The Social Impact Awards are a national awards programme to celebrate and reward excellence in charities, not for profit and social enterprise organisations as well as public and private sector organisations who have made a ‘Big Difference’ in their communities. They took place in Manchester on 1st May 2013, following a half day conference, which provided education, information, advice and case studies for third sector organisations and their partners in the public and private sectors. With 26 categories, plus a grand prix award, they were judged by a high-level independent panel.

How Acting on Impulse started.
In the summer of 2007 Lauren Tomlinson spent an evening with homeless people around the food vans near Manchester’s Piccadilly Station. She heard their stories, she felt their pain, she knew she had to get involved. Within 24 hours she’d drafted a script for a short film about homeless life, and who better to act in it than the people who inspired her to write it?

Acting on Impulse was born.

A pilot film was made with a successful launch and workshops with homeless people followed soon becoming central to the vision. “I spent a lot of time encouraging people to come to our acting workshops, and we ran our first course in autumn 2007. We saw our actors grow in confidence and a real sense of community began to grow. We have since come on in leaps and bounds and I am very excited about our future.” Lauren Tomlinson

For more information about the charity and it’s vision visit: www.actingonimpulse.net

Our next theme for 2013 is Urban Mission…
How do we reach people in some of the most challenging urban areas?

There are many groups working across Greater Manchester to bring light and hope to some of the most challenging urban areas. Some will be known to all of us and some may be working away under the radar. As economic recession begins to bite even harder we should all be asking the same question: how do we bring hope to those who are being hit the hardest?

To help us in the conversation we have invited Matt Wilson from EDEN Network and Bishop Laurie Green from the National Estate Churches Network.

Eden’s mandate is to go to the most challenging urban areas and share God’s life-changing love in words and actions. Teams choose to live in these communities long-term, sharing the problems of those growing up there and helping them with their needs.

The NECN (National Estate Churches Network) links together Christians of all denominations in order to support and learn from one another. It is a group of Church workers, clergy, community workers and many others who live and work on Housing Estates in different areas of England.

Most importantly, Fresh Thinking is about supporting you, your work or ministry and connecting you with others who can support you, throughout the year. Join us.

Lunch and refreshments will be provided from noon.

The Venue
FT2013 is at Holy Trinity Platt Church, Platt Lane, Manchester, M14 5NF. There is ample on street car parking available.

Registration
Please register for FRESH THINKING by emailing media@network-ea.org.uk to reserve a place, with your name and the church / charity / organisation you work for. Whether you are a church leader, an organisation director, a culture-shaper or influencer – join us. If you know someone who might be interested, please pass this on.

Inspiration
Fresh Thinking is a collaborative event but speakers we have invited to inspire us have included Steve Clifford (EA), Tim Plyming (BBC), Krish Kandiah (EA), Rob Cotton (Bible Society), David Willson (More Than Gold) and Chick Yuill (LiCC).

Resources
Fresh Thinking always seeks to bring you resources that will aid your mission. Whether a simple connection with a fellow worker or access to new books, media and initiatives, FT helps to highlight what might be useful to you.

The Bridge Church and Centre, Bolton BL2 1JX / October 25th 2012
109 Bradford Street
Bolton, BL2 1JX
01204 361 704

You are invited to join us for an evening with author and speaker Tony Campolo and singer/songwriter Graham Kendrick as they share their passion for social justice. This is a fantastic opportunity to worship together and hear from one of the most inspiring and powerful Christian speakers of our time.  Come along to be entertained, challenged and changed!

Tony Campolo is a celebrated speaker and author. He has been a major proponent for progressive thought and reform in the evangelical community. He has become a leader of the Red Letter Christian movement, which aims to put emphasis on the teachings of Jesus. (The words of Jesus are often in red type in some editions of the Bible, hence the name.) He is also a former spiritual advisor tp President Bill Clinton.

The evening has been organised by Compassion, who work through churches in 26 of the world’s poorest countries to release children from economic, social, physical and spiritual poverty.

