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TH + £££ = TT!
If you've just read the articles Transformation Thurrock's metamorphosis: latest and Transformation Thurrock: ethos, ways and means, then please read this!
 I'm writing this myself, as myself, about something I don't feel easy about writing about - myself! I hope in making myself vulnerable to you I don't come over all Uriah Heep-ish.
As you all know, Transformation Thurrock is kind of my job. Except it isn't a job. I don't do it for money, and Transformation Thurrock in itself doesn't exist to make money to pay me. Transformation Thurrock isn't meant to be a money-making business.
Instead, my income is generated from support from just two local churches (thank you); a few generous individuals (thank you); and until May this year, one particular funding stream. I also receive the equivalent of one day's pay a week from Bar'N'Bus, but this comes to an close at the end of August after which they will be restructuring. Early on in my self-employment I taught citizenship on Alternative Education Schemes in Tilbury and Basidon, but these contracts came to an end.
The fact is, not only have I recently lost nearly £500 of my monthly income, but come September I'll have lost another £250. The first of these figures was itself half of what I was originally getting from that particular source. This puts me and my family under great financial pressure.
Vera works - as a Learning Support Assistant at a local primary school. Her hours are being cut from September, and so we'll be another £80 short. As you can imagine being an LSA isn't a great earner, but we believe it's where God wants her at the moment.
Our youngest son is off to university in September, and although he's getting a student loan, we'll still be wanting to help him through. Our eldest son is still at home, but he's talking about moving out by the end of the year.
 I know, there's all sorts of questions and skepticism out there. But this is about faith and obedience. My faith and my obedience.
I guess I'm a bit of an living-on-the-edge prophetic sort, living like a kind of missionary among my own people, wading about at various levels from ankle-deep to up-to-my-neck-in-it in wasteland streams and digging ditches and pulling down fences.
I don't 'run' Transformation Thurrock as such - in fact, I seek to 'un-run' it, as it's something I believe every believer in the borough should taker ownership of. Transformation Thurrock is about unity, after all, and that is a prophetic imperative.
Two weeks ago someone at the Grays Leaders' Prayer very generously said I reminded them of St Paul! Not fifteen minutes later someone else said rather bluntly that I was a 'neo-priest'. Perceptions of what I am and do are bound to be different, and so what one person places a value on is always going to be different from the next.
All I know is that God has given me unity to 'preach' and unity to make happen. Transformation Thurrock is the conduit for that message to be released and realised - facilitating, resourcing, networking, promoting and uniting without someone to make this happen, and draw others into the vision to see the church co-working with Jesus transform our borough. There's the website, and there's the various mainly prayer but also missional events that are put on weekly, monthly and annually.
And from Transformation Thurrock flows things like the Thames Gateway Prayernet and the M25 Nutcracker.
Yes, I am asking you for financial support. Quite simply, if I don't get it, I will have to look for tent-making opportunities that may infringe on the work of Transformation Thurrock. That's not meant to be as arm-twisting as it sounds, it's just a fact. I'm just trying to aligned with Jesus, because - as Ethel Jones used to say - obedience liberates divine power.
If we have sown spiritual seed among you, is it too much if we reap a material harvest from you? 1 Corinthians 9:11
The questions I ask myself are:
- Do I believe I am called by Jesus to do what I'm doing?
- Do the believers in Thurrock believe I am called by Jesus to do what I'm doing?
- Of what value is Transformation Thurrock to Thurrock?
- Am I of value?
- If I am called by Jesus to do what I do, and that has value, what is that value?
- How do I support myself and my family?
- Would increased local financial support be a confirmation that I'm in the will of Christ?
- Would increased local financial support be a key for releasing blessing locally for life evermore as it would be saying, 'We believe in unity'?
- What do I prune?
- Should I be doing something else altogether?
 If you'd like to support me financially, don't call me - contact Stewardship on 020 8502 8560. Or please go to www.stewardship.org.uk. They handle all donations made to me. If you are a tax paying individual, they will manage the Gift Aid on your giving, thus bumping up anything you choose to donate.
If you do want to talk to me, then feel free to call on 07 929 878 089 or email on tim@transformationthurrock.com.
If you'd like to donate directly to Transformation Thurrock - which is setting up its own Community Account in the immediate future - then please contact me. This money will be used for funding Transformation Thurrock-sponsored events, such as the Thurrock Day of Prayer.
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Tim Harrold, 27/07/2010 |
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