Rev Martin Seymour

2010-04-07T12:29:00.002+01:00

RELEVANT, REVIVED, ROBUST.
Welcome again to my blog site. My schedule of either visiting or preaching at churches around our borough is going very well. This strategy is to have an opportunity of meeting other Christians and sharing the vision of TRANSFORM BEXLEY BOROUGH. Those of you who wish to follow this new start to my ministry can always catch up with me on this site and view what has happened and what I would like prayer for.It is already Wednesday. I will already have spent my day at the Police Station in my role as Chaplain and had several meetings with key people in our borough.
PLEASE GIVE THANKS FOR:
The great Easter weekend. The Maundy Thursday services, all of the walks of Witness and the Crosses set up across the Borough.
Give thanks for the open air service at Bexleyheath and the erecting of a very heavy cross and all those who took part. For RUNNING:LATE who arranged and put together the whole day of live action, music, interviews and performance.
For Alan Murphy and his attendance in full Roman centurion armour and his message.
For my time at Belvedere Pentecostal. And for the great news at Belvedere Baptist who had a baptism service where two baptisms were planned but the Holy Spirit turned up and two more people were blessed in baptism, Halleluiah Praise the Lord.
Give thanks for Frank Payne as he starts his time as Chair of TBB and for those who have joined the TBB executive.
Give thanks for Adam Foot who has been very encouraging to Jose in her plans for an initiative called “LIVING WORD LIVING FAITH” a movement for local and trans local churches, agencies, para church groups all seeking to encourage and inspire churches and fellowships to a greater confidence and appetite for the Word of God. Saturday September 11th will see St Johns Welling its buildings and grounds turned over to CLC through Jose in a vision she has had to help the whole church gain greater skill in handling the scriptures and a greater passion for hearing and obeying the Bible. Through books, literature, DVD’s worship and prayer.
Give thanks for Gordon Raggett who has inspired Jose even further with his willingness to be involved with CRIBS “3:16” initiative for 2011. For Matt Carpenter who is so full of energy for all things including LWLF
Give thanks that we have such men and women of God in this borough who are such good and faithful servants to an almighty God
Give thanks for the Transform your Life Alpha course run and initiated by Steve Swan, there is great news of lives saved and peoples walk with Jesus having had a kick start through this brand new initiative.
Finally and by no means least, pleased join me in thanksgiving prayer for Pastor John Baptiste who’s ministry in Gods service is moving on into pastures new. It cannot be underestimated the influence which Street Pastors has had in our borough, it not only gave the church a relevant role to fulfill but has moved the church to a platform of credibility and value. All of what I am able to achieve in His name comes off of the back of Street pastors which John grabbed and ran with. John has been a great ambassador of the church in the Police corridors and the chambers of the council. Of course along with that he is the loved Pastor at Bexley Christian Life Centre who I am sure will miss him greatly. But John has been called back into the RAF as a chaplain and I am sure you will all join me in prayerful good wishes for Jackie and the girls as they all relocate to RAF Lyneham and here is a link if you want to see where he is off to. http://www.raf.mod.uk/raflyneham/localareainformation/
PLEASE PRAY FOR:
Please pray for me as I now try to fill Johns shoes as Senior Coordinator, a hard act to follow but in His strength and with the team that John has in place we can be assured John has left things in place to make the transition a bit easier.
Please pray for Jose and “LIVING LIFE LIVING WORD” she has got some great people around her and all encouraging her with this which the Lord has called her to put together.
Please pray for TBB, the church and CAB:B as we all go forward together. CAB:B (Care About our Borough:Bexley) CAB:B has been warmly accepted as a project by the Police the Council through the Bexley safety Partnership and now the Bexley Centre for Voluntary services. Scroll down to the in depth bit for full story.
The new members of TBB who were voted onto the TBB executive at the AGM.
Please pray for Rev Frank Payne who has taken on the role of Chair for the next two years and I thank him for him stepping into this role. For his plans to meet and encourage all those now on the exec.
Please pray for Carol Britnell at Bexley Centre for Voluntary Services re her involvement with CAB:B
Please Pray for funding for me as we await news from the Baptist Union, as now the decrease in my income is about to take effect from April. It may mean I have to go back to driving the cab an extra day and miss out on new opportunities to represent the church at important meetings. So whilst doing is bit of Sail Making is scriptural, Gods work and the opportunities He is opening up cannot be missed. Please pray in, an income for Jose and I.
For Steve Webster as he plans the Global Day of Prayer project here in Bexley under the Banner TRANSFORM BEXLEY THROUGH PRAYER.
Please pray for Major Ian Payne my point of contact at Town Centres Management, I like him, he is funny and I am hoping for a great working relationship.
Please pray that the plans that Matt Carpenter and I discussed for Live Music Food Plaza at the clock tower is tested that it is of Gods will to have a Christian Presence in the summer.
Please pray for Paul Wood the captain at Salvation Army Bexleyheath, his band leader Darren and our relationship and future working partnership.
Please pray for Steve Swan as he moves the Transform Your Life with alpha initiative, God is clearly blessing this initiative so keep Steve and the way forward in your prayers.
CATCH SOME OF THESE VIDEOS, HERE>>>>>>>>
Please pray for Matt Carpenter. Matt is one of our boroughs main christian shakers and movers. He is a visionary and whats more he turns his visions into reality. He makes things happen. He has made "RUNNING:LATE" happen, he has made the Youth night club "TURNING POINT" happen, he made the all day Christian witness event in the Broadway before Christmas, happen. Matt is a bit special, pray for Matt. He is looking for a place to live at present. He is looking to rent a flat or a room. Please pray for funding for Matt. If you can help Matt with accommodation please contact me on see-more.ministries@sky.comThat the church will recognise the value it can be through social action in this borough and can see a way forward to become relevant in this age.
Please continue to pray for the way forward for the church to play an active part in Thamesmead especially through Street Pastors. Bexley Safety Partnership has now expressed a desire for Street Pastors to happen in Thamesmead.Please continue to pray for the application to the BU for funding for my ministry. We have moved past the recommendation stage.
Please pray that in Gods guidance the BU will favour the application and that we will accept graciously the decision that will be made.
Please pray for those who are sending in their names to be Street Pastors in response to my visiting their Churches and banging the gong for Street Pastors and for the encouraging signs at Crayford for the start of Street Pastors..
Please continue to pray for TBB and for God to find us a management team. We need those with management skills with a legal background and a Treasurer who can serve and not control.
Please pray for Martin Andrews at Trinity Baptist Church and his team as I start meetings with Martin in plans and the future blessings of this boroughs men coming together in praise and worship.
Please pray and watch how God blesses this vision of many men coming together in one place at one event in Praise and Worship. Watch this space.
Continue to pray for future meetings with the Boroughs Ministers and the opportunity to share the vision around the churches.
Please continue to pray for our daughter as our new yet to be born, gradsoin is doing well, Jose was present recently as Treena went for a scan, and Baby is doing well and is due in first week of June.
THE "IN DEPTH" BIT
With regard to CAB:B, once i looked at the criteria and strands of the offer of funding it became clear to me that only the INTERNET subject fell between the strands of qualification from the funding stream being offered. It was clear that I would have to change and dilute the other three subjects in the CAB:B project if I was to accept the funding with integrity, however I could not do that as I believe this would alter the vision which God has given to me. I therefore rejected the funding for three subjects and accepted the funding for the Internet. I had the launch coming up with CAB:B as the main project and reason for the launch. What to do, I decided to trust as this is Gods project not mine, He is just using me and I am trying to be obedient, if God wants CAB:B to happen then He will sort out the problems. The launch went well. Whilst I was at the launch God was busy answering prayers of Panic.
I have now had a call from Carol Britnell "Tell me about CAB:B"she asked. If you want to know anything about funding in this borough Carol is the one to speak to. Carol is very interested in getting involved and I will see her in April after she has thought and sought out some funding streams. God is very quick these days is'nt He.. Pray that Police/Church/Council alliance will continue to show that the church cares, is active in social care and is relevant, to become revived and to become robust. The churches 3 R's learn them, pray about them. Relevant Revived Robust, it is my vision for Bexley Churches.
PLEASE KEEP IN YOUR PRAYERS

