flow 08

PLUS: / Genetik Sessions / Eden: What’s Next? / Twenty Legends

www.message.org.uk

/flowISSUE08

THE MESSAGE MAGAZINE – FAITH IN YOUNG PEOPLE

THE SPRINGEDITION 2012

INSIDE: HOW YOU CAN HELP

MAKE 2012 OUR BIGGEST YEAR YET

Join our teams in twenty fantastic fundraising ideas

//// THE MESSAGE MAGAZINE – ISSUE 08

THE MESSAGE MAGAZINE

ISSUE 08Editor:Alistair Metcalfe

Associate Editor:Ian Rowbottom

Senior Art Director:Dan Hasler

Graphic Designer:Bethan Wilson

Contributors:Emma Owen, Dev Lunsford

Advertising: E: [email protected]: 0161 946 2300

Subscription & Supporter Enquiries:Jo NicholsonE: [email protected]: 0161 946 2328

Contributing Photographers:Howard Barlow: www.howardbarlow.comLucy Smith: www.smithimaging.co.uk Sarah Scott, Alan Saunders, Flickr cc: Bright Tal, zizzybaloobah, 917Press, AMRosario, cara hilaire, SWANclothing, Ennor, Mark & The Zebra, ND strupler, Marshed, Black Country Museums, gorgeoux, roobarb!, Steve Tolcher, angelandspot

THE MESSAGE: Bruce Marshall, Dan Hasler, Ian Rowbottom, Jonathan Ogden, Matt Wilson

Contact:E: [email protected]: 0161 946 2300

flow – The Message MagazineLancaster HouseHarper RoadSharstonManchesterM22 4RG

www.message.org.uk/flow

FSC MARK HERE

Our cover graphic is a photo mosaic made up of hundreds of pictures from The Message’s journey over the last

twenty years, including this iconic image of The Tribe’s Tim Owen on stage at Festival:Manchester in 2003.

Read an extract from our anniversary book, Message 20, starting on page 10.

The Message Trust is a registered data user and only uses personal data in connection with its charitable purposes. Registered Office: Lancaster House, Harper Road,Sharston, Manchester, M22 4RGThe Message Trust is a company limited by guarantee, registered in England and Wales No. 3961183 Registered charity No. 1081467 VAT Registration No. GB 727 177616


The Message’s missions teams kicked off 2012 with a bold new goal – to visit every high school in Greater Manchester with a Message schools team within the next five years.It means reaching into 152 schools – some of them for the very first time in 20 years.Missions director Ian Henderson explains: ‘Our dream is that every young person growing up in Greater Manchester will hear the gospel from one of our bands or theatre company at least once in their school career. That’s a big challenge from where we are now, but we’ve got the people and the passion to do it.’As a step towards reaching the goal, The Message is trying to get in contact with every Christian working in education – as a teacher, learning assistant or support worker.

BE THE MIRACLE: If you’re a Christian working in education we’d love to hear from you. Please get in touch with Abi Sewart on 0161 946 2300or by emailing: [email protected]

EVERY PUPIL, EVERY SCHOOL BY 2017

ABOVE: LZ7's Lindz and Rob during a schools week


JASON WAS ON

A QUEST TO DESTROY

HIS LIFE – UNTIL HE MET

THE HEALER

www.message.org.uk/flow ////

work

pleasurecommitment

PASSION

PASSIONAndy Hawthorne explains the first of our four core values

ou might have seen signs up in one of the big supermarkets recently declaring, ‘It’s our

values that make us different.’ And it’s true: an organisation may be shaped by its vision, but it’s driven forward by its values. For us at The Message, our first core value – and the main thing that makes us different – is passion. We’re a passionate people, passionate for Jesus and passionate for souls. Probably the only thing that marks me out as different from anyone else is passion. I’m very average in a lot of ways: middle age, average intelligence, living in a semi-detached house, one wife, two kids. But the good news is that it’s the passionate people who change the world. You could have all the gifts on the planet but without passion to drive you forward, you’re going nowhere.

YOU NEVER OUTGROW PASSION Twenty years is a dangerous time in an organisation’s history. Between 20 and 25 years is around the time when many start to go off the boil. You see it in ministries, businesses and organisations that start off radical, passionate and fearless but then get boring. Track back through history at revival movements: they make tremendous headway in a short space of time but then something gets lost and they go from ‘great’ to merely ‘good’. As an organisation grows, yes, you have to have structure, discipline and strategy, but ahead of all of it, you need passion.

LET’S KEEP OUR ZEAL The charge of Romans 12:11, written in big letters in our prayer room, is ‘Never be lacking in zeal but keep your spiritual fervour.’ In other words, it is possible to be lacking in zeal and to lose our spiritual fervour. I’m challenged every time I read those words and think back to the early days of The Message. We were nuts! We were driven by utter passion. Maybe it was over the top. Maybe we did work too hard. But I never want to lose that zeal. One of our early songs has the line, ‘All over Manchester I wanna see revival!’ In that shout is where this thing started and where it will end. We are a revival movement. God’s promised us that we are going to see rivers in the desert… we’ll see wild animals honour him because that’s what they were formed for… we’re going to inherit a land for Jesus. There’s so much more to come.

NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE Because Jesus inspired Paul to write those words, ‘Never be lacking in zeal’, we know it can happen. Every command of scripture can be turned into a promise. It means that all of us can have spiritual fervour, all of the time. We may display it in different ways, but we can all be passionate people. So take responsibility, examine yourself. Stand before Jesus and ask yourself if you’ve lost any passion. And get it back. I keep coming back to this quote: ‘When work, commitment and pleasure become one, you reach that deep

well called passion. Here, nothing is impossible.’ We need to be a community where these

things really do come together, where we’re not ‘clocking on and clocking off ’ but where

passion runs through our veins; passion for young offenders coming to Christ, for schools being turned around, for the most hurting in society. More than anything, a people passionate about the glory of Jesus in this city and our nation.

01 PASSION 02 LOCAL CHURCH 03 COMMUNITY 04 INNOVATION

Download all 4 core value talks from The Message Podcast

or contact us for a CD. To order yours, call Jo Nicholson on 0161 946 2328 or email [email protected]

TEACH

Cider, cheese & comedy nightMessage:Creative manager and part-time cider maker Dan Hasler is hosting a night of cider and cheese tasting with a special performance by Manchester-based comic Andy Kind. Keep an eye on our website for ticket information.

Photography for SaleMulti-talented Twelve24 singer Christina Otoo-Anakwa will be selling limited edition prints of spectacular scenes captured around our beautiful city. Snap one up yourself during February.

Bake saleLots of Message friends

including administrator Ruth Barker will be baking up a storm

in aid of our work during the year. Why not put on your pinny and join them, selling batches of

delicious muffins, cupcakes or other sweet treats in your school,

office or workplace?

SwishingGraphic designer Bethan Wilson is organising a Swishing (clothes swapping) party in April. Guests pay a small entrance fee and bring clothes they no longer want to swap for fabulous new ones – meaning you get to save money and raise money for The Message at the same time. Fabulous, darling!

Three Peaks ChallengeConquering Scafell Pike, Ben Nevis and Snowden within the space of 24 hours is no mean feat (in fact it’s about 11,178 feet in total!) Josh and Ryan from Twelve24 will be part of a team of Message friends who will take the endurance challenge on during 2012. You could too!

RunningLots of our health-conscious staff will be attempting sponsored runs during 2012, including the Sheffield 10k (Sept), the Great South Run (Oct) and the Wilmslow half-marathon (March). Video specialist Bruce Marshall will outrun them all with five consecutive 20ks over the May bank holiday. Phew!

Family Fun QuizReflex volunteer Les Hutchinson is organising a family quiz in Poynton where every question has something to do with the last 20 years. Teams can be up to six people and there’s something for everybody. The event takes place in June.

Sponsored IroningPressed for time? In March, Reflex team leader Simon Sullivan will be auctioning 20 two-hour slots of ironing. Simon will come to your home, drink your tea and do all your ironing for you. All you need to do is make sure you’re one of the highest bidders as the totals in-crease (geddit?).

Big Band ConcertBus manager Julie Mason and trust fundraiser Helen Murphy are hosting a night of big band music in November to raise brass for The Message.


01

02

03

04

05

06

07

08

09

Page 14-15 Multiplying Genetik

1 Andy Hawthorne on Passion

Page 22-23 Raise funds for us in 2012

Page 4 Every pupil, every school

Page 8-9 Jason’s transformation

Page 10-13 The next twenty...

I do hope you're planning to get hold of a copy of Message 20, our 20-year celebration

book (see below). I’m sure you’ll agree it is really inspiring stuff and ‘required reading’ for all Message supporters past and present. We’ve been running hard for the past two decades and it’s been good to stop and reflect on all that God has achieved through a very ordinary bunch of people with a passion to make Jesus known and see lasting transformation come in his name.

I’m convinced that none of this change would have come without the faithful prayers of people like you. You really are our key partners and a huge blessing to us as we duck and dive and try and reach as many as possible with the good news.

As we now go again in 2012 and plan for our biggest year to date, it really is more important than ever that we see more people stand with us through praying, giving or living long-term on one of our inner-city Eden teams or as part of our fantastic year-out programme, Genetik.If you could be such a person and help us write the story of the next 20 years, please fill in the response form in the centre of this magazine.

Thanks as ever for your support.

“Help us write the story of the next

20 years...”

MESSAGE 20 SPECIAL DELUXE HARDBACK ANNIVERSARY BOOK AND CD

£15 BOOK £10 CD £20 BOTH(FREE P&P)

Order online at www.message.org.uk/shop or call 0161 946 2300

OUT NOW!



The Message’s missions teams kicked off 2012 with a bold new goal – to visit every high school in Greater Manchester with a Message schools team within the next five years.It means reaching into 152 schools – some of them for the very first time in 20 years.Missions director Ian Henderson explains: ‘Our dream is that every young person growing up in Greater Manchester will hear the gospel from one of our bands or theatre company at least once in their school career. That’s a big challenge from where we are now, but we’ve got the people and the passion to do it.’As a step towards reaching the goal, The Message is trying to get in contact with every Christian working in education – as a teacher, learning assistant or support worker.

