c~Great Britian~

Imagine living in a post-church society. As you walk down the street, you find beautiful, old church buildings, and each one seems eager to tell its story. Excited, you enter one of the churches, but it seems strangely empty. Is anyone here?

As you look around the church, you begin to learn its story and the story of all the other churches in the area. Their congregations are small and older. Two vicars oversee a team of three churches. Though they serve the Lord with all their hearts, more ministry needs exist than their congregations can meet. One vicar tells you that the community has a population of 13,000, but only 94 of these people regularly attend a church-less than one percent.

At first, it surprises you. You are in a first world country, and the people there can have almost anything they want, but they still lack something. Churches have been around for hundreds of years, but few people attend. You sense a great spiritual emptiness in the community.

You know the feeling. Before you met Jesus, your own life seemed empty. You longed for unconditional love and for a reason to live. Then you found out that God loves you and has a plan for your life. You began a relationship with Him, and your life changed dramatically.

As you think about this, you realize that the people in this country need to know what you know, to have what you have. They desperately need someone to show them what it looks like to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Who will tell them? Who will show them? Will you?

Answering the Call:

The above story really happened. In fact, it has happened over and over again for years. The place is Salford, England, and the person walking down the street is every missionary that AIM has ever sent there. For the past six summers, AIM has put a short term team in Salford for a week or two. These teams accomplish many things for the Kingdom of God, but they always go home. No one stays to follow up with those who come to Christ or to continue reaching out to the lost. The harvest is plentiful, but the workers have been few. Until now....

Discipleship:

Near Manchester, Salford is a great place to live. FYM will minister alongside of the Broughton Team Ministry (Anglican ministers & their church staff), which currently involves three urban priority area parishes in the city of Salford and the northwestern edge of Manchester City Centre. Broughton is predominantly a white, working class area with a large orthodox Jewish community, a growing Asian population and a number of refugee families. There is a small Afro-Carribean population and a significant number of international students and their families, who are mainly connected with SalfordUniversity. The area ranks among the thirty poorest municipal wards in the country. Unemployment is high compared to city, regional and national averages. Many areas in Salford have suffered from rapid neighborhood decline and abandonment; however, a great deal of redevelopment is underway.

Ministry:

Participants will each develop an internship, most of which will be supporting roles to the local churches. Opportunities for ministry include starting a cell/discipleship group with people who have been reached by previous AIM trips, developing a nurture program for teens who attend Space (youth evangelistic concerts), holiday clubs, Going Bananas (like a one-day VBS), school assemblies, working with primary and secondary schools, joining and leading a housegroup, supporting Alpha course (a discipleship class), community action, visiting elderly members of local church congregations, and assisting with Sunday services across a team of churches.