THIS YEAR 2010: IMPORTANT NOTICE!
I will keep this notice up for a couple of weeks as it is so important.TBB and I need some targets for this year. Our main aim this year must be to create in Gods guidance :A Senior Management Team (SMT): It is clear that God has a plan, He is not only opening doors, he is flinging them open wide for His church to play an important part in the potential of our borough. Do you want to play a part in this? Have you got management skills, business acumen and financial accounting experience? We need all of these skills so those of us who are activists can know in confidence that those gifted by God in areas outside of our skill-base can manage the future of TBB.A consistent funding stream so as to plan and budget an income for me and shape and cherish what God has started to do here in our borough to a professional level.
An "A team" who want to make a difference in His name. I would like to find a partner team who can share my work load and be a 'think tank' for what I do:
A)Raising the level of awareness of the work of the church.
B) Bringing the Church together in understanding of TBB's role.
C) Bringing the Church to a high visibility of Relevance through social action.
Therefore Management, Funding and a Team expansion program are priority. If any of this resonates with you then please contact me on see-more.ministries@sky.com and lets talk.TBB needs management skills. . Frank, John Baptiste and Terry oversee me as my accountability group (AG). It has been made clear to me by my AG that for TBB to become a viable and professional ministry, moving on to become a registered charity, we are going to need some management skills. Pleased pray for the right people to capture the vision and be a part of TBB. We already have a TBB executive who are activists, doers of good works, but they do not need the added burden of managing the admin side.The issues that go along with having me as the employee of TBB and all that goes with that, of which Brian Weller is handling in the 'stop gap.' We need a treasurer, as Frank puts it, "Who is there to serve and not control" So please pray about this issue, that God will raise up the right people to do the right jobs at the right time.
Blessings to you all.

