|
Review of the Year - Crossing the Line in 2009
 This is Tim Harrold's review of 2009, a year when Ancient Paths opened up (Jeremiah 6:16) and Godysseys were continued (Zechariah 1:18-21) and commenced (Zechariah 2:4).
“May they be brought to complete unity...” John 17:20-23
To all my friends in Christ who support me, who have supported me, and may one day support me, whether through encouragement, prayer or finances - thank you. I hope you’ll find this review of the year useful and an encouragement to you as well.
Currently, I’m involved in facilitating and resourcing five main strands of activity, all of which intertwine and cross over with each other:
- Global Day of Prayer London M25 ‘Nutcracker’ inc. Global Day of Prayer Thurrock
- Thames Gateway Prayernet
- Transformation Thurrock inc. www.transformationthurrock.com; Transformation Thurrock Prayer; Transformation Thurrock Prayer Breakfast; Thurrock Day of Prayer; Thurrock & Havering Schools’ Prayer Day; 24-7 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity; Grays Leaders’ Prayer
- Thurrock Bar’N’Bus
- Church-in-the-House, Grays
 Global Day of Prayer London M25 ‘Nutcracker’ 21-31 May
Cracking the nut of London through simultaneous 24/7-style creative and continuous prayer rooms and other related activities around the M25.
The “logistically crazy but spiritually exciting” Nutcracker took place in the 10 days leading up to the Global Day of Prayer on Pentecost Sunday.
Eight prayer rooms or similar were established around the M25, London’s orbital motorway. These were in: Sidcup, Orpington, West Horsley, Englefield Green (nr Staines), Slough, Harrow, Havering & Brentwood and Aveley (Thurrock). They ranged from a continuous phone prayer chain to a continuous chain of church venues; and a shed on the side of a house to the entire prayer chapel of a large Anglican church. People took time off work to ensure their prayer room was manned for the entire 240 hours. People on streets were prayed for.
 My part in all this was to present the vision at events; make contacts; provide support; produce and disseminate a ‘how to‘ prayer guide; and visit as many of the prayer rooms as possible, while also attending the Thurrock Nutcracker room.
2010’s Nutcracker will be a 24-7 taking place in the week between the GDOP borough events on Pentecost Sunday (23 May) and the national event at the West Ham United stadium on the following Sunday (30 May).
Global Day of Prayer Thurrock 31 May
Thurrock held three events on the same day to celebrate and participate in the GDOP - in the east, central and west of the borough. I attended all three, speaking at two of them. On 23 May 2010 we hope to have a central GDOP Thurrock event to which all churches will be invited to a central open air venue.
 Thames Gateway Prayernet
Linking prayer and the prophetic across the Thames Gateway region.
The TGP has emerged out of The Turn Of The Tide initiatives I helped to facilitate in 2005 (a “24-28” from the Estuary to the Source), 2006 (prayer walking the boroughs along the Essex and East London riverbank into the City), and 2008 (a Thames Gateway Prayer Day held in New Thundersley). I am part of the TGP ‘core team’ of initiators, strategists and facilitators.
In November 2008 some folk in Kent expressed the desire to meet up and discuss the possibility of working together. What came out of our subsequent meeting was a series of ‘prayer actions’ which would involve intercessors engaged in simultaneous prophetic acts on both sides of the river. These have been praying at:
- Tilbury Seafarers’ Centre in the docks and St George’s Parish Church, Gravesend, famous for being the resting place of Princess Pocahontas
- Coalhouse Fort, East Tilbury, and Cliffe Fort on the Hoo Peninsula
- The Crowstone (Westcliff) and the London Stone (Isle of Grain) - two obelisks opposite each other which stand in the sea marking the former limits of the Port of London Authority
- Both ends of the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge
- Coldharbour Point (Rainham, Essex) and Erith Pier
All these events consisted of making joint declarations; singing together; praying unitedly following a prepared sheet of liturgy and topics; and blowing shofars. We have communicated across the river with each other using mobile phones and by waving flags.
