Below is a report that goes out to all of the Ivy Manchester Church. Its a review of 2011. Thanks for being part of the journey. Lets press into everything God has for us in 2012.
Love Alan
Students
There’s about 80000 students in Manchester with roughly 1% connected with a church. This is an astounding statistic that continues to stir me to be part of raising up young leaders that are deeply rooted in God’s story and encountering the Living God in the power of Holy Spirit. I continue to call students to live out their faith in community and reach out in love through creative ways to an increasingly unreached generation.
Churchinaclub
It’s felt like God has said yes and amen to Churchinaclub this year. We started the year with Churchinaclub being in local newspapers, national radio and being filmed for a BBC documentary. We have not paid a weeks rent at the Queen of Hearts club or our new venue Baabar, and we’ve even been allowed to bring our own food in. All of this has come as quite a surprise. Great though!
Churchinaclub continues to move forward with a vision to see a living dynamic expression of Christ’s body, his church visible on campus, in Fallowfield and in our daily lives. We have taken a step of faith in our year of surprises by moving from a fortnightly service to a weekly gathering. This has been a success with new people coming every week often with little or no faith and certainly with no connection to a church. This year, with a core community of about 60, we have connected with over 200 people - that is God’s grace and smile on us.
We’ve seen 3 students baptized this year, one of them was in the nightclub (don’t know how we got permission for that!). We’ve put on studentalpha courses, football tournaments, been out on the streets as a visible presence in Fallowfield and campus talking and praying for people connecting with hundreds of young people. We’ve resourced the CU’s mission and developed stronger relationships with other churches in the city (see www.thegatheringuk.com. I’ve been very encouraged to see leaders take on more ownership for the church gathering and mission with younger people involved in leading worship, services, prayers, grow groups and evangelism.
Churchinaclub is becoming an exciting base community for mission, discipleship and releasing young leaders. One example of quiet influence was seen in the summer when the riots kicked off in Manchester. The police, who know me from our late night ministry in Fallowfield giving bottles of water out, called me in to be a mediator during the riots. As church we are getting known in the area and becoming a trusted stakeholder. We hope to build on this in the future as we bless the local community and break the student bubble lifting their eyes to serve a city in need and be in relationship with a multi-generational family at Ivy.
This year has been a stretch for the team (and me) but God continues to add people and we’ve been so blessed by people willing to get stuck in and serve sacrificially to reach new people and set a higher bar to following Jesus. I’m convinced there is more on the horizon. I see us growing to hundreds of firebrands through many young leaders in teams pioneering the way in multiplying small communities in bars and clubs and further impacting the Fallowfield community with the gospel of Jesus Christ. This is destined to bear lasting fruit.
Prayer
As many of you know I have long felt a desire to see the church pray together in unity for God to breakthrough in revival. I’ve been privileged to be involved in seeing God stir and awaken hundreds of young people at Prayerstorm, most recently on 11/11/11. The 7:14 gathering is another prayer initiative that I’ve been connected with to see public displays of prayer which involved over 50 cities around the world simultaneously praying for God to heal their city and land.
Finally
A mention to the hugely creative and gifted Nick Duffy whom I’ve closely worked with to oversee and lead this ministry at Ivy and increasingly the leadership team (Rick Ashton, Jon Pearson, Ruth Taylor, Becky Duffy, Emily and Theo Bowyer, Dan Moynihan and Zeb Bowyer) at Churchinaclub. Thanks to all the students who make up who we are at Ivy and being part of turning the tide of a generation away from God. Finally, as with all married leaders in church ministry I massively appreciate my spouse. Thankyou Ruth for being so supportive and encouraging.
Bring on 2012!