Flow Magazine – Issue 06

SUMMER 2011 THE MESSAGE MAGAZINE – FAITH IN YOUNG PEOPLE

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No longer a waste of space

The Message Enterprise Centre: putting discipleship to work PLUS:

/ Haiti report / Being naturally supernatural / Legends: Pete Greig

THE MESSAGE MAGAZINE

ISSUE 06

Editor:

Alistair Metcalfe

Associate Editor: Ian Rowbottom

Senior Art Director: Dan Hasler

Graphic Designers:

James Walker, Bethan Ranftler

Contributors:

Chris Lane, Ian Henderson, Dev Lunsford

Advertising:

E: advertising@message.org.uk T: 0161 946 2300

Subscription & Supporter Enquiries:

Jo Nicholson E: jo.nicholson@message.org.uk T: 0161 946 2328

Cover Photo: Katy Lunsford

Contributing Photographers:

THE MESSAGE: Dan Hasler, Steve Roast, Sam Hawthorne

Contact:

E: flow@message.org.uk T: 0161 946 2300

FSC MARK HERE

1.

Introducing The Message Enterprise Centre

MESSAGE STAFF & SUPPORTERS HELP WITH THE VITAL RECONSTRUCTION EFFORTS Andy recently returned from a short visit to Haiti to meet up with survivors of last year’s earthquake and find out how money we raised was being spent.

Last year’s Heart for Haiti concert raised over £60,000 for urgently needed supplies and spurred dozens of people to sponsor children through Compassion. Shortly before Andy left for Haiti with wife Michelle and Ivy Manchester pastors Anthony and Zoe Delaney, The Message team donated a further £12,000 following an appeal on our Prayer Day. The team’s trip took them to capital Port-au-Prince and nearby island LaGonave, to meet pastors and project staff working tirelessly to help the poorest of the poor rebuild their lives.

‘We set off with apprehension,’ comments Andy. ‘We knew things would still be very bad and we’d heard about the cholera epidemics. And sure enough, Port-auPrince is still a scene of utter devastation, covered with crushed buildings. We drove past a mass grave of 100,000 people created simply to get the bodies of the street for public safety.’

But the team’s spirits were lifted when they arrived at the church of Pentecostal pastor Ivan, now operating out of a temporary structure in the heart of the capital city.

TI – ONE YE AI

BELOW: ANDY WITH PASTOR IVAN & ANTHONY DELANEY (IVY MCR)

‘He told us of how the community had been gripped by the soon coming of Christ.’

//// THE MESSAGE MAGAZINE – ISSUE 06

Page 4-5 Latest news from Haiti

so that we can

change the world’

TEACH

PE T E

By Chris Lane

GREIG

HAT YOU DO FOR A LIVING?

Tell stories, throw parties, and try and live the good news of Jesus as much as possible! The ‘official’ answer is that I lead 24-7; a movement of prayer, mission and justice. My part is to set the vision and get everyone working together.

WHAT’S THE SIGNIFICANCE OF CONTINUAL PRAYER AND THE PRAYER ROOMS?

Although we kind of stumbled upon it, we later discovered that it was a model that God’s been using throughout history. The church itself was born out of a 24-7 ‘prayer room’ in Jerusalem; the desert fathers and ancient celtic church believed in laus perennis, continual worship; the 18th century Moravian non-stop prayer meeting resulted in John Wesley’s heart being ‘strangely warmed’; and in the 20th century both the Pentecostal and charismatic renewals were born out of long spells of constant prayer.

The prayer room is not the point. The Bible tells us we are the place of continual prayer. Our lives should be full of joy, gratitude and prayer 24/7.

WHAT’S THE ROLE OF PRAYER IN BRINGING ABOUT CHANGE IN THE WORLD?

Two things, I think. Prayer changes us so that we can change the world. If we’re not good news, we have no good news. The way we get grace for the sinner and love for unlovely people is by catching God’s heart.

But it’s more than that too. There are certain situations in ministry when you realise you’re dealing with more than a few bad decisions – that people are being physically, mentally or even economically controlled by cancerous spiritual forces. You need a miracle to break in.

WHO ARE YOUR SPIRITUAL FATHERS & ROLE MODELS?

Hudson Taylor, William Booth, Desmond Tutu, the prophet and occasional rock star Bono. And it might sound cheesy but I get to work with some of my heroes – people like Nicky Gumbel, Tim Hughes and Carla Harding.

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

Becoming

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WHAT IMPRESSES YOU MOST ABOUT THEM?

Definitely faithfulness and joy. Without doubt those are the two marks of authentic spirituality.

WHEN YOU THINK OF THE MESSAGE WHAT DO YOU THINK OF?

I’ve been an admirer for a long time. I love the journey that Andy has been on, moving from innovative gospel proclamation towards incarnation and moving from just making converts to making disciples.

I am an enormous fan of the whole Eden vision – I absolutely love it. People hanging out on the estates one minute and then gathering thousands in big venues the next. I love that discipleship is being outworked in real redemptive communities.

WHAT’S UP AHEAD FOR YOU?

upernatural

And it doesn’t only happen in Africa or America – it happens in Salford Precinct, near Boots. And God doesn’t only use famous Christians – he uses people like you and me, in fact anyone who is crazy enough to believe that God loves people and wants to bless them.

The beauty of it all is that God comes to us in the mess of our lives, and we see the miraculous in the mundane; we see ordinary people doing extraordinary things, and we see our lives becoming naturally supernatural.

A few of us are putting on a day in association with Soul Survivor where we’ll learn how to be more ‘naturally supernatural’ to bless our communities and workplaces.

We’ve got Mike Pilavachi and Jeannie Morgan speaking, plus worship led by James Gregory. It’s happening on October 2729 at the Lighthouse Centre in Salford.

ABOUT CHRIS:

Chris Lane is a Salford lad and leads Langworthy Community Church, where Eden Salford & LifeCentre Salford are based. More info http://bit.ly/natsup New Testament Children & Schools Christian Leadership

Evangelism

Over the next few months, we saw God heal a number of Ethics others as we prayed, and each time I was stunned that God would let us be a part of it. What we learned was that this stuff doesn’t only happen in books – it happens in real life!

