A UK Christian festival inspired almost 3,500 people to accept Jesus Christ in their lives.
Festival Manchester, the largest Christian mission in the North West of England, attracted 65,000 people, with more that 3,000 Brits responding to the call of Christ. It was a celebration centered on the Gospel held in Wythenshawe Park from July 1 to 3, reports Missions Box.
Hundreds of churches, businesses and charities led by The Message Trust and The Luis Palau Association came together to organize the huge festival. The free event included a high-tech gaming lobby, a fun fair, family fun zone and a battle of Britain fly past. Christian artists including Matt Redman and Lecrae entertained on the main stage and serenaded the crowd with Gospel music and message each night.
This is what ‘Festival Manchester’ was all about – introducing people to Jesus and seeing lives changed both now and for eternity. —Andy Hawthorne, founder and CEO of The Message Trust
“For those who don’t know Jesus Christ yet, you come out of a season like this wondering if all these things I put my faith in have failed me, what really lasts, is there anything I can put my feet on that is solid,” said evangelist Andrew Palau. “And we’re here to say we’ve been through that, we feel it and all we’ve had is Jesus Christ and the Word of God and we want to tell you about that. So this is a season that the Lord has designed for us to come right out of COVID and be ready for this moment. And the best is yet to come. There’s more to go.”
A member of the organizers noted, “I was amazed that when they started speaking about the gospel, the crowd in front of the stage didn’t dissipate. People remained interested and were really positive about what they heard.”
Organizers said, before the three-day festival, they spent 18 months doing outreach programs in the city. They combined sharing the faith with social action projects to help the poor. Christian charity The Message Trust revealed that hundreds responded to the Gospel because of the projects. Those who gave their lives to Christ will be connected with a local church and will be given additional Christian resources to start their journey to faith.
“This is what ‘Festival Manchester’ was all about – introducing people to Jesus and seeing lives changed both now and for eternity. I honestly believe we got to be part of something huge that God is doing,” remarked Andy Hawthorne, founder and CEO of The Message Trust.
Hawthorne hopes the positive change brought by Festival Manchester will have a long-term impact on people’s lives. “Well, always the dream is so much more than lots of people becoming Christians at Wythenshawe park,” he said. “That’s amazing that could happen, but we want to see a whole region transformed. We want to see the spiritual climate change and it is happening in Manchester.”
Palau was nothing but praises for Festival Manchester. “As is always the case, when the Church comes together in unity, serving the city, encouraging the body, and proclaiming the good news boldly, great things happen. And that is exactly what we saw here in Manchester.”
“What a joy to see the many lives changed through the proclaimed word of God,” he exclaimed.
