CHURCH
MAGA ZINE.
jun • jul • aug • sept 1
ASK SEEK KNOCK Parent prayer (monthly) Brotherhood prayer (fortnightly) ALL CHURCH PRAYER (Every SUnday at 9.50am) See audaciouschurch.com for dates Please email prayer requests to pray@audaciouschurch.com 2
CONTENTS 06 10 15 38
h e ll o Welcome to another edition of !Audacious Magazine, packed with articles, information about everything coming up in the next few months, and some behind the scenes content. Having started the first half of the year focussing on our brand new DNA course, we’re really excited to push into the second part of 2012 with more momentum, passion and determination than ever before. I AM !AUDACIOUS is all about us together living out the bold, fearless, daring mission Jesus gave us. !Audacious is not a place we go, a building, or a meeting; it is everyone of us taking our place, building the church we have all dreamt of. It’s incredible to see what God has already done this year with nearly 500 people having made decisions to start an amazing journey of discovering Jesus, and nearly 60 people being 4
baptised in our first baptism service of 2012, with two more coming up in June, and September. Our Easter Day services were the largest attended services in our short history, and Brotherhood Conference with John Bevere was a landmark weekend for the men. And to think that is just the beginning of what God wants to do with us in 2012. Right through June to September we will have our culture defining !Audacious Conference, over 2 weeks, with Ps Russell Evans (Planetshakers), Rich Wilkerson Jr and Reggie Dabbs; and our 5th Birthday at the end of September with Ps Paul & Jo Geerling (Metro Church Brisbane), as well as our Summer Sundays.
Enjoy the summer months, the Manchester sun(!), and continuing to build great friendships. Bring on the barbecues! All our love
Glyn & Sophia
o. 5
RELIGIOUS
BY PS GLYN BARRETT 6
“Another time Jesus went into the synagogue, and a man with a shrivelled hand was there. Some of them were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal him on the Sabbath. Jesus said to the man with the shrivelled hand, “Stand up in front of everyone.” Then Jesus asked them, “Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they remained silent. He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored. Then the Pharisees went out and began to plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus. (Mark 3:1-6 MSG)
The Pharisees had, for a period of time, been looking to find something to pin on Jesus that could lead to his imprisonment, or His death. Here, they found him doing something that was potentially a breach of the law; something that had some substance. The Pharisees had clearly missed the point of The Law. Jesus corrected their error, but this new thread of evidence against Jesus meant that there was no chance of them backing down, and so they persisted in their accusations. Ironically, the Pharisees had a deep desire to please God. Their passionate, persistent upholding of The Law was, in their eyes, the ultimate evidence of living a life pleasing to Him. However, they had become deceived in thinking that fulfilling the law was the highest call. Jesus Himself said that man was not created for the law but rather that the law was created for man. For the Pharisees, it was irrelevant what Jesus was doing to override the law; their only concern was an obsessive quest to follow it to the exact letter. This is the principle difference between a religious person (the Pharisees), and a person who has a living, genuine relationship with God. It is vital that we continue in a vibrant relationship with Him and do not allow ourselves to become simply religious, doing our Christian duty but missing the point completely. There are a few key differences between a religious person and a person living in right 7
FOR US TODAY, JESUS IS THE DEEP REST. HE CALLS ALL WHO FIND THEMSELVES IN A STATE OF UNREST (PHYSICALLY, EMOTIONALLY OR SPIRITUALLY), TO SPEND TIME IN RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM TO DISCOVER WHAT IT MEANS TO RECHARGE, AND FIND FULL APPROVAL IN THE PROCESS. 8
relationship with the Father. Religious people tend to observe the following patterns: 1. THEY MISUNDERSTAND GOOD NEWS After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!” (Mark 1:14-15). In the Ancient Greek wars, the great battle of Marathon had been fought between the Greeks and the Spartans. After the battle had been won, the good news of this victory was being spread to all the people. The GOOD NEWS was that someone had fought for them, and won! GOOD NEWS is very different to GOOD ADVICE. Good advice is something to try to live up to, and can potential weigh you down with burden. GOOD NEWS however is a celebration of something already accomplished. Religious People fall into the trap of thinking that religion is based on ‘the gospel’ being merely good advice. The Gospel od Jesus however, is nothing to do with what YOU CAN DO, but everything to fo with what HE HAS ALREADY DONE FOR YOU! It’s not based on your ability to be good, rather it is based on the fact that HE IS
GREAT!
3. THEY DON’T LIVE IN A PLACE OF REST
2. THEY FOCUS ON THE DETAIL
By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done. (Genesis 2:2-3).
One Sabbath Jesus was going through the grainfields, and as his disciples walked along, they began to pick some heads of grain. The Pharisees said to him, “Look, why are they doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?” He answered, “Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry and in need? In the days of Abiathar the high priest, he entered the house of God and ate the consecrated bread, which is lawful only for priests to eat. And he also gave some to his companions.” Then he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.” (Mark 2:23-28). Jesus is teaching His disciples is that a life motivated only to comply with rules and regulations is no life at all. Put simply, it’s ‘the spirit of the thing’ that’s important, not the letter of the law. Truly, most world religions are based on a person trying to attain a standard in order to receive God’s approval. Christianity is totally different. There are not a series of rules that you must comply to in order to be IN! This is about what He has done for you so you can be accepted!