One of the things I’m most excited about is a project called Prayer Spaces in Schools which is putting 24-7 prayer rooms in classrooms. Teachers love it because it fits with the national curriculum. School kids are stepping into these prayer spaces and praying for the first time or coming out in tears because they’ve had an amazing experience with God in there. We’ll be rolling it out next academic year.

doesn’t only happen in

Youth Work

College Based Studies

It

Cross-Cultural

Africa or America – it happens

LEAD The Message Enterprise Centre THE MIRACLE!

It’s easy for us to miss what God’s doing right before our eyes, says missions director Ian Henderson And then there’s the mud. The truth is, it probably was pretty muddy and just taking the next step was probably very hard work. For some of us too, we’re focussed on the mud because there’s a lot of it. Life is hard – we’re feeling stuck in the mud. We miss the miracle because circumstances make it very difficult not to.

But Isaiah 40:26 says this: ‘Lift your eyes to the heavens.’

God says to us, lift your eyes and see the flipping great big walls of water – and remember who is holding those back. He says to us, look at where you’re going and just how far you’ve come. Look again at who this is you serve and follow.

Heard it all before

Miracles before our eyes

I don’t know about you, but I’ve heard a lot of sermons – probably thousands. I’ve also sung a few songs – probably tens of thousands. Those sermons, those songs are all full of great truth but here’s something I’ve realised: when you hear something a lot, you stop noticing it.

Do you remember the first time you flew on a plane? I do – and I remember watching the air hostess going through their safety routine listening with rapt attention. I needed to know what to do in case of emergency! But I bet like me, once you’d been on a plane a few times, you stopped listening.

The stewardesses were still doing their thing, but you were too busy looking to see if you could buy cheap perfume.

It’s true of our walk with God too. I’ve heard a few times that God loves me, for instance. It’s still absolutely true. But we can hear it in a great sermon, sing a great song and if we’re really honest, it doesn’t really register anymore. We ‘miss the miracle’ – we fail to see the amazing truth about God simply because we’ve heard it all before.

Placement Based Studies Old Testament

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

Page 17 Legend: Pete Greig

You could be there for decades, because the prison keeper charged you rent, the bailiffs would charge you for food and clothing, and you’d have attorneys charging you legal fees for their attempts to get you out. All the while your creditor would be adding interest. Basically it was an unpayable debt.

Just like that, the Bible tells us that our sin was an unpayable debt. The fact that we have a God who says ‘you are debt free’ is a miracle.

Spiritually we are no longer in prison, we are free. It’s a miracle.

So look up and see the walls of water either side of you. What is it about who God is and what he’s done that you need to remember today?

GET A SPEAKER

MA in Applied Theology & BA (Hons) in Applied Theology, Youth & Community Work (with JNC Professional Qualification) Community & Family Studies, CertHE, DipHE in Applied Theology & One Year Courses

www.moorlands.ac.uk t: 01425 674500 e: enquiries@moorlands.ac.uk

www.24-7prayer.com.

What are some of the miracles we miss every day?

How about this one: God frees us. Before 1869, when the Bankruptcy Act abolished debtors’ prisons, men and women were routinely thrown in jail by their creditors – it was a normal occurrence. If you hadn’t paid your debts, you could simply be thrown into prison.

Discipleship Studies

near Boots

FIND OUT MORE AT

Stuck in the mud

emember when the people of Israel crossed the Red Sea? Rabbis taught that the people of Israel grumbled about walking through mud, even though they were escaping slavery in Egypt.

Somehow, despite the fact they saw God miraculously holding back the water, they found reasons to complain.

They missed the miracle before their eyes. We say, that’s stupid! I wouldn’t do that! But the reality is, we do. All the time.

in Salford Precinct, Want to do Theology? We’ve an app for that...

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TEACH TEACH

DON’T MISS

Naturally

hen I was a kid I would read biographies of famous Christians, and be both inspired and intimidated.

As I turned each page, I would look forward to the next miracle story, whether it was a drug addict being set free or a terrible illness being healed.

For the first few stories I would think, ‘Imagine if that could happen in my life? Please God!’ But after a few more stories about guys raising people from the dead or leading half the passengers on an plane to the Lord, I began to doubt whether this could ever be for me. Basically I began to wonder if this was just stuff for the spiritual superheroes.

My own experiences weren’t very positive either. One evening my wife Esther had a bit of earache and I thought this might be a good chance for a miracle (and a not too difficult one at that). So I prayed for her. In the morning Esther woke up with a severe ear infection in both ears! I am now banned from praying for her when she’s ill.

So imagine how nervous I was when a few mates and me thought God was telling us to go out on Salford Precinct Flow_appad_1 7/3/11 Page 1 to pray for people who were sick.

With 12:55 my track record, I imagined these poor sick people coming to me and getting worse. In my darker moments I even imagined people dying.

And no one wants that to happen outside Greggs the Bakers.

But we did it anyway. One Saturday afternoon, eight of us put a few chairs out and invited people to sit down and be prayed for. One lady came and she was suffering from Community & Family migraines, a bad back and she had a lump in her throat she was worried about. As we prayed for her, she said she felt tingly all over her body. A month later we were out again, and the same lady came back to find us. She was bubbling with excitement as she explained how the lump had disappeared, and that she Pastoral had not suffered any back pain or migraines since we had prayed for her. No one was more surprised than me!

Pete Greig is one of the founders of the international 24-7 Prayer movement, and the Director of Prayer for Holy Trinity, Brompton in London. He teaches around the world and is the author of several books.

NO LONGER A WASTE OF SPACE: TURN TO PAGE 16 TO READ NICK’S STORY

//// THE MESSAGE MAGAZINE – ISSUE 06

Page 10 GENETIK stories

LEGEND

changes us

//// THE MESSAGE MAGAZINE – ISSUE 06

Within the space of a few months, we expect to have created six brandnew businesses and dozens of new jobs for ex-offenders and at-risk young people like those our Reflex and Eden teams work with every day.

‘This is without doubt our most ambitious and exciting initiative to date,’ says Message CEO Andy Hawthorne. ‘For over twenty years, we’ve been entrepreneurial for the Kingdom, pioneering mission in words and actions. Now it feels like we’ve come full circle – it’s time to harness the power of business again.’