CRE is very excited to be coming to EventCity, Manchester. As the ‘Ideal Church Show’, you’ll find everything you need to equip and empower your church or mission. Maybe you want to come and find the latest books and CDs, to hear a great seminar, or perhaps just to wander, ponder and share with like-minded souls.

With over 150+ exhibitors featuring everything to equip, inspire and empower your church, from computers to communion wine, printers to pews, stained glass to soundsystems. There will be 30+ seminars, including Messy Church,  prayer area and a massive shop featuring: books, DVDs and a host of church resources.

The Spotlight stage will feature music, arts and theatre.

Download a fantastic detailed PDF here.

at the RNCM, Oxford Road, Manchester
£5.00 per ticket (bookable at lecture@maranathacommunity.org.uk or 0161 282 5523)

This evening is an opportunity to invite and encourage friends who may not know much of God’s work through Maranatha to listen to David Alton, who is one of the best known and much loved Christians in public life in Britain. David will speak on Unity, Healing and Renewal, those three foundational words given to the Maranatha Community when it was founded.

About the speaker – LORD ALTON OF LIVERPOOL

For 18 years David Alton was an MP (once the youngest Member) and since 1997 is a Life Peer. He started teaching in Kirkby, (sometime teaching children with special needs) and in 1972, he was elected to Liverpool City Council as Britain’s youngest City Councillor. He was educated at St Helens School, Brentwood and St. Edmund Campion, Hornchurch and later at Christ College Liverpool. He is married to Elizabeth and they have four children.

In 1979 David won Liverpool Edge Hill (later Mossley Hill) and his illustrious Parliamentary career began. In Parliament, David served as Liberal Party spokesman on the Environment, Home Affairs, Northern Ireland and later held the office of his Party Chief Whip. Also he was a member of several Select Committees and numerous All Party Select Groups.

David helped to create the Jubilee Campaign – an inter denominational Christian human rights pressure group lobbying for persecuted Christians and children’s rights world-wide and in 1990 co-founded the Movement for Christian Democracy.

David has authored numerous books such as What Kind of Country?, Whose Choice Anyway? Signs of Contradiction, Pilgrim Ways and Faith in Britain.

In 1997 David was appointed Professor of Citizenship at Liverpool John Moores University and in 1999 he was appointed to the Catholic Bishops’ Conference Bioethics Commission of England and Wales. David was one of the leading campaigners within Parliament seeking to thwart the Government’s attempts to legalise so called “therapeutic cloning”.

David Alton has visited Azerbaijan, Tibet, Georgia, southern Sudan, Burma border areas, Laos and Vietnam and initiated a debate to raise human rights and security issues in North Korea having visited that mysterious nation with Baroness Cox.

In March 2011 he organised a remarkable visit to the UK of a delegation from North Korea, which included the Speaker, Choe Tae Bok.

About Maranatha

Maranatha is a vibrant, living, Community of thousands of Christians, united in the Body of Christ for over 30 years.  Anglicans, Catholics, Evangelicals, Methodists, Orthodox Christians.  Maranatha members are active across all Christian denominations, with a growing international network. Maranatha members are totally committed to support and encourage the various local churches of which they are a part.

Maranatha is a movement of the Holy Spirit – we are a community of love and prayer and members hold fast to the central truths of the Christian faith and strongly affirm the Lordship of Christ. Members seek to listen attentively together to the Holy Spirit and to go wherever God leads us.

Maranatha was founded and its identity and ministry are centred on unity, healing and renewal and our aim is to help people in their walk as Christians where they live, work and worship. Maranatha is based in Flixton.

www.maranathacommunity.org.uk

Lunch and information presentation for September’s Urban Mission Conference at Coverdale Church M12 4FG.

Making Sense of the Fragments is the 7th UK Urban Mission Congress – this time in Manchester from 6-8 September 2013. Making Sense of the Fragments is an event looking at urban ministry and inner city areas. What part can faith play in bringing these fragmented areas together, creating a new Kingdom-inspired picture? This is a great opportunity to come together with others to share experiences, to reflect together, to celebrate each others’ stories and to be inspired to action.

