Responding to a changing world

In this blog post, National Director Chris Binder reflects on Interserve’s strategy to respond to a changing world for the next season:

“We have been reflecting recently at Interserve on the world that we find ourselves in, on our own journey as a Fellowship, and on what we sense God is doing in these times. Several areas have emerged that we believe we need to pay particular attention to for the next season. They arise out of a number of new realities, including:

• The majority of the Church worldwide is made up of people from the Global South. Many of the fastest growing church streams in Great Britain and Ireland are made up of many people who have migrated to the UK.
• The world is changing rapidly – opportunities for ministry come and go quickly.
• Mission led by those from more relational cultures is shifting the emphasis from “doing” to “being” – highlighting the importance of a community approach as well as individual calling.

At Interserve GBI, a prayerful review process involving trustees, staff and Partners in 2021 has led us to adopt three strategic intents for the coming years:

Growing Diversity

Interserve is called to serve the Church as she seeks to make Jesus known among the peoples of Asia and the Arab World. As the Church in Great Britain and Ireland becomes more ethnically diverse, we should see that diversity reflected in who we are and in the local church congregations that we relate to.

In particular, given our focus, we want to see more people from an Asian and Arab World heritage fully engaged within the Interserve community.

Growing Responsiveness

Ultimately, we need to go where God leads us. We trust that He guides us through our planning processes, but we also recognise the need to hold our plans lightly. Sudden changes in visa regimes in countries where we serve and the opportunities and needs that quickly rise as migration flows change all challenge us to find ways to respond with more agility.  

Growing Community

In many ways, growing community is a foundation that enables the other two strategic intents to happen. In an unstable and rapidly changing world, support for one another is vital. So too is the ability to draw others in.

St John’s House, our home in Birmingham, is giving us the opportunity to learn what an international missional community can look like in the multi-cultural heart of one of our major UK cities.

These strategic intents require us to make some significant changes to our traditional ways of working. For example, we are welcoming more people to come and work in Great Britain and Ireland (GBI) from overseas. At the same time, we want to take every opportunity to continue sending people overseas from Great Britain and Ireland and provide them with good member care. God is at work here and around the world. Will you join with us as we seek to follow his leading?”

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