BE THE MIRACLE: If you’re a Christian working in education we’d love to hear from you. Please get in touch with Abi Sewart on 0161 946 2300or by emailing: [email protected]

EVERY PUPIL, EVERY SCHOOL BY 2017

ABOVE: LZ7's Lindz and Rob during a schools week

Over 100 students of The Message’s Genetik Sessions workshops performed for teachers and other education professionals at a special showcase event in January. Genetik Sessions offer first class tuition in breakdancing, street dance, pop vocals, music production, DJing, drumming and electric guitar to young people from 7 to 18 years at our HW in Sharston and Bowdon Street Academy.Tutors, who include members of Twelve24 and MaLoKai, encourage pupils not just in their creative skills but also in personal development and some with their spiritual walk.13-year-old Alfie (pictured left) started coming along to Genetik Sessions because he enjoyed dancing and like watching dance groups like Diversity. But the fun and friendship he discovered soon saw him also taking part in Poynton Baptist Church’s youth club, and later a summer camp. He became a Christian, and found God’s love helped him to overcome the pain of losing his father two years ago.Increasingly the Genetik Sessions team are hearing about other young people who would like to take part but can’t due to financial pressures, living in a single parent family or in a children’s home.For that reason, we have set up a bursary fund to offer places for free, helping more vulnerable kids grow their confidence and build friendships in a safe, loving environment with top quality facilities.For more information on Genetik Sessions weekly classes, visit www.message.org.uk/genetik.

Dance pupil Cameron Henderson, 8, is so passionate about Genetik Sessions that he produced Christmas cards to raise money for the Genetik Bursary fund. He raised an amazing £150.

For loads more fundraising ideas to help The Message, check out pages 22-23.


New research conducted by UCB shows that 1 in 5 Christian young people regularly read Word 4U 2Day, written together with our theatre company In Yer Face (pictured below).

Word 4U 2Day reaches 1 in 5 Christian teens

GOD ON THE MOVEIN PRISONSOur Reflex teams have been reporting extraordinary responses to our work on the wings and in Sunday Chapel over recent months. In one recent Sunday service in HMYOI Thorn Cross, a Message team including In Yer Face and Genetik students saw 20 first-time commitments to Christ and another 24 young men make recommitments.

‘It felt like such a significant day,’ says Reflex worker Tim Mycock (pictured left). ‘There were 50 lads there that Sunday, which is already amazing in a prison of only 320 lads. God’s presence was so strong in the room that once the service had come to an end, the lads refused to go for tea and coffee and instead called out for more worship!’

In HMP Hindley, the leaders of a recent Four Points group saw all eight young men on the course giving their lives to Christ after just two weeks, after Reflex worker Nick Shahlavi gave his testimony. Many of the lads reported feeling a special touch from God while they were prayed for, and were heard talking openly about what had happened back out on the wings.

The Message has partnered on the youth version of The Word For Today since 2004, translating the daily readings by Bob and Debby Gass into youth-friendly language. The magazine appears in print four times a year and is also available online, via email and as a podcast (also narrated by the multi-talented In Yer Face).Although aimed at 13–18s, the magazine also has a sizeable over-20s readership who love its direct style and sense of humour.

Andy Hawthorne was presented with his OBE by HRH The Prince of Wales at a special ceremony in Buckingham Palace on Friday 18 November.The honour recognises Andy’s achievements and service to young people in Greater Manchester over the last twenty years.


Word 4U 2Day reaches 1 in 5 Christian teens

A SNEAK PEEK AT OUR NEW EDEN BUSOur new Eden bus spent the winter in the workshop getting ready for its big debut in the new year. ‘Rose 3’ was a gift from Stagecoach Manchester and fitted out thanks to generous donations from individual supporters, partner churches and trusts.The bus is being fully refurbished inside and out, with a ‘Limo Zone’ with plush seats, LED lighting and mirrored ceiling; a 3D movie theatre; a music production studio; iMac Stations with web access; and ‘Pamper’ and ‘Craft’ zones. There is also an outdoor covered space designed to make full use of XBox Kinect.Current projects signed up to use Rose 3 every week include Bolton, Stockport and Liverpool, with new projects in the pipeline for Salford and Warrington.CAN YOU HELP? We are urgently looking for new volunteer drivers for our Eden Bus ministry. You need to hold an HGV, LGV or PCV licence. Please contact Julie via email: [email protected]

NOW RECRUITING:

BUSINESS MANAGERS

Opening later this year, the Message Enterprise Centre will deliver training, jobs and intensive mentoring to dozens of young men and women. And you can be a part of it.‘Right now, we are seeking six exceptional people to join our team as Business Managers,’ explains MEC Director Frank Green (pictured). ‘Each will be tasked with setting up a new business from scratch which will both turn a profit and recruit and mentor young trainees.‘We are looking to begin six new businesses in the following sectors: Café and Catering, Health and Beauty, Design and Print, Garden Maintenance, Contract Cleaning, and Fairtrade Import and Sales.’The MEC is seeking business-minded entrepreneurs with specific expertise in one of these sectors and a commitment to excellent customer service. They need to have a passion to see young, disadvantaged people achieving their full potential, and be committed Christians with a sense of calling to serve God in this way.Frank adds: ‘For these roles, we are looking for talented people who are able to bring the best out of others and the patience needed to train young people at different levels of competence. In return, you can expect a competitive salary, a thrilling work environment, and the opportunity to build a business with the potential to change lives.’For an application pack, visit www.message.org.uk/jobs



JASON WAS ON

A QUEST TO DESTROY


THE HEALER

eeting Jason Hooper today, it’s easy to imagine how the disciples

must have felt after watching Jesus heal the man with an unclean spirit.

For here is a young man once again ‘in his right mind’ after having almost killed himself through overdoses, self-harm and suicide attempts. It’s impossible to imagine how he could have turned his life around – expect for Jesus.

‘From as young as I can remember, I was never able to handle my temper,’ says Jason. ‘I was always in trouble in school, always smashing up my mum’s house, always running away from home. I even stabbed my own sister. My mum put me in care because she didn’t know what to do with me. I was just out of control.’

