‘There is a massive need for more mission teams here in the North West and all across the nation,’ comments Mission Director Ian Henderson. ‘But there are also lots of passionate people longing to do mission but who lack the support to get started. Associate ministries give us a model that helps us do both.’

The new model means Associate bands, theatre companies and other mission teams will have the freedom to pursue opportunities outside of The Message and become independent charities while keeping the distinctives and values which make Message ministries so effective.

The first raft of Associate ministries include On The Edge Theatre Company, established by ex-Genetik students Georgia Houghton and Heather Turkington, and rock band MaLoKai who have been working with The Message since earlier this year. LZ7 will also transition to become Associates, allowing them to follow their vision for ministry across the UK and further afield.

Family values are driving the Associate model, says Ian: ‘In the same way as families look alike, share resources, talk and hang out together, Associate bands and mission teams will relate to The Message closely, while remaining independent and becoming self-sufficient.

‘At the heart of all effective ministries are effective relationships, and the Associate scheme will allow us to play to the strengths of the relationships we have built over many years.’

The tour will take them across the UK and further afield, to festival stages and local venues. Many of the gigs will be end-of-week shows topping off evangelistic schools weeks.

The band released their third album Light in October. ‘Light is the sound of now,’ wrote Jono Davies of Louder Than The Music. ‘The album is jammed-packed with anthems that ooze truthful and honest lyrics.’ Jeremy Williams of The Kaje magazine went even further, dubbing it ‘without doubt one of the strongest pop albums of 2010.’

But the accolades mean nothing compared to the impact the chart success and mainstream airplay is having on their face-to-face work in schools.

Lead singer, evangelist Lindz West, explains: ‘Our heart’s desire in releasing the single was to give us a bigger platform to speak to more young people about Jesus. It’s done exactly that! We are finding that as we go into school after school young people are recognising us from MTV. That level of credibility is going before us so the young people know the songs and know who we are even before we get there. It’s another level entirely!’

Two amazing schools weeks at the end of last year bear witness to the effect. In November, LZ7 visited Maidenhead, where Lindz himself grew up. They took lessons and performed lunchtime concerts in five local schools, including Lindz’s own high school. By day three, every single ticket for the end of week show was sold out – the venue had to be redesigned to take the demand for tickets.

At the Friday night show, not only did nearly 1000 young people pack into the venue, but over 600 young people made first-time commitments to Christ following Lindz’s preaching. ‘We were over-run!’ remembers Lindz. ‘God is good and showed up in a big way.’

The next week saw LZ7 in Northern Ireland as guests of Crown Jesus Ministries. The band spent four days in schools and performed gigs in Ballymena and Belfast, each to crowds of over 500. Once again, the response was exceptional, with many making first time commitments.

‘We have been so blessed with this increase and can’t wait to see what God has in store for the next few months,’ adds Lindz.

All tour dates, including how to get tickets, are available on the LZ7 website.

Message band LZ7 has swept the board at this year’s Louder Than The Music awards, winning no less than three trophies – Best British Album, Best British Artist and Song of the Year for This Little Light.

It crowns a breakthrough 2010 for the band which spends most of the year working in schools in Greater Manchester but which is fast gaining a wider following.

After a busy summer touring the UK, September brought LZ7 a chart hit with anthem This Little Light. The song scored a number 26 UK chart position and won airplay on BBC Radio 1, MTV, The Box, Viva, Smash Hits and 4Music.

Hard on its heels, the band released their third album Light in October to some great reviews. ‘Light is the sound of now,’ wrote Jono Davies of Louder Than The Music in the original review. ‘The album is jammed packed with anthems that ooze truthful and honest lyrics.’

The Louder Than The Music awards page concludes: ‘What a year it has been for British rap group LZ7. Following their success in the UK singles chart earlier this year, their loyal following of fans have helped the group earn no fewer than three LTTM Awards this year. As well as picking up Best British Artist, LZ7 also win Best British Album for Light, and Song Of The Year for This Little Light.’

But the accolades mean nothing compared to the impact the chart success and mainstream airplay is having on their face-to-face work in schools.

