As chosen by Tim Harrold

This is a smattering of highlights from the past decade (and slightly before) of Transformation Thurrock activities, chosen pretty much off the top of my head. There were many others events and programmes which TT had connections wih, but these are the key ones which I look back on with affection or as being significant.

Obviously some of these activities could appear in more than one category – which perfectly reflects the TT slogan, Prayer, Mission, Unity.

Prayer

  • Gatekeepers of the Gateway and Transformation Thurrock Prayer – monthly prayer gatherings to pray for the borough (2008-2012) (the bimonthly Thurrock Watchmen follows on from these)
  • 24-7 Prayer – various weeks of continuous creative prayer across the borough (2002-2010)
  • Grays Community Prayerhouse (aka The Old Tenns Courts) – home of the Thurrock Healing Rooms, the original Craftsmen simple church, and TT’s office (2007-2010)

Mission

  • Bar’N’Bus  teams in Blackshots, Corringham, West Thurrock, Chafford Hundred and at Grays Beach (2004-2014)
  • GSUS Live outreach to nearly all local secondary schools, originally initiated by Steve Morley (2002, 2005, 2008, 2012)
  • GSUS Live After Party feat. LZ7 in 2012 – concert and outreach to young people resulting in WAY.4WD groups in 4 secondary schools
  • Tilbury Seafarers’ Centre Christmas Gift Giving to merchant seamen from across the globe – initiated by the late Paul Cave
  • Rock Thurrock feat. Will Graham (grandson of evangelist Billy – seen in photo at top of this post with me, Colin Baker and Frank Gaisie) at Thurrock Civic Hall in 2011 – 3 nights of the gospel message with contemporary music inc. LZ7 (over 300 people came to faith). The launch and training ahead of Rock Thurrock saw unprecedented numbers of churches coming together in unity. Initiated by Edwin Hughes.
  • Firestarters – interchurch outreach in Grays High Street feat. spiritual readings, treasure hunting, free hugs (see pic below right) etc. (2016 to present)

Unity

  • Grays Leaders Prayer (2002-2014) and Thurrock Leaders Prayer (2015 to present) – local people in church leadership coming together every week to pray in unity, virtually unbroken over 16 years now.
  • Thurrock Day of Prayer (2008, 2009, 2010) – the first featured Jonathan Oloyede (right) and Godfrey Birtill
  • Thurrock Penteocost (2015, 2016, 2017) – in 2018, 20 churches made a joint statement of faith

Community

  • Thurrock Faith Action Audit – in partnership with Cinnamon Trust and Thurrock Faith Matters (2015)
  • Thurrock Faith Organisations Survey – in partnership with Thurrock Council (2017-18)
  • TT appearances at Big Lunch and Village Beach festivals in Grays Park and at Grays Beach (2015/16)

Equipping

  • Newforms Level 1 Training – a forerunner to Following & Fishing (2013/14)
  • Firestarters and Ignition supernatural evangelism training (2015/16)
  • The Transformation Thurrock Tour which went around many of the borough’s churches in 2014

Regional and National

  • Thames Gateway Prayernet (2008 to present) – came out of The Turn Of The Tide “24-28” in 2005 and smaller TTOTT events in 2006 and 2007
  • Global Day of Prayer M25 Nutcracker (2010, 2011) – 24-7 prayer rooms around the M25
  • More Than Gold London 2012 Olympics prayer and local representation
  • Newforms Resources National Gatherings – creative seminars (2014, 2015, 2016)
  • Movement Day hosted by Gather UK (2017) – a new international movement encouraging church unity
  • South England Prayer Network events (ongoing)

Now it is time to move on, confident that God’s got this, even we haven’t quite worked it out ourselves yet.

John 17:22-23
I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one – I in them and you in me – so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.

Ephesians 4:3
Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.

Isaiah 43:18-19
Forget 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?

Joshua 1:2
Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the River Jordan into the land I am about to give to them…

Acts 26:19
I was not disobedient to the vision from heaven.