Transformation Thurrock : CAPs off for Rock Thurrock

CAPs off for Rock Thurrock

Details are now available for the Rock Thurrock Community Action Projects (CAPs) being run throughout next month, July.

This aspect of Rock Thurrock is designed for young believers to get involved in helping people who live in the area through a range of community services. The CAPs are have been developed with the help of Besom, the local group who provide a means for Christians to give their time and money to helping those in need.

The choice of activities are decorating or gardening. The dates are as follows:

Tuesday 5 July
Friday 8 July
Saturday 9 July
Tuesday 12 July
Friday 15 July
Saturday 16 - Environmental Clearance Project in Purfleet- also open to adults
Tuesday 19 July
Friday 22 July
Tuesday 26 July
Friday 29 July
Saturday 30 July

To volunteer for any of these, please download and complete the following form and return to Rock Thurrock's CAPs Coordinator Edwin Hughes at the address on the form at http://dl.dropbox.com/u/27465816/CAP__1_Flyer_4.pdf.

CAP Flyer JPEG

Transformation Thurrock interviewed Edwin Hughes a few weeks ago about the CAPs.

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.

Other flyers for download

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/27465816/RT%20shampaan%20fundraiser.pdf - the Rock Thurrock Curry Night on Monday 11 July
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/27465816/SOUL%20REVIVAL%20POSTER2.pdf - "Soul Revival", Gospel Choir event on Friday 15 July

Tim Harrold with Edwin Hughes, 13/06/2011