The largest Christian mission in the North West in a generation – Festival Manchester – this week began launching community outreach projects across the region to bring churches and communities together, building relationships and helping address local issues.
Lockdown-induced social isolation has left many neighbourhoods seeking a greater sense of community over the last two years. Led by local churches who understand their communities’ needs, each Love Where U Live project will show Jesus’ love by actively getting involved in the lives in their community and working alongside them to help address issues local to their area.
Culminating in a festival weekend from July 1-3 in Wythenshawe Park, Festival Manchester will be bringing high-energy gigs, fun fairs, extreme sports and a family fun area to Manchester, with artists including Guvna B, Lecrae and Matt Redman performing on the main stage.
In the months leading up to the festival weekend, hundreds of Love Where U Live projects will be launched across Manchester and the North West, focusing on activities including litter picking, garden makeovers, graffiti removal, neighbourhood BBQs, kid’s clubs and sports camps.
So far, 14 projects have been launched in locations including Wythenshawe, Rochdale, Blackley and Central Manchester. In Wythenshawe, 40 people from local churches came together to give makeovers to three gardens, and ended up giving makeovers to eight gardens and a cul de sac, leading to 14 children and several adults giving their lives to Christ.
At a Community Fun Day in the Message Trust’s car park, over 800 people from the community visited the site to take part in face painting, bouncy castles and a barbecue, with 50 people giving their lives to Christ. The community gave very positive feedback to the extent where and the local council has now agreed to work with us on similar projects in future.
Andy Hawthorne, Founder and CEO of The Message Trust, said: “We believe that local churches can be the catalyst to bringing positive change and transformation in our communities. Through the Love Where U Live social action projects we will not only celebrate this but show the good news to our neighbourhoods too by setting up fun, community building activities and helping to address local challenges. As teams from churches step out into their community they’ll then be inviting those they meet to Festival Manchester which is happening in Wythenshawe Park from July 1-3 where they’ll hear about the love and hope Jesus offers them.”
To set up your own Love Where U Live project, speak to your church leader and register at www.festivalmanchester.com/lovewhereulive/
ABOUT FESTIVAL MANCHESTER
Festival Manchester is the biggest Christian Mission in the North West in a generation, organised by hundreds of local churches and businesses in partnership with The Message Trust and Luis Palau Association. Festival Manchester aims to bring region-wide transformation and introduce people of all ages to Jesus. The festival will launch a range of events and social action projects in the months leading up to the festival weekend, which will culminate in high-energy gigs, a huge kids’ zone, fun fair, extreme sports, family fun area and a prayer space, to reach people of all ages.In the build-up to the festival, hundreds of churches will be working side-by-side with their communities as part of Festival Manchester’s Love Where U Live projects, helping to address real societal problems such as food poverty, homelessness and the environment, whilst supporting communities with local issues such as graffiti and littering.
