SPRING 2011 THE MESSAGE MAGAZINE – FAITH IN YOUNG PEOPLE
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05
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LZ7 news and tour dates / Prayer Storm / Legends: Hudson Taylor
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GENETIK 2011/12 PULLOUT INSIDE
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INSID E R O M AD
THE MESSAGE MAGAZINE
ISSUE 05
Editor:
Alistair Metcalfe
Associate Editor: Ian Rowbottom
Senior Art Director: Dan Hasler
Graphic Designer: Bethan Ranftler
Contributors:
Anna Thompson, James Aladiran and Andy Hawthorne
Advertising:
E: advertising@message.org.uk T: 0161 946 2300
Subscription & Supporter Enquiries:
Jo Nicholson E: jo.nicholson@message.org.uk T: 0161 946 2328
Cover Photo:
Our cover this issue features the Genetik class of 2010/11, who are spending the year training with The Message. Find out more about Genetik in our pull-out section.
Lucy West
Contributing Photographers: Lucy West: www.lucywestimages.co.uk Lucy Smith: www.smithimaging.co.uk
THE MESSAGE: Alan Saunders, Dan Hasler, & Ian Rowbottom
E: flow@message.org.uk T: 0161 946 2300 flow – The Message Magazine Lancaster House Harper Road Sharston Manchester M22 4RG
www.message.org.uk/flow
meet
Janine
2.
Contact:
Gee
to true joy
BELOW: Janine outside Christchurch Harpurhey, Manchester
1.
Chart success opens new doors for LZ7
LZ7 topped off an amazing year with some of the most fruitful evangelism the band has seen so far. After a busy summer touring the UK, September brought LZ7 a chart hit with anthem This Little Light. The song scored a number 26 UK chart position and won airplay on BBC Radio 1, MTV, The Box, Viva, Smash Hits and 4Music. Hard on its heels, the band released their third album Light in October. ‘Light is the sound of now,’ wrote Jono Davies of Louder Than The Music. ‘The album is jammed packed with anthems that ooze truthful and honest lyrics.’ Jeremy Williams of The Kaje magazine went even further, dubbing it ‘without doubt one of the strongest pop albums of 2010.’ But the accolades mean nothing compared to the impact the chart success and mainstream airplay is having on their face-to-face work in schools. Lead singer, evangelist Lindz West, explains: ‘Our heart’s desire in releasing the single was to give us a bigger platform to speak to more young people about Jesus. It’s done exactly that! We are finding that as we go into school after school young people are recognising us from MTV. That level of credibility is going before us so the young people know the songs and know who we are even before we get there. It’s another level entirely!’
Janine Gee’s life was transformed when she met God through the Eden team working with the church in Harpurhey.
At the Friday night show, not only did nearly 1000 young people pack into the venue, but over 600 young people made first-time commitments to Christ following Lindz’s preaching. ‘We were overrun!’ remembers Lindz. ‘God is good and showed up in a big way.’ The next week saw LZ7 in Northern Ireland as guests of Crown Jesus Ministries. The band spent four days in schools and performed gigs in Ballymena and Belfast, each to crowds of over 500. Once again, the response was exceptional, with over xyz making first time commitments.
‘My story started when my sister died when she was 24 and I was only 14. I didn’t know how to deal with it and my whole life turned really fearful and went downhill. ‘I started having panic attacks and they gradually got worse. I had to quit my job and eventually I couldn’t even leave my house. I couldn’t even go downstairs. I didn’t leave my house for two and a half years. I couldn’t see friends or even my family. It was horrible. ‘There was nothing that medical professionals could do to help. They tried to give me antidepressants but I wouldn’t take them. They said I wasn’t fit for counselling because I couldn’t even make it to an appointment.
‘We have been so blessed with this increase and can’t wait to see what God has in store for the next few months,’ adds Lindz. The band are currently planning a national tour between a full schedule of schools work in Manchester and beyond.
LOG ONTO FACEBOOK AND ‘LIKE’ THE LZ7 PAGE FOR FULL DETAILS ABOUT THE BAND’S UPCOMING NATIONAL TOUR.
Two amazing schools weeks at the end of last year bear witness to the effect. In November, LZ7 visited Maidenhead, where Lindz himself grew up. They took lessons and performed lunchtime concerts in five local schools, including Lindz’s own high school. By day three, every single ticket for the end of week show was sold out - the venue had to be redesigned to take the demand for tickets.
Page 5 LZ7 - In the charts & in Schools His
radical
to Christ changed
mission to China
- and mission itself
God answered their prayer and though Taylor turned away from his parents’ faith at first, he made a radical commitment both to Christ and China at the age of 17. After training as a doctor and learning the basics of Mandarin, the zealous young man set sail for Shanghai in 1853. Arriving six months later, Taylor was not impressed with what he found. Most of China’s ‘missionaries’, were living comfortable lives employed as translators to wealthy businessmen. Few lived among the Chinese and even fewer ventured inland. Taylor immediately challenged the status quo by dressing in native clothes, wearing the traditional ‘pigtail’ hairstyle and setting off down the Huangpu River, preaching and distributing Chinese Bibles. This was a massive personal risk as the nation was political unstable and foreigners were rarely made welcome. After a six year stint, Taylor was forced to return to the UK, where he continued to be a passionate advocate for mission to China. Saddened by the lack of interest he found in others, he wrote ‘Can all the Christians in England sit still with folded arms while these multitudes are perishing?’
bigger & bet for 2011-12
LEGEND
MISSION
‘They helped me get my life back together. I’ve got a job now and I’m working with young people in the church. I took some of them to an LZ7 concert and it was amazing to see so many of them giving their lives to Jesus. ‘Now I just feel like I’m living again. I’ve known what it is to be low and depressed. Now I know what real joy is. It could only be God.’
Though we tend to see them as separate, they’re actually the same thing
TAYLor
////////////
says Anna Thompson
ission and discipleship are two concepts that we tend to keep in their own separate boxes. The ‘discipleship’ box is quite cosy - it has carpet! Think of discipleship and we imagine a small group of people, sitting chatting about the Bible. The ‘mission box’ is just full of really loud people trying to get out of the box! But I think it’s time to take mission and discipleship out of their boxes, tear the boxes up, and recycle them. Because I think they’re the same thing. Let me explain. When we ask the question who is God and what is he up to in the world, parables like the Lost Sheep, the Lost Coin and the Lost Son (Luke 15:1-10) give it to us in a nutshell: something profoundly important has been lost and God is on a mission to find it and to bring it home. God is missio dei - God on a mission. There is an incredible energy and dynamism about the character of God. And with all he is, in a million different ways, he’s breathing out ‘I love you.’ Our calling is to know God’s love - to receive it and to let it become the centre of who we are. We’re called to know our loved-ness. Some people, even Christians have never received this love and struggle with communicating this good news to others. The missing link is the profound knowledge that at the core of who you are, God says ‘I love you’. And when we experience that love, we discover he is missio dei - he is the God who is up all night looking for us.