God demonstrates our need for rest at the very beginning of the Bible. Jesus reminds his followers of this in Mark 2; the word Sabbath means ‘deep rest’. For us today, Jesus is the deep rest. He calls all who find themselves in a state of unrest (physically, emotionally or spiritually), to spend time in relationship with Him to discover what it means to recharge, and find full approval in the process. “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30) There’s rest that we need on a deeper level than simply having a break from our work. We need rest from self-justification. Isaiah 9:6 confirms that Jesus is our ‘Prince of Peace’ - we need to spend time in God’s presence in order to simply say ‘it’s good, I’m done”. This is true rest.
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A-teams is all about affecting our community with God’s love. Each Thursday night is an opportunity to reach out to the homeless and into the red light district. We thought it was time to spread the word about what the team get up to. 10
9:30AM
5:30PM
The day starts bright and early!
Our team of volunteers arrive, often straight from work, to set up and pull together a fantastic 3 course meal.
Anna arrives to start the preparation by putting on the slow cookers for tonight’s main course.
6:45PM This is a chance to pray and delegate jobs for the night; whether that’s to welcome guests, work in the kitchen or sit and chat to the guys and girls that come along. While this takes place in church, out on the streets of Manchester, the detached teams are spread out across the city taking food and hope to people exactly where they are. 11
7PM
7:30PM
7:45pm
Open doors! The first half an hour is a chance to grab a brew and chat.
Food is served! Soup is our starter and tonight it’s vegetable.
The detached teams leave Central Campus taking flasks from church and call into Eat (the very kind sandwich restaurant) where they collect free food to give away to those they meet. They visit various areas of the city including the red light district.
8PM
8:30PM
The main course is served. There’s a 5-week rolling menu including hearty meals such as beef and dumplings.
And finally time for dessert! During this point in the night members of the team set out tables with clothes and blankets that the guys can take away with them.
THROUGHOUT THE EVENING We have a representative from Harvest Housing who are available to talk through housing options with the guests. As a result, we have already successfully placed two people in accommodation. Another expert is on hand to help the guys with their CVs and is currently looking to approach local businesses in order to help the guys into work. We also have a hairdresser who is on hand once a month to give our guests a haircut! Prayer request forms are available for people to complete on the evening. 12
Julian Wolstencroft has recently started as Community Pastor here at !Audacious
Talking to Julian, it’s clear to see his compassion for the people of the city and his heart to serve them. We caught up with him to hear a little more about his vision for the future. “We’re currently developing our hamper packs that we give away to those in hostels. We’d like to expand the work we do to different parts of the day too. Monday morning would be a fantastic opportunity to serve breakfast and run basic training from English and Maths tuition to practical workshops where skills can be learnt and developed. We would also love to have our own van or bus so that we can take what we have out into the places where the people are. Long term we’re going to have an !Audacious community centre open 7 days a week! Right now we’re looking for volunteers. It would be great to have people from within church who have specific skills that could perhaps come down
one Thursday a month that can contribute what they have/know to benefit our guests. Perhaps you work in Social Care and could offer benefits advice? Or in the Health arena and could advise on safety and well being? And of course, we need people to serve whether that’s washing up, serving tea and coffee or providing company and conversation with the guests. We would love to have you on team so please get in touch.” Julianwolstencroft@audaciouschurch.com Central to the heart of the house is to love and serve our city. Jesus lived for the poor and needy, and we want to follow His example. If you are interested in serving on !A-Teams contact the church office or speak to Julian for more information. We’d love to hear from you. 13
TEA PA RT Y You a join u re invited s to we t lcom for High T o e in t ea he Su Frida mme y 13 r
th J 7.30p uly 2012 m with Ps S o £6 pe phia Barr e r per son tt Wom en on ly
CENTRAL CAMPUS !AUDACIOUS CHURCH • TRINITY WAY • MANCHESTER •M3 7BB
ON THAT DAY Actress Emma Hartley Miller recalls the moment she found her freedom
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I have known God my whole life. I was brought up in a loving, Christian family but for some unknown reason, at around the age of 12, I became obsessed with what I ate. Nothing traumatic happened to me, no one said anything to me, I just woke up one day and my mind was no longer my own. From that day on, I wasn’t able to eat anything without a voice in my head commenting on it and berating me for it. I developed an eating disorder which I “managed’’ through my teenage years. My eating habits, my obsession to over exercise and what I looked like became normal to me and everyone around me. Food controlled me; I found I was a slave to my own mind but I managed on a physical level to keep it at bay. I would insist I was fine until I genuinely believed I was. My self-loathing was something I grew to accept as a way of life. It wasn’t until my early 20’s, as I grew in my relationship with God, that I decided to look at what I called my ‘’food problems’’. As soon as I focused my attention on the problem, my eating disorder got out of control. Physically I hit my lowest point, as I became adamant on making myself ill and with this came severe depression. I began to do everything and anything I could think of to make myself worse. I became trapped in a cycle of starving, binging and making myself sick. I then moved on to laxatives. I would reach the point where I would spend every night lying on the bathroom floor in agony, trying to get 30 minutes sleep in between needing to be on the toilet. I was unable to continue working as I couldn’t help myself taking the tablets at work and would have to go home ill nearly every shift.
