Transformation Thurrock : TDOP is tops!

TDOP is tops!

The second Thurrock Day of Prayer took place at Grays United Reformed Church on Saturday 16 October. People from across the denominations gathered to pray together for our borough and be equipped in new ways of approaching prayer. Some exciting stories of what God is doing emerged over the day.

Afternoon programme
Things got underway with Mike Davies and his band leading worship. Quite quickly the auditorium became bathed in the presence of God.

We then were treated to a presentation by Revelation, the urban dance group of young people trained by Kat Grant of Streetlife. Her dance lessons take place in a number of church halls around the borough, and through her ministry she is seeing young people’s lives transformed by dance, teamwork, a sense of belonging and Kat’s own enthusiasm, unashamedly Christ-centred. She allowed us to pray for her there and then. (Kat needs volunteers to take registers and just be an extra ‘bod’ at lessons - please contact TT if you’re CRB checked and would like to volunteer.)

After that we then split into three ‘practical prayer streams’. The first of these was the Treasure Hunting prayer stream led by David Webster from North Kent Community Church in Gravesend (on the right in the picture). He gave his group an introduction to Treasure Hunting - which is essentially asking the Holy Spirit for clues, writing them down, then using the clues to find the treasure! David then took the group down into Grays where they split up, one lot going into the park and the other lot to Orsett Road.

The former group found their treasure in the form of a man whose daughter was riding her bike around the play area. Apparently it turned out this man had had some sort of experience with God and had been to church in the past. So accurate were the clues that he allowed them to pray for him.

The latter group’s clues took them to a group of lads by Grays Baptist Church. There followed a half hour long conversation about Jesus Christ. One of the clues had been ‘Staffordshire Bull Terrier’, which one them had; but some else with a similar dog turned up and the two dogs had a fight. There had also been a girl among them, but she left. One of the lads said, “Okay, if your God knows everything, what was the name of that girl then?” Holly Anderson looked at her clues and replied, “Well, I only have one name written down here, and it’s Amy!” That was indeed the girl’s name. The man was amazed. Holly was amazed! God is amazing!

The second prayer stream was Prayer Walking / Healing The Land, led by Havering prayer walker Jane Almond (on the left in the picture above). She showed her group some pictures of some of her prayer walking experiences, and talked a little about ‘spiritual mapping’. The group then went out into the community and felt led to walk to Grays Methodist Church, where they prayed in the car park. Rosemary Pritchard - minister there - testified later that a number of things were confirmed for her, including the rekindling of the Chaplaincy at the school next door. One of the group was Pete Connor who said he was amazed to find another in the group was praying out what he could see in his mind, and that God should speak to him so clearly and in such a way. Upon their return to the URC, the group spent some time 'soaking' in the presence of God.

Meanwhile, back at ‘base’, the third prayer stream - Inter*seed - prayed through a number of areas of issue concerning Thurrock. Colin Baker (on the right in the picture) shared with the group the Epicentre vision to see church youth equipped in friendship evangelism and practical witness; young people come to faith in Christ through two nights of gospel presentation by Will Graham at the Civic Hall (24/25 September 2011); and to see those young people grow and mature in Christ through follow-up programmes. Colin led us in a time of praying for the borough’s young people; the church’s young people; the youth leaders whole are just embarking on their UNITE 30/31 services; and the unity required at all levels of the church to make Epicentre happen.

This was followed by Ayo Gbajabiamila, Pastor of Stanford’s New Covenant Church (on the left in the picture), who talked briefly from Isaiah 1:18, reminding us that obedience leads to blessing, and one thing the church has been disobedient in is the whole area of unity.

"Come now, let us reason together," says the LORD. "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool."

Ayo urged us to repent on behalf of the whole church of Thurrock, which we did, some other scriptures coming up on the way. Rev John Guest of St Margaret’s, Stanford (in the centre in the picture), even prayed that every church would ‘die’, meaning, that each church would die to itself in the revelation that in unity with and in Christ is found true life.

The group then had a ‘surgery’ with Phil Anderson (seen sitting in picture to the right), who is a local elected councillor. A few people asked some questions connected with the Big Society and the coming austerity measures. Phil said that all this is an incredible opportunity for the church and its inherent sense of community, since it has become obvious that throwing money at societal problems has not helped. The group then prayed with Phil about the emerging opportunities and for the council.

Between the afternoon and evening sessions, pizza and salad was made available by resident catering manager and master chef Graham Marshall and his helper Caroline Smith.