Dr Tony Campolo has been confirmed as the keynote speaker for 2013. This June meeting provides a great opportunity to shape the programme together. Come and be a part of shaping local urban mission.

More details from Paul Keeble of Urban Presence

See how you could transform your church into First Century Jerusalem and how the Easter story could come alive for the children in primary schools in your area.

Follow a group of children as they take the journey
9:30am • 10:45am • 1:00pm • 2:00pm*

Or come for one of the special evening presentations
Tues/Weds/Thurs at 7pm & 8:15pm
(* Monday 18th 1pm & 2pm only)

“Easter Story Trail brings churches together and aids them in the
challenge they face to pass the good news on to the next generation”

To book a place call: 0161 428 0917 or email: julie@bibleencounter.org

Easter Story Trail from Steve Burmester on Vimeo.

http://easterstorytrail.org.uk/

Lord Mayor’s Parlour, Town Hall, Manchester
Wednesday 20th June 2012

You are invited to share in the Greater Manchester Prayer Breakfast, in the Lord Mayor’s Parlour of the Town Hall, Manchester.

Theme: More than Gold

Every day we are hearing and seeing the progress of the Olympic torch across our country and this provides our churches and communities with a once in a lifetime opportunity. All too often the churches are seen negatively and inward looking. MORE THAN GOLD in the Olympics 2012 provides a unique opportunity to show a greatly different reality.

By playing their part in the programmes of outreach, hospitality and service Christians can tell a different story and re-awaken fresh interest in who it is that makes us different.

To tell a great story and guide us in prayer we welcome back Lt Col. IVOR TELFER – who was ordained as a Salvation Army Officer in 1984, stationed in Northern Ireland and Pakistan as well as here in Manchester. At that time he led MORE THAN GOLD at the Commonwealth Games in this city in 2002 and a special celebratory prayer breakfast attended by over 200 guests.

Please reserve your ticket by downloading and completing the form using the link below.

DOWNLOAD the invitation and booking form here.
(PDF 534kb)

For more details please contact Kevin McKenna

Greater Manchester Prayer Breakfast Steering Group:
Derek Crookes, Dr Marijke Hoek, Richard Haworth, Kevin McKenna, Prof. Chris Summerton, Gavin White, Dennis Wrigley

in Partnership with Network-ea Manchester

We are pleased to invite you to the annual Lord Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast in Manchester’s magnificent Town Hall. A major emphasis at the Prayer Breakfast has always been on Godly leadership and you will hear words to encourage us whether Mayors, business leaders, or simply in our roles at home or as parents. Dr. Shirley Jenner, a Principal Lecturer in MMU and a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, is our closing speaker.

Usually attending are civic leaders, MP’s and those from a broad section of public life in the region.

Booking advice & further information:
Please contact Kevin McKenna
0161 282 5523
Kevin.mckenna70@ntlworld.com
www.prayerbreakfast.co.uk

We look forward to your early bookings as this event is usually oversubscribed.

Pray love Manchester is a prayer event taking place from Monday 30th April until Sunday 6th May.

There will be a central prayer room set up in the upper room of St Ann’s Church, Manchester, where everyone is welcome to come and pray between 8am and 10pm each day. This is a 24/7 prayer event and so from 10pm until
8am the next day, different churches around the city have been asked to commit to pray for one night.

There are many other events taking place involving people from churches across the city and all are invited to unite to see God glorified across the region.

Events include:

• Opening service:  Mon 29th April / 7.30pm

• Daily Worship services: Every evening 7.30- 9.30pm.
  Speakers confirmed include Neil Hudson (LICC), George Verwer (OM), Barry Mason (More than Gold), Prayer Storm, IHOP and many more.

• Daily Prayer Breakfasts: (8 – 9am) Led by Christian leaders from across the city.

• Prayer Outreach: (Saturday 5th May) in Manchester City Centre; 4 teams, including a flash mob dance performance.

For more information or to send prayer requests please email : info@praylovemanchester.com