 We also organised a ‘voyage of prayer’ aboard the Princess Pocahontas ship on the Jewish New Year’s Day (19 September). We sailed from Gravesend to Westminster Bridge and back, praying over various places and the themes they inspired along the way. We had worship and on-board seminars about the business world, Jewish connections and the Olympics. Prayer maps were given to all of the 144 people who came on this symbolic and significant day.
We feel that interest in the TGP’s activities is growing because of these prayer actions and so we are now looking ahead to 2010, have a programme in place and want to use the internet more to communicate prayer initiatives and requests along the Thames Corridor. The TGP has a natural link with the Kent Prayer Partnership, GDOP London, Olympic-related prayer, and networks like Transform Newham, Across Havering, Transformation Thurrock and the Southend Prayer Wall.
The Thames Gateway is a region that the UK government has targetted for regeneration and development, stretching along the north of the river from the main 2012 Olympics site at Stratford, to Shoebury; and from Greenwich to the Medway towns along the south.
Transformation Thurrock
Facilitating and resourcing united prayer and united mission across the borough.
My part in TT’s activities revolve principally around the prayer side of things, with my colleague Rob Groves focussed more on mission, particularly in the areas of social enterprise and community cohesion.
www.transformationthurrock.com
 The TT website is the main conduit for informing people about activities across the borough which reflect a heart for unity - an openness to working together in shared projects without needless replication or negative competitiveness; a generosity in sharing information and pooling resources; and a growth of trust through relational partnering in Christ.
Regular articles are posted on the site which are a mixture of reports, adverts and interviews. Emails are sent out every week directing people to new articles. Reminders of regular events are highlighted and some special events get increased publicity. In the latter part of 2009 I have taken on the responsibility for the posting of articles and sendng out the e-bullets.
Transformation Thurrock Prayer
Once a month on a Saturday morning TT facilitates a boroughwide cross-denominational prayer gathering to which church ministers, group leaders and intercessors are invited. This takes place in various locations around the borough to ensure inclusivity and as a reflection and an acknowledgement of the diversity of expression of the Christian faith in the locality.
Transformation Thurrock Prayer Breakfast 27 June
TT held a second prayer breakfast at the Thurrock Hotel one year on from its launch in 2008. Some 80 people attended from all kinds of church backgrounds. It provided an opportunity for me and Rob to share our specific areas of vision and for those there to engage in relevant prayer.
Next year’s TT Prayer Breakfast will take place in a different venue and have an entirely prayer-focussed format.
 Thurrock Day of Prayer 24 October
“TDOP” was held at Hassenbrook School, Stanford-le-Hope, at the east end of the borough.
The day was divided into three sessions: Intercessors’ Pre-gathering, led by Jonathan Oloyede of GDOP London; Prayer for Thurrock, led by Jonathan, Rob and me; and Worship & Word for Thurrock with Godfrey Birtill, well-known prophetic singer-songwriter.
We also had a ‘marketplace’ for inter- and non-denominational agencies and projects to showcase their work in the community. Food was also available.
Some 300 people came through the event over the day which was considered by most a resounding success.
The next TDOP will be on 16 October 2010.
 Thurrock & Havering Schools’ Prayer Day 3 October
This event was instigated by the national Schools’ Prayer Network, or Pray For Schools as it is now known. Bringing the two boroughs together for the first time, the object was to bring together anyone with any links to local schools to pray for teachers, students, schools’ workers, Christian-based initiatives and projects.
We held the event at Aveley Methodist Church, as it falls right on the border of the two boroughs, and so is central to both when put together.
After a time of worship with Dave Bilbrough, we prayed for people who had brought along displays to showcase their projects or geographical areas. Then we prayed for those listed above, concluding with a group of highly entertaining but very switched-on little children praying for the adults.
The event will be repeated next autumn.
24-7 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 18-25 January
This annual continuous prayer week took place at Grays Baptist Church. The whole building was utilised and there were prayer stations everywhere - including the baptistry. On the Friday night, Godfrey Birtill led us in worship and prophetic prayer for Thurrock.
Grays Leaders’ Prayer
The weekly hour-long gathering of ministers and leaders continues into its 8th year. The “GLP” meets all over the place as an act of unity and to give different people the opportunity to host and lead. My role is simply to facilitate this, finding the venues and sending out the information.
