Thirty-five children found a church in two ways.  Firstly, they found a warm welcome within the church planting group on their Manor Estate in Sheffield.  Secondly, on Sabbath, 23 January they helped to found the Manor Newstart Seventh-day Adventist Community church.  A vision that the Holy Spirit inspired back in 1998/99, had now become a reality.  A church on the Manor estate in Sheffield is now the third Adventist church in the city and the second to be born out of the Carter Knowle congregation.

Responding to the needs of those on whose doors they knocked, the evangelistic small group from Sheffield Carter Knowle church soon had a regular attendance of children and early teens.  Often the number of children is larger than the caring adults.

Manor has grown to become a thriving young church with a combination of children, young people, adults, from all backgrounds and ethnicity, fellowshipping around meals and the Word.  With the support of Pastor Ian Sweeney in the early years, followed by Pastor Des Rafferty and then presently Pastor Andrew and Andrea Rashford-Hewitt, the Manor church has gone from strength to strength.  Outreach meetings and a play scheme held last year really touched the residents - indeed over 200 people from the community joined in for a trip to Skegness.  Four of them have since been baptised.

A combination of love for all of God's children, child centred ministries and services, Pathfinders, Bible classes for adults, a warm and welcoming atmosphere, and a reverential yet relaxed service style all helps to make Manor what it is – a church unique in its own right.

Praise and worship was vibrant and engaging.  The Children's Choir was spot on and very touching.  Then Pastor and President Ian Sweeney of the NEC led the address focusing on the Lord's desire that His places of worship be a place of prayer for all peoples.  The culmination was the charter being signed by the committed members and the children, a fantastic new idea by Pastor Paul Haworth, NEC Executive Secretary, and his wife Heather whose responsibilities include Children's Ministries at the BUC.  Pastor Haworth was excited about the importance of this exercise: "We want these children to feel they belong to this church and are an integral part of its mission to reach out to others in this estate."  Dressed in their Pathfinder uniform the children excitedly signed their names on their own special side of the charter.

Carlton Lee is the church leader at Manor Park.  He enthused that the day was "fantastic, and the people, did you see the people, they loved it!"  Pastor Rashford-Hewitt added that it was a testimony to the "hard work of the whole team, the children, the support of Carter Knowle as the mother church and most of all the Holy Spirit."  Jenny Sweeney, wife of Pastor Sweeney said she would definitely come back and visit.  The members would extend that invitation to everyone.  They may be worshipping on an estate that suffers social deprivation - but they have an abundance of the fruits of the Spirit.

Already one mum is following in her two baptised daughters' footsteps and is taking baptismal studies from a couple of members.  Another teen has requested Bible studies with a view to baptism.

Manor Newstart members have found, like other denominations, that the churches that are doing as Jesus requested, "Feed my lambs," are the fastest growing churches in the British Isles.  Pastor Haworth, Pastor Sweeney and Mr Rejoice Kampengele, NEC Treasurer, resoundingly commended the founders of this latest church for responding to Jesus' request to minister to younger members of His family.  Further support and commendation was given by Pastor Roy Morgan, the Burngreave and Huddersfield churches and from Walsall church in Birmingham.