What have this year’s Genetik intake got out of the course? //// THE MESSAGE MAGAZINE – ISSUE 06

‘Prayer 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 4RG The 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

n May 2012, the building you see here will no longer exist. In its place, you’ll see the Message Enterprise Centre, an ambitious training and business hub. It aims to solve a problem at the heart of our troubled city and nation – endemic youth unemployment.

Could this be you?

ON

www.message.org.uk/flow

Business GENETIK Time CLASS OF 2010-11

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flow – The Message Magazine Lancaster House Harper Road Sharston Manchester M22 4RG

Our cover this issue features prisons worker Nick Shahlavi who’ll help to mentor young men and women in the brand new Message Enterprise Centre. Read his story and our lead feature on the Centre, starting on page 12.

H

Katy Lunsford: www.katylunsford.com Lucy West: www.lucywestimages.co.uk Grace Choi: www.gracechoi.co.uk Peter Aaron/Esto (Container House, p14)

Degree courses validated by

//// THE MESSAGE MAGAZINE – ISSUE 06

Page 18 Naturally Supernatural

when you hear something a lot, you stop noticing it.

If you would like Ian Henderson or any other Message communicator to speak at your church or event contact Emma Kizlauskas on emmak@message.org.uk

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

Page 21 Teaching from Ian Henderson

g n i full le c r i

c

m o C

It was their messy lives and lack of any real knowledge of the Christian faith that prompted us to book Manchester’s largest rock venue, just down the road from our factory, for a week of mission – and to write to every church in the city, challenging them to get involved.

Twenty-five years ago, the inner-city business that my brother and I owned had a sudden surge in turnover and in a short space of time we became the employers of about 30 local tearaways.

It was naive and probably a bit arrogant of us to ever think that we could pull it off but I think God liked our faith. As a result, there were around 300 local missions and almost 20,000 young people who came to the big gigs at the end. Lots of young people came to faith and churches started to work together in a wonderful new way. We called it Message 88.

A quarter of a century on, in some ways it feels as if we have come full circle as we embark on perhaps our most challenging and exciting adventure to date: The Message Enterprise Centre.

As you’ll read in this edition of flow, we have acquired the dilapidated site next door to our HQ with plans to transform it into an enterprise hub. Over the coming years, our dream is to launch small businesses in a discipleship context that will create jobs for many of the presently unemployable young men and women we work with.

‘it’s

perhaps our most exciting adventure to date’

Like so many of our initiatives, the Enterprise Centre is a pragmatic response to a move of God. Hundreds of broken young men and women are coming to faith through our work in prisons and tough communities, but sadly some fall back into their old destructive lifestyles.

We’re convinced that a key reason for this is lack of work and hands-on mentoring.

As you can imagine it’s a massive challenge and once again we will only pull it off if people get behind us in a big way. Please read on, and respond however you can. Pray for us and, if you can, please give generously to see this great dream come true.

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

1.

MESSAGE STAFF & SUPPORTERS HELP WITH THE VITAL RECONSTRUCTION EFFORTS Andy recently returned from a short visit to Haiti to meet up with survivors of last year’s earthquake and find out how money we raised was being spent.

Last year’s Heart for Haiti concert raised over £60,000 for urgently needed supplies and spurred dozens of people to sponsor children through Compassion. Shortly before Andy left for Haiti with wife Michelle and Ivy Manchester pastors Anthony and Zoe Delaney, The Message team donated a further £12,000 following an appeal on our Prayer Day.

But the team’s spirits were lifted when they arrived at the church of Pentecostal pastor Ivan, now operating out of a temporary structure in the heart of the capital city.

– O NE I Y T I E A

BELOW: ANDY WITH PASTOR

IVAN & ANTHONY

DELANEY (IVY MCR)

‘He told us of how the community had been gripped by the soon coming of Christ.’

AR

H

The team’s trip took them to capital Port-au-Prince and nearby island LaGonave, to meet pastors and project staff working tirelessly to help the poorest of the poor rebuild their lives.

‘We set off with apprehension,’ comments Andy. ‘We knew things would still be very bad and we’d heard about the cholera epidemics. And sure enough, Port-auPrince is still a scene of utter devastation, covered with crushed buildings. We drove past a mass grave of 100,000 people created simply to get the bodies of the street for public safety.’

ON MAP OF HAITI © NASA

//// THE MESSAGE MAGAZINE – ISSUE 06

2.

YOUR MONTHLY UPDATE

'This pastor was full of faith.

He talked about how they'd had 3,000 people added to their church in the last year. They're seeing 50 to 70 people come to Christ every week and some spectacular healings – a real move of God.

There’s a great new way to get closer to The Message each month – by accessing the new Flow Podcast. Each month, we bring you an hour of the latest news, testimonies and prayer requests from Message HQ so you’re always right up to date.

‘He told us of how the community had been gripped by the soon coming of Christ. What a thing to ABOVE: JUST A SAMPLE OF say! People had been turning THE DESTRUCTION their back on voodoo and turning to Christ. The pastor there is believing for a church of 25,000 people in the heart of Port-au-Prince.’

ABOVE: ANDY HAWTHORNE

WITH ETIENNE

SHORTS

The church's ministry has also been extremely practical. They have mobilised volunteers to conduct training in cholera prevention, going from house to house in their community and speaking to thousands of people. As a result the pastor says the church hasn't seen a single cholera death.

Child sponsorship charity Compassion has raised £25m around the world to assist the reconstruction efforts in Haiti.

Part of this is rebuilding 44 earthquake-proof schools.

‘A great testimony to the power of child sponsorship was there right before our eyes,’ says Andy. ‘Heading up this whole team of architects, project managers and civil engineers, is a young man called Etienne. He’s a former sponsored child, from among the poorest of the poor, who’s got a masters degree and is now managing this major logistical exercise helping his own people.’

YOU CAN HEAR MORE OF ANDY’S STORIES AND REFLECTIONS

BY DOWNLOADING THE MESSAGE PODCAST ‘HAITI REPORT’.

FIND IT ON ITUNES BY SEARCHING FOR ‘MESSAGE TRUST’.