He longed to return and bring many others with him but after his own tough experiences, he was conflicted about how to do it. It was on a walk along Brighton beach one Sunday morning in 1865 when he felt God speak directly to him: ‘There the Lord conquered my unbelief, and I surrendered myself to God for this service,’ he wrote later. ‘I told him that all responsibility as to the issues and consequences must rest with him; that as his servant it was mine to obey and to follow him.’ His response was to form the China Inland Mission. It was radical to the core: his missionaries would have no salaries - they would simply trust God to supply their needs. Like him, they would adopt Chinese dress and work to take the gospel into the heart of the nation. Within a year, Taylor, his wife and four young children were on board a ship with 16 new recruits. Not everybody found his leadership style easy – he placed the same high demands on others as he did on himself. His personal work ethic was grueling and the cost to his health and that of his family was high. But his radical life inspired phenomenal commitment to the mission to China, recruiting hundreds of people to sacrifice the comforts of the UK and the US and obey God’s call to go. The ministry he founded lives on today as OMF International.
////////////////////////// fIND oUT MORE AT
www.omf.org
Page 13 Message Legend - Hudson Taylor
&
Hear more great teaching
Hear this talk and messages from other fantastic communicators on the Message Podcast. Available free from iTunes (search for Message Podcast).
VER YOUR
TIAL
OP YOUR POTEN
GIFTS, DEVEL
TEAM
GE * DISCO E & THE MESSA HAWTHORN ING FROM ANDY HIP LEADERS D-CLASS WORS * TEACH WITH WORL WORSHIP TRACK 2011 * NEW ING SEPTEMBER * START
CENTRE The GENETIK Pull-out TEACH TEACH
DISCIPLESHIP
HUDSON
ter
Read inside for details of Matt & involvments with the all-new Beth Redman’s worship track
Page 10 Testimony: Meet Janine
‘China is not to be won for Christ by quiet, ease-loving men and women … The stamp of men and women we need is such as will put Jesus, China, and souls first and foremost in everything and at every time’ - Hudson Taylor udson Taylor’s career path was set even before he was born in 1832. His Methodist parents James and Amelia had a heart for the Far East and prayed, ‘Grant that he may work for you in China.’
‘I knew about God but I would say I didn’t know God. But I would pray for help. One night I had a dream that I had to go to Christchurch in Harpurhey, the Eden partner church. But I didn’t feel I could go so I asked my mum to go for me. After the service, she prayed with the vicar, Mark, and with Lucy from the Eden team. ‘Their prayers worked and God started healing me. Gradually I would take small steps out of the house - just a little way, then I would run back home again. It was really hard but God helped me. Every week it got a bit easier. ‘The first times I went to Christchurch, I couldn’t speak or even look up from the pew. That went on for ages. Somehow Mark and Lucy knew what I had been praying to God and they were so sensitive, it was like Jesus himself helping me. ‘The Eden team really showed me Jesus. They supported me and encouraged me, shared special words and scriptures and prayed for me. They were my friends when I needed them.
‘The Eden team really showed me Jesus.’
ABOVE & RIGHT: Lindz from LZ7 with pupils from a Greater Manchester secondary school
commitment
//// THE MESSAGE MAGAZINE – ISSUE 05
E TO SOMEON SECTION KING GIVE THIS W WHO IS LOO ERENCE A DIFF YOU KNO -OUT WITH FOR A YEAR
from panic attacks
What does it do to us to encounter this sent and sending God? In 2 Corinthians 3:18 Paul says, ‘as we reflect, we… are being transformed into his glory.’ If you genuinely experience God’s love for you it has to change you. Your brokenness gets gradually restored and your character begins to re-form around the reality of that love. Love becomes your core. It has to change us from the inside out. We discover a new purpose for our being. Mission is God’s rush of love towards this world and as you are transformed by the love you have received, you rush with love towards this world as well. And not just the times you pluck up the courage to share a 4-points tract with someone. Every time you treat someone with compassion and dignity, you show love to the world.
PRAYER
it’s time to take
mission and discipleship
out of their boxes, tear them up,
and recycle them.
So we need to ditch the boxes, because discipleship is mission. Experiencing Christ’s love for us, emulating him, being transformed into his likeness means there’s no other option - you’re on a mission with him! To be like Christ is to be on a mission. And mission is discipleship. Growing closer to Jesus, becoming more like him in his hunger for the redemption of this world. Love becomes your drive and love becomes your method. The only and inevitable result of an encounter with God is John 21:20 - ‘as the Father sent me, I am sending you’. Our daily prayer must be, ‘Lord, who are you and how can I be more like you?’ Mission and discipleship are the same thing - they are simply knowing God and existing as someone who knows God.
Anna Thompson is Eden Network National Development Co-ordinator. Alongside her work she is studying for a Professional Doctorate in Practical Theology researching ‘how God transforms’ in urban communities.
Page 15 Teaching from Anna Thompson
THE YOUTH OF OUR NATION AND A LIFESTYLE
OF INTERCESSION
Message Prayer Coordinator James Aladiran explains the vision of Prayer Storm ou only have to look around a normal prayer meeting to realise that young people don’t seem to be catching a passion for prayer. They tend to be mostly older ladies, very few men, virtually no young people. I went to America a few years ago for a youth gathering called The Ramp. There the Lord massively impacted my life and my heart was stirred for prayer in a way it had never been before. It seemed that because I was around people that carried a heart of prayer and intercession, I caught something that stirred what was already inside me. I realised: maybe young people that are not giving themselves to prayer simply because they’re not around others who are. Intercession is more caught than taught.
INTERCESSION IS MORE CAUGHT THAN TAUGHT
Page 16 The vision of Prayer Storm
ANDY’S RANT
For the past ten years or so, The Message’s strapline has been ‘Committed to Manchester’s Young People for Life’. It’s summed us up nicely and I’m glad to say right now we are more actively committed to Greater Manchester than ever.
But now our work is growing fast right across the UK, that strapline doesn’t really tell the full story. So our team has come up with a new one and I really like it – ‘Faith in Young People’. I like it because in four words it sums up what we are all about. Firstly, we have got a strong commitment to the most damaged and vulnerable young people and we have total faith in them. We fully believe that they really can go from being the problem to the answer, and as you will discover in this issue of flow, wonderful transformation is happening week in and week out through our work.
