Transformation Thurrock : Grays Leaders Prayer

Grays Leaders Prayer - what's it all about?

Tim Harrold asks himself the questions you've always wanted to ask about the GLP!

TT: How long has Grays Leaders’ Prayer has been running?

TH: Since about the spring of 2002. I can’t actually remember, it’s been so long. I’ve got it written down somewhere.

TT: How did the GLP start?

TH: We were at a Thurrock Leader’s Lunch round at Margaret & Roy Smith’s house in Grays, and some of the guys from the east of the borough were saying that they were meeting on a weekly basis to pray together. Well, me and Andy Higgs (who’d not long been in Thurrock) and Paul Corson (the then minister at Grays Baptist Church) got a bit indignant about this! So we decided to start up out own one with immediate effect!

TT: What was your job at the time?

TH: I was youth leader at Thurrock Christian Fellowship and living in Grays and had just begun to do 24-7 prayer weeks at TCF.

TT: So who can come to the Grays Leaders’ Prayer?

TH: Anyone! The vague ‘rule’ is anyone living or working in the Grays post town area who’s in some kind of church leadership.

TT: Which towns are covered by the ‘Grays post town area’?

TH: Well, roughly, Tilbury, Chadwell St Mary, Orsett, Socketts Heath, ‘North’ Grays, Stifford Clays, North Stifford, West Thurrock, Chafford Hundred, South Stifford and, of course, Grays.

TT: So what about the east and west ends of the borough?

TH: As I said, the east - that is, Stanford, Horndon, Corringham and Fobbing - had something going back in 2002. This then transistioned to being at St Margaret's Parish Church every Tuesday morning at 7am, and carries on to the present day. I'm not sure how well it's attended. As for the west of the borough - South Ockendon, Aveley and Purfleet - they have a thing going called the Mardyke Fellowship. I'm not sure if they meet regularly for prayer, but I know they've talked about it from time to time.

TT: What do you mean by being ‘in some kind of church leadership’?

TH: It can mean a vicar, a curate, a reader, a minister, a pastor, an elder, a youth or children’s leader, a schools worker, an evangelist - or an intercessor with a vision to see the community bathed in the healing, transforming love of Christ.

TT: What happens at the Grays Leaders’ Prayer?

TH: Er - we pray! Well, we do invariably have a brief time of worship first, thanks usually to Andy Higgs and his wondrous collection of worship CDs. But then we pray - for Thurrock, for Grays; for youth, schools and missions to young people; for each other’s churches and ministries; and for each other and with each other; for physical healing and difficult situations; for families and family issues; for unity among church leaders and in the churches. The GLP is both very, very serious - and loads of fun! Sometimes there maybe tears, but there's often lots of laughter too.

TT: How do you maintain a sense of inclusion?

TH: The GLP is - as the former captain of the Salvation Army once observed - a readymade support group and valuable resource for anyone new coming to work in Grays. The very essence of the GLP is to be inclusive - hey, we’re all following One Lord and One God aren’t we? It’s all about Jesus. Whatever your church ‘style’, tradition, denomination, culture, the GLP’s a place of immediate non-judgmental acceptance and love. That doesn’t mean we always agree though! But we always agree on Jesus, and so sometimes we just have to agree to disagree!

TT: Is it expected that everyone should go?

TH: No, of course not. It's a freewill thing, a relational thing. Not everyone can make it every week. Sometimes we've had 15 people - sometimes just two! Of course, it's always great when someone new comes along and finds a home among us, because that's what it's all about. I would encourage anyone who's never been to come, and anyone who has been but is a bit unsure about it, to come again! There are a number of full-time ministers in the Grays area who could come but choose to stay away, which is a shame. We aren't called to isolation.

TT: Does the GLP have a vision?

TH: Not really, except to continue being a place of mutual support and friendship. Building genuine relationships between leaders hopefully trickles into the whole fabric of the Body of Christ in Grays and Thurrock, as is described in Psalm 133. I think we could always be more open with each other, and be more intimate with God together, and let the Holy Spirit have his way. Some of us go to New Wine refreshing days which are small group affairs, and quite often the prophetic flows as we share with one another and seek God for each other. At the same time though, we understand that that’s not everyone’s ‘bag’, so sensitivity plays a big part as well.

TT: So where do you meet?

TH: All over the place! We meet in houses, churches and offices - who’ll ever have us. So one week we might be in the Grays Methodist Manse; the next, in the North Stifford Rectory; and then the Chafford Hundred Community Church Offices; or in The Oak Room in Grays Parish Church; or a small flat opposite St Mary’s in Little Thurrock... the list could go on!

TT: And when do you meet?

TH: Every Thursday morning at 8.30am for an hour - except on the second week of the month, when we have the GLP Breakfast in Margaret & Roy’s home on Friday morning at 8am. Then we pray for an hour - followed by food! Always on offer are a selection of cereals, wholesome homemade bread, exotic European cheeses, and Margaret’s exquisite Seville marmalade! It’s great for networking and it’s always informal. The Smiths are wonderful hosts and have been having us round for breakfast for almost as long as the GLP has been in existence.

TT: How do we find out when the GLPs are on?

TH: I email out to everyone on the GLP email list from time to time to remind folk of where we’re meeting and also to ask for new venues to fill up-and-coming dates. The GLP venues are always on the Transformation Thurrock website as well (on the left of the screen where the diary is - just click on the words Grays Leaders Prayer and a box will come up with the venue and directions).

TT: What are the next few venues and dates of the GLP?

TH: They are...
November

Thursday 4 5 St Mary's Close, off Dock Road, opp. St Mary’s
Friday 12 GLP Breakfast @ 35 Palmers Avenue, Grays
Thursday 18 The Rectory, High View Avenue, Grays
Thursday 25 Chafford Hundred Community Church offices

December

Thursday 2 Grays Methodist Church, Hathaway Road, Grays
Friday 10 GLP Breakfast @ 35 Palmers Ave, Grays

After that, I can't tell you - no one's volunteered! Anyone out there want to host a GLP? Just email me on tim@transformationthurrock.com or phone the Transformation Thurrock Office (!) on 07 929 878 089.

TT: Thank you, Tim.

TH: A pleasure!

Sneakily taken photos from a recent GLP at the CHCC offices!

Just as a matter of interest and something to think and pray about, take a look at this from the Transform website:

N.T. Wright, Father Richard Rohr and Brennan Manning were invited by Spencer Burke to engage the question "What Does the Future of the Church Look Like"...

http://www.transformnetwork.org/video/the-future-of-christianity-and

Tim Harrold, 02/11/2010