Thurrock Bar’N’Bus
 Reaching young people on Thurrock’s streets.
The Bar’N’Bus is a double-decker bus with a bar on it, a mobile youth club. The interior has been refitted with a kitchen, lounging areas, Playstations and a prayer room. The aim is to build relationships with young people who are out on the streets in the evenings all year round and show them the love of Jesus through constancy, consistency and communication.
We currently have 3 teams going out on 3 evenings to 3 locations across the borough. These are Grays Riverside (Tuesdays), West Thurrock (Wednesdays) and Corringham Town Centre (Thursdays). The interdenominational teams are volunteers from across the churches in the areas local to where the bus goes.
My role as Thurrock Teams’ Co-ordinator is to liaise with churches; do presentations; recruit; train; look after new teams until their own leadership emerges so they can get on with the job; and visit the teams every so often.
The Bar’N’Bus Trust is based in Benfleet. They have 2 other buses and a number of teams active in the south Essex area.
Church-in-the-House, Grays
Church without walls, an ancient key for an ancient door to an ancient path, on the edge and beyond the fringe.
“CITH” has been emerging since January 2007 when a small group of friends decided to take time out from Sunday morning church to pray in a sitting room. Immediately, God was there; God spoke; God confirmed. We then moved from there into The Old Tennis Court, the Grays Community Prayer House. We met on Tuesday nights and Vera and I began attending Grays Baptist Church, sitting mostly at the back and occasionally ministering.
Then late in 2007 I came into contact with the concept of church-in-the-house, and in May 2008 visited South Africa to see it in practice. (CITH is a movement growing rapidly around the globe.) But it wasn’t until the summer of this year that the group decided it was time to cross the line and go from chrysalis to butterfly.
Now there is a small community of believers gathering weekly as church-in-the-house. We are still in the process of forming and exploring, but have had guidance and input from Mike & Jean Genockey, who facilitate CITH in Johannesburg, Natal and Cornwall.
Money
I have generous financial help from a small group of individuals, as well as two local churches, a trust and Bar’N’Bus. However, the trust will stop funding me from June 2010 after five years of support (for which I thank them). This will cut my income by over a third. My 2009 accounts already revealed a drop in income from 2008 and 2007.
 This obviously presents a challenge and I’m beginning to pray about the way ahead. Provision of means is a good indication of direction. In October I had an interview for a part-time job but was unsuccessful. However, I was happy to accept this as God’s guidance to focus on Transformation Thurrock and the Nutcracker especially, both visions I carry practically alone at the time of writing.
I’d like to be able to give my wife a new kitchen and conservatory - most of it hasn’t been changed since 1970. Most of the house needs double glazing and the exterior painted. And there’s other stuff. And my youngest son wants to go to film school in September. “Father knows.”
As I said at the beginning of this review, thank you if you have been supporting me in anyway. If you feel the Lord leading you to join me in the things I do - and therefore, Transformation Thurrock - then this can be done using Stewardship’s Sovereign Account, which allows me to take advantage of the Gift Aid scheme. Or if you have practical help you can give, that’d be great.
If you'd like to donate towards the running costs of Transformation Thurrock, then please also contact me on tim@transformationthurrock.com. Many thanks.
If 2009 was crossing the line, then maybe 2010 is about starting again.
To the glory of Jesus Christ.
“Yes indeed, it won’t be long now.” God’s Decree. “Things are going to happen so fast your head will swim, one thing fast on the heels of the other. You won’t be able to keep up. Everything will be happening at once—and everywhere you look, blessings! Blessings like wine pouring off the mountains and hills. I'll make everything right again for my people Israel: They'll rebuild their ruined cities. They'll plant vineyards and drink good wine. They'll work their gardens and eat fresh vegetables. And I'll plant them, plant them on their own land. They'll never again be uprooted from the land I've given them." God, your God, says so.” Amos 9:13-15 (The Message)
 MAY YOU KNOW BLESSING
OF PEACE, REST AND JOY
IN THE NAME OF THE ONE
WHO PUT THE CHRIST
INTO CHRISTMAS.
|
Tim Harrold, 10/12/2009 |
|
|