Secondly, our Christian faith is our engine and when lived out, we are totally convinced is the answer for any life or community, no matter how broken. We are going to do all we can to communicate and demonstrate that to every single young person we meet. And, thirdly, we are convinced that faith breeds faith. We are believing for an army of faith-filled young men and women who don’t rely on The Message teams to do the proclaiming and demonstrating but, by faith, do it themselves. The Bible says, ‘anything is possible for the person who has faith’ (Mark 9:23) so as we exert our faith in young people we are convinced it’s going to be a funfilled, challenging and amazingly fruitful adventure. We’re so glad you are able to join us on it.
‘Anything is possible for the person who has faith’ (Mark 9:23) www.message.org.uk/flow ////
1. Chart success opens new doors for LZ7 LZ7 topped off an amazing year with some of the most fruitful evangelism the band has seen so far. After a busy summer touring the UK, September brought LZ7 a chart hit with anthem This Little Light. The song scored a number 26 UK chart position and won airplay on BBC Radio 1, MTV, The Box, Viva, Smash Hits and 4Music. Hard on its heels, the band released their third album Light in October. ‘Light is the sound of now,’ wrote Jono Davies of Louder Than The Music. ‘The album is jammed-packed with anthems that ooze truthful and honest lyrics.’ Jeremy Williams of The Kaje magazine went even further, dubbing it ‘without doubt one of the strongest pop albums of 2010.’ But the accolades mean nothing compared to the impact the chart success and mainstream airplay is having on their face-to-face work in schools. Lead singer, evangelist Lindz West, explains: ‘Our heart’s desire in releasing the single was to give us a bigger platform to speak to more young people about Jesus. It’s done exactly that! We are finding that as we go into school after school young people are recognising us from MTV. That level of credibility is going before us so the young people know the songs and know who we are even before we get there. It’s another level entirely!’ Two amazing schools weeks at the end of last year bear witness to the effect. In November, LZ7 visited Maidenhead, where Lindz himself grew up. They took lessons and performed lunchtime concerts in five local schools, including Lindz’s own high school. By day three, every single ticket for the end of week show was sold out – the venue had to be redesigned to take the demand for tickets. ABOVE & RIGHT: LZ7 with pupils from a Greater Manchester secondary school //// THE MESSAGE MAGAZINE – ISSUE 05
At the Friday night show, not only did nearly 1000 young people pack into the venue, but over 600 young people made first-time commitments to Christ following Lindz’s preaching. ‘We were overrun!’ remembers Lindz. ‘God is good and showed up in a big way.’
The next week saw LZ7 in Northern Ireland as guests of Crown Jesus Ministries. The band spent four days in schools and performed gigs in Ballymena and Belfast, each to crowds of over 500. Once again, the response was exceptional, with many making first time commitments. ‘We have been so blessed with this increase and can’t wait to see what God has in store for the next few months,’ adds Lindz. The band are currently planning a national tour between a full schedule of schools work in Manchester and beyond.
LOG ONTO FACEBOOK AND ‘LIKE’ THE LZ7 PAGE FOR FULL DETAILS ABOUT THE BAND’S UPCOMING NATIONAL TOUR.
A new Eden Bus: Get on board!
After many years of faithful service, one of our two Eden Buses is about to go into retirement. We’re now seeking your help to put a new Eden Bus on the road.
EDEN BUS MANAGER JULIE MASON WRITES… We’ve been working with Amy (not her real name) for the last six years, since she was just 11. She’s had lots of tough things to deal with in her life – she didn’t engage well at school and was passed around social services from a young age.
The Eden Bus is much more than a youth club on wheels; it’s aimed at those hanging around with nothing to do, sometimes getting involved in anti-social behaviour. And it’s working – to the point where reports of anti-social behaviour have fallen as relationships between local churches and police are strengthened. And lots of young people in the process are discovering Jesus for themselves. Our friends at Stagecoach Manchester are generously donating a bus. But before we can take it out on the streets it needs a thorough refit to make it a safe, attractive multi-media youth facility on wheels.
2.
Will you stand with us to help refit this new bus? We need 100 people to donate £22 each month for 3 years to get the job done and so that our work can continue to give hope to a lost generation. Download a form to start giving to the Eden Bus project at www.message.org.uk/edenbus, or just ring Jo Nicholson at The Message office on 0161 946 2300.
Her future looked likely to follow the same pattern as her family’s past – three generations without work, education or training. She always seemed to think she couldn’t do anything. Amy started coming along to one of our follow-on sessions where we cooked tea together, ate and chatted. We noticed that cooking seemed to really inspire her so we started encouraging her to have a go. To our amazement, this August she had enough confidence to apply for a course in catering at college – and they accepted her! With a bit of support, Amy’s now doing really well. We believe that showing her unconditional love over the long term has helped her to realise that she is valuable and can do something positive with her life – what a transformation!
36 Hours /// 5 exercise machines /// 180 participants /// Over 1000 miles /// On-tap energy drinks /// unlimited pizza /// non-stop prayer & worship guest appearances from LZ7, Twelve24 & others /// Buckets of sweat /// Buckets of fun raising buckets of cash to help fund The Message as we spread our exciting work across the UK
y rt
ip a n ts ’ pa
i
c
*
t Pa r
WE’RE RUNNING THE LENGTH AND BREADTH OF THE NATION* AND WE WANT YOUR YOUTH GROUP TO RUN & PRAY WITH US
e
*
clusi v ex
SIGN UP and be sponsored to run for 1 hour 8am Saturday 16th April until 8pm Sunday 17th
From more info contact Tess Hartley, Email: tess.hartley@message.org.uk Tel: 0161 946 2304
*
exclusive participants’ party
from 8:30-10pm on the Sunday Night
www.message.org.uk/flow //// THE EQUIVALENT DISTANCE OF LAND’S END TO JOHN O’GROATS AND LIVERPOOL TO HULL, WITH MULTIPLE PEOPLE RUNNING/WALKING/CYCLING ON MULTIPLE EXERCISE MACHINES
4.
3.
Farewell to courageous Cody We’re sad to report that one of our 2010 Urban Hero Award winners, Cody O’Grady, lost his battle with cancer in September.
Cody was nominated for the Courage Award earlier in the year, in recognition of his inspirational bravery in fighting an aggressive form of cancer. Just days before he was due to receive his award, Cody was informed that he had only months to live as there was nothing further the doctors could do. With only a handful of people knowing the prognosis, Cody stood strong in front of many hundreds of guests at the awards ceremony. ‘Right to the end, his courage was clear for all to see,’ said Cody’s youth worker Sam Ward from Eden Openshaw. ‘Cody fought on, living each day at a time. He came to know Jesus and valued times of prayer with the team.’ Cody’s mum and dad continue to be actively involved and supported by Openshaw Community Church, Eden Openshaw’s partner church. Cody passed away peacefully in his own bed and was remembered at a special ceremony on September 17, 2010.