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I started cutting myself because it was the only way left I could punish myself and, in my eyes, atone for being me. I couldn’t stand to look at my appearance and I hated even the thought of myself. Getting out of the house became almost impossible and I was convinced that my friends would be better off without me. I didn’t believe people when they said they loved me and I couldn’t bear to be around anyone. The depression became so much bigger than the eating disorder that I didn’t know what I was even battling with anymore. At times I would be doing ok until someone told me ‘’ you look really well’ which would send me back into self-destruction because it meant I wasn’t doing a good enough job at damaging myself. Being ill was my only identity and what I thought made me special, if I wasn’t that then I might as well be dead. This was my existence for 5 years; attending an eating disorders clinic with a psychologist and permanently on a high dose of antidepressant medication. Some years I managed better than others. But it was about existing, not living. The whole time I was part of !Audacious Church where I had incredible support from my friends and pastors, and knew that God loved me. I knew in my head that as a Christian I was supposed to be free but my heart didn’t ‘know’ that. I would pray to be set free but deep down couldn’t give God that part of me as I was scared the person left would be even worse than the person I already was. This Christmas everything changed. I went on a
“Emma, you think people only love you conditionally and they can stop loving you if you aren’t good enough or don’t do the right thing. You also think you are responsible for other people’s emotions. All of this is a lie.’’ These words went straight into my heart and I realised it was exactly what I had been trying to work out for years. It was the root of why I felt the way I did. The next day; New Years Day, I went to church. Before the service even started there was what looked like gold glitter swirling around in clouds, which I came to understand was a manifestation of God’s presence. As the service went on, I was worshipping and the presence of God became so strong and tangible when something clicked, I just thought ‘’Oh right, that’s who You are, I get it!’’ I instantly understood who God was. Up until that point I knew He was powerful and loved me, but in that moment my heart experienced the truth of what I believed. I said “If that’s who You are then
“I INSTANTLY UNDERSTOOD
family holiday to Redding in California where my sister and brother in-law were studying at Bill Johnson’s church; Bethel. I found family holidays difficult as I couldn’t get to a gym or follow my own eating regime. I had to hide my medication and generally put on a mask as someone who was completely together. I couldn’t bare to upset my mum and dad with everything that was going on and I thought I was protecting them. On New Years Eve whilst on holiday, I was spending some time talking to God and writing in my journal as I often do. It was in that simple moment I heard him very clearly saying:
Everything that ever gripped and bound me was completely gone. I physically felt a weight had lifted off of me. My mind was completely free and for the first time in my life I could eat what I wanted. I could skip the gym and it had no emotional affect on me whatsoever. I felt no guilt, no shame and no fear; the things that I had put up with my entire life had gone. I realised that there was no voice telling me what I could and couldn’t do. Not only was I able to look in the mirror without crying, I could genuinely say out loud that I loved myself. I experienced every situation that would have triggered my thought life to take over and felt absolutely nothing. After 18 years of torment I didn’t have to try and convince myself anymore. I literally felt like the blind man who was given his sight back. The life I am now experiencing is something that I never dreamed existed. I had a psychologist, medication and great support and yet none of this could ever do what God did in a moment. He didn’t take away my eating disorder and my depression - he simply showed me who He was and in turn who I was, my position and the power
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I walk in. He opened my eyes to the lies I lived by. As soon as I accepted the truth, everything that was a lie in my life had to disappear because a lie cannot exist in the presence of Truth. Since that one encounter, I have been discharged from the unit and have started to come off my medication. If we all understood our position, who we really are and the power that we operate in, then everything and everyone around us would change. I accepted and agreed with lies from such a young age and was tormented by living in a false reality. I accepted living a mediocre Christian life. That wasn’t how I was ever meant to live. It took one revelation of the truth of God and I escaped to the freedom I am now living.
“
IF WE ALL UNDERSTOOD OUR POSITION, WHO WE REALLY ARE AND THE POWER THAT WE OPERATE IN, THEN EVERYTHING AND EVERYONE AROUND US WOULD CHANGE
“
I know exactly who I am. I know my position and I know the authority I walk in.’’ Throughout that service God said to me ‘You are a new creation, you have not been ‘fixed’; you are completely new.’’ If you are made new, there are no scars left, there is nothing of the past to go back to. I felt this incredible overwhelming joy and I kept randomly bursting out into laughter! I knew that something significant had happened to me but it wasn’t until I got back home to Manchester that I realised the extent of what God had done.