2010-03-24T15:42:00.003Z

An "A team" who want to make a difference in His name. I would like to find a partner team who can share my work load and be a 'think tank' for what I do:
A)Raising the level of awareness of the work of the church.
B) Bringing the Church together in understanding of TBB's role.
C) Bringing the Church to a high visibility of Relevance through social action.

Therefore Management, Funding and a Team expansion program are priority. If any of this resonates with you then please contact me on see-more.ministries@sky.com and lets talk.
PLEASE PRAY FOR:
Please pray for TBB, the church and CAB:B as we all go forward together after a fabulous morning on Monday 22nd March. Premier Radio hosted a breakfast at the Holiday Inn, Bexley for the launch of the partnership of TBB and CAB:B and Premier Radio which was well attended by 64 people (Church leaders and lay) representing 49 churches. Scroll down to GIVE THANKS and The IN DEPTH bit for more great news.

CAB:B (Care About our Borough:Bexley) CAB:B has been warmly accepted as a project by the Police the Council through the Bexley safety Partnership and now the Bexley Centre for Voluntary services. Scroll down to the in depth bit for full story.

The new members of TBB who were voted onto the TBB executive at the AGM. Please pray for Rev Frank Payne who has taken on the role of Chair for the next two years and I thank him for him stepping into this role.

Please pray for Carol Britnell at Bexley Centre for Voluntary Services re her involvement with CAB:B

Please Pray for funding for me as we await news from the Baptist Union, it now looks as a though a decrease in my income is about to take effect from April from Trinity Baptist Church as a new budget comes into effect. It may mean I have to go back to driving the cab an extra day and miss out on new opportunities to represent the church at important meetings. So whilst doing is bit of Sail Making is scriptural, Gods work and the opportunities He is opening up cannot be missed. Please pray in an income for Jose and I.

For Steve Webster as he plans the Global Day of Prayer project here in Bexley under the Banner TRANSFORM BEXLEY THROUGH PRAYER.

MOST IMPORTANT: CROSSING THE BOROUGH:in His name, please pray for the plans for this coming Easter as we try to coordinate large crosses being erected across the borough. Bexleyheath and Belvedere and Welling are already under way.

Please pray for Good Friday in Bexleyheath. The Town Centres management have given us full permission to do exactly what we want. The walk of witness will happen at 10.30 from Trinity up to the Clock Tower. Matt carpenter and the RUNNING:LATE mission will be providing the worship and praise open air service with the erecting of a 10 foot tall and 6 foot wide cross which will stand in the town centre all weekend. Then the RUNNING:LATE band will stay on all afternoon playing live music for other Christians and the general public, who will have had their Friday Morning Good Friday Services to come to Bexleyheath Broadway and join in with more Praise and Worship. Please pray for a great day.

Please pray for Major Ian Payne my point of contact at Town Centres Management, I like him, he is funny and I am hoping for a great working relationship. Please pray for my meeting with Ian on Monday.

Please pray for Paul Wood the captain at Salvation Army Bexleyheath, his band leader Darren and our relationship and future working partnership.