Lead singer, evangelist Lindz West, explains: ‘Our heart’s desire in releasing the single was to give us a bigger platform to speak to more young people about Jesus. It’s done exactly that! We are finding that as we go into school after school young people are recognising us from MTV. That level of credibility is going before us so the young people know the songs and know who we are even before we get there. It’s another level entirely!’

The band are currently planning a national tour between a full schedule of schools work in Manchester and beyond. ‘Like’ the LZ7 Facebook page for full details about the band’s upcoming national tour.

Get a copy of Light together with a signed poster for just £9.99 (free P&P) from Message Trading.

Writing on website The Kaje, Jeremy Williams calls Light ‘without doubt one of the strongest pop albums of 2010’ citing its ‘upbeat message of positivity … delivered in a manner that reeks authenticity’.

Jono Davies at Louder Than The Music says, ‘Light is the sound of now … The album is jammed packed with dominant anthems [and] soulful dance songs that ooze truthful and honest lyrics.’

The album’s opening track is This Little Light (described by reviewer Bill Williams as ‘surely the best bit of pop to come out of the Church in the last decade, full of bounce and upward energy’) – the anthem of the Shine Your Light campaign.

Throughout the summer the schools band toured to promote Shine Your Light, an underground movement challenging young people to share God’s love through word and actions.

Light takes this simple message forward, showing that real faith is about both putting a ‘lamp on a stand’ and being ‘salt and light’ serving others in Jesus’ name.

Light is out on Fierce Records on Monday 25 October but can be purchased now via the Message Trading web store, priced £9.99, inclusive of shipping. Get your copy now.

A special fans-only gig takes place on Friday 22 October. Click here for more details.

So which is it; light-as-in-not-heavy or light-as-in-not-dark? Whichever way you read it, the title of the latest LZ7 released by Fierce, on October 25th, is bang on. With twelve tracks (plus two bonus remixes of the impossibly good YouTube sensation ‘This Little Light’) their label debut is their strongest, brightest and most dynamic work yet.

All summer long the Shine Your Light campaign has been raising the bar on social action. And having adopted ‘This Little Light’ as its anthem of choice, by the time the single was released to the mainstream at the end of September, it charted straight away at number 26. There’s still more to come from LZ7; a band that are about to step up a gear. With its passion, its range, its ability to connect and the simple fact that the songs are so good, Light is just the album to do it with.

Let’s take the light-as-in-not-dark line. Apples don’t fall far from the tree, and LZ7 follow in the footsteps of the legendary Message bands The Worldwide Message Tribe, blush and others. ‘Light’ is as evangelistic as the sun is hot, with every song drawing the listener back to the source of it all. At times that means being direct – like the songs ‘Four Points’ and ‘Fall At Your Feet’ – but LZ7 know how to turn a decent pop lyric too, and songs like ‘Ditto’, ‘Greatest Day’ and ‘Dance This Night Away’ bring all the power of the gospel in a unique way.

But what about the light-as-in-not-heavy thing? Surely LZ7 haven’t ditched the grime in favour of sugar-sweet europop? Don’t worry, they haven’t. They’re still just as much a Beastie Boys/Dizzee Rascal/N-Dubz mash-up, and get the opening seconds of ‘Superstar’, ‘Come Alive’ and the heart-shredding ‘Four Points’ up loud enough and your sub-woofers will testify in force. But there’s something light, flexible and nimble about the way that ‘Light’ moves throughout its 53 minutes. One track they’re getting you head-nodding to a confession of sin, the next they’re plugging your feet into the mains in celebration of salvation. ‘Light’ moves around the floor with all the freedom that lies at the heart of the gospel.

The album was executively produced by brothers Jorge and Obi Mhondera (WhistleJacket) and Lindz West, who teamed up with a variety of different production teams, and fused them with LZ7″s authentic writing skills for an electric combination. Fierce Distribution! is just as excited about the next few steps for LZ7 as the band are. Keep your eyes open to see what happens next.

The album is available now at www.messagetrading.co.uk

After scoring a position at number 26 in last Sunday’s official UK charts, LZ7 returned to a Bolton high school, continuing their year-round work among the young people of Greater Manchester.