Evening section
The evening kicked off with testimonies from the afternoon sessions. Pete Connor, Rosemary Pritchard and Rob Groves told the stories mentioned above.

Mike Davies then led us in worship, during which Rob Groves gave a word, the essence of which was a challenge to Thurrock’s church to go deeper, which Mike confirmed as being something God is saying PICT1777

to them in Nottingham.

Avril Singh then brought a picture of many thin-necked bottles. God is trying to fill them with the water of the Holy Spirit, but it’s difficult because the necks are so thin, and in some cases have stoppers in them. She said it’s as if we only want so much, and then we resist again by putting the stoppers back in. Avril urged us to widen and open our necks to receive all that God wants to give us.

There came a point where Mike felt we should all make some declarations, and immediately Jane Almond jumped up saying, “I was just waiting for the word ‘declaration’!” Afterwards Jane recalled the gist of what she believed the Lord wanted to say to Thurrock:

I saw a picture of Father leaning down to pick up a handful of earth from Thurrock. He held it up and let it run through his fingers. As it ran through them, he blew on it. The dark specks of earth turned to golden flecks. I felt he was saying that, from his perspective, this is how he sees Thurrock - a place of 'gold' that he's deposited.

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That's why I went on to declare his perspective and it's what I said to you last year - that Thurrock is indeed a place of deposit but that it's not a place where the deposit is death and rubbish but a place of life and hope and grace. A place where God inhabits, a place where people will know their identity in the Father, a place that is full of the presence and glory of God. The redemptive deposit of Thurrock is the presence of the Father and his glory.

I felt God was saying that, as in Revelation 8, he'd heard your prayers and that last night, while there was an open heaven of worship, these declarations had to be made. I felt the bowls in heaven were full and that Father would release earthquakes and thunderbolts and lightning into Thurrock (of whatever shape).

The presence of God was particularly apparent as Jane released this word of blessing over the borough and should be noted by all - considered and prayed through - who are reading this. It confirms the subtext to many cross-denominational prayer initiatives over the past two decades that Thurrock will no longer be called the place where filthy water collects but shall be known as the place where the fresh water of the life-giving Holy Spirit flows.

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MIke then led us in singing the declarative song with the lyrics:

It’s the rising up all around
It’s the anthem of
The Lord’s renown

This led to people representing areas of life in the borough coming to the front and declaring the gates of those key areas open for King Jesus and His Kingdom to enter in and take over. In doing so, we were surrendering our lives and those areas to Christ’s rule. As it says in Psalm 24:7, “Lift up your heads, O you gates; be lifted up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in.” Oil was symbolically placed on the doors at the front of the auditorium to loosen the creaking hinges. The areas are:

local politics and the Council
the church
education
the arts
Senior Citizenship
family life
business
community
hospitals and heath care
emergency services
carers

Finally, after singing Do You Hear The Mountains Tremble? - which includes the line, “Swing wide you heavenly gates, Prepare the way of the living Lord”, Mike closed the event by quoting from Ezra 10:4, which says, “Rise up; this matter is in your hands. We will support you, so take courage and do it.”

General opinion about this year's TDOP has been mostly positive. The streams were a very popular idea and the worship was excellent. Despite a lower turn out than at last year's TDOP at Hassenbrook School - and a thin representation across from Thurrock's churches - those who were there 'did business' with the Living God. The fact that the Lord spoke clearly to those who were present showed that there was a breakthrough, a break-in - and a breakout of the Holy Spirit among us.

TT would like to thank Ruth Mitchell, minister of Grays URC, for the loan of the building for the day, and Eileen for helping with the keys. Thanks also go to Mike & the Davies Family Band (with special guest guitarist Pete 'Frippertronics' Connor); Graham and Caroline in the kitchen; Rob for being techy; Alan & Wendy for their floor management; and to Jane, Dave, Colin, Ayo and Phil for leading and input into the prayer streams.

NEXT YEAR'S THURROCK DAY OF PRAYER IS ON SATURDAY 22 OCTOBER - PUT IT IN YOUR DIARY NOW! Rachel Hickson is appearing. Venue and other content to be confirmed.

Other pictures:

top: Inter*seeders Alan & Wendy Jupp, Peggy Rawlings and Joan Elliott
5th down: Mike Davies (far left) and the band
6th down: surrendering the arts to the King
7th down: declaring the church and its unity to be surrendered to King Jesus
8th down: placing Thurrock's education into God's hands

Tim Harrold, 21/10/2010