Kerstin Bowsher joins Union Mission as Network Developer
Kerstin Bowsher, Union Mission’s new Network Developer, explains the vision for church planting and training new leaders, and what she’s looking forward to in her new role.
I’m new to Union and to the role of Union Mission Network Developer. My family has recently arrived in South Wales as my husband, Clive, has taken on the job of Provost at Union.
I previously worked in education and research, and have been involved in various Christian ministries, more recently alongside Clive in local church leadership. I’m convinced that vibrant local churches are the spearhead of God’s purposes for saving people – the church is the hope of the world. I’m equally convinced that growing healthy churches can be challenging. Gospel partnership is an urgent need in the face of cultures constantly pushing back against us.
As I find my feet here, at Union I have discovered a warm and welcoming community with a big-hearted vision for serving and growing Christ’s church. The Lord has stirred my interest, and I’m thrilled to get stuck into working on the Union Mission team. I am looking forward to strengthening the growing network of planters, churches, prayer partners and supporters, and seeing the Kingdom advance.
The Union Mission office at Union’s Wales Campus is a small hub of activity that punches well above its weight. It is part of Union’s ‘missional ecosystem.’ On the ground this means students being equipped to serve the church well through theological training, either on campus or in the growing number of Learning Communities in the UK, Europe, Asia and the USA. Thanks to the flexibility of the learning pathways, many of these students combine their studies with active church ministry.
In the student common room one afternoon, I met a BA Flex student employed as a women’s worker with the 20schemes project in Scotland (‘schemes’ are housing estates) – one of Union Mission’s partners. Often these areas are home to people with complex needs, living in the context of high levels of deprivation and crime. There is a great need for churches in these communities which faithfully hold out the hope of Jesus in the long term.
Some students already serve in church-planting contexts; some are yet to be called. As they graduate, students can access funding for church planting projects.
In the coming days, Union Mission will be inviting European donors to invest in 6 church-planting projects, unlocking significant matched funds from a major international supporter. These churches are in diverse settings in the UK and Europe: from deprived urban communities in Yorkshire and Glasgow to neighbourhoods in the shadow of the Vatican and St Peter’s Square in Rome; reaching ethnically diverse communities in places like Cardiff Bay and Tirana’s Old Town in Albania.
The projects all recognise the urgent need for Christ-worshipping local churches that can share the gospel with the largely unreached communities around them. The majority are led by current Union students or graduates.
Important though financial support is, there is more to Union Mission. Our desire is for churches to tap into a wrap-around support system that includes intentional fellowship, an international network of prayer support, and resources to continue learning as well as equipping others in the planted churches.
A number of Union’s learning communities (where students access courses in a local community setting with a dedicated mentor) are also church planting hubs. The vision to plant, equip, and plant again is already a reality in places like South Wales, Rome, Macedonia and Tulsa, USA. It’s a vision that is catching, with many new hubs identifying and training new leaders.
Other places where I see this partnership flourishing include the 1000+ South Korean brothers and sisters who regularly pray for churches planted in the UK and Europe with support from Union Mission; and the speed with which financial and relational support was extended to churches in Ukraine, Poland and Slovakia as the Russian invasion unfolded.
Reading about some of the 140 church planting projects that have been supported in 28 different countries since 2017 inspires me. Hearing about the vision and generosity of donors who have given the £1.12 million that Union Mission has distributed to date excites me.
What about you?
You may be a current student, sensing God’s call to get involved in church planting
You may have a vision for a new Learning Community and church-planting hub
You may already be involved in church planting, but feeling in need of encouragement and resources
You may be challenged to become a partner through prayer and sharing financial resources
Get in touch and let’s talk about how you can connect with Union Mission.