Rayna Stoyanova

Rayna grew up in a Muslim family, but when she was eight years old, her grandfather - who was a nominal Christian - took her to church for the first time. Rayna recalls, “Christ called me to himself at a young age and made me his servant.”

She continued to go to church until she was15 years old, when she began to live life away from the Lord.  It was a painful period until she moved to London and joined a Turkish-speaking church at 21.

It was then that God placed a great desire in her heart to serve others and she volunteered for 10 years at her church, including leading worship, helping out with Sunday school, and sharing the gospel on the local high street. Seeing her gift for ministry, her pastor and team leader directed her to LCM.

Rayna then trained and served on LCM’s Pioneer Programme for two years, before becoming a Mission Associate in Enfield.

“After coming to LCM, I realised that God wants to use me for great things. Not just to spread the gospel to others but also help others spread the gospel. I feel great pain for those who don’t believe...”

Rayna now supports local churches to inspire and equip everyday Christians to lovingly share the gospel with those least likely to hear it. Enfield has a large Turkish population – the majority of whom come from a Muslim background. Most of this community has never had the chance to hear the good news of Jesus.

The team are partnering with churches to reach out to these communities by meeting practical needs and creating spaces for connection. This includes free English language lessons and setting up community cafes. They also run book tables  on the high street focused on reaching Muslims - where locals can have conversations about the differences between Islam and Christianity, hear the gospel, and receive free literature.

“My vision is to see local churches in Enfield reaching out to people from all cultural backgrounds, especially to the local Turks. By doing this, churches will truly reflect the diversity of their communities and be able to effectively welcome people from all backgrounds.”

Rayna is of Bulgarian and Turkish origin and knows both cultures well. She is married with three children. Apart from telling others about Christ, Rayna’s favourite hobbies include music, singing and reading books.