Foundations

Serving, and Learning to Serve

From the beginning of Mainstream, the Lord showed us that we would need to work in many different areas, and experience many different situations as we grew into the calling He had for us. Over the years we have been privileged to work with others to fulfil various aspects of this mission, while learning and growing ourselves.

• Ministering within the Travellers’ communities in the UK;
• Helping people from difficult backgrounds to learn new life-skills and grow in the Lord in a residential environment;
• Assisting ministries to improve communications through the use of the internet and better visual communication tools;
• Setting up a project to bring Fair Trade crafts from African craftspeople and projects for sale in the UK;
• Preaching and teaching in the UK, Eastern Europe, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Uganda – conducting outreach missions, ministry in churches and to leaders’ groups and conferences, and personal ministry to government leaders;
• Working on development of micro-enterprise and income generation projects.

In all the work the Lord has given us to do, our aim has been to establish relationships with other ministries, churches and believers so we can work together more effectively as part of the One Body of Christ. Some of this work has been for a season only, and some is work that we are called to do on an ongoing basis.

Over the years, there have been a number of people who have made significant contributions to the work of Mainstream, and it is a blessing that their input and legacy still has an important part to play in various aspects of the ministry.

A new season, and the Lord’s Increase

Until recently (2007), Mainstream has primarily been the ministry of William and Margaret Metzger, focused on encouraging others, teaching and assisting in different ways, with a strong emphasis on use of the Internet as a tool for ministry.

In 2006 the Lord began to open new doors for ministry in Uganda and Zimbabwe, bringing about relationships with other ministries and church leaders in those countries. These relationships developed, and in 2008 the Lord made it clear that we were to begin a new season of ministry, with 2009 being a year of “New Beginnings” and time to build a strong foundation for the work ahead.

By the middle of 2009 the Lord had brought together anointed, Spirit-filled men and women of vision, with a heart for the Lord, love for the brethren, and a desire to serve others and expand the Kingdom for His Glory. Consequently, we have now formed regional ministries in Central, Eastern and Southern Africa, and are now extending this ministry to Pakistan and India

All of this the Lord has done, just as in the early Church - “the Lord added to their number daily, those who were being saved.” [Acts 2:47] – So too is He adding to Mainstream new partners and opportunities for ministry.