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Manchester Gets Audacious!
14 April 2008
Manchester, UK, is probably best known around the world for a certain variety of football!
Home to both Manchester City and the seemingly ubiquitous Manchester United, the city is also a key cultural centre. Later this year, a large section of the BBC workforce will move to Manchester from London, to be part of the new media city that's planned for the city.
Now, right in the middle of town, there is a vibrant, creative and passionate church - Audacious City Church, led by Pastors Glyn and Sophia Barrett.
Glyn is the pioneer of the Audacious Conference, an annual event that draws teenagers and young adults from across the UK, as well as the national leader of Youth Alive, UK.
The church, originally planted by the Hope City Church network, has been under the Audacious name since September last year and has already grown from just under 100 people to over 300. But it's not just about numerical growth for this youthful and visionary church: there is a strong strategic plan in place for seeing the heart of Manchester's culture reshaped in a positive way through the values and power of Christian faith.
Mal Fletcher spoke in the church in April and found a group of people hungry for prophetic insight into where their city may be headed, and willing to take on the challenges of influencing the culture more than it influences them.
Glyn Barrett says: 'Mal is a real cultural architect, and a "prophet statesman". I first met him when I was fifteen and he's had a big impact at key points in my ministry life.'
'What he shared with us this weekend was truly prophetic. It was almost as if he'd been reading our mail...'
After the weekend, Mal said: 'With so much money being poured into Manchester right now - in terms of general development, but especially in terms of media - this church has the opportunity to become a major force for change, not just for this region but, in the longer-term, for Britain.'
'We need to pray that God will raise the profile of Audacious City Church, and other visionary churches in the area, so that the wider community becomes aware of what the church has to offer.'
For more on Audacious City Church, visit audaciouscitychurch.com.
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