Twelve 24’s schools week success
Twelve24’s recent stint in Coventry school Grace Academy attracted some great feedback from students and teachers alike.
‘What a fantastic week we had with Twelve24!’ wrote Associate Principal David Boden. ‘We saw many young people make decisions for Christ at the concert and many have followed through other school activities. Our after-school Quest group has grown and one of the students who came to the Q&A session with Twelve24 has since been to church for the first time in his life. ‘Another girl that [band member] Christina spoke to on the evening of the Q&A session walked home, prayed and gave her life to Jesus and danced all the way home.
There is a growing group of students who I keep hearing about as starting journeys with God – it’s great and exciting stuff. We are now looking to plant a church here from the new year.’ The band got involved with lessons assemblies and the after-school Quest group using a mix of teaching and performance to different year groups. Their themes for the week were respect, grace and forgiveness and self-image. The Grace schools week was just one of many that the band are due to fulfil this academic year. The band’s new EP releases in the spring 2011.
Many hundreds of people now support Message staff members with a regular gift, getting a first-hand insight into Message life through their personal news and updates. You can sign up to support a specific member of staff personally by contacting Jo Nicholson on 0161 946 2328.
Message team on tour with Urban Impact
Our partnership with Eden and New Wine, Urban Impact, is visiting cities across the UK this March. Come along and celebrate all God is doing through Eden nationwide.
The speaking team of Andy Hawthorne and Matt Wilson are joined by Andy Smith leading worship and In Yer Face. New Wine’s Team Leaders will host the events. See right for all the dates and venues. For more information please phone: 0161 946 2300 or visit Eden’s website: www.eden-network.org.uk ADMISSION FREE, AN OFFERING WILL BE TAKEN //// THE MESSAGE MAGAZINE – ISSUE 05
New show challenges young to become ‘part of the solution’ Message theatre company In Yer Face are bringing a groundbreaking new show to Greater Manchester high schools this spring. ‘The Rough Guide To Staying Alive’ is a new interactive performance which works as a hard-hitting guide to drugs, sexual health, relationships, peer influence and crime. ‘The show pushes the boundaries of what theatre is and what it can mean for young people,’ comments the show’s writer and cast member Matt Britton. ‘It stares its audience in the face challenging them to be a part of the drama and a part of the solution.’
The performance is structured as three separate stories which intertwine to become one whole story, exploring issues relevant to healthy life development and citizenship. The audience is constantly invited to bring their own thinking into the issues raised, with specific breaks in the narrative to enable this to happen. This process creates a safe environment for students to explore their own behaviour and choices and acts as a catalyst for promoting personal development and change. New In Yer Face actorEmily Lawson joins Matt Britton and Brenda Noble in the three-strong cast. www.message.org.uk/inyerface
Make a difference as a Message volunteer
6.
We’re urgently on the lookout for high-calibre volunteers who share our values and would enjoy becoming part of The Message family. It means working in our offices, attending our events, being part of prayer days and much more. If you have skills in administration and/or customer services and can give one day (or more) per week for a minimum of 12 months, we would love to hear from you.
7.
You must be in regular fellowship of a local church and able to provide appropriate references. We can cover your weekly travel expenses. To apply, or to have a chat about becoming a volunteer, please contact Tel: 0161 946 2300 Email: info@message.org.uk
//////DATES//////
Thursday 3rd March St Thomas Crookes, Nairn Street, Crookes, Sheffield, S10 1UL Hosts: Steve & Andrea McGanity th Monday 7 March Heaton Baptist Church, Heaton Road, Newcastle, NE6 5HN
Hosts: Ian & Nadine Parkinson Tuesday 8 March The Oakwood Centre, Cleasby Way, Eaglescliffe, Stockton-on-Tees, TS16 0RD Hosts: Ian & Nadine Parkinson Wednesday 9th March Ivy Manchester, 97 Barlow Moor Road, Didsbury, Manchester, M20 2GP Hosts: Steve & Andrea McGanity th Friday 11 March St Barnabas Church, 23 Addison Road, London W14 8LH Hosts: Mark & Lindsay Melluish th
Inspirational worship, challenging word and powerful ministry with a special focus on our hurting communities with Andy Hawthorne, Matt Wilson, In Yer Face Theatre Company and worship led by Andy Smith & band www.message.org.uk/flow
////
THE FEBRUARY
SUN 20TH FEB ROCHESTER Kent SUN 26TH FEB SERIOUS FOR GOD Elim
MARCH
SAT 5TH MAR STOCKPORT Romiley Forum Fri 25th Mar PETERBOROUGH Kingsgate Church
APRIL
Sat 9th April CHESTER Venue TBC 23RD–24TH April FESTIVAL DU PAQUES Chartres, France
MAY
Fri 6th May BANGOR NORTHERN IRELAND Bangor Elim Sat 7th May CARDIFF Ignite Festival 13-14th May MAIDENHEAD Venue TBC Sat 21st May LINCOLN Lincoln Football Club Fri 27th May SPACE LIVERPOOL Frontline centre Sun 29th May THE BIG CHURCH DAY OUT Wiston House
***** ‘Light is the sound of now.’ *****
TOUR
JUNE
AUGUST
JULY
OCTOBER
Sat 4th June FRANCE Location & Venue TBC Sat 18th June INVERNESS Venue TBC Fri 24th June CLITHEROE The Grand Fri 8th July SHEFFIELD Venue TBC
Sat 6th August PETERBOROUGH Street Invasion Sun 7th August DETLING Kent Fri 19th August KIDDERMINSTER Graceworks Sat 1st October ST AUSTELL Cornwall
VENUES & DATES TO BE ADDED TO BOOK YOUR TICKETS VISIT
www.LZ7.co.uk
FOR THE LATEST INFORMATION ALL VENUES AND DATES SUBJECT TO CHANGE
‘Without doubt one of the strongest pop albums of 2010.’
THE KAJE
JONO DAVIES, LOUDER THAN THE MUSIC
FREE
never felt so ‘We received this letter from a man we’ve been working with for about a year in HMP Forest Bank. He became a Christian through our courses and chapel services and he’s changed so much’ – Matty Hawthorne, Reflex Team.
‘I am serious and honest with my belief and want to join a church when I leave prison’
Dear Matty, I’ve been a Christian for four months now and I’m doing everything I can to read God’s Word. I read the Bible every day without fail. I pray morning, night and, when I can, through the day. I hold my own Bible study group on the wing as well as attending the Chaplaincy Bible study group. I’m also learning to memorise scriptures, one a day at the minute. All in all I’m really keeping myself busy with Jesus.
