LIFE Church UK: Difference between revisions
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'''LIFE Church UK''', formerly the Abundant Life Church, is a large [[Christian]] [[neocharismatic]] [[local church|church]] established and primarily based in [[Bradford]],in the north of [[England]], which is part of the [[British New Church Movement]]. |
'''LIFE Church UK''', formerly the Abundant Life Church, is a large [[Christian]] [[neocharismatic]] [[local church|church]] established and primarily based in [[Bradford]],in the north of [[England]], which is part of the [[British New Church Movement]]. |
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The church has additional facilities in [[Belfast]] and [[Leeds]] city centre and describes itself as "one church, three locations". |
The church has additional facilities in [[Belfast]] and [[Leeds]] city centre and describes itself as "one church, three locations". In 2003 it had an attendance of over 2,000 people;<ref name=GV>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/west_yorkshire/3197605.stm Church criticised over gun video]</ref> by 2006, the figure had climbed to 2,800.<ref>Peter Brierley, Ed. ''UK Christian Handbook, Religious Trends 7'' (Swindon: Christian Research, 2008) 9.10.2</ref> |
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==History== |
==History== |
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== References == |
== References == |
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{{Reflist|2}} |
{{Reflist|2}} |
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==External links== |
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*[http://lifechurchhome.com LIFE Church] official website |
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{{Abundant Life Church}} |
{{Abundant Life Church}} |
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Revision as of 22:12, 24 January 2013
| LIFE Church | |
|---|---|
 | |
 | |
| Location | Bradford, West Yorkshire |
| Country |  United Kingdom |
| Denomination | Nondenominational |
| Weekly attendance | 3000 |
| Website | http://www.lifechurchhome.com |
| History | |
| Former name(s) | Abundant Life Church |
| Founded | 1976 |
LIFE Church UK, formerly the Abundant Life Church, is a large Christian neocharismatic church established and primarily based in Bradford,in the north of England, which is part of the British New Church Movement.
The church has additional facilities in Belfast and Leeds city centre and describes itself as "one church, three locations". In 2003 it had an attendance of over 2,000 people;[1] by 2006, the figure had climbed to 2,800.[2]
History
LIFE Church has its roots in the Charismatic Restoration movement of Arthur Wallis. It was founded in 1976 by Bryn Jones, one of the early Restoration/British New Church leaders, by an amalgamation of three small Bradford churches: a charismatic Brethren Assembly based at the Bolton Woods Gospel Hall; an independent charismatic church made up mostly of former Baptists who had been unable to continue in their church because of their charismatic beliefs; and the New Covenant Church, a fellowship originally under the apostolic leadership of G. W. North.[3]
In its early days it met in the Anglican Church House and so was known locally as Church House.[4] Known as Abundant Life Church for a number of years, in 2012 the name was shortened to LIFE Church UK, reflecting a move into a season of new leadership and direction.
Facilities
In 1988, the church spent almost £1 million to buy a former textile mill on Wapping Road, Bradford which was converted into an auditorium with a car park at the rear.
The church extended the Bradford campus in 2000, constructing a replacement auditorium building capable of seating 2,000, with office space, a bookshop and coffee bar. The older building was then converted for the use of the youth ministry with multi-purpose meeting rooms. The newer auditorium building itself was extended in 2008, creating space for a day care centre and an expanded coffee shop, as well as additional offices and meeting rooms necessary for the Leadership Academy.
The church acquired the lease for the former Odeon cinema in the Merrion Centre, Leeds where it hosted the Leeds extension service for some time. As of January 2013, it meets in the function rooms of a number of hotels. In late 2012, it was announced that the Belfast church had acquired a permanent building in the city centre of Belfast, having met for a number of years in the Wellington Park Hotel.
The Bradford campus buildings are marketed externally for hire to conference organisers as ALCC. Alongside its large seating capacity, it features high-specification sound, lighting and audio visual facilities. A catering team also provides hospitality for guests.
Leadership
As of late 2012, Steve and Charlotte Gambill are the Lead Pastors of the church alongside a team comprising former Senior Pastors Paul and Glenda Scanlon, Stephen and Kay Matthew, Youth Pastors Dave and Abs Niblock and Belfast Campus Pastors Owen and Anne Crane.
Paul Scanlon was, for many years up until 2012, the Senior Pastor of the church, having been part of the team, alongside his wife Glenda, since the early 1980s. [5] In 1997, he led the then Abundant Life Church during a period of transition that later became known as 'Crossing Over', during which it left Covenent Ministries. Under his leadership the church established the Abundant Life Leadership Academy and Abundant Life Network of churches.
Music
The church has produced a number of albums, mainly recorded live. The early recordings were distributed by Kingsway Communications and later albums by Integrity Music. Lara Martin was the Worship Pastor of the church from 1999, latterly alongside Mark Stevens, before she stepped down and left the church in 2008. Jock James, a former Youth Pastor at the church and Matt Hooper were also appointed as Worship Pastors alongside Stevens.
Music from the church band was marketed initially as having come from Abundant Life Ministries, then Abundant Life Church before a deal with Integrity Music in 2010 saw this abbreviated to ALM:uk. The youth band was known for a number of years as RPM, however, by 2012 it had become I Am Future. Over the years the music from LIFE church has travelled around the globe, with tours in churches throughout America, South Africa, Singapore and a number of European countries.
Early albums featured songs primarily written by Lara Martin and Mark Stevens. Jonathan James, Matt Hooper, Dan Brummitt and Mike Harvie have also contributed tracks.
Discography
- Higher - Abundant Life Ministries (2000)
- Divine Exchange - Abundant Life Ministries (2002)
- God Is Here - Abundant Life Ministries (2003)
- Sing - Abundant Life Ministries (2004)
- How Loved - Abundant Life Ministries (2004)
- Let the World See Jesus - Abundant Life Church (2005)
- RPM: Live - RPM (2005)
- I Surrender All - RPM (2006)
- Give My All - RPM (2007)
- Send Me - Abundant Life Church (2007)
- Sound of Praise EP - RPM (2010)
- Name Above All Names - ALM:uk (2010)
- I Am Future - I Am Future (2012)
Sources
- The Times, 28 March 1988, "Spectrum: The feeding of the five thousand"
- The Times, 9 February 2002, "Christians urged to worship pop idol"
References
- ^ Church criticised over gun video
- ^ Peter Brierley, Ed. UK Christian Handbook, Religious Trends 7 (Swindon: Christian Research, 2008) 9.10.2
- ^ William K Kay, Apostolic Networks in Britain (Milton Keynes, Paternoster, 2007) 48-49
- ^ Andrew Walker Restoring the Kingdom: the Radical Christianity of the House Church Movement 4th Ed (Guildford: Eagle, 1998) 112
- ^ Joyce Meyer Ministries
External links
- LIFE Church official website