ALM, The Abundant Life Church is a large Christian neocharismatic church ba… Read Full Bio ↴ALM, The Abundant Life Church is a large Christian neocharismatic church based in Bradford,in the north of England, which is part of the British New Church Movement. It is led by senior Pastors Paul and Glenda Scanlon.
The church also has a second location in Belfast, as well as an extension service in Leeds city centre. The church describes itself as "one church, three locations". In 2003 it had an attendance of over 2,000 people; by 2006, the figure had climbed to 2,800.

- History -

Abundant Life Church has its roots in the Charismatic Restoration movement of Arthur Wallis. It was founded in 1976 by Bryn Jones, one of the early Restoration/British New Church leaders, by an amalgamation of three small Bradford churches - a charismatic Brethren Assembly based at the Bolton Woods Gospel Hall, an independent charismatic church made up mostly of former Baptists who had been unable to continue in their church because of their charismatic beliefs, and the New Covenant Church, a fellowship originally under the apostolic leadership of G. W. North. In its early days it met in the Anglican Church House and so has often been known locally as Church House. In 1988, the church spent almost £1 million to buy a former textile mill on Wapping Road and build a main building with a car park at the rear. In 2000, the church extended the campus, constructing an auditorium capable of seating 2,000. In 2008, the auditorium itself was extended, creating space for a day care centre, a coffee shop, and additional offices and meeting rooms.

Paul Scanlon is the Senior Pastor of Abundant Life Church. He and his wife, Glenda, have served on the pastoral staff for more than 27 years.
"Since becoming the Senior Pastor, Paul has successfully led the church through a period of reinvention – which has become known as our ‘Crossing Over’ – the fruit of which is seen in the thriving & strong Church we are today. His leadership has also seen the launch of the Abundant Life Leadership Academy, the Abundant Life Network of churches."

- Music -

The church has its own record label, Abundant Life Music, which currently has a publishing and distribution deal with Integrity Music. Through the church's label, the worship band and youth band have produced several praise and worship albums. On May 31, 2010, the church released its first project on record label Integrity Music, "Name Above All Names", under the name ALM:uk. The church formerly partnered with Authentic Media, now a part of Kingsway Communications.

- Discography -

Higher (2000)
Divine Exchange (2002)
God Is Here (2003)
Sing (2004)
How Loved (2004)
Let the World See Jesus (2005)
Send Me (2007)
Name Above All Names (2010)

- Youth -
RPM: Live (2005)
I Surrender All (2006)
Give My All (2007)
Sound of Praise EP (2010)

- Sources -

> The Times, 28 March 1988, "Spectrum: The feeding of the five thousand"
> The Times, 9 February 2002, "Christians urged to worship pop idol"
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abundant_Life_Ministries

- References -

1. Abundant Life Church website
2. Church criticised over gun video
3. Peter Brierley, Ed. UK Christian Handbook, Religious Trends 7 (Swindon: Christian Research, 2008)
4. William K Kay, Apostolic Networks in Britain (Milton Keynes, Paternoster, 2007) 48-49

Back to You
ALM Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I will sing out praises
To the One who saved me
Maker of heaven and earth
Nothing compares to You
And the love You've given
You are the King of my life

Guilty though I was my debt was paid

with love and sacrifice

Now I owe my life to Jesus Christ
The Saving One

Amazing grace has saved
Unfailing love has brought me back to You
My heart is surrendered
You gave me hope and freedom
Take this life I give it back to You
Back to You Whoa

Now I know the King of love
Has saved my life, He saved my life
So I live for the King of love
Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ

Whoa Whoa Whoa Whoa

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to ALM's song "Back To You" express gratitude and devotion to God, who is described as the One who saved the singer's life. The opening lines declare an intention to sing praises to God who is the creator of everything and whose love is incomparable. The next few lines acknowledge guilt and debt but claim that love and sacrifice have paid it off. The singer proceeds to proclaim a commitment to Jesus Christ, the Savior, who has granted hope and freedom to the singer's heart that is now surrendered. The chorus reiterates the impact God's grace and love had on the singer, bringing them back to God, and the verse concludes with a statement that the King of love has saved the singer's life, leading to a life lived for Jesus Christ.

The lyrics of "Back To You" show a personal connection with God and the impact of faith on one's life. It talks about God's grace, salvation, and love that is described as unfailing. It also highlights the importance of surrendering one's life to Christ and giving everything back to Him.

Line by Line Meaning

I will sing out praises
I will express my admiration through songs

To the One who saved me
To the one who rescued and delivered me from harm

Maker of heaven and earth
Creator of the sky and the land

Nothing compares to You
There is nothing that can match your greatness

And the love You've given
And the affection that you have bestowed upon me

You are the King of my life
You are the ruler of my being

Guilty though I was my debt was paid
Despite being guilty, my obligations were satisfied

with love and sacrifice
with kindness and the act of offering

Now I owe my life to Jesus Christ
Now I am indebted to Jesus Christ

The Saving One
The one who saved and rescued me

Amazing grace has saved
Astounding kindness has delivered and saved me