"Jesus is committed to reaching those outside." First of a series of talks based on Matthew's Gospel given at CMS's Africa conference 2014 at The Hayes, Swanwick, on 14 November, by the Rt Rev Paul Butler, Bishop of Durham. The first voice you will hear is Peter Hyatt, a CMS trustee, reading from Matthew 9:9-17.

We look at some of the big issues in the world that can often seem overwhelming. We'll hear honest reflections - and stories of hope - about disability, deforestation and human trafficking. With CMS short termer Rebecca Flitcroft who worked in trafficking education and awareness in India, CMS mission partner Andrew Leake who works to conserve forest in northern Argentina, and CMS mission partners Christine and Paul Salaman, working with the Anglican Church in Tanzania.

Travel round the world to meet members of the CMS family: people whose lives have been changed beyond recognition as they have responded to the one whose birth we will soon be celebrating – Jesus Christ.

Featuring: mission partner Ruth Hulser, the health coordinator for the Diocese of Tabora and runs the diocesan St Philip’s Health Centre in Tanzania. Plus: mission partners Angela and Chris have spent 10 years in Egypt working with Coptic Orthodox and Anglican churches. And we meet a whole family in mission in India.

Interviews with CMS people in mission on three continents – all with something to say to shed light on this month's theme of community mission. Hope grows in Hull... serving Syrian refugees in Cairo... missional communities in Chile... Featuring CMS mission partners including Anna and Chris Hembury and short termer Tyler Overton.

A strong environmental strand in the mix this time, from the threatened forest landscape of northern Argentina to transforming both places and people in forgotten corners of London, by way of Tanzania. Featuring mission partners Catherine and Nick Drayson, Kailean Khongsai and short termer Elsbeth Priestley.

In this "Asia Special" we meet some of the key players in the recently launched Asia-CMS as well as mission partners in Nepal. Featuring Loun Ling Lee, Berdine van den Toren and Paul Dobbing.

We hear the stories of three women who have become 'firsts': mission partner Bertha Schoonbee in Rwanda became the first coach of the Rwandan national Goalball team - much to her surprise! Nolavy from Madagascar became the first woman in her Province of the Anglican Communion to graduate from theological college. And Bishop Pushpa is the first woman bishop in the Church of South India!

Samuel Ajayi Crowther was perhaps the most outstanding African Christian of the 19th century. To mark the 150th anniversary of his consecration as bishop in 1864, we tell his life story in a special edition of Audiomission narrated by Burt Caesar and featuring contributions from Professor Andrew Walls and John Martin. (This was first published in 2007 to mark the bicentenary of the abolition of the slave trade and the 150th anniversary of the arrival of the Gospel in Nigeria through Crowther's mission expedition.)

Sara Afshari of Sat-7 Pars talks about Christian broadcasting across the Persian world and Tim Curtis gives an insight into Bible translation in rural Paraguay. And, as booking opens for the Church Mission Society's 2014 Africa conference, we find out what goes on.

Audio podcast about the Biological water filter project produced by the Church Mission Society (CMS)