The Gathering

"We want to show students the importance of churches blessing, encouraging and loving each other"

Tonight we are going to an event called The Gathering. It is run by a bunch of Churches in Manchester who all have student ministries of one sort or another.

The idea behind these events was to show students the importance of church unity and that churches blessing, encouraging and loving other churches is a powerful thing for our city to see.

The Gathering has been running for a few years and I have always found it to be an exciting event as you get to hear how God is moving in different churches.

Tonight is particularly exciting as the CCM:City band is leading worship. I am genuinely chuffed that we have an opportunity to serve the church in Manchester even though we are relatively new onto the scene.

Anyways, 7:30pm Tonight (Friday 30th September 2011) at Kings Church we shall gather together and make a noise for Jesus. Sweet.

How to Succeed at University - The Final Countdown

"Try not to eat only ice-cream and bagels"

Over the last few weeks I have written about how I think Christian students can thrive at University. My intention was to provoke freshers to consider how they want to approach University life. Are you scared of University or do you want to run with confidence?

If you are looking for a new church in Manchester then why not come and check us out. We love hanging out, we love Jesus and we love Manchester. What more do you need?

Here is a list of those blogs –

1. Know God
2. Start as you mean to go on
3. Find a church quick
4. Have lots of Non-Christian friends
5. Love your new city
6. How to deal with freshers week
7. Be a leader

There are dozens of other things you need to do to make a success of University, like not eating only ice cream and bagels, but that list seems like a good start!

How to Succeed at University #7 Be a leader

"For some people their years at University can be seen as the final years of irresponsibility. "

We live in a country that is desperately short of leaders and as a nation we treat our leaders with cynicism and even contempt. We do not trust them, we do not like them and often we wish they would just leave us alone.

And yet we need leaders. We need leaders at every single level of society.

If you want to succeed at University then you need to be able to lead.

• Do you want to get a good degree? – You need to lead yourself.
• Do you want to have a good circle of friends? – You may need to step up and lead your peer group.
• Do you want to see your Non-Christian friends find Jesus? – You will need to lead.
• Do you want to see your church at the heart of the City? Then you absolutely must lead and take responsibility within your church!

Some students may view University as their last chance to go crazy before they have to get a job and settle down. For some people their years at University can be seen as the final years of irresponsibility. 

Why not view University in a different way. Why not view these years of study as a time where you step up into leadership. Your time at University could just “happen to you” or you can impose yourself on it! Make sense?

In other words, get stuck in. Don’t wait for things to happen to you, go and make them happen. Don’t spend time hoping that life will give you a break, go and make your own breaks.

Incidentally, if you want a church that will help you to lead then come and visit Christ Church Manchester. We meet at Luther King House at 6pm on Sunday evenings. We believe that you can change society because Jesus changed you.

How to Succeed at University - #6 Dealing with Freshers Week

"You need to think about how you can boss freshers week! Christians should be planning on becoming the life and soul of the party"

Freshers week in Manchester 2011 will see tens of thousands of freshers turn up in the city and every pub, club, and company wants their attention (churches may also scream at you for some attention to!). By the end of the week Oxford Road is covered in about three feet of flyers. Seriously, we lose a couple of freshers every year buried in flyers.

How do you survive it? Well first of all don’t think about survival. Survival is for losers.

You need to think about how you can boss freshers week! Christians should be planning on becoming the life and soul of the party.

Now I am aware that this point of view can be a little controversial. I do not mean that you should go out get wasted, get high and sleep with someone but I do think you can become the center of a social scene without compromise.

In halls people who have probably left home for the first time will surround you and many of them will have come from towns and villages much smaller than Manchester. It is an intimidating experience that some people cope with and some don’t.

So as a Christian what can you do? I will tell you tomorrow.

How to Succeed at University #5 – love your new city

"Manchester is an incredibly diverse place made up of towns and villages all pushed together in an urban sprawl"

It is very easy as a new student in a new place to stick with what you know. You live in halls, you go to lectures and maybe you go out with your friends. Chances are you will stay in the areas of your new city that are “studenty areas”.

A new city can be a little intimidating and some people never quite get to grips with their new location. I know many students who will go home at every opportunity because they are struggling to adapt.

Throwing yourself into a church community can help you settle in but getting to know your city is a great idea.

Manchester is an incredibly diverse place made up of towns and villages all pushed together in an urban sprawl. The calm of Heaton Park is in stark contrast to the bustle of the curry mile and Trafford Centre is a very different experience to the Northern Quarter.

Manchester is packed full of people from every different social class, ethnic background and lifestyle preference. The challenge for the new student is to go out there and discover. Take the opportunity to fall in love with Manchester, you may find yourself living here for years to come.

Here is a video about the Oasis Centre in Gorton. These guys have worked hard for their community for the last decade and seen lives changed. They are committed to Manchester –

The Oasis Centre 2011 from Christ Church Manchester on Vimeo.

How to succeed at university #4 – Have lots of Non Christian Friends

"University is a great opportunity to make a whole bunch of non-Christian friends"

Begging isn’t cool. It is pretty humiliating and a little desperate but right now I am begging. If you are Christian who is about to become a student at a University in Manchester or Salford please have stacks of good Non Christian mates. It could be the most important thing you ever do.

University is a great opportunity to make a whole bunch of non-Christian friends. Don’t do what a lot of students do and wrap yourselves up in the comfort of the Christian bubble. My biggest frustration as a leader at a church in Manchester is that some students barely see any Non-Christians. What is the point of that sort of lifestyle?

My friend Dave saw 16 of his university friends attend an Alpha course in his first year at Uni. One became a Christian. This would not have happened if he had spent all his time in Christian meetings.

A girl called Anna got talking to a girl on her course that had been backsliding for years. This girl came to church and got herself right with God. She now leads the fastest growing Life group in our church and regularly prays and prophesies on a Sunday morning.

A guy called Tim sat in the food hall with his bible open in front of him. This started lots of conversations, which ended with three people coming along to church.

Who says you can’t build church on students???

So I am begging you to go clubbing, play football, join societies, eat food, leave your room door open, be the life and soul of every party.  Watch what happens.