The Christian Life & Witness Courses have begun! And hundreds of local followers of Jesus Christ have signed up to attend the study evenings!

IMG1324-1Originally prepared by Charlie Riggs, who was director of Counselling and Follow-Up for the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association from 1957 to 1989, the four-part study is designed to help Christians reignite their faith and share it with others.

In Thurrock, the CLWCs are being done on three nights over three weeks – and four venues are hosting across the borough in what is possibly an unprecedented level of co-operation between fellowships ever seen in Thurrock.

So far, the CLWCs have been held at Gates of Praise International Centre in Grays on Monday night, and the RCCG Fruitful Land Centre in Tilbury on Tuesday night (in the old Anchor pub, below left).

Each night the study is being delivered by Gary Cobb (right, speaking at Fruitful Land last night) of the BGEA. He has come over from the BGEA office in Charlotte, North Carolina in the United States especially to do this teaching.

Gary has been well received and his talks come with not only straight-laced, solid Bible teaching, but also illustrative anecdotes, his own very powerful and moving testimony of salvation, and good few PICT1860spoonfuls of humour to help the message go down, including even a clip from an American TV sitcom.

Gary will be teaching tonight (Wednesday 8 June) at the Aveley Christian Centre and on Thursday (9 June) at the Gateway People’s Centre in Stanford-le-Hope.

The first session covers the topics of The Effective Christian Life and The Victorious Christian Life. Everyone gets a study book, along with a couple of other small booklets.

From the uset, it has been the vision of Anita Darashah-Borman, BGEA UK’s Youth Ministries Project Manager, to get 600 people in all along to the four nights. Well, she wasn’t far off!

At the time of writing, the over all figure for CLWC sign-ups is a staggering 575!

That’s just 25 short of Anita’s projection! Monday night was attended by 143 people, and last night by 114 people. STOP PRESS – 92 AT AVELEY CHRISTIAN CENTRE ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT!

Listen folks – GOD IS DOING SOMETHING HERE! The words of many over many years are on the brink of being realised. Are you ready? Get ready!

06062011003Forget the former things;
do not dwell on the past.
See, I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness
and streams in the wasteland.
Isaiah 43:18-19 NIV

Do not remember the former things,
Nor consider the things of old.
Behold, I will do a new thing,
Now it shall spring forth;
Shall you not know it?
IMG1320-1I will even make a road in the wilderness
And rivers in the desert.
Isaiah 43:18-19 NKJV

Forget about what’s happened;
don’t keep going over old history.
Be alert, be present. I’m about to do something brand-new.
It’s bursting out! Don’t you see it?
There it is! I’m making a road through the desert,
rivers in the badlands.
Isaiah 43:18-19 The Message

PICT1861>>> Still want to go to a CLWC but haven’t signed up yet? Well, it’s not too late! Go to www.bega.co.uk and follow the links! Or open either of the articles to the left of this page and follow the links.

Other pictures show people gathered at GOPIC and Fruitful Land (both on the right), and a view from the terraces of Gary in mid-flow (left).

Christian Life & Witness Courses

  • Mondays 6, 13, 20 June at Gates of Praise, Grays
  • Tuesdays 7, 14, 21 June at Fruitful Land, Tilbury
  • Wednesdays 8, 15, 22 June at Aveley Christian Centre
  • Thursdays 9, 16, 23 June at Gateway People’s Centre, Stanford