STUDENTS
!AUDACIOUS STUDENTS NIGHTS START AGAIN ON 5TH OCTOBER 2012 Until then: TWITTER: @Aud_Students FACEBOOK: /audaciousstudents or email miketash@audaciouschurch.com
We caught up with a few people after Church to find out what made them call !Audacious their home... 20
The Dugdale Family On walking into the old building in January 2010, we were greeted at the door with CHOCOLATE (awesome), and everybody was friendly and welcoming! We love the fun guitar wars, hog roast, Life Groups, the welcome bags, and connections! We live 66 miles away in Heysham near Lancaster, but people began to invite us round in-between services because of the travel! We just love the outreach into the community, to the lost and broken; it’s a giving Church! We love that the leadership is made up of a group of people with the same heart and vision - to expand the Kingdom of God! Penny Pope I found !Audacious by looking for red doors (it’s a long story - a friend told me to look for red doors and our old building on Mary Street had them!) I
found it noisy and dark and I told God I wouldn’t like it BUT when the worship started I was hooked. I enjoy the freedom in !Audacious Church to be me, and to worship God with freedom. Allison Boateng I didn’t really believe in God and had never had any interest in going to Church, but I walked into something I had never experienced before, ever! Firstly the people - everyone seemed so friendly, so welcoming, so genuine The music - loud, uplifting, meaningful. The style - relevant, modern, creative! The atmosphere - alive, inspiring yet homely. All this (coupled with a really powerful sermon delivered by someone who spoke with such conviction) literally left me blown away. Although I didn’t know a lot about God, I did feel a complete sense of belonging. I love the feeling that we are all family together in
a place of such joy and discovery. A Church of vigour, firmly positioned and embracing all that the Lord has for us.
Lorraine Cunningham I constantly find walking into church warm and welcoming. On my first Sunday, people seemed happy, and made the time to get to know me. Getting involved was not hard. Life Groups provide an opportunity for everyone to join in. These are fun, and a great way to get to know people. The worship and teaching have inspired me, and Power Breakfast on a Sunday morning has given me an even deeper look at what the Bible is telling us. Zoe Reid The thing I love about !Audacious Church
is the atmosphere, it’s the environment, the nature, the heart of the place. I didn’t think it was possible to feel totally out of my depth and yet still completely safe. It’s full of incredible and inspiring people and in the face of intimidation and challenge I feel accepted – this makes me even more determined to grow. Mike Douglas !Audacious Church is amazing. Everyone has made me feel connected and at home from the very start and I’ve built up great friendships through Life Groups and by serving with the Sunday, Youth and A-Teams. My life has been transformed since I first walked through the doors and I’m so grateful to God and, everyone at Church, for the opportunity to give and to contribute to the vision for this city.
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ibelieve is a three-week course helping you to set a firm foundation for your faith. Each session is informal, discussion-based and should hopefully inspire you on your journey at !Audacious Church. Sessions last around 40 minutes. Week One kicks off with a chat about what it means to be in a relationship with God. Week Two gives you insight on how to grow in that relationship. Week Three is all about the power you need to live the life God has planned for you. So if you’re new to faith, new to Church or just want a few pointers on developing your relationship with God then we’d love to see you at ibelieve. Central Campus: Sundays, 9am East Campus: Mondays, 7pm Email edbaptist@audaciouschurch.com for more information about ibelieve or baptisms
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i believe
?
OUT WITH THE OLD
by Ed Baptist
New Christians’ Pastor
Ed works full-time as a Realness Designer! at If Innovation. Here are some of his thoughts on baptism.
There’s a girl in my office who’s been dating this guy for a while now. One day she came into work and it turned out, over the weekend, they’d had the ‘where is this relationship going?’ talk. She was hoping for wedding bells but he’s of the opinion that marriage is ‘just a piece of paper’. Familiar story. The thing is marriage isn’t just a piece of paper, a legality - if that’s what you think you’ve missed it! We’re going to get onto baptism in just a second! Just go with me on this… You see, marriage is a covenant, a solemn promise, and a covenant isn’t something that happens everyday. And the ceremony? Well that is much more than an old-fashioned tradition. It’s a celebration, rich with meaning and poignancy. You call together friends and family, your nearest and dearest. Before all of these people you make a covenant, a solemn vow, to love and honour your partner. You promise that whether you’re sick or enjoy good health, you’ll stay together. When finances go from strength to strength or when times are tight you’ll be there for one another. Whether it’s rocky or plain sailing you’ll stand united, no matter what… so a little more
than just a piece of paper then. Baptism is the same; it’s been much misunderstood. It’s not a tradition or a strange religious observance, nor is it a good luck ritual or something that get’s you into heaven. It’s a covenant between you and God, made before your friends and family, to follow Jesus with your whole heart. It’s like making the move from dating God to fully committing to serve Him with all that you are, for the rest of your days. The power and meaning of baptism is worth taking a closer look at. Stood in the water you recognise that Jesus died for your sins and that your old life is over, crucified with Christ. And as you go into the water, that’s like the burial of all that’s gone before, and as you are raised out of the water, well that’s a clear picture of what has happened to you; raised to new life. 2 Corinthians 5:17 puts it best - “This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” For the 50-or-so people that were baptised in March, this was THE their story. They drew a NEX line in the sand, nailed B SER APTISMT their colours to the mast V TAK ICE WI and made a public L E PL declaration of something ON 2 ACE L 4 . 0 SEE 6 that had happened in RE & 30 their heart. For richer, FOR CEPTIO.09 for poorer, for better or N M INFOORE for worse. In sickness 23 or in health, Jesus, I am yours.