I am serious and honest with my belief and want to join a church when I leave prison – and preferably one that is like the Reflex groups. I am learning a lot about missionary work and have a view to becoming a full-time missionary worker when I leave prison. I don’t know just yet what our Lord has planned for me, but I am willing to yield to him and he can use me as he sees fit.
My life has changed so much since being in prison. For most of my life I’ve been lost or imprisoned in my own self-centred universe. Now I’m saved, I’ve never felt so free and at peace. I trust Jesus to do what he will and my time in prison won’t be wasted. Thanks for always being there, Callum*
*(name changed).
www.message.org.uk/flow ////
meet
Janine Gee
from panic attacks to true joy
BELOW: Janine outside Christchurch Harpurhey, Manchester
Janine Gee’s life was transformed when she met God through the Eden team working with the church in Harpurhey. ‘My story started when my sister died when she was 24 and I was only 14. I didn’t know how to deal with it and my whole life turned really fearful and went downhill. ‘I started having panic attacks and they gradually got worse. I had to quit my job and eventually I couldn’t even leave my house. I couldn’t even go downstairs. I didn’t leave my house for two and a half years. I couldn’t see friends or even my family. It was horrible. ‘There was nothing that medical professionals could do to help. They tried to give me antidepressants but I wouldn’t take them. They said I wasn’t fit for counselling because I couldn’t even make it to an appointment.
‘I knew about God but I would say I didn’t know God. But I would pray for help. One night I had a dream that I had to go to Christchurch in Harpurhey, the Eden partner church. But I didn’t feel I could go so I asked my mum to go for me. After the service, she prayed with the vicar, Mark, and with Lucy from the Eden team. ‘Their prayers worked and God started healing me. Gradually I would take small steps out of the house - just a little way, then I would run back home again. It was really hard but God helped me. Every week it got a bit easier. ‘The first times I went to Christchurch, I couldn’t speak or even look up from the pew. That went on for ages. Somehow Mark and Lucy knew what I had been praying to God and they were so sensitive, it was like Jesus himself helping me. ‘The Eden team really showed me Jesus. They supported me and encouraged me, shared special words and scriptures and prayed for me. They were my friends when I needed them.
‘The Eden team really showed me Jesus.’ //// THE MESSAGE MAGAZINE – ISSUE 05
‘They helped me get my life back together. I’ve got a job now and I’m working with young people in the church. I took some of them to an LZ7 concert and it was amazing to see so many of them giving their lives to Jesus. ‘Now I just feel like I’m living again. I’ve known what it is to be low and depressed. Now I know what real joy is. It could only be God.’
meet
Allan
Cocking
THINKING OF YOUTH WORK? Placementbased learning
A life of drugs and crime is a long way behind Allan Cocking
Relevant, practical training
Former Urban Hero Award winner ‘09 Allan Cocking is a powerful example of the saying that ‘changed lives change lives’. The 21-year-old is giving his whole life to becoming the kind of committed youth worker who helped him turn his own life around as a teenager.
Degree in Theology, Youth Work and Ministry
Four years ago, Allan was arrested for robbery – an attempt to feed a drug habit that had spiralled out of control. He was given a community penalty and had to undergo a drugs treatment course. Everything changed for Allan when he met team members from Eden Westwood and Firwood Church who shared the gospel with him and helped him start afresh. He quickly started volunteering with the Eden team, helping out with youth work and acting as a mentor to other young men. Just two years later, he was nominated for the Volunteer Award – and won. ‘Receiving the award was a real encouragement to keep going,’ says Allan. ‘The awards are a real recognition of what God is doing in people’s lives.’ It also confirmed Allan’s desire to continue to train for full-time youth work. After completing a course in music technology, Allan enrolled on a BA Honours course in Theology at the Nazarene theological college:
‘I want to work with young people.’
THIS ISN’T ‘ALL TALK AND NO ACTION.’
ACADEMIC AND JNC PROFESSIONAL VALIDATION
‘I have two main passions in my life – one is God and the other is music. My dream is to combine the two with youth work. I want to work with young people.’
Allan returns home to Oldham every weekend to continue helping out with the youth work at Firwood, investing in relationships with young people over sports and music activities and two services on a Sunday. All the hard work is bearing fruit – Firwood’s youth work is thriving and seeing many young people coming to know Jesus. ‘We’re starting to see some of the young people we’ve been working with for a long time finally making decisions for God,’ says Allan. ‘The reason many of them have waited is because they wanted to take it seriously. One came up to me recently in tears and apologised for being rowdy and hard work. There’s real change happening – what was for a long time evangelism is now discipleship.’
www.nazarene.ac.uk Nazarene Theological College, Dene Road, Didsbury, Manchester, M20 2GU T: 0161 445 3063
www.message.org.uk/flow ////
CE E. N E I R E P G EXANDY HAWTHORN N I G N A -CH MESSAGE CEO E F I L Y L YS A TRU lives,’ SA
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Many former Genetik graduates have joined the Message staff as full-time schools workers or as committed team members working behind the scenes (see below).
Genetik’s international influence is set to grow in 2011 as a band from Norway spend the year with us and prepare for full-time schools work in their home country. It’s another example of how The Message is passing on its passion for souls and commitment to excellence to the next generation. To ensure the highest quality of teaching and mentoring, places on Genetik must be restricted to a limited number. The 2011-12 intake will be open to a maximum of 40 successful applicants.
Fees of £2,000 will be payable at the start of the course. Students will also be responsible for day-to-day and living expenses. However we can provide help for candidates who may struggle to meet these costs.