WHY NOT ALSO DO SOMETHING WONDERFUL TODAY AND SPONSOR A CHILD IN HAITI WITH COMPASSION? YOU CAN FIND OUT ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW AT WWW.COMPASSIONUK.ORG

Subscribing to the Flow Podcast is easy for anyone with an iTunes account. Simply search for ‘Flow Podcast’ in the iTunes store.

Subscribing is totally free, and once a month, a new episode will appear automatically for you to listen to on your computer or take away on your mobile device.

Or you can listen to each episode directly on the Message website.

Just visit www.message.org.uk and locate the media hub.

3.

JOIN US AT THE MESSAGE OPEN DAY! The Message is throwing open its doors this July, giving supporters and friends the perfect family day out with hands on, interactive fun for all. Come and see for yourselves what goes on at Message HQ and find out more about our exciting plans for the future!

At our Open Day on Saturday 2 July you can hear the latest vision from Andy Hawthorne, sing-a-long with our bands, engage with In Yer Face Theatre Company, come on board our mobile youth club, the Eden Bus, enjoy street games with the Eden teams and break out with Reflex.

There is also an opportunity to go behind the scenes, meeting the crew that keeps The Message on the road, including our creative and technical staff who will be hosting fun activities and sharing with you what goes on day to day. Plus there will be free food, drinks and ice creams and prizes to be won along the way.

It all starts at 11am and goes on until 3pm and is a must for all friends of The Message – and it’s completely free of charge.

It would be great if you’re able to tell us you’ll be coming, but you don’t need to book and can turn up on the day.

For further information, please email Jo Nicholson at: jon@message.org.uk. www.message.org.uk/flow ////

TWELVE24’S BETTER WORDS A new EP from Message band Twelve24 aims to hit head-on the negative and destructive language rife in today’s chart music.

4.

While the band were writing and recording the EP, chart songs included two using the ‘F’ word in their titles, another called simply ‘S&M’.

‘We really believe we have a responsibility to use our platform and gifts to speak better words over young people than the ones culture bombards them with,’ says band member Christina.

GENETIK GOES GLOBAL

The six tracks on ‘Better Words’ put into songs the themes the band are teaching every week in schools across the region – that they are unique creations, that it’s OK not to follow the crowd, and that God has the answers to the questions they are asking.

The EP is out now, priced £6.99. Get your copy with free P&P at the Message online store: www.message.org.uk/shop

5.

2011/2 INTAKE WILL INCLUDE TRAINEE SCHOOLS BAND FROM NORWAY

This autumn’s Genetik course will be remarkable for many reasons – it’s the first to include an Eden Worship stream with guest tutors including world-famous worship leaders and songwriters Matt Redman and Tim Hughes, for starters.

But it’s also the first year the Manchesterbased evangelists’ training school will be a training school for international evangelists.

Starting this September, a team funded and recruited in Norway will be joining the course as a band. As with all Genetik students, they’ll train with our world-class tutors, complete assignments through the year and live in an Eden area. But when it comes to practical placements, the band will work together from the start, preparing to work together in schools back in Norway from July 2012.

BIG SUMMER FOR IN YER FACE Introducing the new In Yer Face line-up… joining existing team members Matt Britton and Brenda Noble are new ‘facers’ Emily Lawson and John Dean.

The team is going to be busy over the summer. In HMP Forest Bank, the team is running a week residency with a group of prisoners on remand, using drama to explore offending behaviour and attitudes building to a show at the end of the week involving performances from the lads.

In Yer Face will also be taking week-long residencies in schools in Sheffield, Wilmslow and Hathershaw, complementing the RE curriculum. Through lessons, assemblies and shows they aim to explore key concepts of the Christian faith through larger-than-life theatre.

At the time of writing, band members are being auditioned, but the line-up is expected to include singers, dancers and rappers.

‘It’s the next step in the Tribe vision being multiplied further and further afield,’ comments course leader Mat Walls. ‘We’re really excited about seeing more and more people from other nations joining us, catching the vision and training for effective ministry here in Manchester.’

A small number of places in the Genetik 2011/12 course are still available.

Apply online at www.message.org.uk/genetik

//// THE MESSAGE MAGAZINE – ISSUE 06

6.

.

MEET MaLoKai

SHORTS

The newest addition to our roster of schools bands working in schools in greater Manchester is MaLoKai. With a sound described as a mixture of pop-punk, hardcore and screamo, the four-piece has already established a following in London and on the festival circuit and is sure to be popular in Manchester schools.

MaLoKai released a rock cover of Jessie J’s song ‘Price Tag’ in April.

The band initially worked on the song as a fun cover to fill out a set, but fans loved it so much that they requested the guys release it.

So they did – and you can download it, along with the band’s 2009 album Perception of Reality on iTunes.

7.

Lead singer Alex comments, ‘We are really excited about becoming part of the Message family, learning from the guys and and seeing where God takes us. Our heart right now is just for getting out there as much as possible, doing schools weeks and playing gigs on the local scene.’

To talk about getting MaLoKai or any of our schools bands in your local school, contact Nathan Milnes on 0161 946 2300.

GENETIK SESSIONS ‘REALLY UPLIFTING’ Message team members offer great value coaching in performance arts to young people in the Manchester area, helping build confidence as well as teaching great new skills.

Parents of the young people who attend comment that the find the content and the delivery of the classes ‘unique’ and ‘really uplifting’.

Every Tuesday, the Genetik Academy (behind Message HQ, Sharston) hosts Beginners Breakdance (7-11 yr olds) at 4.30pm, and Rock Skool (Electric Guitar or Drum Academy), run

by MaLoKai at 6.30pm (11-18s).

On Wednesday, a drop-in youth club also offers a choice of creative workshops in Pop Vocals, Drumming and Breakdance at 7.15pm (11-18s).

Also on Wednesday, at the Bowden Street Academy in Altrincham, Street Dance and DJing classes take place at 4.30pm and a drum workshop begins at 5.15pm (both 11-18s). Call Emma Owen on 07974 079353 to sign up. First sessions are free.

8.

9.

YOUNGSTERS BACK AWARDS FOR EXCLUDED

IN SCHOOL

Our centre for permanent truant and excluded children in partnership with The Lighthouse Group in Harpurhey hosted its first awards ceremony for successful pupils in April.

Eden team members have contributed to the partnership’s success over the last three years through one-to-one mentoring and after-school programmes.