Introduced to drink and drugs while in a children’s home, Jason’s life was soon marked by violence and criminal behaviour.

‘I had no good influences. Looking back, I know I didn’t want to be that way. I remember thinking, “This isn’t me.” Deep inside my heart, I was always upset, always crying on my own. But I didn’t know how to get out of it.’

Jason was given his first prison sentence aged just 15, and went on to spend most of the next 12 years in custody. Prison itself didn’t help him – he continued taking and dealing drugs, still full of anger and unable to understand his emotions.

His self-destructive streak took over, as he tried one thing after another to harm himself: ‘I stopped eating for a week. I cut my wrists. I took overdoses. I whipped myself with a belt and buckle, cutting myself open. There was a point I was screaming so loud and for so long that blood was coming out of my lungs.’

After one of his sentences, he was so afraid that he would kill himself, he voluntarily handed himself in to a psychiatric unit. Jason was confined to a cell, with staff at a loss what to do. But then, one night, Jason had a dramatic encounter that would change everything.

‘I remember shaking, the blood in my veins was boiling – my whole body was in pain. I began walking round my cell,

thinking that if I stopped moving, I would die. That was when it happened. I didn’t know anything about Christianity or God but I knew Jesus was speaking to me. I felt like I was getting cleansed and cleaned by him right there in my cell.

‘After three hours, everything just stopped. All the pain, all the bad thoughts disappeared. My brain was empty and hungry for what God was showing me. I asked someone to go and bring me a Bible I had seen once on the hospital wing.

‘I opened it and started reading about sorrow, repentance and salvation. It was for me! God was speaking to me. I started crying my eyes out. Over a small space of time, he built me up rapidly. Before I knew it, I was finding out I can sing and play the guitar. I can speak to people about God. The staff couldn’t believe it.’

Soon after his life-changing encounter, Jason heard about some courses Reflex were running on the wings. Impressed with his new state of mind, staff gave him permission to join a group, where Jason met Simon, Matty and Nick from the Reflex team. They began to mentor him in his walk with God.

‘They’ve become like brothers to me – I feel like I’ve known them all my life. When it came to getting out, they set me up with a church. They come and pick me up, bring me into The Message, encourage me and help me out with what God’s got planned for me.’

Jason is now being considered for a place in one of the new businesses to be

housed in the Message Enterprise Centre, opening later this year. He is eager to work to establish a good life for himself and even has business ideas of his own.

‘I feel like a tree that’s come into the light – I’m getting the right nutrition at last. Words can’t describe what he’s done for me in my life — and this is just the beginning!’

JASON WAS ON

A QUEST TO DESTROY


THE HEALER

‘I feel like a tree that’s

come into the light

– I’m getting

the right nutrition

at last’


RIGHT: Jason is applying

to be one of the first MEC trainees

STORY


TWENTY YEARS

of Passion...

AND FOR ALL WE KNOW,THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING

By Andy Hawthorne

remember being asked a while ago what my favourite verse in the Bible was. How

can you answer a question like that? The Bible is a living book which means that my favourite verse probably changes every day. But on that occasion I said Ephesians 3:20:

“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine according to his power at work in us…” Isn’t that an amazing truth? God is able to do vastly more, not just than the things we dare ask for out loud when we are full of faith, but even more than the desires and dreams of our hearts. And not only that but he chooses to do it in partnership with ordinary, frail, inconsistent people like me and you. I guess that’s our story over the last twenty years: God has consistently done more than we’ve asked for. In fact, often immeasurably more than our dreams. Why? Because the gospel is a seed, and when that seed is planted in someone’s heart and in their life it has unlimited potential for multiplication.

Who could have possibly thought that when we set up Message to Schools in Mark’s spare bedroom that over the next two decades we’d see millions of young people’s lives touched? Who could have thought that so many ministries would be initiated and that things would spread out all over the world? Well, it’s happened and it is totally to God’s glory.

Of course thinking about all this gives us great confidence and great excitement about

the future. What we’ve experienced over the last two decades is a base from which God

will once again delight in doing more than we ask or imagine. And I’m completely confident that if I could get a glimpse now of the 40th year anniversary book we would be astounded with all that God is planning to do through us!

Obviously I don’t know it all, but if I could use one phrase to describe the next

season and the big vision of the Message it would be ‘the multiplication of disciples’.

We are believing for so much more than young people giving Jesus a high five at our events; we’re

believing for these seeds to be planted increasingly in good soil so that, as Jesus put it, they go on all the way with a good and noble heart and themselves produce a bumper harvest. There really is nothing more exciting than seeing that happen in the lives of people who once were some of the most broken that you could imagine.

God has consistently done more than we’ve asked for.

TOP LEFT CLOCKWISE: Emma Owen at Planet Life, Andy Mark & Zarc in the early days of The Tribe, Rob McGibbon with young people in Eccles, and Festival Manchester crowd



There are three areas in the next season where I think this multiplication will take place. Firstly, Genetik, our youth leader training scheme (see pages 14–15). It’s amazing to see the difference that can be made in a person’s life through one year of intensive worship, teaching and ministry, especially when it’s delivered alongside the opportunity to develop skills and put it all into practice day in and day out. In the next season we are really looking to step this up and be much more strategic by partnering with key friends around the world. Our plan is to bring gifted young men and women to Manchester for a year and let them catch our DNA while they take part in our team life. We want to get them resourced with the right music, sketches, presentations and passion to take the gospel out all over the world. We will keep a strong link with these teams and do all we can to resource and encourage them as they go out. Our dream is that in the next years there will be dozens of Message associate teams all over the world.