Find out more and request an application pack for Genetik at
www.message.org.uk/genetik Email: genetik@message.org.uk
Call: 0161 946 2300
“Genetik helped me
“The structure was perfect
“I was a relatively new
become the person God made me to be. It’s an amazing creative place where you can’t help but grow in your giftings, and you’ll probably discover new ones too. Enjoy!” BETHAN, now working as a graphic designer with The Message
for me. Bible teaching in the morning, dance training in the afternoon, plus lots of opportunity for youth work – in schools and youth groups.” PIPPA, now youth worker at Ivy Manchester Church
Christian when I did the Genetik Course. I had lots of faith but not much knowledge. Genetik sorted that out.” ROB, now drumming with LZ7
“It impacted my life in a major way. It took my life, stirred it up and pushed me out.” RYAN, now MCing with Twelve24
.uk
FIND OUT
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OMEONE S O T N SECTIO KING GIVE THIS OW WHO IS LOO FERENCE YOU KN UT WITH A DIF AR O FOR A YE
bigger & bet
f o r 2011-12 Read inside
ter
for details of Matt & Beth involvements Redman’s with the all-n ew worship tr ack
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OUR GIF AM * DISCOVER Y ESSAGE TE M E H T & * E ORN DY HAWTH N A M O R F LEADERS * IP H S R O TEACHING W S * ORLD-CLAS W H IT W K C HIP TRA NEW WORS 011 * * PTEMBER 2 E S G IN T R A ST
*
GENETIK IS THE MESSAGE’S YOUTH WORK TRAINING ACADEMY WITH A GOAL TO TRAIN AND RELEASE GIFTED EVANGELISTS Based at Message HQ, Genetik This year Genetik adds the TO MULTIPLY THE VISION OF students become part of The Eden Worship track with guest Message family – living in Eden THE MESSAGE TRUST IN tutors Matt and Beth Redman communities, serving on Message to train up-and-coming worship MANCHESTER AND projects, and training alongside leaders and songwriters with a BEYOND. some of the most gifted evangelists in heart for the poor and disadvantaged. the UK. With ten years under our belts, 2011 will take Genetik to a whole new level. Already our Creative and Urban tracks have released over 200 gifted evangelists to serve churches in Manchester and beyond.
We’re looking for 40 young people of exceptional character and gifting to come to Manchester and train with us, starting September 2011. Could you be one of them?
O
S K C A R T EE
THR
rk. uth wo o y in n raining Christia ds-on t in n a g h in e h ree tensiv y teac ne of th hs of in h qualit t o n ig e o h s o m m o is ten lso ch efit fro alents. Genetik dents a nts ben given t u e t d d S u o . t G s n etik issio their All Gen ence in iblical m ll b e d c n x a e ter velop charac ks to de c a r t t is special
CREATIVE MINISTRY If you dream of using your dance, singing or DJing skills in cutting-edge youth work, this track is for you. Intensive workshops, expert mentoring and hands-on experience in a variety of youth work settings will equip you and draw out your gifting. Course tutors include The Tribe’s Tim Owen and LZ7’s Lindz West.
URBAN YOUTHWORK Evangelists looking for training in all aspects of community youth work will be challenged and stretched by this track. Working alongside our hard-core Eden teams and with placements in schools and prisons, you will develop the skills and confidence to reach cities with the gospel.
EDEN WORSHIP
new r fo
If you have a heart for 11-12 0 2 worship and a passion for the poor, the Eden Worship track will accelerate your gifting in worship leading and songwriting alongside frontline youth ministry opportunities. Matt and Beth Redman and other world class worship leaders will offer 1-2-1 coaching and writing sessions and you may have the chance to contribute to a 2012 Eden Worship album.
We’re extremely excited to say that Matt and Beth Redman will be guest tutors on the 2011/12 Genetik Course. They will help front a new Eden Worship stream which aims to train and release new worship leaders and songwriters with a heart for God and the poor.
N O I S S I M NE
O
LIVING IT OUT ON EDEN IT’S NOT JUST CLASSROOM TEACHING. GENETIK IS A 24/7 EXPERIENCE. All Genetik students will be placed with partner Eden churches and will live with Eden families or in community houses for the duration of the Genetik year. You will experience incarnational mission among young people on Manchester’s toughest estates, learning how to love and share the gospel with some of our hardest-toreach young people.
WHY ARE YOU GETTING INVOLVED IN GENETIK THIS YEAR? Beth was in the WWMT way back and spent a couple of years in Manchester. So much was inputted into her life through that experience, and a heart for what's going on through The Message has never left us. We love investing in people who are investing their lives in the kingdom of God and love hanging out with worship leaders and songwriters. There'll be so much fruit and we're anticipating seeing lives sharpened and changed – plus a load of new songs being written too! HOW WILL WORSHIP LEADERS AND SONGWRITERS GROW DURING THE GENETIK YEAR? One thing we're passionate about is growing people as worship leaders, and in particular as songwriters. Songs are such a powerful tool in the kingdom of God, and we're excited to encourage and equip people in this area, alongside all the other amazing stuff they'll be growing in. At the end of the day, the main fruit won't be more songs written, though. Instead, it will be lives changed. God is going to work powerfully both in and through the lives of those on this course. WHAT QUALITIES WILL YOU BE LOOKING FOR IN THE COURSE APPLICANTS? People who love God and love people, and love music – and in that order! People who have good character – that's always a good foundation to build something exciting upon. Those applying for this track will obviously have a passion for music and worship leading, but they'll also need to care about people – and have a heart to reach out way beyond the walls of the church.
“Genetik is not a performing arts school. It’s a holistic course, designed to create urban evangelists of the highest calibre.” Mat Walls – Course Leader
accept the challenge BOOK EARLY - DON’T MISS OUT!
Spread your wings and gain confidence as you share the Good News through OM’s short-term “Global Challenge” opportunities. Accept the challenge and you can join one of our International Interdenominational teams for six days or six months, sharing the Gospel in Asia, Europe, the Middle–East, Africa, Latin America, or aboard an OM ship.
connect Contact us now and we’ll send you a copy of Go4it the brochure that gives you more information about the short-term mission opportunities with OM.
For students and young professionals looking for an exciting summer holiday or a life-changing experience, it’s the perfect opportunity to experience God’s faithfulness and develop your gifts. Spread God’s love through prayer, music, sport, art, literature, drama and friendship.
There is so much God can do through you. Will you give Him the chance?