We took a video crew to the school to catch the schools week on film. You can see the highlights for yourself here:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lf4b3LQWG_k[/youtube]

LZ7 fulfil dozens of schools weeks like this each year, demonstrating the band’s commitment to helping young people make good choices for their lives and hear the good news of Jesus Christ. Read a testimony from a previous schools week here.

It’s not too late to get hold of the This Little Light track. Download it now.

We’re all thrilled that the LZ7 single debuted at number 26 in this weeks single charts. Now let’s see what God will do with this fantastic ‘lamp on a stand’.

Thanks to all our supporters for getting behind the song. Today LZ7 are back in school doing a full schools week in a school in Bolton, please pray that many young people would respond to the gospel this week.

Please also pray that radio and music TV stations get behind the track and hundreds of thousands of young people find out about Jesus because of the single.

We obviously want to keep this in the charts so if have not bought your copy of This Little Light it’s not too late Click here

There are 3 versions of the track that all count towards the chart and if you buy all 3 versions it counts 3 times. Each version costs just 79p. Here are the links to buy now on iTunes:

LZ7 – This Little Light:
1. Radio Edit
2. Starz Angels Remix
3. AATW – Kenny Hayes Remix

The single has been promoted by the band during a special eight-date schools tour and special appearances in churches during September. A live launch event gig at the Manchester Apollo on Saturday 25.

Click here to access a special media hub with the full video and details of how you can get involved with promoting the single.

WATCH THE VIDEO

When I was younger, I went to church with my family but I was forced to go. Around the age of 10 I stopped going altogether because there was nothing in it for me. In my heart I didn’t want to be there and I didn’t feel like I fitted in.

Then LZ7 came and after their concert something clicked – I wanted to know more about why I was here and what God had planned for me. I filled out a welcome card for a Christian youth group, SoldOut Youthworks, so that I could be guided on the right path to help me on my journey with God.

Since then my life has changed loads. I feel like God has given me confidence to help other people more. I was given the opportunity to help to lead our youth group for a month, I think because God wanted me to share my experiences about him.

During this time, I preached for the first time to some of the youth about becoming a Christian, and even though I am not that confident saying things in front of people, I believe God gave me the strength that night to help pass on my message.

My life has completely changed since the LZ7 concert. They brought me closer to God and now I couldn’t see my life any other way.

I feel like a completely different person now that I know God is with me. I feel like any mistakes I have made in the past don’t matter because God has changed me and made me into a new person in the last few months.

An exciting eight-date schools tour across Greater Manchester will precede the official launch of This Little Light into the UK charts.

Together with the launch gig at the Manchester Apollo on Saturday 25 September, the schools tour will put the band in front of well over 10,000 people in the two weeks leading up to the single’s release on September 26.

The band has played to well over that number during festivals this summer, increasing the expectation for a chart placing on Sunday 3 October.

Here are the dates of the Schools Tour (please note, these are for information only – schools gigs are not public events):

Sept 13th - Blue Coat School, Oldham
16th - St Thomas More, Denton
17th – Trinity High School, Manchester
20th – Tytherington High School, Macclesfield
21st – St Thomas More, Denton
22nd – Altrincham Boys School
23rd - St James High School, Bolton
24th – Rosebridge High School, Wigan

WATCH THE VIDEO

This is the fantastic official 2010 promo video featuring the remixed song. Enjoy!

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_C4XwH7UitU[/youtube]

GET THE SINGLE

This Little Light goes on sale on Sunday 26 September as a download only track from iTunes, priced 99p. But you can also pre-order the single for the same price by texting SHINE to 81088. (You need to redeem your purchase for it to count towards the charts (details texted to you when you order).

COME TO THE LIVE LAUNCH

Tickets are now on sale for the launch gig at the Manchester Apollo. It’s the night before the single comes out, on Saturday 25 September, and tickets are just £5. Order yours now.

MORE ON LZ7.CO.UK

Follow the band on their own website, including latest media, blog entries and more. Click to visit lz7.co.uk