‘My prayer is that God will lead, bless and make fruitful all aspects of this partnership. I pray that lives will be changed, souls will be saved, and Christ be highly exalted.’
– Excerpt from ‘Gordon’s Story’ (2023 Impact Report)
Gordon Weir, Pastor of Granton Baptist Church, reflecting on partnership with Edinburgh City Mission
There are estimated to be around 526,470 people living in this city. How many of them do you think know Jesus as their Saviour?
In March 2024, two reports were released, the Department for Work and Pensions HBAI report and the Poverty and the Scottish Government’s Income Inequality in Scotland 2020-23. They made for sober reading. For example, they revealed that around 24% of children are living in relative poverty in Scotland. In Edinburgh, 22% of households live on incomes below the poverty threshold.
Edinburgh City Mission exists to stimulate and strengthen the Church in its mission to share the Gospel with those facing extreme hardship in Edinburgh. We see the great spiritual and practical needs of our city, and we are at work in these spaces. We do this by serving our city in partnership with churches and volunteers across the city and the surrounding area. We provide structural and practical support to Churches that want to reach those experiencing isolation, deprivation and exclusion. For example, we help churches that may want to start up English classes or a Foodbank but lack the funds or the knowledge to do that on their own; we offer upskilling in areas such as cross-cultural outreach or even how to use our referral systems! Together we run seven Foodbank+ venues, Salaam refugee and asylum seeker support, Nations ethnic minority church support, a Clothesbank+, the Care Van (in partnership with Bethany Christian Trust), Two’s Company befriending (in partnership with Linking Lives), and a Soul Food meal for those experiencing homelessness.
Below is a link to Edinburgh City Mission’s Impact report for 2023. This is our first Impact Report, and we are very excited to share it with you. It is just a snapshot of the incredibly hard work our volunteers, staff and churches have put in this year and the impact this has had on our city. By sharing a combination of research and personal stories, this report paints a picture of how people have shared Jesus in word and deed with some of those facing the biggest challenges in life. https://edinburghcitymission.org.uk/about/impact-report/
To request a physical copy of the report please contact comms@edinburghcitymission.org.uk
Amazingly, we gave out the equivalent of over £328,169 worth of dry food across our Foodbank+ network; our Care Van volunteers distributed over 8,500 meals to those struggling with homelessness; and we expanded our befriending services, toy delivery service, Nations project, and asylum seeking and refugee work. Our Mission Strengtheners have walked alongside new and old faces, some of whom have come to know Jesus, we’ve partnered with new churches and launched new projects… if you want to know more, you’ll need to read the report!
The hardships many in this city are facing are overwhelmingly complex. So, it might be tempting to think that just one hot meal, one conversation or one donation is a drop in the ocean. But for that person those moments are lifelines, glimpses of light in a very dark place. Reminders that they are seen and loved in the midst of such struggles.
Thank you for the part you have played in this mission, to see God glorified, the Gospel shared, and lives restored amongst those we support here in Edinburgh.
Please let me know if you would like to find out more about what we do or how to partner with us in Mission.
God bless,
Duncan Cuthill – CEO