Thirdly there’s our new enterprise hub, The Message Enterprise Centre (see pages 7–9). It’s still just a dream at the moment, and right now we’re concentrating on fundraising and starting to transform the building next door to something fit for purpose. But it’s a dream that I’m convinced God loves and as such I fully expect to see multiplication kick in: multiplication of kingdom businesses providing great jobs, multiplication of great ministries up and down the country and a multiplication of entrepreneurial disciples literally doing the business for him.

It’s all good stuff and there’s all the potential in the world. As the guy who leads it I’m so privileged to be able to say that I wouldn’t want to do anything else anywhere in the world for any amount of

money. How many people can say that with their hand on their hearts?

The second key area of multiplication of disciples is Eden (see pages 18–19). In a few years’ time we will have nine fully functioning Eden hubs delivering dozens and potentially hundreds of Eden teams to bring transformation to our nation’s toughest estates. This network will have the potential to reach 95% of Britain’s most deprived areas, and hopefully it will start to develop other Message-type ministries up and down the country. Wouldn’t it be amazing to see Eden giving birth to schools teams, bands and prison teams? If the area called for it, how about buses, enterprise centres and local training schools up and down the country? We want to do all we can to encourage and resource others who have a similar heart but who might be working outside of our particular Eden hotspots to deliver just that. Whether in the UK or abroad, we’re convinced that things are going to multiply.

MEC

EDEN

GENETIK


FREE

STOCKS ARE LIMITED. DON’T MISS OUT!

MESSAGE 20 BOOK AND CDWHEN YOU BECOME A REGULAR GIVERTO THE MESSAGE TODAY

Sign up to support The Message with a monthly gift of any amount and we’ll send you a FREE Message 20 book and CD set. If you’re already a regular giver, simply increase your monthly pledge.

FILL IN THE FORM AND RETURN TODAY

SAVE THE DATE!

SAVE THE DATE!

TWENTY YEARS

FEATURING

Andy HawthorneMatt Redman & Band

Deronda LewisLZ7, Twelve24

and much moreAT AUDACIOUS CHURCH

For tickets and to join the Twenty Years

Celebrations visit www.message.org.uk/20years

17.11.2012

As story after story in our Message 20

book shows, countless new schools and

youth ministries have been birthed through

Genetik, as young people spend time training

with our team in Manchester and then take

our vision, our best ideas and our commitment to

excellence away with them to start something new.

But there’s a new dimension beginning to open up for

Genetik, as Mission Director Ian Henderson explains:

‘So far, Genetik has been about investing in individual

young people who share our passion for mission, and that will

definitely carry on. But we’re also keen to see whole schools

teams joining us to be trained on Genetik and then sent back

to their own cities or countries with a continued relationship

with us as Associates.’

It’s already happening: two former students from the 2010–

11 intake Georgia Houghton and Heather Turkington (pictured

above) trained with us last year and while here, heard God

talking to them about setting up a new theatre-based schools

team based in Belfast.

Within weeks of graduating

from Genetik, the new On The

Edge Theatre Company were

performing at the Summer

Madness festival and

spreading the word about

their vision to share the

good news in schools in Northern

Ireland. On The Edge are now Message

Associates – supported by The Message,

sharing our values, but independent.

Also last year, The Message was approached

by a youth network in Norway including Hege

(pictured below) called Impuls to help train and

release a new schools team for Norway. This year and

next, youth workers from Norway are training alongside

our teams with a view to launching a groundbreaking new

team there soon. Similar projects are being explored by

groups from the UK and the US.

‘The dream is quite simply loads more schools

teams all over the place,’ continues Ian. ‘We have

the best people to help put together high-impact

schools bands, and invaluable experience

of recruiting the right people, helping

develop the music and getting teams

ready to hit the ground running.’

We’re eager to talk with

anyone who shares that vision

– individuals and groups

alike. Get in touch to start

a conversation:

GENETIK IS ABOUT RAISING UP YOUTH EVANGELISTS

– AND NOW, WHOLE TEAMS

‘The dream is quite simply loads more schools teams all over the place’


Email: [email protected]

FEATURE

www.moorlands.ac.uk t: 01425 674500 e: [email protected]

Are you ready to start? Let Moorlands be your personal trainer

BA & BA (Hons) in Applied Theology

Youth and Community Work

(with JNC Professional Qualification);

Community and Family Studies; Evangelism; Pastoral;

Cross-cultural; Children and Schools Work.

CertHE, DipHE and one-year courses to suit all.

Degree courses validated by

Genetik is an outstanding springboard into a career in

youth evangelism or schools work.

Many other graduates from the 2010–11 intake have

gone on to accept a wide range of paid and voluntary

youth work and ministry opportunities in Manchester

and beyond.

Joe Burgess (pictured left) is the new drummer

for schools band LED, based in Plymouth. Hannah

Burnett joined Eden Openshaw, where she had

volunteered during her year, and Rosie Biggs is running

her own Genetik-style training programme for youth

workers based at her home church.

