When many of us as Christians hear the word mission, the first thought is of distant places, of Christ's words to reach “the ends of the earth.” And rightly so. God’s mission is to reconcile to Himself people from all nations through Christ. But God’s heart is not just for faraway lands. The mission also includes our friends, neighbours and the communities right on our doorstep, in a country where for the first time since records began, less than half of the country identifies as a Christian.
This statistic might discourage us, but we are also seeing positive signs of renewed interest, particularly amongst Gen Z, with church attendance quadrupling from 4% to 16%. There is a growing cultural moment of openness and curiosity with the spiritual realm, and Christianity in particular.
The mission field for our time
Mission today is no longer about inviting people into a broadly Christian culture; it is about reaching out in an increasingly polarised society marked by little biblical illiteracy, deep scepticism and competing ‘truths’. Despite this shifting ground, we are called to remain faithful to Christ, inviting others along on the journey to discover Him for themselves through the living Word of God.
Five challenges to our local mission field
So what are the cultural challenges for evangelism in the UK today? I would suggest five that are especially pressing:
1. Individualism
Our culture prizes autonomy and personal choice above all. Faith can be seen as a private matter, best kept to yourself. Yet the Bible presents a radically different vision: life in community, under the loving authority of God, with a call to share the salvation we have received: holding out the words of life to the people God has placed around us.
2. Mistrust of institutions and authority
Scandals across political, financial and even religious institutions, including the Church, have led to widespread cynicism. For many, the Church is assumed to be part of the problem. Building trust through genuine relationships is therefore not optional, it is often essential groundwork for sharing the gospel.
3. Loneliness
Despite digital connectedness, the UK is experiencing an epidemic of loneliness, with one in four adults reporting to be chronically lonely. People long for deep, real community, yet often struggle to find it where AI and algorithms fight for our attention. This presents both a challenge and an open door for Christian witness, in a whole new landscape.
4. Busyness
The relentless pace of modern life can leave little space for reflection, let alone spiritual exploration. Evangelism cannot assume people will simply ‘make time’, or attend Church at Christmas and Easter because it’s the ‘traditional thing to do’. We must find ways to meet them in the midst of their often very busy lives.
5. Scepticism towards faith
From Richard Dawkins to Ricky Gervais, public discourse often portrays Christianity as outdated, irrelevant, or even harmful. Whilst the media is increasingly portraying stories of celebrities and everyday Christians who have found life and hope in their faith, there is still some way to go until this imbalance is redressed. Encountering scepticism could tempt us to lose confidence, but it should also challenge us to go back to the Bible, to discover what it has to say about life’s big questions and to share that with others.
A practical way forward
How do we engage missionally in this context? At The Word One to One, we believe the best way is to let God speak for Himself. In a time of constant change, the Bible, and the Jesus that we meet as we turn its pages, stays the same. The Word One to One provides a simple, relational resource for opening John’s Gospel with friends, colleagues, and neighbours, without assuming prior knowledge or requiring theological expertise. It is a tool designed precisely for this cultural moment.
Where is God calling you to be on mission?
A focus on world mission reminds us of God’s heart for the nations. But let us not forget that the UK is part of that mission field. We have a great legacy of Christian faith in the UK, from churches that have been here since the Norman Conquest, to the impact local churches have in every community throughout the country. The cultural challenges we face here are real, but so are the opportunities. Mission is not only overseas, nor is it only for specialists. It is for all of us, in our ordinary contexts, with our friends and neighbours. And it can begin, quite simply, with opening the Bible together.
Simon Lennox is CEO of The Word One to One.
