The Call to Serve the City Centre

The city centre is steeped in seasonal tourism, heavy flows of people moving through the streets every minute and adverts plastered everywhere, pushing that you’ve never got enough stuff. As we near Christmas, with late night shopping beginning and the Christmas markets in full swing, our Thursday evening Costa hot spot in the middle of the hectic city centre is growing in the number of exhausted shoppers seeking refuge. We’re learning so much each week about what it means to build a church in the city centre, and all the incredible opportunities and challenges that come with that.

At this time of year, during the cold nights, we want to pray for the homeless people throughout Manchester. To many, Christmas is a time to share with loved ones, but often this luxury is not possible for people on the street who don’t have the resources spare in order to do that. Watching people caught up in the festivities can make the vulnerability of being on the streets even more depressing. Victoria Armstrong, founder of the Oasis charity, who work tirelessly in East Manchester to build community and fullness of life, through the gospel, spoke at CCM: City during one of CCM’s give big services.

Victoria reminded us of Matthew 25 v 35-36 35For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.

It’s so easy to get swept up in all the other pressures of this time of year, and harden our hearts to the needy lining the streets of our town and cities. But we need to remember that God calls us to have broken hearts for the needy around us. And now as CCM build their next base in the city centre, it’s crucial we act as the light unto the world along these streets, and share our time, prayers and love with people.

I’d love to encourage everybody to stop to take 10 minutes to chat to a person on the street and offer to get them a cup of tea, any necessities they may need from a shop, and just pray with them. Pray for their protection, their families elsewhere and share with them God’s message of love.

If you’d like to contribute to the work of Oasis and the Boaz Trust, who provide accommodation to asylum seekers and refugees, CCM plants city wide are currently raising money for their incredibly valuable work. You can check out more information on how to do that here.

Please continue to pray that this vision of a church in the city centre continues to grow and take shape and that we can fulfil our role as a church in this dynamic and chaotic environment.

Please do come along to Costa on Market Street on a Thursday evening to learn more about what the CCM: City Centre plant are up to and support us in our vision to build a church passionate for God in the heart of Manchester.

If you’d like to find out more information about us and to stay tuned of exciting updates for the city centre over the coming months, head to the CCM:City Centre page, contact Tom, like us on Facebook or come along to Costa at 7.30pm on a Tuesday evening.

We’d love to have you.