In January, a team from St Peter’s Baptist Church in Worcester travelled to the Greek island of Lesbos to serve with Reach Beyond.
They came alongside refugee women, offering food and clothing, foot massages, children’s activities, and even haircuts. They also listened to heartbreaking stories and were able to pray with women carrying deep pain.
We asked Vickie, the Minister in Training at St Peter’s, how this experience had touched and changed the church back home.
Vickie: It brought deeper understanding of what refugees go through and really made the church stop and think about how much loss they face. We had a WhatsApp group where we received updates and prayer requests from the team, and the church held them in prayer.
Q. Have you seen any changes in the church since the team returned?
Vickie: We already partner with a mission organisation in Malawi and are now developing a relationship with Reach Beyond. It really is helping to stir peoples’ hearts for mission.
Q. What has this experience taught your church about partnering with mission organisations like Reach Beyond?
Vickie: There is so much need in the world, and we know we cannot help everyone; however, we can partner with those who have the experience and knowledge and join in with what they’re already doing.
Q. What has been most encouraging about sending a team?
Vickie: To see others with no experience of mission engaged in serving. To see the growth in those who went on the trip. And to feel the church’s wider heart for mission deepen.
Q. What would you say to another church considering sending out a mission team?
Vickie: I would wholeheartedly recommend it! It will have such an incredible impact on their lives, on their church, and on the lives of those who they are sent out to serve.
Click here to explore how your church could partner with Reach Beyond.
