as well as neighbours of other faiths within their own communities.
“Aside from the politics, as Christians we do have a duty to share love with anybody and anyone, no matter who they are,” he said.
He acknowledged that cross-cultural engagement could feel daunting but pointed to organisations already working in this field within the UK, including OM in London and Birmingham, and Neighbours Worldwide.
He shared how mission experience gained overseas is already being put to good use in serving communities in the UK, with OMF – originally the China Inland Mission – working successfully with recent arrivals to the UK from Hong Kong.