Hope for the Hebrides

The Outer Hebrides lie a three-hour ferry ride from Scotland’s western mainland. Huge skies crown these rugged islands, treeless landscapes buffeted by Atlantic winds and rain. Moors, peat bogs, rolling hills and mountains are fished and farmed by Gaelic-speaking peoples with Viking roots, and a culture steeped in Christianity, the scene of past revivals. So why did two congregations on Lewis, the largest island, seek OM’s help in sharing the gospel in their rural village of Carloway in summer 2024?

Outsiders have a big impact!

OM had brought an international team to three neighbouring Hebridean islands in 2023, to help churches with a week’s outreach. Revd Thomas Davis of Carloway Free Church had heard about the excitement this generated for those churches and communities. “It was so ‘different’ from normal life,” he says. “ Folk saw very diverse people coming here from round the world, all saying, ‘the best thing I ever did was put my faith in Jesus!’ It challenged long-standing stereotypes about ‘church’, made everyone sit up and take notice.”

Thomas and his Church of Scotland colleague have longed for such an impact. “Our community witnessed a powerful revival in the 1930s, with many awakened to their need of a Saviour”, Thomas says. “Sadly, it’s just a precious memory within the churches. Now, so many need to hear the gospel, whether island-born or incomers.” Habits are fairly set in stone — people either go to church, or they don’t. “This makes mission very challenging,” he explains, “especially in a tightly knit community of 500 where people know each other so well.”

Coming back to Lewis….

The Carloway request was coordinated by Lewis native Clare Macleod, one of the Short Term Missions leaders at OM UK’s Shropshire base, who left the island four years ago to join OM. “I did feel a bit nervous initially about leading a team to my own island and people,” admits Clare. “But really excited too about the opportunity for OM to join with the churches in Carloway in sharing the gospel!” 

The team she recruited were a 22-strong blend of individuals, couples and families. Both volunteers and full-time OMers, the team represented Germany; Jamaica; Syria; Hong Kong; Singapore; Spain; France; Wales and England. Significantly, several had been on the 2023 trip, and couldn’t wait to revisit the area!

Meanwhile, the two local churches formed an organising team, who devised a week’s programme to reach everyone in Carloway for the gospel by hosting community events in the village centre, and visiting every home.

A warm island welcome

Hospitality was another strand in the planning; Thomas Davis comments that whilst “Islanders are often rather reserved about ‘door-knocking’, they will pour heart and soul, without hesitation, into providing support.” The congregations just loved serving and helping their international guests, accommodating them, and providing home-cooked communal meals at the churches throughout the week (even locally caught lobster and crab as a special treat one dinnertime!).  

Raul from Spain speaks for many participants in saying, “their warmth, generosity and unwavering faith created a profound sense of belonging.” 

A busy Sunday!

Arriving on a Saturday, the OM team joined local worship on the Sunday morning — a real buzz of welcome which continued in the evening service, then a ‘Praise Night’ from 20:00-21:00, the Free Church packed with believers from both Carloway and neighbouring villages. An event filled with singing and testimony, Thomas says it was “a real joy. It rapidly established a real beautiful bond between the OM team and our congregations here."

In the afternoon, the OMers had joined the churches’ regular summer outreach at a beauty spot further up the coast, greeting locals and tourists with hot drinks and home-baked goodies and getting into conversations.

Going door-to-door

Throughout the week, every Carloway household was visited by the OM team, working in twos and threes. With the three hundred-plus houses scattered across a three-mile stretch of coastal landscape, this made for a lot of walking (often in wet weather), especially with many homes being on ‘crofts’, half-mile strips of moorland used for semi-professional sheep farming.

Along with invites to the week’s special community events — a kids’ holiday club, a mid-week talk, and a barbecue and ceilidh — every home received a Gospel of Mark, a gospel tract and a specially-prepared booklet of testimonies from local believers. Plus, an invite to enquirers’ course ‘Christianity Explored’, which the churches were arranging as a post-outreach follow-up.

“Meeting the local people of Carloway was special in itself,” says Sebastien, UK-based but born in France. “It’s not often that knocking on a door leads to an hour’s chat about faith, with coffee and cake!” These house visits yielded many fresh contacts, including new residents whom the churches were unaware of, and previous relationships have been re-established. Sometimes, meeting a foreigner was a catalyst for deep conversations — like the former soldier who had served in Germany, who only began to share on matters of life and faith when he realised his visitors Damaris and Karin were Germans!

And local Christians whom ill-health prevents from attending church, were greatly encouraged by these visits. One elderly lady had been on many OM short-term missions in her youth, so was hugely thrilled to welcome an OM team into her home!  

Jesus, our Team Captain

Attracted by the invites and news on church social media, 30 children between three and 12 crowded into the Carloway community centre, for the first church Holiday Club since lockdown; many came from families outside the churches. Across two afternoons, Thomas shared on a sports theme: about the Injury (sin), the Substitute (Jesus taking our place), the Victory (the Resurrection) and the Team Captain (He’s the one we follow).

This was accompanied by sports ‘mini -Olympics’, led by OM volunteers the Hobbs family, who had prepared and resourced it, with help from a small group of OMers, especially the youngsters from the two families. No medals as prizes, but lots of sweets! “There was lots of fun,” says volunteer Melanie, “backed up by lots of prayer for young lives to be changed.”

Watch the weather forecast….

The Atlantic weather was exceptionally bad on the Wednesday evening, contributing to a low turnout for the public talk on ‘What is the Point to Life?’ but brightened up for Thursday’s day off when hosts turned tourist guides, driving their guests around to see the stunning scenery.

What impact would the weather have on the biggest community event, Friday’s barbecue and ceilidh, the conclusion of the outreach week?

A real taste of Hebridean culture

Despite more wind and rain, over 100 people, most with no connection to the churches, packed out the Carloway community centre on the Friday evening, for a meaty barbecue of local speciality ‘Stornoway black pudding’, sausages and burgers. Then the ceilidh band tuned up their instruments — accordion, bagpipes, guitar and whistle — and the dancing began!

For most of the OM participants, this was their first experience of Scottish country dancing and locals took great pleasure in teaching them what to do. Thomas Davis feels the week’s doorstep contacts were key in so many villagers coming, and the fun and joy everyone shared made this event a massive highlight.

Final thoughts from leaders….

Thomas Davis says that both Carloway congregations have been greatly boosted by a large group of international believers coming to such a remote location,  joining worship services and church life, and developing lasting friendships with their hosts. “It was a tremendous encouragement for a community our size,” he says. The OM team set a wonderful example to the churches by their readiness to go out and meet people, sharing the gospel. “That was very inspiring, and should have a lasting effect on the congregation,” Thomas concludes.

Clare Macleod felt so blessed to serve on her home island, with churches so passionate about Jesus and making Him known. “God answered my own prayers throughout the week,” says Clare. “The OM team bonded so well both with each other and the churches. They were so involved and servant-hearted, learning in humility from the island people,” she continues. “It was such a picture of the church working together from all corners of the world, with the same heart and vision, of making Jesus known. “

…and participants

Last words belong to Anglo-French volunteers Sebastien and Madeleine:

“Part of our holidays? No, it was just so much more. We met new people and made new friends in Christ, in a new stunning place, the Isle of Lewis. Yes the week was hard work, but it was God's work. We came back refreshed in our faith and belief that Jesus is the saviour for all people, no matter where they live or their background!”