Transformation Thurrock : Rock Thurrock promo’ed at BGEA’s London lunch

Rock Thurrock promo’ed at BGEA’s London lunch

Last Wednesday (18 May), Colin Baker and Tim Harrold attended a fundraising lunch held by the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA).

Held at the home of the Royal Aeronautical Society at No.4 Hamilton Place off Park Lane in London’s West End, the venue is described in the blurb as being ‘extraordinary... providing the finest views over Hyde Park, it sits in stylish Mayfair, the most expensive square on the Monopoly board’.

The publicity goes on, “The Duke of Wellington lived here in the year before Waterloo... Exquisitely decorated and maintained throughout and a heated terrace with stunning views across the park. Our passion for quality and style radiates via personal service and delicious food for unforgettable meetings and events. By every measure this listed townhouse at No. 4 Hamilton Place is out of the ordinary”.

Colin and Tim were seated among the hundred or so guests - at least one of which was a Lord - for a menu that included exotic words like dauphinoise, jus and anglaise. Rock Thurrock’s good friends Anita Darashah-Borman and Ros Turner were also there, working hard in the background and doing the hosting. And throughout, the Rock Thurrock banner proudly stood at the front for all to see!

There were a number of speakers, of whom Colin was one. The event was opened by Mark Thomas, Vice Chair of BGEA UK, and who came to the Rock Thurrock Launch Breakfast in March (http://www.billygraham.org.uk/page.asp?pageid=49). Simon Barrington, Executive Director of BGEA (http://www.billygraham.org.uk/page.asp?pageid=52), who has also visited Thurrock a number of times, shared a brief history of the BGEA in the UK.

“We don’t do evangelism

on a large scale,” Simon said about critics of big proclamation evangelism events, “we do one-on-one evangelism on a large scale”.

Fiona Castle (left), wife of the late Roy Castle, gave a mother’s perspective on our youth today. “As you discipline, you need to beam forgiveness at them,” she advised as she noted a climate where Christians are becoming increasingly fearful in the current atmosphere of secularist, humanist and atheist opposition to the Gospel.

Frequent visitor to our borough and endorser of Rock Thurrock at the Launch Breakfast, Jonathan Oloyede (below right), talked about sowing the seed. He desired more than ever to see and hear of stories of God’s Kingdom breaking out in other parts of the work taking place here in the UK. His passion for prayer and to see a move of God in THIS nation was evident to all. “We need to see God move in a big way here,” he urged.

Jonathan spoke of a vision he’d had of many young people who had responded to the Gospel. God said in the vision, “When I call, my children hear my voice”. 70% of the young people were white, and 30% were black - God has brought many to this nation for such a time as this! “Blow the trumpet - they’re ready to hear the trumpet call!” Jonathan proclaimed, “This is the nation of Spurgeon and Wesley - we need a thousand Wesleys!”

Bible teacher Stephen Gaukroger (www.clariontrust.org.uk) followed this by explaining the need for proclamation evangelism in the UK. “The mission is bigger than ourselves,” he said - something we’d agree with here in Thurrock! He pointed out that Jesus’ emphatic statement in John 14:6 - that “I am the way, the truth and the life... no one comes to the Father except by me” - is “either arrogant or plainly true but is the answer to all social ills”. He stressed that because of the very nature of Truth and the notion of what is True, the Gospel must be preached.

PICT18692

Stephen mentioned the recent Royal Wedding, when people celebrated around the country as their future King got married, and then said we need to “bring the people of the UK onto the streets for another King” - the King of kings, Jesus.

He then told a parable. An artist once painted a picture of the devil playing chess with a Christian and it was hung in a gallery. The name of the piece was “Checkmate” - the game of life was all over, the devil had won, and Christianity had lost. One day, a man came into the gallery and, being an avid chess player, was drawn to the painting. He studied the picture closely, and then suddenly exclaimed, “Bring me the artist!” The artist was summoned and duly arrived. “You got it wrong - the devil hasn’t won,” the man explained to the artist, “the king still has another move to make!”

Simon Barrington then returned to the podium and put up a slide that of some graffiti that said, “Because I’m worthless”. “We live in a world that offers only oblivion, where we’re told we go from nothing to nothing” Simon said, “but we know Jesus, and Jesus is hope”. He then talked about the BGEA’s vision for future mission.

This ran seamlessly into what the BGEA are doing now - Rock Thurrock! Colin Baker came to the front and told the story of how Rock Thurrock came into being and the unity that is growing through it and out of it - and, of course, the dream of a mobilised church and many young people coming to faith in Christ. He talked about the various parts of the project and the events at Thurrock Civic Hall in September.

Colin talked about how the BGEA were doing the “big thing in a small place”, and how that is becoming an increasing blessing to the borough. He mentioned Transformation Thurrock as being a vital part of that process and said that it is important “not to despise the day of small beginnings”.

The presentation continued with Brian Bennett, BGEA UK Head of Fundraising, Marketing and Communications (http://www.billygraham.org.uk/page.asp?pageid=98) telling those present how they can support the BGEA’s work in the UK, and after brief closing remarks from Simon Barrington and a closing prayer from Mark Thomas, the event came to an end.

Colin and Tim were able to do some valuable networking. People were very interested in hearing about Rock Thurrock. We’re on the map, folks! And Jesus is using us to start something massive across the nation!

To see further pictures of where the BGEA lunch took place, please see http://4hp.org.uk/rooms/argyll-room-and-terrace/

With thanks to Harvey Thomas for the two photos of Colin speaking.

Tim Harrold, 25/05/2011