It all began with a word

Where it all started…

Well how much time do you have? The abridged version starts at the Vineyard UK National Leadership Conference in 2010 where the stirrings to plant a church were first felt by Ross. Julie was still not at all convinced.

A year later, at the Vineyard UK National Leadership Conference in 2011, Julie could no longer deny that God had church planting in mind for them. With God's call recognized by both, the next 12 months were spent seeking God for His direction on where in the UK to plant. God gave a number of pictures and prophecies that have led to Manchester and the village of Prestwich. Check out the video for a bit more of the story and, if you get the chance, ask Julie what she said to Ross the first time Ross mentioned the idea of Church Planting.

Front view of a red brick church with large arched stained glass windows and a pointed roof, flanked by smaller gothic windows, with a cross-shaped wooden sculpture and a congregation sign outside.

2014 onwards

Single-story beige building with green window awnings and signs, labeled 'The Phoenix Youth and Community Centre', with a small ramp in the front and a bench outside, under a partly cloudy sky.

After a humble beginning hosting welcome events at ‘Time for Tea’ on Bury New Road, CVM found its home in a few places - from Ross and Julie’s living room to our first home at the Phoenix Centre in St Mary’s Park.

During the pandemic in 2020; along with the rest of the world, we were forced to adapt to online life where Ross and Julie quickly turned their home into a livestream studio and hosted live worship, kids activities and lots of community building on Zoom.

After the pandemic had ended and we were all getting used to the ‘new normal’ we moved our meetings from Sunday mornings to Saturday afternoons and moved home to Heaton Park Methodist Church building on Bury Old Road where we still meet today.

Throughout the years we have sought to have a positive kingdom impact on our community and have launched compassion ministries:

  • CVM Kidstuff
    Supporting a wide range of referral agencies with prams, cots, baby clothes, toys and more

  • Storehouse
    Supporting referral agencies in the valley region north of Manchester with a range of furniture, small electronics and more.