Church's blessing for youth group

Capt Andy Milne, a Church Army youth evangelist, started the Sorted group – a fresh expression of church for young people run by young people in north Bradford.

It has just received a special Bishop's Mission Order, (BMO), which gives it official church status even though it doesn't have a geographical parish.

It is thought this it is only the fifth such order to be granted in the country. The BMO means that Sorted's future is secure for at least the next five years.

It will be given oversight by the Archdeacon of Bradford and it will have an electoral roll of members and a parochial church council. Sorted encounters around 130 young people each week in the three groups it runs.

Capt Milne said: "This BMO is great news for us at Sorted and for many future young people living in North Bradford. It marks a big milestone on the journey we've travelled over the last few years.

"Sorted is about sharing God's love with young people through building a Christian community that is both by young people and for young people.

"We get alongside young people in schools, then develop small groups where young people can hang out with friends, find out about faith and have loads of fun."

The Bishop of Bradford, David James, said: "Sorted is a bold experiment that has come good. The Church Army has enabled us to create a church out of the people you would least expect to show any interest in Christianity.

"It has had such an impact at Immanuel College, one of our Church of England Secondary Schools, that there is now an offshoot at Hanson School, which is a local authority school. That is really remarkable."