RUSSELL EVANS, AUSTRALIA RICH WILKERSON JNR, USA REGGIE DABBS, USA GLYN & SOPHIA BARRETT, UK
WEEK 1: 01.08.12 - 04.08.12 WEEK 2: 06.08.12 - 09.08.12 24
2011 HIGHLIGHTS
REGISTRATION
YOU CAN BOOK YOUR PLACE FOR !AUDACIOUS CONFERENCE RIGHT NOW! LOG ONTO WWW.LIVEAUDACIOUS.COM FULL REGISTRATION............................................................. £49 DAY PASS (INCLUDING EVENING)........................................ £25 NIGHT PASS............................................................................. £7 !AUDACIOUS JUNIORS......................................................... £30
!AUDACIOUS CREW
IF YOU ARE 16 OR OVER, AND WANT TO VOLUNTEER TO BE A PART OF THIS YEAR’S !AUDACIOUS CREW THEN LOG ON TO THE WEBSITE FOR MORE INFO
WWW.LIVEAUDACIOUS.COM 25
SEE THEM GROW
!Audacious Kids Pastor and Mum of two, Sarah ScholesReid shares six practical tips on sharing and exploring God’s love with our children
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I’ve been thinking recently what a privilege and joy it is to share a child’s adventure with Jesus. To pray with them and see their prayers being answered; to explore the Bible together, teaching them about God’s love and character and to worship with them. I love it that as !Audacious Church, we have fantastic programs for kids of all ages. From Sunday children’s church, to multiple outreach activities across the city; from parent and toddler groups to one-on-one support for those with learning difficulties. There are so many occasions to share Jesus with the children and to hear their stories – WOW! At !Audacious Kids we wholeheartedly believe that we don’t replace parental responsibility for the spiritual growth of a child but what we bring compliments and comes alongside what parents invest in the spiritual development of their child. It is every parents desire to want the absolute best for their child. Many parents long for their child to have the experiences that they themselves never had, whether that may be joining a football team, passing their GCSE’s, going on a family holiday, being in a loving
home or having great friends. In this list comes the desire for them to know Jesus as their Lord and Saviour from an early age, and for their relationship with Jesus to be full of passion; real and active in their life. As a parent of two very handsome young boys, and from being involved in children’s ministry for a few years, I feel strongly about the verse from Proverbs “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” (Proverbs 22:6) This verse has become even more challenging and powerful to me over recent years as it is my responsibility as a parent to make sure that my children have the opportunity to develop and grow in every area, including in their relationship and knowledge of Jesus. I want them to love God passionately, be excited about going to church, pray powerful prayers and have a heart for the lost and I know that it is MY job to model this, in my everyday routine and in my relationship with God. We all know its important to have our devotions, quiet times.... whatever you choose to call your time with God. However, as parents it’s our responsibility to not only prioritise our time with God but also create exciting and engaging opportunities for our precious little treasures to connect with God too. Thankfully, I am not on my own in this quest. We ultimately have God’s guidance, and some tried and tested tips that have worked for other fabulous parents. Whether you are new to this, or have been doing this for years
with your little ones, here are some great ideas to try out with your children and see them grow! Try to keep it varied and fun! There is no right or wrong way, just have a go and be consistent.
PRAISE PARTY! In the kitchen, living room or your child’s bedroom, put the music on, turn it up and get your praise on! Your child may want to play an instrument or sing into a pretend microphone, so make sure you dig these out ready for the party too. There are many great kids worship cd’s/dvd’s that your child will love, but playing the music we have in church is also a super idea to familiarise them with the songs and help them to engage more in church. Parents, don’t just watch, your kids would love you to join in and see you getting
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your praise on. Model what you want from your children.
MEAL TIME MADNESS When encouraging your child to ‘give thanks’ for their meal, why not take the conversation a little further and get them to share other things that they are thankful to God for that particular day? Maybe alternate around the dinner table so they get to hear what you are also thankful to God for.
BIBLE BONANZA Buy your child an age appropriate Bible and take some time to read it with them. You may want to assign a special place where you get together to read. Your child may enjoy creating a den and using a torch to read theirs, sitting in bed with siblings, getting all snug on the sofa or even at the breakfast table. Asking your child questions about what they have read encourages them and also clarifies anything they don’t understand. You could also plan a Bible story activity to do with them; making up a song, jigsaw or even getting some chalk and drawing a giant size picture of the Bible story on the paving flags outside. As a family why not learn a Bible verse together? You could put it up in each room, write it in lipstick on the bathroom mirror and at the end of each week have an awards ceremony that celebrates each other’s success. Bible reading activity books are another fab tool to use as a family and also to encourage your child to become more independent in spending
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time with God. You can get hold of these from !Audacious Resources and online and they are often age appropriate too. Some families like to set a family night to have tea together and then read the Bible together.
