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Top Marks for Thurrock & Havering Schools Prayer Day!
The Thurrock & Havering Schools Prayer Day took place on Saturday 3 October at Aveley Methodist Church. Some 50 or so people representing a wide range of connections with schools and colleges gathered to worship, give thanks and prayer for a host of aspects of education across the two boroughs.
The Lay Minister of Aveley Methodist Church, Brian Endacott, was so pleased to be hosting the event. The church - the only one on the Kenningtons Estate - is right on the edge of Thurrock, but happens to be part of the Methodist circuit that includes Havering. This means that when Havering and Thurrock come together, it's right in the centre! We felt this was incredibly significant for the church, and for the two boroughs, coming together like two rings on a wedding day. And of course, both boroughs carry immense symbolic, spiritual and strategic weight being in front and behind of the north side of the Thames 'Gate' (Havering is both a London borough and in Essex).
 The event began with brief introductions of the team (Suzanne Pearson of Hornchurch Methodists; Wendy Jackson of St Andrew's, Hornchurch; and TT's Tim Harrold) and an explanation of the Schools' Prayer Network, a national body that encourages Christians to set up prayer groups across the whole of the UK. This day of prayer is part of their 'Pray for Schools' initiative, and similar days have been taking place up and down the land.
We were then treated to a time of worship led by Dave and Pat Bilborough. Dave even sang a song he'd composed only the night before, inspired by the Schools' Prayer Day!
There were a few displays put up by people with relevant ministries, and Tim - after briefly mentioning his GSUS Live display - interviewed each one in turn. First up was Pamela Coles of Havering's SACRE and who is also involved with the Michael Edwards Award, which is given to schools in recognition for their RE work. Then John Dell talked about the First Aid courses he runs both adults working in schools and also the pupils. Shirley Gowland was next, who explained her work with 'Bible In Literacy', a wonderful resource that is an aid to teaching literacy at Primary level using the Bible. After that, Suzanne told us about her Bible Explorer work with primary school pupils in years 5 and 6. There were also maps of Thurrock and Havering showing all the schools (almost).
After this section everyone was invited to mingle around the displays, network, pray with and pray over the information. The children who'd come along had their own corner and activities to engage in. Then we had a cup of tea.
In the second half of the afternoon, Tim interviewed a number of individuals as before and then asked everyone to pray for the interviewees and the educational sector they represented. West Thurrock Chapel's Malcolm Mackinnon, who does assemblies and lessons in quite a few Primary Schools across Thurrock, told us about his work, and John  Guest of St Margaret's in Stanford-le-Hope, who is Chaplain to Palmer's College in Grays, gave an passionate plea for people to realise the gravity of our calling, and pointed out just how much money was available out there to help. So they represented all Christian schools' workers.
Andy Blakey (of Thurrock Christian Fellowship, Grays) came and represented Christian Governors, along with Margaret Mumford (of All Saints, Chafford Hundred), who is a governor who's focus is on RE at her school, where she also runs a regular prayer group. Andy pointed out just how many opportunities there are for Christians to become governors. So we all prayed for governors, Christian governors, and for more Christian governors.
We then prayed with five teachers - four from Thurrock and one from Havering. Sherryl Bareham (Chafford Hundred Community Church) is a deputy head in a secondary school; Judith Lisgaten and Dai Franks (both Grays Baptist Church) work in a school for children with learning difficulties, and Penny Spearman (Gidea Park Methodists) works in a primary school. It came over very clearly that each felt the work they were in is the ministry to which they are called. As Judith said, "When I teach, I'm being Jesus to those kids."
Then it was the turn of support staff - who were represented by Rob Barley, who attends Aveley Methodists and who is Site Manager at Kenningtons Primary; and co-organiser of the day, Wendy, who is a midday assistant at St Edwards, Romford, and who is training to be a learning Support Assistant and also running the school's prayer meeting. Both were full of vision for their schools and the work the Lord had led them into, seeing the possibilities and opportunities.
Finally, we got the children out. Three boys and three girls, age range 5 to 12, some of whom were extremely giggly, a bit excitable, and very eloquent. Tim asked them if they would pray for all the adults, and he suggested they stood in a row on the hassocks in front of the communion rail. Immediately, they began taking off their shoes, before standing in order of height, as the smaller of the girls insisted. Then each one prayed a prayer, and all the grown-ups said 'Amen'.
 Dave (right) and Pat led us in one one final song, and John Guest closed in prayer. But not before he pointed out the prophetic significance of the children's action of removing their shoes before they stood at the altar and quoted Psalm 8:2:
From the lips of children and infants
you have ordained praise
because of your enemies,
to silence the foe and the avenger.
John also announced that he had just persuaded Tim to agree to put this event on again next year, because it was a 10 out of 10 day - top marks! Suzanne and Wendy are in agreement, so watch this space...
Meanwhile, if you know your nearest school - or the school that your children attend - doesn't have a regular prayer meeting taking place (on site, in a church, or in someone's home), then you be the one to start one up! The young people of Thurrock, and Havering, and this nation, are the future - and they need to be prayed for, communicated with and shown the way of Jesus Christ. And through the children, their parents can be reached, and so a difference can be made today. For resources, please go to the Schools Prayer Network link below.
Our thanks go to Dave & Pat Bilborough for leading the worship; to Brian Endacott for Aveley Methodist Church's warm hospitality; and to Julianne & Rob Barley of Aveley Methodists who served us so marvellously all day.
Relevant links:
www.schoolsprayernetwork.org.uk
www.davebilborough.com
www.2day.ws/Aveley - Aveley Methodist's webpage
www.havering.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=11856 - Havering SACRE's work
www.lgfl.net/lgfl/leas/havering/web/learning_teaching/Schemes%20of%20Work/RE/documents/Pathways/1%20PATHWAYS%20Introduction.pdf?backto=/lgfl/leas/havering/web/learning_teaching/Schemes%20of%20Work/RE/documents/Pathways/ - Michael Edwards Award
www.thurrock.gov.uk/education/sacre and www.thurrock.gov.uk/education/sacre/content.php?page=about - Thurrock SACRE
www.Bible.org.uk - Bible Explorer
www.bibleinliteracy.org
www.gsuslive.co.uk - coming back to Thurrock in Autumn 2012!
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Tim Harrold, 16/10/2009 |
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