Go4it short term mission
with operation
– 2010
|Af rica |Ita ly|N ew Ze ala nd |Au str alia |Ch ile| |Belgium|Irela nd|Nepal|Germa Tur key | ny|France|So |Spain|Moroc uthAfrica| co|Asia|Portu gal|MiddleEast |Switzerland|F |Tunisia| rance|India|U nitedKingdom |Af rica |Ita ly|N |Russia| ew Ze ala nd |Au str alia |Ch ile| |Belgium|Irela nd|Nepal|Germa Tur key | ny|France|So |Spain|Moroc uthAfrica| co|Asia|Portu gal|MiddleEast |Switzerland|F |Tunisia| rance|India|U nitedKingdom |Af rica |Ita ly|N |Russia| ew Ze ala nd |Au str alia |Ch ile| |Belgium|Irela nd|Nepal|Germa Tur key | ny|France|So |Spain|Moroc uthAfrica| co|Asia|Portu gal|MiddleEast |Sw Switzerland|Fra |Tunisia| nce|India|Un itedKingdom |Russia|
connect
to short-term
www.uk.om.or g/sh
orts
tel 01691 773388 email globalchallenge@uk.om.org web www.uk.om.org/shorts
//// THE MESSAGE MAGAZINE – ISSUE 05
mobilisation
Issue08
teams
Search the ch latest outrea e at options onlin rg/ www.uk.om.o shorts
Company reg. 2564320 (England & Wales) Charity reg. 1008196 (England & Wales) and SCO40988 (Scotland) OM, Global Challenge Co-ordinator, The Quinta, Oswestry, Shropshire SY10 7LT
His
radical
commitment to Christ changed
mission to China and mission itself
LEGEND
HUDSON
TAYLOR
///////////
‘China is not to be won for Christ by quiet, ease-loving men and women … The stamp of men and women we need is such as will put Jesus, China, and souls first and foremost in everything and at every time’ – Hudson Taylor udson Taylor’s career path was set even before he was born in 1832. His Methodist parents James and Amelia had a heart for the Far East and prayed, ‘Grant that he may work for you in China.’ God answered their prayer and though Taylor turned away from his parents’ faith at first, he made a radical commitment both to Christ and China at the age of 17. After training as a doctor and learning the basics of Mandarin, the zealous young man set sail for Shanghai in 1853. Arriving six months later, Taylor was not impressed with what he found. Most of China’s ‘missionaries’ were living comfortable lives employed as translators to wealthy businessmen. Few lived among the Chinese and even fewer ventured inland. Taylor immediately challenged the status quo by dressing in native clothes, wearing the traditional ‘pigtail’ hairstyle and setting off down the Huangpu River, preaching and distributing Chinese Bibles. This was a massive personal risk as the nation was politically unstable and foreigners were rarely made welcome. After a six-year stint, Taylor was forced to return to the UK, where he continued to be a passionate advocate for mission to China. Saddened by the lack of interest he found in others, he wrote ‘Can all the Christians in England sit still with folded arms while these multitudes are perishing?’
He longed to return and bring many others with him but after his own tough experiences, he was conflicted about how to do it. It was on a walk along Brighton beach one Sunday morning in 1865 when he felt God speak directly to him: ‘There the Lord conquered my unbelief, and I surrendered myself to God for this service,’ he wrote later. ‘I told him that all responsibility as to the issues and consequences must rest with him; that as his servant it was mine to obey and to follow him.’
His response was to form the China Inland Mission. It was radical to the core: his missionaries would have no salaries – they would simply trust God to supply their needs. Like him, they would adopt Chinese dress and work to take the gospel into the heart of the nation. Within a year, Taylor, his wife and four young children were on board a ship with 16 new recruits.
Not everybody found his leadership style easy – he placed the same high demands on others as he did on himself. His personal work ethic was grueling and the cost to his health and that of his family was high.
But his radical life inspired phenomenal commitment to the mission to China, recruiting hundreds of people to sacrifice the comforts of the UK and the US and obey God’s call to go. The ministry he founded lives on today as OMF International.
//////////////// FIND OUT MORE AT
www.omf.org
www.message.org.uk/flow ////
Be still, and know that I am God. Go to wordlive.org to enjoy a multimedia Bible experience
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MISSION
&
TEACH TEACH
DISCIPLESHIP Though we tend to see them as separate, they’re actually the same thing says Anna Thompson
ission and discipleship are two concepts that we tend to keep in their own separate boxes. The ‘discipleship’ box is quite cosy – it has carpet! Think of discipleship and we imagine a small group of people, sitting chatting about the Bible. The ‘mission box’ is just full of really loud people trying to get out of the box! But I think it’s time to take mission and discipleship out of their boxes, tear the boxes up, and recycle them. Because I think they’re the same thing. Let me explain. When we ask the question who is God and what is he up to in the world, parables like the Lost Sheep, the Lost Coin and the Lost Son (Luke 15:1-10) give it to us in a nutshell: something profoundly important has been lost and God is on a mission to find it and to bring it home. God is missio dei – God on a mission. There is an incredible energy and dynamism about the character of God. And with all he is, in a million different ways, he’s breathing out ‘I love you.’ Our calling is to know God’s love – to receive it and to let it become the centre of who we are. We’re called to know our loved-ness. Some people, even Christians have never received this love and struggle with communicating this good news to others. The missing link is the profound knowledge that at the core of who you are, God says ‘I love you’. And when we experience that love, we discover he is missio dei – he is the God who is up all night looking for us.
Hear more great teaching
Hear this talk and messages from other fantastic communicators on the Message Podcast. Available free from iTunes (search for Message Podcast).
What does it do to us to encounter this sent and sending God? In 2 Corinthians 3:18 Paul says, ‘as we reflect, we… are being transformed into his glory.’ If you genuinely experience God’s love for you it has to change you. Your brokenness gets gradually restored and your character begins to re-form around the reality of that love. Love becomes your core. It has to change us from the inside out. We discover a new purpose for our being. Mission is God’s rush of love towards this world and as you are transformed by the love you have received, you rush with love towards this world as well. And not just the times you pluck up the courage to share a 4 Points tract with someone. Every time you treat someone with compassion and dignity, you show love to the world.
it’s time to take
mission and discipleship out of their boxes, tear them up,
and recycle them.
So we need to ditch the boxes, because discipleship is mission. Experiencing Christ’s love for us, emulating him, being transformed into his likeness means there’s no other option – you’re on a mission with him! To be like Christ is to be on a mission. And mission is discipleship. Growing closer to Jesus, becoming more like him in his hunger for the redemption of this world. Love becomes your drive and love becomes your method. The only and inevitable result of an encounter with God is John 21:20 – ‘as the Father sent me, I am sending you’. Our daily prayer must be, ‘Lord, who are you and how can I be more like you?’ Mission and discipleship are the same thing – they are simply knowing God and existing as someone who knows God.
Anna Thompson is Eden Network National Development Co-ordinator. Alongside her work she is studying for a Professional Doctorate in Practical Theology researching ‘how God transforms’ in urban communities.
www.message.org.uk/flow ////
PRAYE The youth of our nation
and a lifestyle
of intercession
Message Prayer Coordinator James Aladiran explains the vision of Prayer Storm
ou only have to look around a normal prayer meeting to realise that young people don’t seem to be catching a passion for prayer. They tend to be mostly older ladies, very few men, virtually no young people. I went to America a few years ago for a youth gathering called The Ramp. There the Lord massively impacted my life and my heart was stirred for prayer in a way it had never been before. It seemed that because I was around people that carried a heart of prayer and intercession, I caught something that stirred what was already inside me. I realised: maybe young people that are not giving themselves to prayer simply because they’re not around others who are. Intercession is more caught than taught.
