A letter from Tim Harrold to the Church of Thurrock

TRANSFORMATION THURROCK TOUR 2016/17

Dear All

This time two years ago, Vera and I were two weeks into the Transformation Thurrock Tour 2014. . We visited 16 fellowships (one of them twice) during this period.

Those fellowships who participated will remember that the Tour consisted of:

  • a presentation of vision and challenge
  • interactive group discussion
  • collation of ideas and dreams on a flip chart
  • prayer

What did you do with your sheets? Did you refer to them in developing your fellowship’s future vision? Did they prove of value as an aid to prayer in meetings?

Since then, things have moved on in the borough.

  • There is a significantly greater unity among those who attend the weekly Thurrock Leaders’ Prayer gatherings. This has led now to the inclusion in the annual rhythm of TLP Days, set aside for deeper ministry somewhat in the style of New Wine Refreshing Days. This will be demonstrated at the Thurrock Pentecost 2016 event on Saturday 14 May (watch out for details)
  • A number of local ministers and others from Thurrock have attended courses and Global Legacy leaders’ meetings at Eastgate, Ebbsfleet (formerly North Kent Community Church) – this has led to shifts in thinking and operating in services and mission
  • 2015’s Firestarter training days have led to the activation of outreach on the borough’s streets
  • Other practical and united outreach projects have emerged which Transformation Thurrock endorses and encourages, such as:
    • the Thurrock Lunch Club 
    • the regular trips to the migrants in Calais by local Christians (with Side by Side)
    • the vision emerging to provide a shelter for the borough’s homeless
    • Thurrock Foodbank goes from strength to strength
    • Bar’N’Bus teams at Grays Beach and Corringham Town Centre – who reach out to young people on our streets at night – need more volunteers to make them viable once again

And there’s much, much, much more!

Key to all this are the following factors:

  • growing unity of believers
  • growing understanding of our individual and corporate identity in Christ
  • growing recognition of the ministry gifts of the apostolic, prophetic, evangelistic, shepherding and teaching
  • growing sense of the emergence of the ‘Church of Thurrock‘
  • growing realisation of what discipleship is (and isn’t)
  • growing revelation that the workplace is (also) our mission
  • growing church-led social action and entrepreneurial activity

Given these very positive signs of the green shoots of Jesus’ life pushing up in the cracks and the boarders between the monotonous grey concrete slabs of the manmade, I would like to announce the Transformation Thurrock Tour 2016/17.

This will not just follow up and follow on from the previous tour (see below), but broadcast new vision and direction as Transformation Thurrock takes on charitable status. This process has begun and will be completed in the very near future. The Tour will include:

  • presentation
  • talk
  • interaction
  • prayer

The Transformation Thurrock Tour will be designed to fit a Sunday morning service (with quite a bit of flexibility) and / or specially convened meeting. (At one venue in 2014, we did a morning of seminars.)

Transformation Thurrock you and the congregations you represent the opportunity to have the Transformation Thurrock Tour visit you again or, if you missed out in 2014, for the first time. Please let me know on tim@transformationthurrock.com or 07 929 878 089 if you’re interested and we’ll begin sorting out some dates.

God bless,

Tim

The TT Tour 2014 – a reminder

  • TT Tour GBC 641416 February – Fresh Hope Community, Stanford-le-Hope
  • 2 March – Grays Methodist Church
  • 16 March – St Cedd’s, Stifford Clays
  • 23 March – St Mary’s, North Stifford
  • 30 March – Thurrock Christian Fellowship, All Saints Centre, Grays
  • 6 April – Grays Baptist Church
  • 13 April – New Covenant Church, Grays
  • 4 May – St Margaret’s, Stanford-le-Hope
  • 18 May – St Mary’s, Little Thurrock
  • 18 May – Corringham Salvation Army – East Thurrock United Service
  • 25 May – Grays United Reformed Church (part 1)
  • 8 June – Grays United Reformed Church (part 2)
  • 15 June – House of the Lord, South Ockendon
  • 22 June – Socketts Heath Baptist Church
  • 29 June – Destiny Chapel, South Ockendon
  • 13 July – Tilbury Pride (Thurrock Christian Fellowship)
  • 9 August – House of Praise, Grays (now Church of His Presence)

Right: one of the feedback sheets from one of the fellowships visited on the TT Tour 2014. Nearly all the participating fellowships had one of these.

>>> Vera and I are also developing a programme we are calling ‘Artology’ – a day or weekend exploring visual creativity from a biblical perspective. It’s not so much ‘how to’ but ‘why do’. Watch this space!