Ignite HOPE Local - Wales
A flash mob shocked shoppers in Cardiff City Centre when over 60 young people joined drummers and singers in a perform surprise performance of ‘You’ve got the Love’. The event sparked conversations with many passers-by and 200 leaflets with a gospel message were given out.
This was just one part of Ignite Hope Local, a weekend full of evangelism and mission projects in communities around South Wales. Ten local areas benefited from volunteers of all ages, and many youth, getting involved in sharing hope with the place they live.
In Gibbonsdown a fun day and a car wash was held on Saturday and the Sunday was filled with acts of kindness throughout the community. Local churches in Dinas Powys held a free fun day on an estate that the Christians there have been praying for over the last few years.
Tremorfa opened a church, hired a bouncy castle and gave out cups of coffee. Over a hundred new faces popped into the church which was a fantastic encouragement to the team. A youth group from Llanederyn hung out in a park to chat with other young people from the estate, painting nails and playing Frisbee – followed by a litter pick. Same happened in Castleton.
Churches in Pentrebane cleared areas of land long overgrown which the Council are hoping to use the land to create a community resource. Many people from nearby flats joined in and relationships between the church and community were strengthened.
Grangetown held an open mic night, a car wash and a café - all popular with residents. A church from Lisvane, ran social action projects around Gabalfa in Cardiff and Cymcarn also held a fun day.
Christians in Llanrumney cleared an old church building so that it could be used as a church once more, ran a community day and met many local people with new young people coming to their youth club.
In Bridgend churches worked together for an entire weekend of projects: a beach clean, gardening in two estates in Bridgend, and running 2 fun days.
The highlight of the weekend was a gig in Cardiff by LZ7, with over 300 young people, many from un-churched backgrounds, attending. Over 20 young people responded and gave their lives to Christ that night.
Ruth Doey, an organiser at Ignite said: “It was amazing to see Jesus touch the lives of so many young people and we have been really encouraged again to see God move through all the local projects, the flash mob and the gig. We pray that by the churches commitment and efforts to reach out to their local communities many more people would have a life transforming encounter with the living God. We also feel pleased to keep the momentum going in preparation for IgniteHope 2012 which will be a much bigger scale event and weekend.”
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