What happens when you invest in the people that conventional institutions have written off?

London City Mission's Pioneer Scheme was built on a simple but radical conviction: that God's call to mission is not limited to those with the right qualifications, the right background, or the right postcode. For ten years, the scheme has been training individuals from some of London's most marginalised communities to become missionaries — and the results have been extraordinary.

54 graduates from diverse backgrounds and cultures have completed the programme. Over 100 churches across London have benefited from current or former students pioneering mission in their local areas. The stories that have emerged — captured in the mini-documentary Diamonds in the Rough: The Pioneer Documentary — are stories of transformation, of potential unleashed, of God working through the people the world had given up on.

Efrem Buckle, Director of Training and Deputy CEO at London City Mission, describes the scheme as a demonstration of "God's love for the marginalised and the power of partnership in mission work." It is also a challenge to every church and Christian organisation in the UK: who are we not investing in? Whose potential are we overlooking?

Ten years in, the Pioneer Scheme is a model worth celebrating — and worth replicating.

Find out more at lcm.org.uk.