I grew up in the suburbs and moved to the 'hood: it's like every rapper's dream, only in reverse

I grew up in York. It’s smaller, richer, and a bit safer than some other Northern cities in England. Everyone who visits there seems to say the same: it’s quite nice.

Despite growing up in a nice neighbourhood, I went to a tough Secondary school, joined the football team and kept my head down, learning to talk with people from different backgrounds.

By the age of 14 I had experienced the power of the God in a way that changed me for ever. I was also baptised that year.

I became a missionary of sorts during that time. Not a great one, but my attitude turned outwards. I was no longer as concerned with fitting in. More than that, I wanted to share my faith with others. This passion led me on a few short-term mission trips to Northern Ireland, Johannesburg, then finally Togo in West Africa.

And when I moved to Leicester to do a media degree, for reasons of cheap housing, I moved into the Red Light District of the city, with a crack house opposite me and hookers at the end of my street.

It was an eye-opening time. I learned a lot about living in a community where I was the minority, and this time also showed me the sheer scale of challenge that faces anyone wanting to reach a whole neighbourhood with the good news of Jesus’ Gospel.

Flip forward a few years and in the year 2000, I moved with my wife Liz from Leicester to Manchester. In the East of the city, 2 miles from Man City’s ground, is Openshaw.

A once-thriving industrial neighbourhood, Openshaw went into real decline as factories moved abroad. Within no time the usual problems were setting in: petty crime, deteriorating physical environment, unemployment in families becoming quite normal…

In world terms, most of this is not “real” poverty. But Openshaw is in the “5% most deprived wards” in the country. I’ve lived here 10 years and made it my home. My wife and I have had 2 children and are raising them here, sharing life and faith with neighbours and so on.

People growing up in poverty often really want to get out of it, and for some, the only way is to leave the neighbourhood completely. That’s the rapper’s dream, the ghetto dream, the aspiration of many. But Jesus means more to me than my own personal safety or comfort. And so do the people in my new home, Openshaw.

And someone crossed a lot of boundaries to bring the Gospel from the Middle East to Europe, so really it’s no big deal for me to cross the Pennines to East Manchester.

Might you be willing to become an urban missionary?
Not just for a few weeks but for several years?
If your answer is “Yes”, please go to http://www.eden-network.org for more details.