It’s A New Day!

"This launch is part of a vision to see a vibrant church on the east side of Greater Manchester."

'It's a new day' can be such an over-worked phrase, but I must admit I quite like it. It's a phrase full of hope, possibility and empowerment.

A couple of years ago, Mary and myself drove from Jo’burg to Cape Town via Lesotho and Durban. It was a long drive full of memories, of great hotels and lovely people, interspersed with the occasional tense husband-and-wife moments (‘You gave me the wrong directions!‘).

As part of this journey I spoke at the pre-launch of two new churches. The anticipation in the churches was very high. The amazing buzz that this was ‘a new day’ permeated the people. In Manchester and Boston (US) I have had the same excitement, and fear, as we launched very pioneering groups in people’s homes, hoping and praying that someone will turn up. Then enjoying the real pleasure of prayers being answered and guest arriving.

This month I am part of another launch: Christ Church Manchester (CCM). This is a little different to most that I have been involved in. We have been going for some time under the name of East Manchester Family Church and have grown to around 60 people.

It is amazing how times like this can mean different things, and evoke a variety of reactions in people. For some, they think, ‘What’s the fuss? We are just carrying on being church and reaching out, with a new name.‘

For Simon, the pioneer of the church, CCM is an exciting fulfilment of a vision he has for many new churches and other initiatives that advance the Kingdom of God, and so EMFC has much more to do.  For others, this launch is part of a vision to see a vibrant church on the east side of Greater Manchester having a positive effect on the city.

Last month at one of our prayer meetings, a visitor had a strong sense that God was speaking to us as a church: she saw us like a book and the page was turning. There was a new page opening and God was writing new things about the church.

As she spoke, it came home to me again that even part-way on the journey, there are times when God seems to say, ‘This is a new day!‘

It’s A New Day!

'It's a new day' can be such an over-worked phrase, but I must admit I quite like it. It's a phrase full of hope, possibility and empowerment.