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Frequently Asked Questions
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Here are some answers to questions
which are often asked about LCM and
the work which it does.
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Does LCM only work with the homeless?
No! LCM has a wide range of ministries in addition to caring for the homeless. These include Schools Workers, Workplace Chaplains (Police, Railways, Ambulances, Buses, etc), Church-attached Missionaries, and Missionaries to ethnic communities. The 29 Centres staff run clubs for all ages in their local communities. At our Webber Street Centre, approximately 100 homeless people are given a free breakfast each weekday. Clothing, showers and medical consultation are also available. LCM has Missionaries who tour the West End, meeting and helping the young homeless on the streets.
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Does LCM work elsewhere in Britain or the rest of the world?
Perhaps confusing us with the old 'London Missionary Society', people sometimes ask if we will send evangelists to other cities and countries. The answer is, No! LCM was set up to go to the people of London - and that is still a vast and vital task. Our vision, and charitable trust deeds, do not allow us to work elsewhere - although we do have contact and spiritual fellowship with many other evangelical organisations which do work in other parts of the world.
London has a resident population of some 7 million, 90% of whom do not normally attend any church - so there is more than enough work to be done in this city.
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Is there still a need for City Missions today?
It's true that many things have changed since those early-Victorian days of the City Mission pioneers. In London, children are no longer sent to sweep chimneys, and people don't starve to death in a harsh winter. But children as young as 12 work as prostitutes on London's streets. Drug problems bring untold squalor and misery to countless homes. If City Missionaries were needed then - to proclaim a message of real hope, assuring people that Jesus Christ can change lives - they are still needed today.With the vast increase in London's immigrant population (nearly a third of the capital's inhabitants are from other countries, many of them Muslim or Hindu), there is more need than ever for men and women who will go to the homes and workplaces of the city to tell them about Jesus Christ.
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What role do LCM's women missionaries have?
While women have been involved with most of the LCM's ministries right from the beginning, it is only in recent years that women have been appointed as evangelists alongside their male colleagues. City Missionaries are not 'church ministers', so the theological issues which often produce disagreements among Christians over women's ordination do not arise. LCM's women workers play a full role in all aspects of the Mission's evangelism. There are some areas where women are able to exercise a different ministry from men. These include: ministering to single mothers and their children; working with prostitutes; speaking to Asian women from a Muslim or Hindu background.
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What are the biggest problems LCM's missionaries face?
Probably the most common response is indifference. People say that they see no relevance in religion. Some are negative about 'the Church' and about the 'hypocrisy' of Christians. The Missionary has to circumvent such attitudes and get people asking questions.Another major problem is sheer ignorance. Many people (not just Muslims and Hindus) are totally unaware of the Bible's stories and teachings. New Age teachings and cranky ideas often attract people's interest in a way that the teachings of historic Christianity do not. The answer is a patient, relevant teaching of Biblical truth to all ages.
Drug abuse is a major factor in many social problems. Families and neighbours of abusers are affected by their constant need for money.
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How do you go about witnessing to people?
LCM's main approach is direct and personal. Missionaries know the people of their 'district'. It may be a geographical area near a Christian Centre or a Church - or a series of workplaces. They introduce themselves and learn the names of people they meet. By a polite and genuine interest, contact is developed and opportunities arise to talk of spiritual realities. Patience, good listening and a genuine compassion for people are essential.
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Isn't door-to-door visiting out of date and ineffective?
It is not easy, especially with all the modern security devices! But it remains about the only way of systematically making contact with the entire population of an area. It involves:
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