APPLY NOW for the 2012–13 Genetik courseOnce again offering Urban, Creative and Worship streams.To find out more, visit www.message.org.uk/genetik

PROUDLY SUPPORTING THE WORK OF THE A21 CAMPAIGN TOWARDS THE ABOLITION OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING LZ7 – LINDZ WEST & BAND

BETH REDMAN – SPEAKER MATT REDMAN & LIVE WORSHIP BAND

FOLLOW: @matt_redman @BethRedman @LZ7 @lindzwest @TheA21Campaign #27Million

///////////////////////

FOLLOW: @matt_redman @BethRedman @LZ7 @lindzwest @TheA21Campaign #27Million

Richard has been our Chair of Trustees since the very start and Sylvia has served alongside him in many valuable ways. They never

once looked to quash our faith or limit our plans, no matter how outrageous the ideas have become.

Quite literally two of the most generous people on the planet. Because of their incredible passion for young people, they have supported our

buses, Eden teams, our prisons work, the TLG school in Harpurhey, and much more for more than 18 years.

Mission mobiliser and founder of OM. Andy is blessed to be on George’s prayer list and regularly encouraged and challenged by him to keep going.

Faithful prayer supporter from her tiny home in the remote Welsh countryside. She prays her socks off day in and day out for The Message.

The musical geniuses behind The Message’s output in the early days with The World Wide Message Tribe. Without their visionary

commitment to excellence and passion for Christ it’s unlikely there would be a Message Trust today.

Manchester solicitor, passionate follower of Jesus and Andy’s mentor as a new Christian in the late 1970s. He gave us our first major donation.

Founder of Wigwam Acoustics and the first person Andy and Simon called after having the idea for Message ‘88. Technical genius.

Eden pioneer. After hearing Andy speak at New Wine one year, moved from Britain’s poshest postcode to the most deprived – in Harpurhey.

After bringing his youth group to Message ’88, Dave went on to devote multiple thousands of hours volunteering at our gigs and events.

Without whom there would be no Message Trust. She is also a passionate volunteer who prays every day for what we do.

She always believed we were the answer to a promise God gave her in the 1940s that he would move powerfully among young people in the UK.

///////////////////////> VAL GRIEVE:

> GEORGE VERWER:

> SISTER JAN ROSE:

> ZARC PORTER & MARK PENNELLS:

> MIKE SPRATT:

> LIZA FAWCETT:

> DAVE ASTON:

> CHRISTINE HAWTHORNE:

> ALISON HUDSON:

Get the

book! Turn to

page 13 now

who came to Manchester for Message 2000 and never left. Her heart for community transformation started with Eden and has grown into

pioneering new healthcare provision.

The very first Eden workers who moved into Benchill in 1997. Since then they have brought up their family in the same home, committed to the

local church and sending their kids to local school. They have played their part in seeing real change come to Britain’s toughest estate.

Passionate Jesus followers and another extremely generous couple. When the credit crunch hit and several of our major donors had

to significantly reduce their support, the sale of Paul’s business helped us through without cutting back on projects or laying off staff.

Perhaps the perfect example of The Message in action. He became a Christian when the Tribe visited his school; joined our Xcelerate

evangelists’ training school and now works full-time on our prisons team, helping young offenders discover Jesus.

> DAVE & COLETTE NUTTALL:

> PAUL & GILLIAN NADIN:

> TIM MYCOCK:

> LAURA NEILSON,

> RICHARD & SYLVIA JOHNSON:

> JOHN & ROSE LANCASTER:

For our Message 20 book, we picked twenty people who represent the passion and vision that has carried The Message Trust along for the past twenty years. It was an impossible task – and we know there are many glaring omissions. But here they are…


2012 will see lots of exciting new growth for Eden, confirming it’s a movement firmly on God’s heart

A movement isn’t a movement until you see people moving,’ says Matt

Wilson, national director of Eden and an architect of the Network since the beginning. ‘People are upping sticks and getting caught

up in what God’s doing in communities that continue to experience profound disadvantages.’ The movement Matt describes has already taken in neighbourhoods far beyond Manchester, where the first Eden teams began working with young people in 1997. Now regional hubs are thriving in the North East, Yorkshire and London, and exciting new doors are opening up in both the Humber region and Merseyside.

NEW PARTNERSHIPS In all, 24 Eden partnerships are now active or on the cusp of launching – see the box to find out where. In Hull, Eden Preston Road is urgently recruiting its team who will live and minister on the estate which has long-standing challenges: the area is in the bottom 0.26% of multiple deprivation nationally, with high levels of crime, benefit dependency and worklessness. The partnership will be boosted by strong links with the newly re-sited Archbishop Sentamu Academy on the estate (see picture). This 1500-pupil high school has a strong Christian ethos and its Principal is keen

to work closely with the Eden team to make a significant difference in the lives of young

people and their families. Sited in a highly multicultural area of

Sheffield, Eden Fir Vale is the third Eden team to be established in Yorkshire.

Team leaders Ben and Beth Baker are building links with local people

and organisations and engaging cross-culturally, getting to

know their Muslim neighbours and even learning Urdu.

In London, two new partnerships are set to commence in 2012, adding to the four already under way. Eden Brunel will be based on an estate in the Paddington area and Eden Plaistow is to be located in the area close to the West Ham football stadium in East London. And here in Manchester, plans are being drawn up for a new Eden in partnership in an estate called the Merseybank, in partnership with a church called Ivy Manchester. We hope to bring you more news about these exciting new Eden teams in the next edition of Flow. However, if you can’t wait that long you’re welcome to contact the Eden office directly, details below.

ASSOCIATES NETWORK A further significant development for 2012 will be a whole new kind of growth, an opportunity to go far beyond the current geographical boundaries of the Eden Network. Matt explains more: ‘We’re approached often by people who are encouraged by what God’s doing through Eden – they want to connect and receive support from us but they don’t fulfil our criteria for various reasons. Perhaps they’re not focused within a big urban population, maybe they don’t place the same emphasis on youth, or maybe their community isn’t quite in the bottom 10%. ‘But we really want to help them succeed too – we don’t want them to find themselves repeating mistakes we’ve made before. We recognise we need an easier way for them to connect with us to obtain some level of support, encouragement and resource.’ With that in mind, Eden is working behind the scenes on the nuts and bolts of what will become an Eden ‘Associates’ network. This will allow interested groups to benefit from Eden’s expertise without becoming full-blown Eden partners. Associates will have the opportunity to train with experienced Eden workers, join networking events and access lots of great resources. ‘In kingdom terms we hope this shift will have massive impact because it will offer us the opportunity to begin making a difference in many other places – perhaps even in other nations,’ says Matt.

'This shift means we will begin making a difference in many

other places'//// THE MESSAGE MAGAZINE – ISSUE 08

www.nazarene.ac.ukNazarene Theological College, Dene Road,Didsbury, Manchester, M20 2GU T: 0161 445 3063

Placement-basedlearning

Relevant,practicaltraining

Degree inTheology,Youth Workand Ministry

THINKING OFYOUTH WORK?

THIS ISN’T ‘ALL TALKAND NO ACTION.’

ACADEMIC AND JNC -PROFESSIONALVALIDATION

Naz Youth ad 2010_Naz Youth Advert (FLOW) 12/01/2012 11:14 Page 1

PROXIMITY CONFERENCE One part of the Associates package will be an invitation to be part of national events such as the upcoming Proximity conference, taking place on 25th and 26th May at World Harvest Bible Church in Salford Quays. Proximity will feature as its keynote speaker Dave Ferguson from Community Christian Church and NewThing Network. Dave is a serial church planter who has seen exponential growth in his movement of missional communities around Chicago. Also speaking will be Patrick Regan of XLP, who works with young people in several inner-London boroughs. Because of his experience of gang culture, Patrick became a key voice in the wake of the riots last August. And Nims Obunge, CEO of the Peace Alliance and pastor of a church in Tottenham, has also joined the speaking team, responsible for leading the conference’s devotional times. ‘Nims actually gave me a great insight that helped me see Eden in a whole new way,’ says Matt. ‘He said to me, “Biblically, Eden signifies the work that God’s begun and is inviting us to be part of.” Wow! Now that’s great theology! We’ve always known that Eden is God’s movement, not ours, he’s doing something special through Eden and we just want to keep up with him.’You can find out more about the Proximity conference and the new Eden locations on Eden’s website: www.eden-network.org

Matt's new book, 'Concrete Faith', is the inside story of the Eden Network.It's packed with inspirational and personal stories and shares the lessons learned and challenges faced by Eden teams over the last 15 years.

The book will be out in May, but Flow readers can pre-order a copy for just £5 at message.org.uk/shop.


work

pleasurecommitment

PASSION

PASSIONAndy Hawthorne explains the first of our four core values

ou might have seen signs up in one of the big supermarkets recently declaring, ‘It’s our

values that make us different.’ And it’s true: an organisation may be shaped by its vision, but it’s driven forward by its values. For us at The Message, our first core value – and the main thing that makes us different – is passion. We’re a passionate people, passionate for Jesus and passionate for souls. Probably the only thing that marks me out as different from anyone else is passion. I’m very average in a lot of ways: middle age, average intelligence, living in a semi-detached house, one wife, two kids. But the good news is that it’s the passionate people who change the world. You could have all the gifts on the planet but without passion to drive you forward, you’re going nowhere.

YOU NEVER OUTGROW PASSION Twenty years is a dangerous time in an organisation’s history. Between 20 and 25 years is around the time when many start to go off the boil. You see it in ministries, businesses and organisations that start off radical, passionate and fearless but then get boring. Track back through history at revival movements: they make tremendous headway in a short space of time but then something gets lost and they go from ‘great’ to merely ‘good’. As an organisation grows, yes, you have to have structure, discipline and strategy, but ahead of all of it, you need passion.

LET’S KEEP OUR ZEAL The charge of Romans 12:11, written in big letters in our prayer room, is ‘Never be lacking in zeal but keep your spiritual fervour.’ In other words, it is possible to be lacking in zeal and to lose our spiritual fervour. I’m challenged every time I read those words and think back to the early days of The Message. We were nuts! We were driven by utter passion. Maybe it was over the top. Maybe we did work too hard. But I never want to lose that zeal. One of our early songs has the line, ‘All over Manchester I wanna see revival!’ In that shout is where this thing started and where it will end. We are a revival movement. God’s promised us that we are going to see rivers in the desert… we’ll see wild animals honour him because that’s what they were formed for… we’re going to inherit a land for Jesus. There’s so much more to come.

NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE Because Jesus inspired Paul to write those words, ‘Never be lacking in zeal’, we know it can happen. Every command of scripture can be turned into a promise. It means that all of us can have spiritual fervour, all of the time. We may display it in different ways, but we can all be passionate people. So take responsibility, examine yourself. Stand before Jesus and ask yourself if you’ve lost any passion. And get it back. I keep coming back to this quote: ‘When work, commitment and pleasure become one, you reach that deep

well called passion. Here, nothing is impossible.’ We need to be a community where these

things really do come together, where we’re not ‘clocking on and clocking off ’ but where

passion runs through our veins; passion for young offenders coming to Christ, for schools being turned around, for the most hurting in society. More than anything, a people passionate about the glory of Jesus in this city and our nation.

