Transformation Thurrock : Besom partners with Rock Thurrock

Besom partners with Rock Thurrock

A major aspect of the Rock Thurrock project is the Community Action Projects taking place in June and July, and later on in September.

Young people from across Thurrock's churches are encouraged to get involved and be a practical witness of Christ's love to the community.

Transformation Thurrock is looking at this union from both sides and talked with Deb Connor of Besom and Edwin Hughes of Rock Thurrock.

5 QUESTIONS FOR DEB

TT: What is the purpose of Besom?

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DC: The purpose of Besom is to help Christians respond to God’s heart for the poor and the needy in our society. Besom can act as a bridge between the Christian who wants to give (either money, things, time or skills) and the person who is in need. Sometimes Christians want to make a difference but they don’t know how to go about it. Besom works in close partnership with many agencies in Thurrock and takes referrals from these agencies. We are kept informed of people’s current needs, whether for furniture, white goods, help with decorating or gardening.

TT: How has Besom developed since it came to Thurrock?

DC: Besom in Thurrock began in 2005 after much consideration and prayer. Following the kind offer of the use of a van one day a week, Besom was able to begin delivering clothes and furniture. Since then we have been blessed with our own van and all our other needs have been (and continue to be) met. We have office space, storage space, the use of telephone, computer and photocopying facilities, etc. PICT1836

We have regular time givers from three different local churches and meet together on Tuesdays for prayer, deliveries, collections and to engage in projects. On several occasions over the past few years we have been blessed with teams from abroad and from local churches who have undertaken specific projects and brought great blessing to individuals and families. Contacts with agencies have been quick to develop; opportunities to speak at church groups have been developing more slowly. We have certainly become busier as the years have gone on, as local agencies have come to trust us and appreciate our efforts. They have realised that part of our ethos is to give the very best we can because those who are poor have very little choice. We want our message in everything to be, “God loves you and thinks you are worth it.”

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TT: What is the advantage of the way Besom operates for Believers and the Community the project serves?

DC: Besom is a facilitator; it enables every Christian in the Borough to be part of God’s response to the poor and needy. Besom provides the opportunity to engage in projects (gardening and decorating). We aim to keep people closely informed about the recipients of their gifts so that they know that their gift has really made a difference to someone else. Besom allows people to give to specific projects (eg. Single mothers, victims of domestic violence, decorating projects, etc.) All money donated is 100% devoted to the project.
Besom looks for a heart response to God’s prompting and can provide a more “hands on” experience of giving.

TT: Besom is looking at partnering with Rock Thurrock. What excites you about this opportunity?

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DC: We hope that God will touch young people’s hearts with His compassion for the poor and needy in our society and that they will see how it is possible to make a big difference by offering their “loaves and fish” – and have fun at the same time!

TT: How would you like to see the involvement of young people in the Rock Thurrock/Besom Community Action Projects develop over the next few years?

DC: We would like to see young Christians in Thurrock really catch the heart of God for those in need. The appeal for help from local agencies is sometimes almost overwhelming. The poor will always be with us. The challenge continues. Young people have the energy, passion and time to make a real difference.

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Pictures show (slightly tongue-in-cheek):

Dave 'Stirling' Matthams at the helm of the Besom van
Andrea Peters (second from right) convening the meeting with Rock Thurrock in March
Andrea telling a bunch of men how to load the van
A member of both the Rock Thurrock and Besom teams, Steve 'on-a-mIssion' Blakey with John Peters
Iain Sear does all the hard work while Roy Edworthy does something 'important'

5 QUESTION FOR EDWIN

TT: What is the purpose of the Rock Thurrock Community Action Projects?

EH: Matthew 25:35 says, "For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in" (NIV).

The purpose of the Rock Thurrock Community Action Projects is quite simply to transform a community with the message of Jesus.

Having gone to Soul Survivor over the last five years it has become quite evident to me that young Christians are desperate for opportunities to engage with projects that will help make a difference to the world in which they live.

The best and most logical place to start with that of course is within the local community.? Rock Thurrock Community Action Projects are a unique opportunity for the young people of our churches to do this and fulfil the commission of Matthew 25:35.

TT: How will they run?

EH: In conjunction with Besom we hope to run several projects of decorating or gardening for the poor and needy in our community. These would be made up of teams of 4 to 5 young people supervised by one or two adults. Hopefully there will also be a project of rubbish clearing in a prominent location where a larger team of young people and adults from the local churches can demonstrate that we care about the environment in which we live.

Also an opportuni

ty could develop for some young people to partner in some kind of project with the Seabrooke Rise Community House. This might hopefully also include some of the young people who use that facility and also attend the Bar'N'Bus on a Tuesday night. These projects obviously give the church of Thurrock massive opportunities for witnessing to people in the local community.

TT: Rock Thurrock is looking to partner with ‘The Besom In Thurrock’ to make the Community Action Projects feasible, manageable and effective. What excites you about this opportunity?

EH: Having Besom on board is extremely exciting. Their established credentials and network within the community are an invaluable force for Rock Thurrock to achieve it's Community Action Project aspirations.

TT: How do you think the experience of Besom can help Rock Thurrock?

EH: Without Besom's existing experience in this field and network of contacts we would be starting from a blank page and would perhaps be struggling to be able to put any credible projects in place in the limited time that we have. Of course the relationship that the Bar'N'Bus team and Thurrock Christian Fellowship have built up with the Community House at Seabrooke Rise could also prove invaluable in establishing additional projects for Rock Thurrock.

TT: How would you like to see the involvement of young people in the Rock Thurrock / Besom Community Action Projects develop over the next few years?

EH: Once started I would like to see these kinds of projects to continue not just for a few years but to become an established practice of outreach into the community. Of course this is a subject for church leaderships to seriously look at continuing to develop. Matthew 25:35 is, after all, a permanent instruction and not a transitory one for us to dip in and out of as we feel like it. I would like to see the whole church of Thurrock engaged in non-stop Community Action Projects throughout every year until Jesus returns.

Hopefully the Core Team of Rock Thurrock will continue in some form or another after the end of this year. We are keen to maintain the unity of the churches of the borough that we are seeing now well into the future. Hopefully the original vision for a five year plan will remain intact and continue to grow; leaving a legacy in Thurrock that Jesus would be proud of.

Besom links

www.besom.com
http://www.besom.com/local-besoms/thurrock
http://www.thurrockcf.org.uk/church-life/besom/besom-news/

Thurrock's Besom contact

andrea.h.peters@btinternet.com

Seabrooke Rise Community House on Your Thurrock

http://www.yourthurrock.com/2008/09/04/seabrooke-rise-community-house/

The Community House doesn't have its own website. See also links to the left of this page

Bar'N'Bus links

www.barnbus.org.uk
http://www.transformationthurrock.com/Groups/80468/Transformation_Thurrock/Mission/Bar_n_Bus/Bar_n_Bus.aspx

Bar'N'Bus require more team members and bus drivers for the three Thurrock teams at West Thurrock, Grays Beach and Corringham Town Centre. Please contact Operations Manager Stuart Christian to volunteer. His email is:

stuchristian@barnbus.org.uk

Deb Connor and Edwin Hughes, 18/04/2011