Manchester Millennium Monster Message 2000
In early August, 17 of our young people and four leaders gave up a week of their holiday to join 11,000 other young people at 'Manchester - Message 2000' organised by Soul Survivor. All of them had one idea in mind - well perhaps two - to tell Manchester about God… and to have a good time in the process.
Soul Survivor is an annual event that normally occurs in a field in Somerset and inspires young people with dynamic worship and teaching. The leaders had an idea, a vision, that they should put Christianity into practice during the week rather than telling everybody to do it when they got home.

So with the help of 200 local Churches MANCHESTER - MESSAGE 2000 was born. The delegates all paid for themselves and lived in a campsite in Heaton Park in North Manchester. Leaders made breakfast for the team and they set off at 8.30 each morning to meet with all the other delegates in the huge Manchester Evening News Nynex arena. From 10.00am to 12 noon they worshiped God, learnt more about Him and experienced His love, before moving straight on to one of three assigned projects.

Those in FIRST CONTACT went out on the streets of Manchester and met young people with street theatre, game shows or singing. They gave out leaflets and talked to people. This was organised by a national organisation called Youth For Christ including Tim Hewitt, a former Ashtead Youth Leader.

The CAF… TEAMS used vacant shops and other premises in Manchester and invited the locals to come in, hang out, eat and drink, listen to music and to come to one of the evening events.

 Photo of Young Folk at Manchester Millennium Monster Message 2000
Photo of Young Folk at Manchester Millennium Monster Message 2000 People assigned to GROUND LEVEL got involved in practical projects such as painting and gardening. The aim was to give the community a positive message about Jesus Christ and the local Church.

Most of the Ashtead team were involved in running a children's holiday club in a community centre - but our youth leaders had the privilege of cleaning Manchester cathedral! In the words of Adam Prior - "a humbling experience" but valuable none the less.

Just imagine the impact of 5000 young people pouring out of the central arena at 12 noon and heading to all parts of Manchester in 200 different teams must have had on the local population!

Each evening was filled with a main meeting and fringe entertainment. These events were open to all and the aim was to attract as many as possible of the young people (and others) they had contacted during the day to come to hear the message as given at the gigs and concerts.

Photo of Young Folk at Manchester Millennium Monster Message 2000

An average of 6000 people, of whom around 1500 were visitors, came to the evening sessions and the claim is that between 1000 and 2000 became Christians during the week. People who wanted to know more were put in touch with their local Churches.

Photo of Young Folk at Manchester Millennium Monster Message 2000

Over the week of the mission the crime rate in parts of Manchester where it is normally high declined to nothing - people talked to their neighbours for the first time and felt part of their community where they had been isolated before.

Photo of Young Folk at Manchester Millennium Monster Message 2000

"Our people found it an amazing experience to be part of such a large Christian project and great to be able to serve the local people in Jesus' name," says church youth worker Adam. "If they have been given a good time that in itself is worthwhile, and if any have come to know Jesus as a result - what a bonus that would be!"

next/forwardGo to next article - What was it like in Ashtead? 1900-2000 AD
See also Adam Prior's page
See also Beck Wood's page
See also the ashtead at Christmas 2004 magazine article SoulInTheCity
See also the ashtead at Christmas 2003 magazine article Festival: Manchester, A Life-Transforming Week
See also the ashtead at Christmas 1996 magazine article New faces on the Parish Staff Team
See also 'Millennium, Jubilee 2000 & Make Poverty History' articles
See also the Jon Burns & YFC page
See also Soul Survivor
previous/backBack to ashtead at Christmas 2000 front page

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