An amazing 90% of students referred to TLG end up back in mainstream education.

One of the award winners said, 'I got excluded because of my behaviour and poor attendance and started at TLG in November. TLG have helped me with my reading and writing and my behaviour’s much better now.' www.message.org.uk/flow ////

Genetik Class of 2010-11

Could this be you?

What have this year’s Genetik intake got out of the course? //// THE MESSAGE MAGAZINE – ISSUE 06

JOE BURGESS

I came across Genetik on the internet but 23 days too late – the course had already started! Still, I called and got an interview. Within a week, I was there, a day after my 18th birthday.

This year has been amazing – I've learnt more about God and myself than I ever could have imagined. The course teaching was so vivid that even though I have dyslexia and didn't have a great experience in school, I've been able to keep up fine. The placements have stretched me in lots of different ways.

I came on the course partly to improve as a drummer and I have come on in leaps and bounds. I used to be in a Christian rock band and I thought I was a great drummer but it wasn't goin anywhere. When I went home last, I went drumming with some friends. Someone came up to me to say they loved my drumming and mentioned about my old band having a rubbish drummer – they didn't know it was me!

ABI SEWART

When I was 12 the Tribe came to my school in Oldham. I went along to Genetik Sessions – they gave me a taste of what the course would be like. I loved doing the performances and knew it was where I was meant to be.

After I left school, I did a gap year doing youth work to prepare myself for Genetik but I still had a lot of issues with self-esteem.

I was telling girls 'you're beautiful’ but without really believing it myself. This year, I have overcome those issues. It's like a big weight off my shoulders. I've been learning about who I am in God and I can see how much he loves us. I'm excited to tell more young people how God sees them.

The placements have really helped me overcome my fears of working with nonchurched kids. Now I don't look at young people in the same way I used to – just their scary front.

I want to get to know the person inside.

Next year, I'm going to work full-time with a schools band called LED in the South West – very similar to what The Message do in Manchester. I'm going to be drumming for them, talking about God and helping change young people's lives.

Next year, I'm hoping to do an internship in the missions department at The Message, helping them in the office and doing two days a week carrying on the schools work. I have a heart for Manchester and I really want to stay here.

LEFT: THE CLASS OF 2010-11

CHLOE COLLIER

I found out quite young I wouldn't be able to have children which led to a rocky patch in my life – I gave up on God completely and started drinking quite heavily. No one from church knew I was leading a double life.

One Sunday night, I went along to church – I didn't know why I was there and I was bored. Right at the end of the service, my youth leader stood up and said, 'God's saying to someone tonight that he knows you’re hurting and upset. He understands that you think you've got your solutions to it, but before you get even more hurt, run back to me and I'll help you through it.' It was the first time I've ever heard from God. I knew it was for me. The youth leader showed me a copy of flow with an article about Genetik in it. He said I'd be really good and I should try out for it.

Genetik has been great. When I turned up I was naive to a lot of stuff about God. I thought, I've got 10 months of the course, there are 9 fruits of the Spirit. That's one month for each fruit of the Spirit and by the tenth month I'll have it all down. But I started with 'love' and God hasn't stopped yet on love!

I'm not sure yet what I'm going to do next year. I really want to train as a teacher so I'll probably do that eventually. But I do know that I'm staying around and being a part of Eden Eccles. I love Eccles now and I want to stay there for quite a while. I don't know what job I'll have but I do know where I want to be.

YOU?

COULD YOU SEE YOURSELF HERE?

It's not too late to apply for Genetik 11/12 – there are a few places left.

If you're 18-25 with a heart for God and a passion for working with young people, Genetik might just be for you.

It's all about training for mission.

A biblical studies foundation coupled with a choice of one of three specialist streams will give you the theory; living on an Eden project and hands-on experience on placements will help you put it into practice.

Find out more and apply at www.message.org.uk/genetik

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

‘That’s where we stay in a hotel when we go up to watch City!’

It turned out we drove through Gorton regularly but had never realised it.

The differences between our old home and Gorton were stark. The crime rate in Gorton is sky high, whereas in Whiteley it was next to nothing. We’d been away for the weekend before and left the front door open by accident! We left our car unlocked all the time.

In Gorton on the other hand, we had stuff nicked from outside our house on our first night here. And we were burgled almost six months to the day of moving in. I was praying for an opportunity to get to know our neighbours better – I didn’t expect it to be a burglary!

‘We felt God clearly saying, ‘I'm more than capable of looking after your children – trust me’

Our two boys, William and Harrison, were a key part of our move. The fact the boys were so young had almost stopped us going on mission in the past – what if their education suffered or they were bullied?

But we felt God clearly saying, ‘I’m more than capable of looking after your children – trust me.’ And every single step of the way, God has opened a door. At first we were told there would be no places in the local school for our boys – but two places opened up at just the right time.

We think the fact that they go to a school where there are 25 languages spoken and lots of different cultures is really healthy for them. We found it was very easy in leafy suburbia to become quite complacent – life was comfortable and often not very challenging. Up here, yes, we’ve had discomfort spiritually and physically but that’s brought us closer together and made us stronger.

Last year, Mike and Julia Fleet moved onto an Eden estate with their two young children. Here Julia reflects on their remarkable move

Our journey to Gorton actually started decades ago when Mike chose to support Manchester City at age 11. As a family, we’re all season ticket holders and we often used to come all the way up to watch them play from our old home in Whiteley, near Portsmouth.

Years of praying for an opportunity to serve God somewhere as a family came to an end when we heard an interview on Premier Radio mentioning Eden. It sounded like just what we were looking for: being able to reach out to a poor community on our doorstep.

So I looked into it online and saw they were looking for people in Gorton, Manchester. Mike suddenly piped up,

There are still strains on family life – not least being burgled. But even that was turned into a blessing as we all learned more about putting our security in God alone. Our youngest Harrison was really shaken up by the burglary, and wondered why God had allowed it when he said he’d protect us.

But one day while he was praying, he felt God spoke to him, ‘You are a mighty warrior’ and everything changed for him. For Harrison to have grabbed hold of that is amazing. I really don’t think that would have happened if we hadn’t brought him on this adventure with God with us.

