LZ7 points the WAY.4WD at GSUS LIVE After Party

GLAP 1 After seven weeks of taking the GSUS LIVE unit in an out of local secondary schools, the After Party was seen as a fitting way to conclude this phase of the longterm vision to see clusters of young disciples established across the borough.

The event took place at the Civic Hall at Blackshots in Grays on Friday 2 November.

After a long day of preparation that began at 9am, doors opend at 7pm. The evening opened with DJ Gbenga (from Chafford Hundred Community Church, right) who warmed up the crowd as they came into the hall.

At 7.30pm, GSUS LIVE Thurrock 2012 Core team members Caroline Smith and Rob Groves introduced the first live act, London rap artist, Guvna B (below left), who perfomed a short set.

This was followed by the main attraction of the evning, LZ7, making a welcome return to Thurrock after their success at Rock Thurrock last year. They came on stage at 8pm and did a set of about 75 minutes.

At about 50 minutes, though, LZ7’s lead singer Lindz (below right) told a personal story based around the theme of adoption and changing destiny. Lindz talked about his recent adoption of a child, and that by doing so he is changing that child’s destiny, becoming his new dad – this is what the Father does for us when he brings us into his family. Lindz also illustrated the point by offering a £5 note to the audience, but covered it with his own sweat and stamped on it! His point was that no matter what it had been through, it was still worth the same amount – which is how God sees each one of us.

Lindz then said a simple prayer with all who wanted to respond.

LZ7 finished their set, during which they sang a song based on the “Four Points” (see below) to enforce the message, and at the end Lindz invited all those who had joined him in the prayer to fill in the cards provided by the team. Some 50 young people responded. Each was given information to take away with them.

These young people came from mainly five of the schools the GSUS LIVE unit visited, along with a number of other schools in Thurrock – and beyond. Each of these young people will now be folllowed up by the GSUS LIVE Thurrock 2012 Core Team members and their contacts, and where possible ‘discipleship groups’ will be established under the name WAY.4WD – see www.facebook.com/way.4wd.

Given that there were in the region of 120 young people at the event in total, this response rate is about 42%, far higher than that at Rock Thurrock. Had the 500 young people turned up we expected, we would be looking at following up 210 of them!

The low turn out was on account of a number of reasons – forgetfulness; the half-term holiday; mum sayng no; and the biggest traffic gridlock for years – caused by accidents on the M25 and A13 – which spilled into Grays, North Stifford, South Ockendon, Aveley, West Thurrock and Chafford Hundred. Whether this was just ‘one of those things’ or enemy action is unclear. The team were initially disappointed, but have since realised that Jesus is to be praised anyway and chosen to be encouraged – the vision remains alive and the outworking of it carries on. LZ7 were wonderfully professional about it and carried on regardless to their high standard of performance.

The GSUS LIVE Thurrock 2012 Core Team would like to thank: