ChurchMCR: Latest News from Organisations

Manchester Bible School - Autumn Season 08 highly valued

The 6 modules taught at Manchester Bible School this autumn received a very positive evaluation by the students.

The modules, varying from biblical exegesis to worldview to more pastoral emphases, were attended by nearly 100 students.

We hope to announce the autumn 09 series of lectures later in the Spring.

Network (LEF) - New Media Appointment for Network

We are delighted to let you know that we have appointed Keith Ayling as the new Media and Communications Officer for Network.

Keith has extensive experience in design and has produced a beautiful magazine which features Christians artisans, looking at arts in a Christian perspective. His work with the charity Bigsky Trust, a charity using music to work with the poor has led him to be involved in the lives of 20,000 kids in Eastern Europe, the refugee community and the developing world.

Thanks to Ben Gilchrist for his previous work in this role. Ben has been appointed in leading civic participation in Tameside Council and will remain part of the Network coreteam.

We continue to tell the story of Christ in our city and look forward to all 2009 will bring

Challenge Team UK - Driver required for national tour

The Challenge Team is currently made up of 2 girls and one guy who have been touring since September .They deliver an hour long presentation about why it is still possible, and realistic, to save sex for marriage, in today's sex driven society. They toured the North West for 2 months and managed to reach 5,000 secondary school pupils in and around the Manchester area. The response from pupils and teachers was fantastic.

Throughout the northern tour we employed a full time driver, as none of the current team can drive. Sadly, they could not continue through to the new year. If you might happen to know of anyone over the age of 21 who holds a UK drivers' license and is free for a couple of months to drive the team around the country and stay with them on the road, we would greatly appreciate it if they could get in touch as soon as possible.

The vehicle is provided, also, all food, accommodation, spending money, and travel to and from home at school holidays. Because of the urgency of the request, if there are concerns with money and the upkeep of bills while travelling, we would do what we could to help with this.

For more details please ring me on: 07889 383 688

Thanks, and any prayers would be much appreciated,

Debs Johnson,

Team Leader.

Micah Challenge in G't Manchester - Joel Edwards is commissioned as new Director of Micah Challenge International

The dropping value of the pound against the Euro must not be used as an excuse for governments to neglect their promises to the poor, said Micah Challenge’s new International Director.

Rev Joel Edwards spoke at his UK commissioning as Director of Micah Challenge International, a movement of Christians calling governments to account to achieve the Millennium Development Goals by 2015

“We may fear for the value of the pound in the brink of a recession but it has as much value as ever when it comes to the help it can bring for poor communities around the world”, he said.

“The clear message from church leaders in the UK and around the world, to our governments is this: keep your promises to the poor.

“To revise our promises on the basis of domestic self interest is a natural political response but it is a retrograde step.”

He added: “The poor should not become invisible because we are hurting.”

Mr Edwards also called on churches to elevate care for the poor above their choirs and worship bands to make it part of their core business. The UK commissioning event, held at London Institute of Contemporary Christianity and hosted by Micah Challenge UK, saw key church leaders sign a letter to Prime Minister Gordon Brown calling the British Government not to let the financial crisis deter them from standing by their commitments to the Millennium Development Goals.

Andy Clasper, Executive Director of Micah Challenge UK said: “Micah Challenge is bringing churches and charities together to campaign at critical times in the months ahead to ensure that leaders around the world are held to the commitments made in the MDGs.”

Micah Challenge is a global Christian campaign whose aims are to challenge international leaders of both rich and poor countries, to achieve the Millennium Development Goals, and so halve global poverty by 2015.

Ends Media enquiries: Lucy Cooper / Charis Gibson 0207 207 2107 / 0207 207 2117 NOTES TO EDITORS: § Micah Challenge is a coming together of people, in 40 different nations, who want to take up the challenge laid down by Old Testament prophet Micah, and speak out against the injustice of global poverty. Micah Challenge UK is working with churches, charities, and others to help people think differently about global poverty, and to empower them to pray, act together and speak out for its alleviation. § Micah Challenge UK’s members include: African and Caribbean Evangelical Alliance (ACEA), Alpha International/Holy Trinity Brompton, BMS World Mission, CBM UK, Christian Aid, Christian Medical Fellowship, Christian Today, Evangelical Alliance, Faithworks, Christian Blind Mission, Global Connections, New Frontiers, Oasis, Shaftesbury Society, SPEAK, Tearfund, Scripture Union, World Vision UK. See www.micahchallenge.org.uk.

Challenge Team UK - 5000 students heard save sex message in the north.

With a team of three we managed to visit 22 schools, with 42 presentations, reaching a total of 5335 secondary school pupils.

We present assemblies with an hour long interactive, humorous, and above all realistic presentation, about how it is still possible to save sex for marriage in today's society. We have had fantastic feedback from both teachers and pupils, and over half of the schools booked, had never had us before, and have taken literature to recommend us to other schools.

Sadly we didn't get any response from Liverpool this year, and we ask for your prayers on this matter. We have always had a number of bookings, but after quite a threatening phonecall with a government official last year, we question if they have taken action to keep us out. We are currently chasing this up.

The team re-group again in January for three months for the National Tour, in which they should reach up to 10,000 students.

We have a couple of needs in the run up for the National Tour, if there's any way in which you can help please feel free to contact me on 07889 383 688, or e-mail challengeteamil@yahoo.co.uk

Sadly, none of our current team members can drive, so we are on the look out for a full time driver from January-March. They'd need to be over 21, with a full UK drivers' license. The next tour takes them all over the South and the Midlands, including; London, Nottingham, Oxford and the Isle of Wight.

We are also currently looking for a fourth team member, a team is generally made up of two guys and two girls, so we would need another male to make this complete. The talks are holding together extremely well, but we believe with another guy to balance it out, it could only get stronger. Again, for more infomation on this, please click the link: www.year4god.com/listing.php?viewlisting=436

Please pray for:

a full time driver for January
effective presentations with good responses
the students that have chosen to save sex, that they will receive support from friends and families
more schools to book
the passion in the presenters to keep burning, and to give them a freshness with the talk in the New Year.

Many thanks for your support,

Debs Johnson (team leader).

Network (LEF) - Impacting Society- one footprint at the time

Forum for Change concerns the long-term transformational work of the church, aiming to facilitate discussion between Christian professionals in the cultural drivers about how we offer an alternative worldview and seek the wellbeing of society.

We have launched a regular email called 'Culture Footprint', featuring disciples in Arts, Media, Business, Education, Politics and other professions who bring the presence of Jesus in the culture. This is a colourful collection of artisans, entrepreneurs, media makers, teachers, actors, singer/songwriters, and politicians, seeking the wellbeing of society – one footprint at a time.

Network (LEF) - Manchester is vital in EA’s Don’t be a Stranger

The Archbishop of York advises on neighbourliness and mercy at the Alliance's eighth Temple Address as part of the Alliance's 'Don't be a Stranger' campaign.

Britain can climb out of recession by abandoning greed and instead investing in neighbourliness and a sense of community, according to the Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu.

'While we have all benefited from the economic progress of past decades, the consequences of rampant consumerism and individualism – both economic and social – have been to eradicate the glue that coheres community together.

Centred around the theme of migration and community cohesion, the evening launched the Alliance’s ‘Don’t be a Stranger’ campaign. The campaign is aimed at encouraging the British public to build strong communities, which are particularly welcoming to migrants.

The campaign showcases stories from migrants who have come to the UK and the churches and charities working with them, as well as resources for people who want to find out how they can do more to help. Boaz Trust is a key part of the campaign material.

See www.eauk.org/nostrangers/.

Network (LEF) - National Campaign Features Greater Manchester Asylum Seeker & Refugee Advocate

National Campaign Features Greater Manchester Refugee Advocate

Dave Smith and Maron Ehata featured in national campaign on migration

A campaigner in Manchester who has aided asylum seekers and refugees for the past four years has called people to befriend migrants this Christmas.

Dave Smith is featured in an Evangelical Alliance photographic exhibition and campaign launched this week. The Don’t Be a Stranger campaign calls on British people to be good neighbours to migrants in their area this Christmas.

Dave is the director of the Boaz Trust who work across Greater Manchester with asylum seekers providing accommodation for them, assisting them in finding medical and legal services, befriending them and campaigning on their behalf.

“One lady said she had often been asked whether she appreciated a roof being put over her head and she replied yes, but she was more grateful to have a friend,” Dave said.

Maron Ehata, 38, who was helped by Boaz Trust and is currently working for the Red Cross Refugee service, is also featured in the exhibition.

“You feel like society does not have great connections between people who live in houses next door to one another,” said Maron. “This is not what I am used to - where I was born you spend time together on the streets. I would chat to my neighbour.”

Maron arrived here in 2001 from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, but despite suffering persecution in his homeland, he was refused asylum. He was finally granted leave to remain and is now married with a young child.

“The person I came with decided he would go back because he couldn’t be here,” said Maron. “I remember I used to cry a lot.”

After being burgled by his neighbour and left destitute, he appeared at the Mustard Tree, a Christian charity working with the homeless in Manchester. Two of the workers there gave him food, new shoes and asked if they could pray with him.

One of those workers was Dave Smith. The Smith family kept Maron in their house after he arrived until he got back on his feet.

Dr R David Muir, Head of Public Policy at the Evangelical Alliance, said: “Jesus doesn’t ask us just to love those we would naturally share Christmas dinner with – instead, he challenges us to re-evaluate who our neighbours are and to welcome those we consider to be strangers.

“Maron Ehata and Dave Smith have really taken this challenge seriously, and their dedication to supporting migrants is an inspiration that we hope others will follow.

“Inviting someone you don’t know to your home for a meal is a great way to build community, and we call on everyone – no matter your background – to give this a try this Christmas.”

Dr Muir is inviting members of the public to illustrate this by sending pictures and stories of friendships to add to the photographic exhibition, which will tour the UK as part of the ‘Don’t be a Stranger’ campaign.

Don’t Be a Stranger was launched at the Evangelical Alliance’s annual Temple Address of 27 November 2008. Guest speaker at the event was the Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu.

The Archbishop challenged listeners to use the economic crisis to turn away from society’s “rampant consumerism and individualism.” He called for us to re-create a community of responsibility, mercy and compassion for those in need – including asylum seekers and migrants.

“The opportunity which is before us as a nation is to use this time of crisis to create a renewed shared vision of community based on service rather than caring for number one, on covenant rather than contract, on duty rather than entitlement,” he said.

He referred to the case of Ama Sumami, from Ghana, who was deported after her visa expired, despite facing certain death from cancer on her return as she would be unable to afford the medical treatment she had started in Cardiff.

More detailed stories and resources are featured on the Don’t be a Stranger website, www.nostrangers.org.uk, where readers are encouraged to send in their own stories and photographs.

If you would like the exhibition to tour to your church or community, please contact Nicole Holmes at n.holmes@eauk.org.

Notes to editors

For more information, photographs or interviews, contact Charis Gibson on 0207 2072117, c.gibson@eauk.org or Lucy Cooper on 0207 2072107, l.cooper@eauk.org.

The Evangelical Alliance, formed in 1846, is the largest body serving evangelical Christians in the UK, and has a membership including denominations, churches, organisations and individuals.

The Alliance is an “Alltogether” movement of Christian organisations, churches and individuals uniting to change society through spiritual and social transformation. The Alliance works together on strategic issues of national importance, while also promoting and supporting one another’s work.

According to a Tearfund survey (Churchgoing in the UK, 2007), there are approximately 2 million evangelical Christians in the UK. For more information about the Evangelical Alliance, go to www.eauk.org.

PeaceWeek - Peace Week planning is under way...

The first planning meeting for PeaceWeek 2009 only just fitted into the room! Lots of people buzzing with creativity, ideas and enthusiasm. The theme is going to be "Hands Up for Peace."

Next meeting is Thursday December 11, 12 noon at the Powerhouse, Raby Street, Moss Side.

We now have a short video online from a BBC News report on PeaceWeek 2007. Worth watching as it sums up a lot of what PeaceWeek is about. I think if we'd written the script ourselves we couldn't have improved on it!

The Boaz Trust - Online game

BOAZ has a link on its web site to an interactive UN asylum game - to give an idea of the life experienced by asylum seekers . . . well worth checking out

The Boaz Trust - post-Christmas DETOX & DIET

Having feasted over Christmas how about planning to take the BOAZ detox?

Live on a Red Cross Food Parcel for a week: a real opportunity to raise awareness about the plight of destitute asylum seekers

You could also use this as an opportunity for your friends & colleagues to sponsor you for the week & so raise additional funds for BOAZ

WE DARE YOU! ARE YOU UP FOR THIS CHALLENGE?

Details on the BOAZ web site www.boaztrust.org.uk

Network (LEF) - Old Trafford Seeks Urban Miracle For Gang Culture

As reported in the M.E.N this week, Tuesday 11th November 2008, saw members of several communities meeting in Old Trafford to seek a solution to Manchester’s gun and gang problems. St. Bride’s church hosted the first in a monthly series of Urban Miracle events to reflect on gun and gang issues, which will happen on the second Tuesday or every month.

Joe Malaika, Chair of Old Trafford Independent Advisory Group and a community volunteer who is helping to organise the event said, “We are welcoming people from a variety of backgrounds and experiences to visit, reflect and pray about this important issue in different ways according to their comfort level — for example, by lighting candles, writing, verbal prayers, meditation, written quotations and simple quiet moments.”

The event aims to give visitors a calm, neutral space with several displays set up to help facilitate prayer for young people, their families, the agencies that work with them, and the community as a whole.

Joe Malaika added, “The title of this event comes from the belief that if across the city people are praying, a miracle will occur as people’s hearts are changed and awareness is raised so that there will be less gun and gang violence, more positive expressions of community, and young people using their energy positively. We hope that other communities, cities and groups will have similar meetings and spread the movement across the UK.”

For more information please contact Joe Malaika on 07903 102 620 or e-mail boldsista@hotmail.com

Pop Connection - Pop Connection - A Community Cohesion Initiative

Community Cohesion

PeaceWeek - PeaceWeek 2009

The next inner-south Manchester PeaceWeek will be March 7-14. As usual it is open for anyone to join in and help to generate some good news. Email for more details.

Network (LEF) - US Bishops Visit Manchester For 2008 Black History Month

A delegation of Black Pentecostal Bishops from the USA visited Manchester from Thursday 23rd to Tuesday 28th October as part of their UK visit for Black History Month taking part in events at Parliament and Manchester Town Hall. They were led by Archbishop J Delano Ellis, the Metropolitan of the Joint College of African American Pentecostal Bishops which has a global membership of 25 million Pentecostal Christians. The Bishops participated in this year's Joint Service of Celebration, Ordination and Licensing by Manchester's Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) Churches at Manchester Cathedral on 25th October from 10am till 1pm.

Bishop Doyé Agama, President of the Apostolic Pastoral Association, who hosted the Bishops in Manchester said, “The Bishops’ visit is a highlight of Black History Month when we can celebrate positive Black Church contributions to British society and the world. These events are about promoting knowledge of the Black Church, as well as wider black history, culture and heritage. The events help in raising the profile, awareness and confidence of the BME Community, and the understanding of these communities by the wider society. It has been an especial privilege to have Archbishop Ellis leading this delegation from the USA to share a wealth of experience on church organisation and development.”

On their Manchester visit the Bishops were hosted in a Civic Lunch by the Lord Mayor of Manchester and met with the Bishop of Manchester as well as a number of other community leaders to share perspectives on Black Church contributions to community cohesion and crime reduction.

Archbishop Ellis is a native of Pennsylvania and holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in History and Sociology from Howard University, a Masters Degree in Religious Education from Nazarene Seminary, as well as a Doctor of Philosophy Degree in Ecclesiology and Episcopacy from Staffordshire University in England. He is also the recipient of four honorary degrees from various Universities in the United States and the United Kingdom.

Prior to Archbishop Ellis’ present responsibility as Senior Pastor for the Pentecostal Church of Christ in Cleveland, Ohio, he served the Church of God in Christ, headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee for over thirty-five years. After several years of committed service, the Joint College of Bishops elected Archbishop Ellis to the titular rank and dignity of Metropolitan-Archbishop for that Communion of Pentecostals. In 2006, Archbishop Ellis was elected to the office of Senior Bishop of the Pentecostal Churches of Christ, and continues to teach and mentor pastors and Bishops throughout the United States in the area of leadership. He also serves as Adjunct Professor at Beulah Heights University in Atlanta, Georgia.

Manchester City Mission - Street Soccer into 4 boroughs!!!

Street Soccer has a great volunteer base but is always on the look out for more like minded people with a heart for the homeless and a willingness to serve.

There are many ways in which you can get involved in Street Soccer:

Come along to a practical football session and build relationships with the guys.
Get involved in mentoring these men who have so much potential.
Provide your washing machine to wash the kit each week!
Be available for special events when we need extra 'hands on deck' with serving food, setting a venue up etc...

If you would like further information of how to get involved in Street Soccer then contact us via our email address (mancitmis@aol.com)

Also, if you would like to be added to the 'Street Soccer Newsletter' to be kept informed of latest developments with the ministry and to support the guys (and us!) in prayer then sign up to our mailing list. This way you will also be sent 'Clear Call', the Manchester City Mission newsletter highlighting other projects and ministries we are involved with. Again, contact us at the above email address and we'll contact you with further information. Thank you!

Micah Challenge in G't Manchester - Micah Sunday Sees Worldwide Christian Response

Micah Sunday has prompted hundreds of churches in the UK and thousands of churches worldwide to send a clear message to global leaders: keep your promises to help the poor.

Churches across the UK used sermon themes, creative prayer and worship ideas to present practical ways to engage with the issues that face the world’s poorest people on 19 October.

This year’s theme highlighted the effect climate change has on the poor. Participants were encouraged to make a stand by calling on Prime Minister Gordon Brown to secure a global deal that helps poor communities adapt to the effects of climate change, ahead of December’s UN climate talks in Poland.

Micah Sunday is an annual event which aims to galvanise the international church family to act on behalf of the world’s poorest people. Many churches took part in Stand Up and Take Action which is an initiative organised by Global Call to Action Against Poverty calling on people to literally stand up in Micah Sunday services to have their voice counted.

Last year, 43.7 million people joined the Stand up and Take action campaign worldwide, setting a new world record, and they anticipate that the record has been broken again this year.

Thirty-one Micah Campaigns worldwide took part in Micah Sunday. Kenyan Christians hosted a huge prayer rally and many churches across the world have organised practical aid as part of their campaign, with food being distributed in Burundi to those affected by the drought in Gitega and medicine and clothes to Abidjan village in the Ivory Coast as part of their practical response.

Andy Clasper, Micah Challenge UK Executive Director, said: “To my mind the interconnectedness of our world that the current financial crisis demonstrates makes it more important, not less, for us to keep our promises to the world’s poor.

“If the Church worldwide can just raise its voice on the issue of extreme poverty, then huge changes can be made. This generation could yet be remembered as the one that wiped extreme poverty from the face of the earth.” Micah Sunday Sees Worldwide Christian Response

Micah Sunday has prompted hundreds of churches in the UK and thousands of churches worldwide to send a clear message to global leaders: keep your promises to help the poor.

Visit www.micahchallenge.org.uk/micahsunday to find out more.

Manchester Bible School - New Autumn Modules M'r Bible School

John Owen will teach on Paul's letter to the Galatians. David Hughes will teach on The Journey of Ascent and Descent. Henk Alting will teach on Our World: By Change or Design

Church's Ministry among Jewish People - Still Around

. . . . and I passionately want to be involved in Mission in and around the Great City of Manchester (along with Salford and Bury, of course!!)
It was GREAT to be at the Cathedral & Velodrome last week, and to share the Good News with a young Jewish Girl!!

Network (LEF) - Tom Sine & The New Conspirators In Manchester To Create The Future

Press Release

International speaker Tom Sine will be creating a buzz in Manchester from Tuesday 30 September to Wednesday 1 October at a series of talks at the Nazarene College in Didsbury based on his latest book The New Conspirators: Creating the Future One Mustard Seed at a Time. Tom’s book explores how a new generation are conspiring to re-imagine and create new expressions of discipleship, community and mission to make a difference in our rapidly changing world.

Tom Sine says, “I want people to learn from what God is doing in four innovative streams in the contemporary church and then give a guided tour of major new challenges facing the world and the church in the 21^st Century. The encouraging message is that our own faith, though it be as small as a mustard seed, can make a real difference in the world. God is inviting us to join his conspiracy – to imagine fresh ways of celebrating the coming kingdom.”

Tom Sine is a consultant in futures research and planning for both Christian and secular organisations, speaking widely at colleges, churches, and missions conferences and leading creativity seminars for a variety of Christian groups. He works together with his wife Christine, to assist organisations to evaluate how their world, nation and communities are changing so they can adapt more adequately to face the challenges of the 21^st Century and helps Christian organisations develop a holistic theology of mission. Tom and Christine are the founders of Mustard Seed Associates (www.msainfo.org), which raises awareness of issues facing Christians and churches in the future and enables people to develop creative responses.

Marijke Hoek, from Network, the Greater Manchester Local Evangelical Fellowship, who are co-hosting the events, says, “With each story in this fabulous new book I felt moved, inspired, and called to action. This is a significant and compelling contribution to debate about what sort of future we want to create and it’s exciting to have Tom here in the city to speak to us.”

Tom’s work has won international praise as, “rich with challenge and inspiration,” and he has been called “a great teacher and genuinely wise guide.” His latest book is an inspirational tour-de-force that invites us to celebrate the future into being and is a must-read for anyone seeking to understand where the church is heading in these turbulent times. His skill is in drawing together stories and threads from all around the church and world and then giving a deeply insightful analysis of the problems and opportunities we face. Well known author, speaker and activist Jim Wallis has called Tom’s work, “An insightful look into the rapidly changing face of the church in the 21st Century.”

Tom will be giving three talks at the Nazarene College (www.nazarene.ac.uk) in Didsbury, Manchester: Session 1: Travelling in Turbulent Times with the New Conspirators (Tuesday 30th September, 15:00 - 17:00), Session 2: Taking Turbulent Times Seriously (Tuesday 30th September, 19:00 - 21:00) and Session 3: The Imagination of the Future (Wednesday 1st October, 10:00 - 12:30).

NOTES FOR EDITORS

Tom Sine’s latest book is The New Conspirators: Creating the Future One Mustard Seed at a Time (Paternoster, 2008). Other books include Mustard Seed vs McWorld: Reinventing Life and Faith for the Future (Baker 1999), Cease Fire: Searching for Sanity in America’s Culture Wars (Eerdmans 1995) and Live It Up! How To Create A Life You Can Love (Herald Press 1993). He also co-authored with his wife, Dr. Christine Sine, Living On Purpose: Finding God’s Best for Your Life published in January 2002. He is also an adjunct professor for Fuller Theological Seminary in Seattle and teaches a course on Christian World View. Details of his talks in Manchester are below:

Tom Sine - The New Conspirators (book online at http://www.eventbrite.com/event/144262493)

Tuesday 30^th September – Wednesday 1^st October

Tom Sine will soon be spending 24 hours in Manchester exploring his recently published book ‘The New Conspirators’. This series of 3 interactive talks, plus plenty of time for meeting others, will take place at the Nazarene College (www.nazarene.ac.uk) in Didsbury, Manchester:

Session 1: Travelling in Turbulent Times with the New Conspirators (Tuesday 30th September, 15:00 - 17:00)

How do we understand church and mission in our current times? What have we got wrong and what have we got right? Tom will be exploring these questions with us and then offering four snapsnots of how the New Conspirators are engaging with contemporary society.

Session 2: Taking Turbulent Times Seriously (Tuesday 30th September, 19:00 - 21:00)

If economic globalisation is a major driving force what are the challenges faced in our world and church today? What is our Christian responsibility to one another, the planet and the most vulnerable? Tom will offer some reflections on these questions and more.

Session 3: The Imagination of the Future (Wednesday 1st October, 10:00 - 12:30)

A final session to encourage us to join in with the new conspirators in imagining and creating new approaches to whole life faith, community and mission.

For more information contact Ben Gilchrist - 07525 030 495