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Tim's Tales (part two)
Ancient Paths and Godysseys
The Story of 2010:
The other stuff Transformation Thurrock supports, promotes and connects with
2010 has been a year of challenge on a number of levels, but also a year of making headway. I’ve been taken deeper in some directions, while others have been cut off.
The challenge of church unity remains my underpinning vision.
“May they be brought into complete unity” - Jesus Christ
 Thames Gateway Prayernet
The Thames Gateway Prayernet (TGP) - a small under-the-radar movement without a big over-the-top membership - has continued the process begun in 2009 of praying at key locations along the River Thames. In the first six months of 2010 we met for ‘prayer actions’ at the Woolwich Ferry and Foot Tunnel; Greenwich Foot Tunnel; Tower Bridge; and St Peter’s Chapel, Bradwell. In all these geographically, historically and spiritually significant places we experienced the Lord’s power, presence and the prophetic. The stories of these defining days are posted on the TT website.
In November some of the TGP team met to pray for strategy for the coming period. In 2011 we plan to pray at Hadleigh Castle; the Isle of Grain; with a local intercessory group from Dartford at the mouth of the Darenth; and to run a repeat of the 2009 prayer voyage from Gravesend to Westminster - hopefully stopping this time to pray there - and back (this is earmarked to take place on Saturday 7 May).
My role is largely to publicise, network and coordinate, and to record each prayer action through the written word and photograph. At the prayer actions I initiate some of the symbolism and declarations.
Over 2010, the TGP has come into contact with and in some aspects merged with Transform Newham’s own prayer for the London 2012 Olympics and for the lands along the Thames as it runs through East London. A small unnamed group has emerged, of growing friendship and friends representing local networks in Tower Hamlets, Havering, Thurrock and Kent, meeting irregularly to pray and discuss the significance of the Olympics coming to this region at this time. There is a sense of shaking and shifting emerging. In February, I will be part of a small group praying around the Olympic Park site.
For England Together (World Prayer Centre)
In July I attended the 3-day For England Together (FET) prayer conference at the River Church in Canning Down. In some respects this continued the TGP themes mentioned above, and merge into the Olympic and Nutcracker themes mentioned below, and is also linked with the Coastlands & Gateways conference I went to in Liverpool in September 2007.
The emphasis was on worship and the prophetic, with stories from around the UK about what God is doing. We also did some prayer walking to the mouth of the River Lea at the Trinity Buoys Wharf opposite the Millennium Dome. (Report on TT website.)
 More Than Gold
My involvement with More Than Gold (MTG) is twofold. One is as the Borough ‘Champion’ for Thurrock - raising the profile of the coming London 2012 Olympics around the churches and corporate Church of the borough. This process has barely begun, but I want to see a consciousness of this unique opportunity for the Christians of the UK to present the Gospel of Jesus through practical love and creative expression rise up and come into sharp focus. This encapsulates the very mandate of TT to facilitate and resource united prayer and united mission. (This is especially important given that there is now no ‘second chance’ of the FIFA World Cup coming to England in 2018.)
It’s hoped that in late spring or early summer 2011 we can hold a launch event that will bring all expressions of the Christian faith together, reflecting the international and multicultural essence of the Olympics, but also coming in the ‘opposite spirit’ to the latent paganism indicative of the Games, from their origins to this day. Part of this presentation will be to educate the Body in how to facilitate a successful series of ‘Olympified’ church events; town-wide festivals; and a festival for the borough, run perhaps in liaison with the local council.
My second area of involvement with MTG is in developing a national vision for a Prayer Relay to run alongside the Olympic Torch Relay, which will be so extensive around the nation that 95% of the UK population will be within one hour’s travelling distance of places where the torch will go. Because of my previous work with Global Day of Prayer London and the M25 Nutcracker (see below), I may concentrate on the London area. I am liaising with Jane Holloway of the World Prayer Centre about this.
In November I attended the More Than Gold Road Show at Leyton Orient FC where delegates from the East London and Essex region met to be envisioned and inspired.
 Global Day of Prayer London / M25 Nutcracker
I was asked by Jonathan Oloyede of London’s Global Day of Prayer (GDOP) to repeat the M25 Nutcracker prayer initiative which was first held in 2009. This year, 13 groups undertook various prayer actions around our capital’s orbital motorway.
Particularly notable were the Nutcracker 24-7 Prayer Room at Welling Evangelical Church, who hosted a fantastic array of creative prayer stations on behalf of 12 churches of Transforming Bexley Borough working together; and the continual prayer room run by Agape London using the entire floor of an office block in an industrial estate in Loughton. I was also able to fly around the M25 with Phil Anderson (TCF - the pilot) and Linda Holt (Hornchurch Methodist Church), praying for London. There are currently no plans to repeat this in 2011 because of the growing Olympics vision.
I also went to the GDOP London event at West Ham United on 13 June.
Church-in-the-House
The house church that has been emerging since September 2009 continues to meet in homes in Grays, Chadwell St Mary and South Ockendon. About 10 people are gathering in relationship on a mainly Tuesday evening, and we’ve met to eat together on a couple of occasions.
It is our desire to keep it ‘simples’ along the lines of the early church as indicated in scripture: (1) to spread the message of Jesus; (2) baptise new believers; (3) open the scriptures; (4) spend time together; (5) break bread together; (6) eat together; (7) meet in each others’ homes; (8) read psalms; (9) sing hymns and spiritual songs; (10) make music; (11) teach; and (12) admonish one another. (Matthew 28:19, Acts 2:42-47, Ephesians 5:18b-20, and Colossians 3:15-16.)
As well as maintaining close ties with the South African Church-in-the-House network facilitated by Mike Genockey, I’ve also made links with Peter Dominey of Church From Scratch, which is part of Incarnate, a church planting network affiliated to the Baptist Union. This has unexpectedly resulted in me appearing in a short video on their website, which can be seen at http://incarnate-network.eu/watch-church-planting-stories/tim-harrold-grays-essex-uk.
Seedbed
In July I went to a 3-day networking forum held in Leeds by the Seedbed Trust, who sponsored me from 2005 until May 2010. The programme was informal and consisted of a series of open conversations suggested by the delegates present.
Funding
Personal funding streams that have now come to an end are the Seedbed Trust and the Bar’N’Bus Trust. This lost income has so far not been recuperated.
If you wish to support me in my work as outlined in Tim's Tales, then please contact me on 07 929 0878 089 or tim@transformationthurrock.com. All monies can be gift aided via Stewardship thus allowing your giving to go further.
Separate donations to Transformation Thurrock can also be made by contacting me.
Tim Harrold, 29.12.10
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Tim Harrold, 29/12/2010 |
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 | | Thames Gateway Prayernet visit Thurrock | | Yesterday (Thursday 10 May 2012), a group of prophetic intercessors from along the Thames Corridor region spent time at three key historic and significant places along the borough's riverside.
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