On the seventh day of Christmas, the Church in DR Congo gave to us... The Gift of Worship. A song, “O Nzambi “, performed by the Discovery Gospel Choir: Translation Oh Lord, I couldn’t hear no one pray! Oh, way down yonder by myself, I couldn’t hear nobody pray! In the valley, on my knees, With my burden I meet my Saviour; Chilly Waters in the Jordan, I have crossed to heaven. Alleluia! Troubles over, In the kingdom with my Jesus.

On the sixth day of Christmas, the Church in South Sudan gave to us... The gift of resilience through faith. Enforced lockdown after years of war, inflation and food insecurity was particularly painful for our partners in South Sudan. What a gift it was to receive this video with songs of hope from the young people in Olo Diocese:

On the fifth day of Christmas, the Church in Nepal gave to us... The gift of beautiful crafts. Our partners in Nepal use their skills and creativity to make lovely things. These are available through CMSI's Marketplace. Why not invite CMSI for an evening of stories of hope and a chance to purchase these beautiful crafts?

On the fourth day of Christmas, the Church in Egypt gave to us... The gift of a challenge to ‘do something’ about refugees. During June 2020’s International Refugee Week, the Diocese of Egypt’s refugee outreach programme, called Refuge Egypt, challenged the Church in Cairo: Today is World Refugee Day. Do something to show refugees everywhere that you care: make a friend; volunteer; teach someone English; donate money; pray. Let’s have the confidence that Refuge Egypt suggests

On the third day of Christmas, the Church in South Sudan gave to us... A gift of prayerful intercession The Diocese of Ibba, South Sudan, has a team of Evangelists who pray for the Covid pandemic as it impacts our world. Every Sunday they meet to intercede on behalf of us all. May God bless them mightily.

On the second day of Christmas, the Church in South Sudan gave to us... The gift of thoughtful inclusion. Gardino is elderly and blind, he lives in Ibba in South Sudan. Recent flooding has destroyed his farm, and his ability to provide for his extended family. When CMSI was able to support Ibba Diocese in emergency food distribution, Gardino’s family did not register. But one of the church team remembered them and thoughtfully included them on the list. Gardino said: “I thank

On the first day of Christmas, the Church in Burundi gave to us... The gift of shared joy. Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. Luke 2:10-11 Sunday school children dancing and singing in Gitega cathedral.

A very happy Christmas from the staff team at CMSI! Tonight, we move from the season of Advent into the feast of Christmas - a 12-day celebration of God's great gift of grace and truth. To mark this special time of thanksgiving, we want to share some gifts from the global Church. In CMSI, we believe that the Church in Ireland has as much to 'receive from' as it does to 'offer to' the global Church. True partnership is shown in interdependence and mutual sharing: when there is

In my recent hunt for inMission cover images, I re-discovered this painting. It hangs in the National Gallery in London, which is where I first encountered it. I’ve returned to the gallery a couple of times just to stand and look at this one painting. It may not be everyone’s cup of tea… but I love it! At first, the picture looks pretty bleak – not particularly colourful, not especially interesting. But, on closer inspection, the scene and the story start to reveal themselves

There are many ways to bring a smile to someone. My phone kept buzzing as WhatsApp photos arrived. First a carpenter’s workshop with some brand new tables, then the inside of a small shop piled high with school books, stationery and educational supplies, followed by a pickup struggling through the Kampala traffic piled high with furniture, solar panels and lots of boxes. A day full of bargaining, loading and the heat and dust of the capital city. Then a message from the sende

On 7th December, we received the following news from Eastern DR Congo:* “On Friday more people were killed … so far it’s 20 people including children and young people. Among the 20 people killed, four of our boys also have been killed, it so hard for us. Today we did not have a good church service because of those four young boys, who were singing so well in our Peace Centre. “Regina had her 8 sons macheted to death and her only daughter kidnapped by the rebels. We now suppor

On 1st December, CMSI launched its online carol service resource – Hope Dawns. Since then, additional material has been added to the selection. The videos are available to download for free via the CMSI website. CMSI was joined by SAMS Ireland to produce this service, which is offered as a resource for churches as they prepare and host their own carol services – both online and live. It is also available for individuals and families who are keen to enjoy a carol service at ho

CMSI recently published a new set of updates, featuring the latest news and prayer requests from the society’s Global Partners. These updates provide a snapshot of some of the ways in which the Church is responding to the Covid-19 crisis in parts of Africa and in Nepal. There’s also the latest news from Keith and Lyn Scott, who have just completed their term of service in Zambia and returned safely to Ireland over the weekend. You can read and download the Global Partner Upda