JAZZY JOURNALS These can be used by all ages to write down prayers, bible verses, letters to God, what God is saying to them (maybe from the bible story they have read?) or perhaps how they are feeling. You and your child could go shopping together for a special notepad that they can use. If you use a journal yourself, why not show them yours and explain how you use it.
GENEROUS GIANTS Random acts of kindness teach our children the joy and excitement of giving. As a family choose someone in your lives or from your community that you think deserves a treat and as a family decide what to do. Your child will love this!!! You could choose to sponsor a Compassion Child as a family. Your child will be able to write to them, pray for them, send gifts, photos, bring hope and share their childhood with an amazing kid from across the globe. Maybe even go visit one day?
POWER PRAYER Praying as a family for things they understand or are worried about makes prayer an everyday, normal thing to do. Whether in the car on the way to school or last thing at bedtime, whether praying for sore toes to ill rabbits, stand with them and see their faith increase. It’s always good to let children see and hear how you pray, but encourage your child to participate and pray out loud. Even if it doesn’t make sense or they say something silly, this is the start of something incredible! If one of you is poorly, or even when you are just praying for one another encourage the laying on of hands. You could always make a prayer list of certain things that you pray for as a family each day and revise it every few months. Your child may enjoy doing this as a craft activity that can then be put up on the fridge. If things don’t always go to plan don’t worry, just try something else. I truly love the time together with the little champions of our church, and pray that everything we bring to them enhances the great work that you, their families, bring to their journey with Jesus.
Colour me in!
Love ya,
Sarah x 29
GOLDEN WISDOM 30
Julie Norse What was important when you were younger that you now find unimportant? The necessity to please everyone has become less important in the advancement of years. How would you have lived differently in your 20-30s if you knew then what you know now? I would have savoured every moment of the “mundane” areas in life, appreciating the basic gifts and joy of life. What do you learn from the younger people in church? To embrace change with confidence. What would the greatest thing someone could do for you? Impart to me the expertise of effective evangelism at an individual level. Why do you love !Audacious Church? Groundhog Day is not in the church vocabulary.
Gordon Beaumont Malcolm & Pippa Hill What excites you about !Audacious Gold? We feel more scared than excited! Describe the !AG launch in 3 words. Graeme Kirkwood was great. What do you learn from the younger people in church? We have realised that youth is spirit even if the body might say different. What is a future goal/ dream you have for your life? !Audacious Farm What’s the greatest thing you bring to the church family? Security Describe a defining Godmoment in your life. In 2006, in Sheffield, hearing Glyn give his vision for Manchester.
What excites you about !Audacious Gold? I have prayed for over two years for something to meet the needs of the older section of the congregation and here it is. Describe the !AG launch in 3 words. Purpose, Posture, Possession. What is a future goal/ dream you have for your life? To see a door, that was dramatically shut in my face, open again to a healing ministry. Why do you love !Audacious Church? It is God-centred, people-orientated and outward-looking into the community and beyond!
Paul & Gayle Woods What excites you about !Audacious Gold? Recognition of our value as we mature in age and wisdom. What was important when you were younger that you now find unimportant? What people think. How would you have lived differently in your 20-30s if you knew what you know now? Wouldn’t accept second best - dreams do come true if we just hang in there. Describe the !AG launch in 3 words. It’s about time!! Why do you love !Audacious Church? Positive and vibrant. All ages - young, old and the in-betweenies! It’s just a great place to be!
Jack Kenyon How would you have lived differently in your 20-30s if you knew then what you know now? I so often assessed my value to being used by God through my own eyes. I have now [learned] to see myself as He sees me. What’s the greatest thing you bring to the church family? Having been on this Christian pathway for 65 years to simply be a father, encourager; a Barnabas in the House. Describe a defining God-moment in your life. I was 59 and had been in the same fellowship for over 45 years, when I received a prophetic word to move and plant the church that has now become !Audacious East Campus.
Catherine Whelan What excites you about !Audacious Gold? It gives more people the opportunity to play a greater role in the life of our Church. It allows no excuses for not engaging and defies the assumption that Church is only for young people! It’s also for youthful grown ups like us! How would you have lived differently in your 20-30s if you knew then what you know now? I probably would have been less afraid to take risks and to make mistakes. What do you learn from the younger people in church? It does not matter if you don’t do everything right. Just do something! What’s the greatest thing you bring to the church family? My African passion and absolute love for the Church.
GOLD
TO READ THE INTERVIEWS IN FULL SCAN HERE
The next Gold events are
25.06.12 & 17.09.12
at 7.30pm, Central Campus
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RE:VIEW*
We asked some recent visitors to !Audacious Resources to give us their ‘best buys’. Read on for suggested literature, inspiring music and other handy things to make your Christian life even more exciting! *Available from Central Campus
C.S. Lewis CollectionPrices: Various A range of his fiction and non-fiction works now available. Moleskine Journals From £10.50 “What I love about Moleskines is that they are no fuss but great quality…I think a good quality notebook makes you want to write and encourages creativity. These are just that!”