01 PASSION 02 LOCAL CHURCH 03 COMMUNITY 04 INNOVATION

Download all 4 core value talks from The Message Podcast

or contact us for a CD. To order yours, call Jo Nicholson on 0161 946 2328 or email [email protected]

TEACH

Cider, cheese & comedy nightMessage:Creative manager and part-time cider maker Dan Hasler is hosting a night of cider and cheese tasting with a special performance by Manchester-based comic Andy Kind. Keep an eye on our website for ticket information.

Photography for SaleMulti-talented Twelve24 singer Christina Otoo-Anakwa will be selling limited edition prints of spectacular scenes captured around our beautiful city. Snap one up yourself during February.

Bake saleLots of Message friends

including administrator Ruth Barker will be baking up a storm

in aid of our work during the year. Why not put on your pinny and join them, selling batches of

delicious muffins, cupcakes or other sweet treats in your school,

office or workplace?

SwishingGraphic designer Bethan Wilson is organising a Swishing (clothes swapping) party in April. Guests pay a small entrance fee and bring clothes they no longer want to swap for fabulous new ones – meaning you get to save money and raise money for The Message at the same time. Fabulous, darling!

Three Peaks ChallengeConquering Scafell Pike, Ben Nevis and Snowden within the space of 24 hours is no mean feat (in fact it’s about 11,178 feet in total!) Josh and Ryan from Twelve24 will be part of a team of Message friends who will take the endurance challenge on during 2012. You could too!

RunningLots of our health-conscious staff will be attempting sponsored runs during 2012, including the Sheffield 10k (Sept), the Great South Run (Oct) and the Wilmslow half-marathon (March). Video specialist Bruce Marshall will outrun them all with five consecutive 20ks over the May bank holiday. Phew!

Family Fun QuizReflex volunteer Les Hutchinson is organising a family quiz in Poynton where every question has something to do with the last 20 years. Teams can be up to six people and there’s something for everybody. The event takes place in June.

Sponsored IroningPressed for time? In March, Reflex team leader Simon Sullivan will be auctioning 20 two-hour slots of ironing. Simon will come to your home, drink your tea and do all your ironing for you. All you need to do is make sure you’re one of the highest bidders as the totals in-crease (geddit?).

Big Band ConcertBus manager Julie Mason and trust fundraiser Helen Murphy are hosting a night of big band music in November to raise brass for The Message.


01

02

03

04

05

06

07

08

09

Help us celebrate twenty amazing years by doing your own fundraiser for The Message – or joining in one of ours! Here are twenty inspiring ideas to get you started

Coast to Coast Bike RideA team of six Message staff will ride from the Irish to the North Sea in July, completing a mammoth journey of 147 miles. Sore bums are guaranteed, but so is loads of cash for The Message. Don’t forget your cycling clips.

Plank for GloryGenetik course leader Mat Walls is very good at lying still in odd places. It’s called Planking – and it’s much harder than it looks. Sponsor him to do 20 increasingly outrageous ‘planks’ over the summer.

ZumbathonZumba is the latest dance and fitness craze to hit Britain – and anyone can do it. Give it a try by joining our massive two-hour Zumbathon taking place this summer in Cathedral Gardens. For more info, keep an eye on the Events section of our website.

Canoeing down the ThamesMissions director Ian Henderson will travel from Oxford to London down the Thames by canoe, taking in the sights as he goes. Which epic voyage have you always dreamed of taking?

Twelve gigs in 24 hoursTwelve24 are undertaking a gig-a-thon with a planned twelve performances in one day during May. Sponsors will be able to book the band to perform a private gig anywhere around Manchester. Let’s make them sweat!

Dinner JazzMessage staffers Dev Lunsford and Andre Adefope will team up with Reflex’s Tim Mycock to put on a sit-down dinner with live jazz. As well as cooking up a memorable night out, the gang hope to raise hundreds of pounds for The Message.

Oil Paintings

Sponsored EvangelismMessage prayer coordinator James Aladiran is leading a team who will attempt 20 straight hours of evangelism in Manchester City Centre during the spring. If that sounds like good news to you, why not join them in March.

Fashion ShowKicking off the year, Emma Owen and Emma Kizlauskas hosted a fashion show at The Message with bargain-priced fashions in Janary.

19 Eden national director Matt Wilson

will paint 20 Manchester landmarks in oils and aim to sell them all at

an exclusive invite-only exhibition. Why not put

your artistic skills to good use raising money for our

vital work?

Car washesIn Yer Face team member John Dean will put down his script in favour of a sponge in April as he aims to clean 20 cars in two weeks. We think it’s a wheely great way to raise cash fast for our crucial work in schools, communities and prisons. Why don’t you join him?

Your own ideaIf you think it could raise money for The Message, give it a go! For more details about these ideas or for advice on setting up your own event, contact Tess Hartley on 0161 946 2304 or [email protected]

Keep track of all our fundraising endeavours during 2012 via our website,

www.message.org.uk/20years

10

13 16

17

18

19

20

14

15

11

12

flow 08

Documents

message magazineissue

message magazine issue

message schools team

rgthe message trust

greater manchester

registered charity

registered office

registered data user