Intercession is more caught than taught //// THE MESSAGE MAGAZINE – ISSUE 05
ER
STORM The truth is, sometimes you don’t know you’re asleep until you wake up. Many people are asleep, but until they begin to get around people that are burning for God and are carrying this passion, they don’t know how much lukewarm-ness or complacency has got into them. We need to allow a zeal for God to be something that we’re not ashamed of, and just give God everything with our hearts and our soul, our might and our strength.
my heart was stirred for prayer in a way it had never been before
We’re seeing a lot of people come with addictions and distractions and the compromise is removed from their lives. There’s just a new focus – they go back to their churches and get involved in prayer. They start prayer groups themselves. That’s what we want to see God do through Prayer Storm. We want to see a whole generation catching a heart for prayer because God captures them.
The next
Prayer Storm 19 February 2011
Find out more by visiting www.prayerstorm.org www.message.org.uk/flow ////
TEACH
H ow to co p e when
It’s all about staying faithful, says Andy Hawthorne
aul comes into Corinth in Acts 18, the next stop in his plan to carry the gospel to the places of influence. It was a plan that was massively effective and led to the whole world being blessed. However I’m sure that as he entered Corinth, the plan didn’t feel all that effective. I’m sure that as he walked into this huge city, his heart was heavy. Because things seem like they’re starting to dry up. At the end of chapter 17, in verse 34, Luke writes, ‘A few men became followers…’. We’ve never seen a word like ‘few’ in Acts before! It’s always been vast numbers – 3,000, 5,000, whole regions. But now, despite his best efforts, Paul’s only seeing a few men coming to know the Lord. The finances weren’t coming through either. So Paul has to take up the profession he learnt as a rabbi. I’m convinced Paul did not want to be a tent-maker! We call our Eden workers tent-making missionaries – their call is to work at a job even though their hearts are in Eden. But Paul knew he was called full-time to preach the gospel and plant churches.
hi t s
They changed his whole view on things. Not only did they bring great news about a thriving church in Thessalonica, but they also brought financial provision. Paul could devote himself now exclusively to what he wanted to do. People started coming to know Jesus through Crispus – formerly a religious Jew. How this would have blessed Paul’s heart: the synagogue leader becoming a radical evangelist and winning many. Amazing, impossible things can happen once God starts to move on the back of our faithful digging in – even when it’s hard – proclaiming the good news, faithfully praying, doing what we’re called to do. Then, to cap it all, Paul gets an amazing word from the Lord: ‘Don’t be afraid. Keep on speaking… I am with you … I have many people in this city.’ ‘Many’ – we’ve gone from few to many again. Remember, this is virgin territory for the gospel. Out of 750,000 people in this debauched city called Corinth, there aren’t many believers yet. But the Lord speaks and this word carries him forward. He looks at the fields and sees they’re white for harvest. Many, many, many will come to Christ. Whenever we go into a school, a prison, an Eden community, we need to see that there are many called to honour him. That’s what we’re all about.
Six days a week, he’s got to work long hours making tents. But every Sabbath, he reasons in the synagogue, trying to persuade the Jews and Greeks. In short, Paul came into Corinth on the back of a lot of discouragement. When we get to that place, all we can do is be faithful. In the face of little fruit and lack of finance, all we can do is pray and be confident that things will change.
Impossible
things happen when we keep on doing what we’re called to do Then, ‘suddenly’. There’s so many ‘suddenlies’ in the book of Acts. Verse 5 says ‘suddenly’ Silas and Timothy come from Macedonia. Praise God for people with the gift of encouragement – who breathe life into your discouragement! They bring amazing reports from the church in Thessalonica. They share with Paul how wonderfully the church there is doing.
//// THE MESSAGE MAGAZINE – ISSUE 05
Hear more great teaching
Hear this talk and messages from other fantastic communicators on the Message Podcast. Available free from iTunes (search for Message Podcast).
WE NEED YOU MORE THAN EVER FOR ALL SUPPORTER ENQUIRIES SPEAK TO ‘Jo’ ON 0161 946 2328 Hi, I’m Jo! I’ve been happily married to Mike for the last 17 years and we have two beautiful daughters. Amy is 15 and training to be a professional ice skater. Beth is 14 and has an amazing heart for people. In fact, we have Beth to thank for introducing us to Jesus! She met him at the age of 5 thanks to a holiday club at Altrincham Baptist Church, and told her mum and dad all about him! If you phone The Message office, chances are you’ll get to speak to Jo Nicholson our Supporter Care Officer. Here’s everything you need to know – about Jo!
When the role of Supporter Care was created at The Message, lots of people called me to say they thought it had been written just for me!
‘We want to increase our monthly pledge to £50 because we were so encouraged by the recent mailing. We miss Manchester but are comforted in the knowledge that God is working through you. We pray daily for you and want you to know we love you.’
I get to travel around churches and events on The Message stand – sometimes my family comes along too. Back in the office, I spend time chatting with our supporters, answering their queries and helping them make donations to our work over the phone, from setting up regular direct debits to talking about leaving a gift in their will. It’s also a joy to hear people’s testimonies and words of encouragement and to pray with them. I really value every single supporter who takes the time to call.
‘I physically can’t do the work The Message do with young people, but my heart is to serve them. So by supporting you both financially and in prayer, I know I’m doing good.’ John, Northwich
Dave and Jane, Swansea
able to give? e ar d an , ad re e 'v u yo s ie the stor Have you been inspired by y on 0161 946 2328
Then call Jo toda
As a fast-moving, entrepreneurial and highly effective ministry, The Message is a magnet to Christian business people. Andy’s own background in business prior to founding The Message makes him an insightful communicator in commercial circles and his breakthrough stories of Gospel success are a great source of inspiration to believers with a personal business “wiring”. MBN members attend special events throughout the year, enjoy fellowship with likeminded business people in a context of security and trust, register their business on The Message website, enjoy hospitality at Andy & Michelle’s home for special invitation-only dinner parties and receive VIP invitations to high-profile Message events. In return, they give financially according to their capacity, promote the Trust and its work among their own networks and offer strategic input as and when appropriate.
“I’ve found the MBN an invaluable source of inspiration, encouragement and personal friendship. I’ve genuinely received far more than I’ve been privileged to give.” Paul Nadin, CEO, Venturonet Ltd.
If you’re interested to find out more, please contact Gordon Haynes: gjh@safegroup.co.uk or Tess Hartley: tess.hartley@message.org.uk – 0161 946 2304.
We were so impacted by the ‘For the Sake of the Nation’ letter and especially the graph outlining the rise of drug abuse and crime and the fall of the numbers of children in Sunday school. What a hard-hitting reality. What you’re doing is so important, we want to set up a regular pledge – today.’ Business Supporter, Rusholme
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