Ear Defenders £15 each (various colours) “I didn’t realise how loud music could be until I went to a concert when my youngest, Madeleine, was 6 months old. I went outside for a break and realised the noise of the traffic was dimmer. If it affected my ears that much, even temporarily, what was it doing to my 6 month old’s ears? I bought ear defenders for my kids - their ears are worth it! My eldest is now 6 and still wears them, and Madeleine even insists on wearing them to nursery on occasions!” Andy Gerling
Elena Hill 32
The King’s Cross Timothy Keller £12
Heal our Land Planetskahers £10
The Loft Sessions Bethel Music £10
The Divine Mentor Wayne Cordeiro £8.99
“I wanted a book that challenged me to the core, and led me to fall further in love with the One the author is writing about - this book, an exploration of the identity and purpose of Jesus, overwhelmed me with both! Keller insists that the story of the universe and of your life only make sense through the story of Jesus. I’m excited, amazed and humbled and I’m only on Chapter 2! Just don’t do what I did and read it in a restaurant - crying in public gets you some funny looks.”
“This album stretches the Planetshakers’ contemporary style of praise and worship to a new level with an awe inspiring mix of rock and pop. The album begins with the familiar ‘Supernatural’, a powerful declaration of reaching new levels in God, followed by faithstirring ‘Do It Again’. Worship tracks include ‘Strength of my Life’, ‘Hallelujah to the Lord’ and ‘Running to You’ with Planetshakers’ passionate heart cry captured in title track, ‘Heal Our Land’.”
“I think God must be a folk fan. After all, if the Mumfords and Laura Marling had stayed in Church, the sound of worship would surely have gone this way long before the guys at Hillsong got their banjos out. Following suit, The Loft Sessions features predominantly acoustic covers of popular Bethel tunes, and has been a fave on my iPod for a good few months now. Credible and contemporary, it’s equally perfect as a devotional tool or, simply, as the backdrop to your day.”
“This book revolutionised my devotional life as it shows how the characters in the Bible can be our mentors in life today. The book is vibrant, creative and practical but more importantly it demonstrates powerfully how vital an everyday relationship with God really is. A must read!” Ps Hannah Adkins
Andy Belton Alex Booer
Hannah Raeside 33
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY !Audacious Conference If you haven’t heard of it by now then where have you been?! Running twice over two sizzling weeks in August, !Audacious is already on track to be full of encounters with God, memory making moments and life changing preaching. We have special guests Russell Evans, Reggie Dabbs and Rich WIlkerson Jnr as well as our very own Pastors Glyn and Sophia.
1-4 6-9 week1
Book in today or to see how you can be part of the army of volunteers it takes to pull off such an event then see the !Audacious sign up point in the Foyer.
AUGUST
week 2
RICH
wilkerson Trinity Church, Miami 34
JNR
RUSSELL evans Planetshakers Church, Australia
REGGIE
dabbs
USA
SUNDAYS
August Summer throughout
FUN
Young Adult Hang-outs Sundays throughout August • 8.30pm DJ’s, open mic, comedy, unplugged sets, everything you need to help you enjoy your summer!
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SEPT Planetshakers Band, Australia
Forming for the first Planetshakers Conference in 1997, Australian Christian Worship band, Planetshakers is passionate to see generations worldwide unite together to worship God. Their heart is to see people encounter God, be transformed by his presence and empowered to make a difference in their world.