Don’t miss a brilliant new series of five-minute films about Eden called Extra Ordinary Lives. The series is available to watch for free on the Eden website: www.eden-network.org.uk www.message.org.uk/flow ////

Business Time Introducing The Message Enterprise Centre

//// THE MESSAGE MAGAZINE – ISSUE 06

n May 2012, the building you see here will no longer exist. In its place, you’ll see the Message Enterprise Centre, an ambitious training and business hub. It aims to solve a problem at the heart of our troubled city and nation – endemic youth unemployment.

Within the space of a few months, we expect to have created six brandnew businesses and dozens of new jobs for ex-offenders and at-risk young people like those our Reflex and Eden teams work with every day.

‘This is without doubt our most ambitious and exciting initiative to date,’ says Message CEO Andy Hawthorne. ‘For over twenty years, we’ve been entrepreneurial for the Kingdom, pioneering mission in words and actions. Now it feels like we’ve come full circle – it’s time to harness the power of business again.’

NO LONGER A WASTE OF SPACE: TURN TO PAGE 16 TO READ NICK’S STORY www.message.org.uk/flow ////

The Inspiration

PHOTO CREDIT: Peter Aaron/Esto

The building will be designed for maximum flexibility Room layout is arranged around a generous ‘internal street’ Nothing is hidden.

All activity is open for all to see Generous openings will spill activity out into the shared area

Young people need work

Decades of working in Greater Manchester’s prisons and most disadvantaged communities has shown us there are three main factors in helping ex-offenders and atrisk young people overcome the challenges in their lives.

At the heart is a transforming, living relationship with Jesus Christ. Nothing but the gospel has the power to change a life from the inside out.

Growing in that relationship requires people: close friendships, hands-on mentoring and a supportive community willing them to succeed.

They need a safe place to live and a family to be a part of.

Then there’s a third factor: they need work. Every young person needs the opportunity to earn a living and gain self-respect and a sense of purpose through a regular job.

Sadly, this is where so often discipleship comes unstuck: many of the young people we work with – ex-offenders and at-risk youngsters from the toughest estates – are virtually unemployable due to a lack of qualifications, training, guidance and support.

Without work, many fall back into destructive lifestyles, including crime.

The costs of workless and bored young people are staggering – to the individual and to society as a whole.

Estimates suggest every unemployed ex-offender or care-leaver costs the taxpayer at least £50,000 a year, taking into account unemployment benefits, health care, drug or alcohol treatment, policing, prison and probation services.

This is a massive waste of resources and potential.

WORKLESSNESS THE FACTS: On average, care-leavers… are 50 times more likely to be imprisoned are 60 times more likely to be homeless cost society 20 times more than the general population in 75% of cases, leave care with no qualifications at all in Greater Manchester

In Greater Manchester... there are almost 10,000 workless ex-offenders in the Greater Manchester area only 45% of ex-offenders manage to sustain employment of four weeks or more in the six months after release ex-offenders are two-thirds less likely to reoffend if they are engaged in employment, education or training

THE DREAM: Openi //// THE MESSAGE MAGAZINE – ISSUE 06

Six new businesses, led by loca Around 75 young people i Eight business mentors offering sup Saving Greater Manchester upwa

YOU CAN MAKE THE VISION REALITY>

We’re left in no doubt that the Message Enterprise Centre is God’s idea. The journey so far has been one miracle after another.

For starters, it’s a miracle that the land right next door to our HQ is still available. After decades lying derelict, it remains one of the few properties for miles around available for redevelopment. God has shown us incredible favour with the local council who have agreed to favourable terms for use of the land. We’ve also have some amazingly generous gifts towards getting the centre up and running.

We now urgently need around £300,000 to equip the new businesses with the tools, machinery and equipment to commence trading in 2012.

MESSAGE SUPPORTERS >>>

Would you stand with us now with a regular gift of at least £20 a month to make this dream a reality? Would you promise to pray for the success of this city-changing initiative?

BUSINESS SUPPORTERS >>>

Will you stand with us with a gift of at least £100 a month? Could you lend your experience to mentoring the young entrepreneurs of the future?

ing May 2012

al entrepreneurs in new jobs pport on a weekly basis ards of £3.5m a year

The spirit of enterprise

Reusing and transforming a dilapidated site next door to our HQ in Sharston, the Message Enterprise Centre will offer training and create jobs for dozens of young men and women each year through new businesses set up in partnership with local entrepreneurs.

As these young people find new skills, structure and purpose, lives will be rebuilt, jobs will be created, and new businesses will be birthed.

In partnership with organisations like the Jericho Foundation, Project Caleb and Betel of Britain, we will create new companies designed to train and create jobs in areas such as landscaping and gardening, car maintenance, cleaning, catering, and health and beauty.

Longer term, we aim to connect the Centre’s work with the environmental agenda, helping upgrade our city’s poor housing stock by installing insulation, solar panels and other energy-saving measures.

Every young person engaged in the programme will work with an established mentor, ensuring commitment and that they catch the spirit of enterprise. Our dream is not just to create jobs but to raise entrepreneurs, with the Message Enterprise Centre an incubator for new kingdom businesses across the city.

Turning lives around for good

Mentoring is at the heart of the Centre’s plans, explains Andy Hawthorne: ‘Everybody needs a mentor, someone to come alongside them. We’ve learned that over years on Eden and Reflex. Just as apathy, boredom and addiction are infectious, so are creativity, energy and entrepreneurialism.

Multiplication is at the heart of the way we work now – that's how we get the job done.

‘We're excited about the potential. Imagine loan sharks who are right now driving round Manchester in a BMW with a baseball bat ripping off the poor, instead blessing the poor by building kingdom businesses.

Or think about highly entrepreneurial drug dealers, already used to dealing with millions of pounds of goods, going from being the problem to the answer.

‘What a prize that would be, not just for the Message, but for the whole city – and for the Kingdom!’

Jeremiah 29:7 says, ‘Seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.’

‘This is going to create a new species of Christian businessman’ Nick Shahlavi is exactly the kind of guy the new Message Enterprise Centre is going to help.

A former addict, drug dealer and ‘all round nasty piece of work’, somehow Nick always managed to avoid getting caught: ‘It was a miracle I never got sent down, and an even bigger miracle I didn’t end up dead. God saved my life on numerous occasions. I had threats against my life and several failed suicide attempts.’

