we be church

Project Huddersfield

This last week I been in Huddersfield to do some design research with good mate & graphic designer Viv to produce a logo and promotional material for the Newfrontiers Huddersfield Church plant (The Ark) that will stepping up a gear in the coming months.
We felt as well as getting a tour of the place our research needed to included interviewing the multi ethnic population about what they felt about the town, the wider area and the general sense of community. We endeavoured to talk to as much a wide mix of people as we could including students, graduates, market workers, pub frequenters, council staff, families and even tourists.

Huddersfield is a unique blend of rural and urban due to the industrial revolution of the late 18th and 19th centuries. Large cotton mill architecture is still very prominent along with towering chimneys. Today shops and the up and coming university are the main magnets. The cities Leeds and Manchester are easily accessible from the town making Huddersfield an ideal place to live if you like the Yorkshire country side and are willing to commute to work.

The older people desire to hold on to past history which frequently comes into conflict with seeing something new come out of the area. Although the university does keep old mill architecture, there does to appear to be a struggle for visual identity in Huddersfield. Despite some valuing the cosmopolitan vibe the community is divided down ethnic lines. A Church that gathers the various ethnicity’s and ages together in Huddersfield will be so vital in bringing visible transformation to the area.

The favourite place of most people we asked was the landmark “Castle Hill”, a tower built on an old iron age fort situated just outside Huddersfield Town overlooking the area. This tower was constructed to mark Queen Victoria’s 60th Jubilee Year and in its opening attracted thousands of people.

A big thank you to the friendly Pape and Bunce families for showing us round, we couldn’t have done it without you! Thinking of joining this loverly bunch? Ill let Steve Hurd have the final word.

Steve Hurd. Huddersfield from Box-head* on Vimeo.

First Night for Ignite – Changing the Landscape

So we have our first Ignite this Friday for our youth group called “Level-x” at County Church. Ignite is basically a youth service where we have a short game, worship and a talk with the youth having a chance to hang out at the end. We have about 20 young people coming regularly now, which is fantastic, with more lads which has been a answer to prayer. We have previously been meeting in the living rooms of generous people but have just moved to a hall on an housing estate which means our youth have more space but also means that we have a consistent place for our youth to meet which is near to them.

We have been living with the theme of Identity and have a series of related talks lined up. Some of our older youth have begun taking responsibility for leading in various ways which is mega awesome and I have been really proud to see them growing in this area. The growth we are experiencing means we need more practised leaders with time to serve, particularly a female leader for our young girls, we are praying and seeking someone who is called in this area.

As it’s our first event we are still learning what will work and wont work but in a typical youthful passion we are going for it! My prayer is that God meets with our youth and that it becomes a highlight in the monthly calendar for our young people. I continue to hold on to what James says “Draw near to God and he will draw near to you” there is absolutely no reason we can’t encourage our youth in this way. You can find out what is happening with our youth on our Level-x facebook page.

Over 4,100 languages needing Bible translation

Jesus is pretty clear that all nations will hear the gospel of the Kingdom before the end of the world.

And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. (Matthew 24:14)

So what are the stats? How many languages still need the Gospel translated? Here are a few figures from Wycliffe Bible Translators.

How many languages have Scripture?

2,454. Of these, 438 have a complete Bible, another 1,168 have the New Testament. 848 others have at least one book of the Bible.

How many languages still need translation?

In addition to more than 1,900 active projects, work needs to begin in over 2,200 languages.

How many people have no Scripture?

196 million speak these languages where translation still needs to begin.

How many languages is Wycliffe currently involved in?

About 1,415 languages (around 73% of all translation work currently being done)

In how many languages have Wycliffe been involved in the completion of a New Testament?

721. Over 80 million people speak these languages.

Wycliffe do an amazing work coordinating an effort to reach nations with the gospel. I would really recommend reading a book called Unafraid of the Sacred Forest: The Birth of a Church in an African Tribe to see how their work can practically be done alongside planting churches. I will do a proper book review in the weeks to come.