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SEPT
PAUL & JO geerling Metro Church, Brisbane, Australia
!Audacious Church Birthday We are 5 years old and as usual we will be celebrating in style with special guests Paul and Jo Geerling as well as the usual after service celebrations, food and live music! Paul & Jo are the senior pastors of Metro Church Brisbane – one church with 4 campuses across the city of Brisbane. Paul and Jo are a couple who are passionate about knowing and serving God. With a prophetic edge to their ministry they have a desire to see people come into a greater and more intimate relationship with Jesus Christ. 35
BOLTON NORTH James & Sarah Walker
BLACKBURN Mark & Michelle Steele
Lancashire
BOLTON EAST Paul & Zoe Reid
BURY Julian & K
Blackburn with Darwen
SWINTON Dave & Sarah Sharpe SWINTON Dean & Hannah Needle
ROCHDALE
BOLTON
WORSLEY Bill & Dawn Moffat
BURY
BROUGHTON GREEN Adam & Rachel Atkins
Warrington URMSTON Mark & Loretta Harmer
WARRINGTON Catherine Whelan
TRAFFORD
STRETFORD Paul & Sarah Chapman
TA
MA NC
HES
ECCLES Justin & Paula Dring
TER
SALFORD NEW BROUGHTON Frankie Ball, Hayley Charlton & Adam Shardlow
O
WIGAN
SALFORD Matt & Elena Hill
STRETFORD Josh Cocker & Carly Pullman
STOCKPOR
ALTRINCHAM Mike & Rosie Braye
Cheshire
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SALE Tony & Wendy Taylor NEW BROUGHTON Ed Baptist
CHEETHAM HILL Matt & Lyndsey De
Kathryn Wolstencroft ROCHDALE Dave & Anne Adams MIDDLETON Andy & Helen Gerling GOLD
Calderdale ALKRINGTON Rob & Becci Bishop HARPURHEY Ian & Catherine Rowbottom
OLDHAM
NEWTON HEATH Andy & Jane Belton HOLLINWOOD Lee & Lesley Marsland MOSSLEY Paul & Gayle Woods
AMESIDE
LIMESIDE Elijah & Hayley Boswell
NEW: YOUNG MUMS’ LG ALTERNATE MONDAYS • 12:30PM EAST CAMPUS
FAILSWORTH Alan & Lynda Jackson FAILSWORTH Dave & Esther Newberry
RT
eaville
NEW: !AUDACIOUS GOLD LG ALTERNATE WEDNESDAYS • 11AM CENTRAL CAMPUS
STOCKPORT Lucas & Hannah Lukianow
Derbyshire
LIFE GROUPS ARE THE SMALL GROUPS AT !AUDACIOUS CHURCH THAT MEET IN HOMES EVERY OTHER WEDNESDAY. FIND THE ONE CLOSEST TO YOU AND GET CONNECTED! 37
With the !Audacious Band getting ready to record a brand new album, Matt Hill gives us a step-by-step guide to the process of praise... 3. Teaching to the Church 1. Songwriting !Audacious Church has a mandate to write ground-breaking worship music. We know that songs are a powerful tool for the Kingdom, uniting us as we worship but also for memorising truths from the Word of God. There are a great team of songwriters in the band and we continuously work hard to write songs that reflect the themes God is speaking to the House.
As a team we try to teach one or two new songs a month. A new song brings a freshness to our worship and often a song can become the soundtrack to a particular season in the life of the church. The song Spacious Place was written when Ps Glyn was sharing his vision for the new building and became an anthem as people united in faith for breakthrough. 4. The Live Recording
2. Workshops Once a song feels like it ‘has legs’ we get together with some more members of the team. We play through the song as a band and make adjustments to the arrangement. Sometimes the most creative ideas come from collaboration. Bring the Praise, for example, took three different attempts before we settled on the final melody. 38
Since we now have an incredible facility, we decided that a live recording would best tell the story of !Audacious. That we could capture on record not only the songs, but also the heart of the !Audacious family as we all bring the praise to our God. As exciting as a live recording can be, it is full of challenges both technically and musically, as it
“A NEW SONG BRINGS A FRESHNESS TO OUR WORSHIP AND OFTEN A SONG CAN BECOME THE SOUNDTRACK TO A PARTICULAR SEASON IN THE LIFE OF THE CHURCH” 39
relies on the band playing well. Some things can be edited but any major errors can’t, so there is quite a bit of pressure on the band on a night like this!
and I find it best to move quite fast, normally mixing one song per day. One famous engineer said ‘if it sounds right, it is right.’ But I assure you it’s way, way more complicated than that!
5. Editing
8. Mastering
Immediately following the event we will listen through the whole recording, making notes of any particularly good (or bad!) bits. Using the computer program Pro Tools we meticulously go through each song making lots of small edits. For example we often clean things up by inserting silence in between hits on a drum.
Once the mix is complete, we have 10 – 12 songs all mixed and are almost ready to go! These tracks are then transferred online to a mastering engineer. It’s his job to compile the tracks together, make final tweaks to the overall tone and level so each track follows the previous one smoothly, and create any fades that are required.
6. Overdubs
9. The Final Project
If a particular instrument or vocal is very messy or out of tune, we might replace it in the studio. This is called overdubbing. I prefer to keep as much live as possible but with the energy and movement of the band on stage a few wobbly notes are inevitable! The best way to overdub is to copy the exact live part with the same instrument as was used on the night. Unlike a studio project, adding extra parts usually detracts from the original atmosphere and vibe – which is what we are doing our utmost to preserve.
The finished master is now ready to be sent to the manufacturing plant where it is pressed onto CDs or of course uploaded to our digital distributor who delivers our music to iTunes, Amazon and Spotify etc.
7. Mixing The balancing of levels, tweaking of tones, compressors, equalisers, reverberators… mixing is probably the most complex part of the process. It’s a finely tuned combination of technical knowledge and creative subjective decision making. ‘The mix’ is all about trusting your ears 40
The project is finished, but the songs have only just begun their journey...
Matt Hill Worship Pastor
FOLLOW US ON TWITTER:
@audaciouschurch @audaciousband @liveaudacious @glynbarrett @sophiabarrett 41
!AUDACIOUS CHURCH Central Campus • Trinity Way • Manchester • M3 7BB East Campus • Thorley Street • Failsworth • Manchester • M35 9PA !Audacious Offices • Unit 6 • Deva Centre • Manchester • M3 7BB T: +44 (0)161 830 7000 • E: info@audaciouschurch.com • W: audaciouschurch.com