Raised by a Christian mum, Nick felt God moving in his life.

But he fell back into old habits time and time again until he finally got the breakthrough he yearned for, almost three years ago: ‘What made the difference for me was a real encounter with God, the discipleship and someone encouraging me in a way I’d never had before – and a job.’

‘I needed to stop selling drugs and get a legal job. One of my first jobs after the drugs was working in a takeaway. I would work a whole day for the money I used to earn in an hour… and I used to come home stinking of kebabs. It was hard but the Lord was leading me into bigger things and he boxed me off.’

Nick is now working full time with prisoners and young offenders as part of the Reflex team. He knows how essential it is to teach both Christian values and lifestyle to properly rehabilitate men and women. He is confident that the Message Enterprise Centre is going to provide it.

‘Look at David’s mighty men. When you first meet them, they’re broken, in debt and at their lowest point. Under David they become warriors. Jesus did the same with his disciples, building people who gathered around him. It’ll be the same thing here: this will be a nerve centre which will cultivate Kingdom mindsets to operate like Jesus himself. These guys are going to be trained up in business with mentors pouring their lives and experience into them.’

Nick is excited about continuing to mentor the young people he is working with every day in prisons and young offenders’ institutions at the moment.

‘I can’t wait to get my hands dirty with this. Some of the guys coming out soon are prime candidates for the Centre. I believe it’s going to shape them and mould them in lots of different areas, seeing them transformed into real men of God. ‘There’s going to be a new species of Christian business people bred from this place – anointed professionals with the grace and the gifting to be able to speak to people in their previous lifestyles and approach and relate to people of influence.’

Nick has himself proved this is possible: recently he was in the Houses of Parliament addressing 30 politicians and top business leaders, telling his story and sharing how he believes the Message Enterprise Centre is a key initiative for Manchester and beyond: ‘This is pioneering stuff – it’s going to catch on in other places.

When people see what happens here, they’re going to want to emulate it. They’ll spring up everywhere, I’m convinced of it.’

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• If an error is made in the payment of your Direct Debit, by The Message Trust or your bank or building society, you are entitled to a full and immediate refund of the amount paid from your bank or building society – If you receive a refund you are not entitled to, you must pay it back when The Message Trust asks you to • You can cancel a Direct Debit at any time by simply contacting your bank or building society. Written confirmation may be required. Please also notify us.

LEGEND

‘Prayer

changes us

so that we can

change the world’

PE T E GREIG

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

Pete Greig is one of the founders of the international 24-7 Prayer movement, and the Director of Prayer for Holy Trinity, Brompton in London. He teaches around the world and is the author of several books.

HAT YOU DO FOR A LIVING?

Tell stories, throw parties, and try and live the good news of Jesus as much as possible! The ‘official’ answer is that I lead 24-7; a movement of prayer, mission and justice. My part is to set the vision and get everyone working together.

WHAT’S THE SIGNIFICANCE OF CONTINUAL PRAYER AND THE PRAYER ROOMS?

Although we kind of stumbled upon it, we later discovered that it was a model that God’s been using throughout history. The church itself was born out of a 24-7 ‘prayer room’ in Jerusalem; the desert fathers and ancient celtic church believed in laus perennis, continual worship; the 18th century Moravian non-stop prayer meeting resulted in John Wesley’s heart being ‘strangely warmed’; and in the 20th century both the Pentecostal and charismatic renewals were born out of long spells of constant prayer.

The prayer room is not the point. The Bible tells us we are the place of continual prayer. Our lives should be full of joy, gratitude and prayer 24/7.

WHAT’S THE ROLE OF PRAYER IN BRINGING ABOUT CHANGE IN THE WORLD?

Two things, I think. Prayer changes us so that we can change the world. If we’re not good news, we have no good news. The way we get grace for the sinner and love for unlovely people is by catching God’s heart.

But it’s more than that too. There are certain situations in ministry when you realise you’re dealing with more than a few bad decisions – that people are being physically, mentally or even economically controlled by cancerous spiritual forces. You need a miracle to break in.

WHO ARE YOUR SPIRITUAL FATHERS & ROLE MODELS?

Hudson Taylor, William Booth, Desmond Tutu, the prophet and occasional rock star Bono. And it might sound cheesy but I get to work with some of my heroes – people like Nicky Gumbel, Tim Hughes and Carla Harding.

WHAT IMPRESSES YOU MOST ABOUT THEM?

Definitely faithfulness and joy. Without doubt those are the two marks of authentic spirituality.

WHEN YOU THINK OF THE MESSAGE WHAT DO YOU THINK OF?

I’ve been an admirer for a long time. I love the journey that Andy has been on, moving from innovative gospel proclamation towards incarnation and moving from just making converts to making disciples.

I am an enormous fan of the whole Eden vision – I absolutely love it. People hanging out on the estates one minute and then gathering thousands in big venues the next. I love that discipleship is being outworked in real redemptive communities.

WHAT’S UP AHEAD FOR YOU?

One of the things I’m most excited about is a project called Prayer Spaces in Schools which is putting 24-7 prayer rooms in classrooms. Teachers love it because it fits with the national curriculum. School kids are stepping into these prayer spaces and praying for the first time or coming out in tears because they’ve had an amazing experience with God in there. We’ll be rolling it out next academic year.

//////////////// FIND OUT MORE AT www.24-7prayer.com.

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

TEACH

By Chris Lane

Becoming

Naturally

hen I was a kid I would read biographies of famous Christians, and be both inspired and intimidated.

As I turned each page, I would look forward to the next miracle story, whether it was a drug addict being set free or a terrible illness being healed.

For the first few stories I would think, ‘Imagine if that could happen in my life? Please God!’

But after a few more stories about guys raising people from the dead or leading half the passengers on an plane to the Lord, I began to doubt whether this could ever be for me. Basically I began to wonder if this was just stuff for the spiritual superheroes.

My own experiences weren’t very positive either. One evening my wife Esther had a bit of earache and I thought this might be a good chance for a miracle (and a not too difficult one at that). So I prayed for her. In the morning Esther woke up with a severe ear infection in both ears! I am now banned from praying for her when she’s ill.

