Dancing in the rain and testimonies in King’s Lynn

Manifest music festival was held on Saturday June 15 at The Walks Park in King’s Lynn. The day was characterised by frequent downpours but that didn’t dampen the spirits of the performers or the crowd. Peter Bending reports.

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The free event – held for the first-time last year as the successor to Celebrate King’s Lynn – focuses on open air worship and sharing the gospel. Organised by The King’s Glory Church, the stage was set accompanied by food stalls, games and inflatables for the children, and a fun fair.

The King’s Glory Church Choir opened with prayer and worship as visitors began to gather in the park.
 
Next up was singer-songwriter Philippa Hanna. Philippa comes from a strong music business background having toured with the likes of Lionel Richie, Leona Lewis, and Wet Wet Wet.
 
She now uses her gift of music and storytelling to share her story and the gospel. Philippa openly shares her teenage battle with anxiety and depression which eventually forced her out of full-time education. “That was the darkest time imaginable,” says Philippa, “I thought I’d never live a normal life.”
 
Speaking below ominous skies she said: “One day, I walked into a church and heard someone singing about casting your anxiety on the Lord. And that is how I met Jesus. I needed to cast my anxiety on someone, and Jesus was there with his arms wide open.
 
“It doesn’t matter whatever happened in my past, Jesus looks at us and sees something beautiful and something brand new. We don’t always feel like we deserve that kind of love but thankfully God pursues us.”
 
With just an acoustic guitar and some percussion, Philippa performed her honest and uplifting songs about life and faith to an audience dancing in the rain.
 
Then came a break from music and the rain. Two men, who looked like bouncers from a night club, began setting up gym equipment on the stage. The men in black were introduced as Ian McDowell and Joe Lampshire from Tough Talk.
 
Tough Talk is a Christian charity with the sole purpose of sharing the gospel. They are made up of a small group of men, some with unsavoury backgrounds, but with powerful testimonies of being saved. Since 1995, they have travelled around, to schools, prisons, festivals, and churches sharing their stories and the gospel.
 
While Ian, the founder of Tough Talk, continued to prepare the equipment, Joe took to the mic and began to share his story.
 
Joe’s dad left home when he was young leading to a difficult adolescence for him and his brother. At the age of 16, he got a job in financial services in the city of London and at that time, Joe got involved in witchcraft.
 
“I found myself getting involved with stuff I should never have gotten involved in. Things were starting to get a hold of me it started getting very real and very dark.”
 
After a dangerous and frightening experience with the occult, Joe started to look to Jesus for help.
 
“All I could remember after that scary experience was the Lord’s Prayer. I remember calling on the name of Jesus, for the first time in my life. Before it didn’t mean anything to me, before it was just something you said at school, but now in my darkness and my despair it meant something.”
 
After this first encounter, Joe started a journey of faith, healing, and deliverance. In this time, he was drawn to the discipline and challenge of weightlifting. This led to the sport of powerlifting where Joe had a successful career.
 
“I became a British Champion, a European Champion, and a Commonwealth Champion. And all that glory goes to Christ. He took a nobody, someone who is broken, and he put me on the rock that is Christ,” said Joe.
 
Joe then showed his strength, performing sets of squats with 170kg on the bar. They then invited volunteers to attempt a 60kg chest press to find the strongest man and woman at the festival.
 
“I used to pray, ‘I want to lift weights and give God the glory’. 10 years later, I find myself lifting weights and giving God the glory,” said Joe.
 
Crowd favourite Faith Child was up next.
 
MOBO award winner Faith Child is one of the country’s top contemporary Christian artists. With a BBC documentary crew in tow, he had travelled to Norfolk for the event.
 
“I enjoyed Manifest last year,” said Faith talking before his set, “great people, great atmosphere, great attractions. So, I’m looking forward to a wonderful experience.”
 
Putting his life experiences into music, Faith Child has a remarkable story that dates back to his birth. The name ‘Faith Child’ relates to the story of how his mother was close to aborting him but heard God’s audible voice telling her to keep the child and have faith in Him - making him a ‘faith child’.
 
Faith, supported by a drummer and a guitarist, got the crowd dancing as the heavens opened. “It’s okay, we’re going to dance in the rain,” he said as they began another song.
 
Eventually the rain eased, and the sun came out properly for the first time. “I use my story to inspire people,” said Faith. “You might be a ‘mistake’ like I was a ‘mistake’, but God never makes mistakes. He has a plan for every single person in this park right now.”
 
Making the most of the late afternoon sun, saxophonist Mike Aremu took to the stage to round off the day’s line-up of talent. Complimented by singers from the TKG choir, Mike led songs of worship with amazing freedom on his instrument. At one point he came down to the grass to choreograph the willing crowd as he played.
 
 
The British weather was predicably unpredictable but that didn’t stop the joy, music, and powerful testimonies at Manifest 2024.


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