So imagine how nervous I was when a few mates and me thought God was telling us to go out on Salford Precinct to pray for people who were sick. With my track record, I imagined these poor sick people coming to me and getting worse. In my darker moments I even imagined people dying.

And no one wants that to happen outside Greggs the Bakers.

But we did it anyway. One Saturday afternoon, eight of us put a few chairs out and invited people to sit down and be prayed for. One lady came and she was suffering from migraines, a bad back and she had a lump in her throat she was worried about. As we prayed for her, she said she felt tingly all over her body. A month later we were out again, and the same lady came back to find us. She was bubbling with excitement as she explained how the lump had disappeared, and that she had not suffered any back pain or migraines since we had prayed for her. No one was more surprised than me!

upernatural

And it doesn’t only happen in Africa or America – it happens in Salford Precinct, near Boots. And God doesn’t only use famous Christians – he uses people like you and me, in fact anyone who is crazy enough to believe that God loves people and wants to bless them.

The beauty of it all is that God comes to us in the mess of our lives, and we see the miraculous in the mundane; we see ordinary people doing extraordinary things, and we see our lives becoming naturally supernatural.

A few of us are putting on a day in association with Soul Survivor where we’ll learn how to be more ‘naturally supernatural’ to bless our communities and workplaces.

We’ve got Mike Pilavachi and Jeannie Morgan speaking, plus worship led by James Gregory. It’s happening on October 2729 at the Lighthouse Centre in Salford.

ABOUT CHRIS:

Chris Lane is a Salford lad and leads Langworthy Community Church, where Eden Salford & LifeCentre Salford are based. More info http://bit.ly/natsup

Over the next few months, we saw God heal a number of others as we prayed, and each time I was stunned that God would let us be a part of it. What we learned was that this stuff doesn’t only happen in books – it happens in real life!

doesn’t only happen in

It

Africa or America – it happens

in Salford Precinct,

near Boots

//// THE MESSAGE MAGAZINE – ISSUE 06

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TEACH TEACH

DON’T MISS

THE MIRACLE!

It’s easy for us to miss what God’s doing right before our eyes, says missions director Ian Henderson emember when the people of Israel crossed the Red Sea? Rabbis taught that the people of Israel grumbled about walking through mud, even though they were escaping slavery in Egypt.

Somehow, despite the fact they saw God miraculously holding back the water, they found reasons to complain.

They missed the miracle before their eyes. We say, that’s stupid! I wouldn’t do that! But the reality is, we do. All the time.

Stuck in the mud

Heard it all before

Miracles before our eyes

I don’t know about you, but I’ve heard a lot of sermons – probably thousands. I’ve also sung a few songs – probably tens of thousands. Those sermons, those songs are all full of great truth but here’s something I’ve realised: when you hear something a lot, you stop noticing it.

Do you remember the first time you flew on a plane? I do – and I remember watching the air hostess going through their safety routine listening with rapt attention. I needed to know what to do in case of emergency! But I bet like me, once you’d been on a plane a few times, you stopped listening.

The stewardesses were still doing their thing, but you were too busy looking to see if you could buy cheap perfume.

It’s true of our walk with God too. I’ve heard a few times that God loves me, for instance. It’s still absolutely true. But we can hear it in a great sermon, sing a great song and if we’re really honest, it doesn’t really register anymore. We ‘miss the miracle’ – we fail to see the amazing truth about God simply because we’ve heard it all before.

And then there’s the mud. The truth is, it probably was pretty muddy and just taking the next step was probably very hard work. For some of us too, we’re focussed on the mud because there’s a lot of it. Life is hard – we’re feeling stuck in the mud. We miss the miracle because circumstances make it very difficult not to.

But Isaiah 40:26 says this: ‘Lift your eyes to the heavens.’

God says to us, lift your eyes and see the flipping great big walls of water – and remember who is holding those back. He says to us, look at where you’re going and just how far you’ve come. Look again at who this is you serve and follow.

What are some of the miracles we miss every day?

How about this one: God frees us. Before 1869, when the Bankruptcy Act abolished debtors’ prisons, men and women were routinely thrown in jail by their creditors – it was a normal occurrence. If you hadn’t paid your debts, you could simply be thrown into prison.

You could be there for decades, because the prison keeper charged you rent, the bailiffs would charge you for food and clothing, and you’d have attorneys charging you legal fees for their attempts to get you out. All the while your creditor would be adding interest. Basically it was an unpayable debt.

Just like that, the Bible tells us that our sin was an unpayable debt. The fact that we have a God who says ‘you are debt free’ is a miracle.

Spiritually we are no longer in prison, we are free. It’s a miracle.

So look up and see the walls of water either side of you. What is it about who God is and what he’s done that you need to remember today?

GET A SPEAKER

when you hear something a lot, you stop noticing it.

If you would like Ian Henderson or any other Message communicator to speak at your church or event contact Emma Kizlauskas on emmak@message.org.uk

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

It’s really straightforward to leave a gift to The Message in your will.

Solicitor from Stephensons and Message supporter Andrew Leakey explains stimates vary, but some experts think that only 30% of people in the UK have a will. However, a will is vitally important. To start with, it is the best way of passing on your assets to your friends and family, exactly as you wish. If you die without a will, your assets may be divided according to what the law says, rather than as you would prefer.

It’s also the best way to make sure your family are taken care of after you are gone. It sets out who will look after your children if they’re aged under 18 and if you’re unmarried, you can decide how to provide for your partner.

Leaving a Legacy of Faith

A will is also a wonderful way to leave a legacy with your estate. Donations given to charity in your will go on doing good for years to come. A gift in your will can also be tax efficient: the recent Budget announced that if you leave 10% of your assets to a charity in your will, your estate may receive a 10% discount on any Inheritance Tax payable.

Working with the Message, Stephensons will offer discounted fees on your will. For more information, contact Rob Gore, associate solicitor at Stephensons on 01942 774289, email rgo@stephensons.co.uk, or visit:

www.4willsandprobate.co.uk Quoting “MESSAGE”.

REQUEST

A LEGACY PACK TODAY, CALL OR EMAIL JO NICHOLSON 0161 946 328

jon@message.org.uk //// THE MESSAGE MAGAZINE – ISSUE 06

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