CATCH SOME OF THESE VIDEOS, HERE>>>>>>>>

Scroll down and read the in depth bit for full details. Please pray for Matt Carpenter. Matt is one of our boroughs main christian shakers and movers. He is a visionary and whats more he turns his visions into reality. He makes things happen. He has made "RUNNING:LATE" happen, he has made the Youth night club "TURNING POINT" happen, he made the all day Christian witness event in the Broadway before Christmas, happen. Matt is a bit special, pray for Matt. He is looking for a place to live at present. He is looking to rent a flat or a room. Please pray for funding for Matt. If you can help Matt with accommodation please contact me on see-more.ministries@sky.com
That the church will recognise the value it can be through social action in this borough and can see a way forward to become relevant in this age.
Please continue to pray for the way forward for the church to play an active part in Thamesmead especially through Street Pastors. Bexley Safety Partnership has now expressed a desire for Street Pastors to happen in Thamesmead.
Please continue to pray for the application to the BU for funding for my ministry. We have moved past the recommendation stage. Please pray that in Gods guidance the BU will favour the application and that we will accept graciously the decision that will be made.
Please pray for those who are sending in their names to be Street Pastors in response to my visiting their Churches and banging the gong for Street Pastors and for the encouraging signs at Crayford for the start of Street Pastors.
.Please continue to pray for TBB and for God to find us a management team. We need those with management skills with a legal background and a Treasurer who can serve and not control.
Please pray for Martin Andrews at Trinity Baptist Church and his team as I start meetings with Martin in plans and the future blessings of this boroughs men coming together in praise and worship. Please pray and watch how God blesses this vision of many men coming together in one place at one event in Praise and Worship. Watch this space.

Continue to pray for future meetings with the Boroughs Ministers and the opportunity to share the vision around the churches.

Please continue to pray for our daughter as our new yet to be born, gradsoin is doing well, Jose was present recently as Treena went for a scan, Baby is doing well and is due in first week of June.

PLEASE GIVE THANKS FOR:
First and foremost Jose and I would like to have prayers of thanks for a blessed time with our Son Lee his wife Melanie and our beautiful grandson Elliott. We rested, we laughed and we were charmed by our little comedian and bundle of fun Elliott. we also have our Granddaughter Tabitha here in England and I cannot stop wondering in awe of their ways, Tabitha is so "Little girl" and Elliott is so "Little Boy" and no one has instructed them to be that way, Gods wonderful creation of Life.

Give thanks for a blessed and a fabulous Monday morning Breakfast launch with Premier radio. Give thanks for all of the encouraging e mails I have received and that everyone was so excited and encouraged about the future.

Give thanks for a phone call from Carol Britnell who has stepped into a gap of my knowledge as where to go next for funding, carol is so encouraging and we plan to work together to bring in and role out CAB:B's other three subjects together. (SCROLL DOWN FOR FULL STORY)

Give thanks for those who attended the TBB AGM and those who wish to serve on the TBB executive.

Please keep in your prayers and give thanks for the friendship with Pastor Eddy ,John and Femi and the team at Gateway Church Erith. I look forward to working with the Saints at Gateway Church.

Give thanks also for the Venerable Paul Wright Archdeacon of Rochester who is fully supporting CAB:B and has been very active in getting me opportunities to meet with the Anglican clergy in Bexley. I give thanks for his friendship and encouragement.
Give thanks for the "Its a Man Thing," evening at Trinity Baptist Church, I am just catching up with the news. One hundred men was the target and PTL 80 men came together in praise and worship.

THE "IN DEPTH" BIT
With regard to CAB:B, once i looked at the criteria and strands of the offer of funding it became clear to me that only the INTERNET subject fell between the strands of qualification from the funding stream being offered. It was clear that I would have to change and dilute the other three subjects in the CAB:B project if I was to accept the funding with integrity, however I could not do that as I believe this would alter the vision which God has given to me. I therefore rejected the funding for three subjects and accepted the funding for the Internet. I had the launch coming up with CAB:B as the main project and reason for the launch. What to do, I decided to trust as this is Gods project not mine, He is just using me and I am trying to be obedient, if God wants CAB:B to happen then He will sort out the problems. The launch went well. Whilst I was at the launch God was busy answering prayers of Panic.

I have now had a call from Carol Britnell "Tell me about CAB:B"she asked. If you want to know anything about funding in this borough Carol is the one to speak to. Carol is very interested in getting involved and I will see her in April after she has thought and sought out some funding streams. God is very quick these days is'nt He. The Town Centres management have given us full permission to erect large crosses right across our borough. I have been told that this is a milestone decision and never before in this boroughs recent memory have we had such permission for the true message of Easter symbolic in the cross to be so visible. Yet the christian community has failed to respond in a manner which signifies and reflects such an opportunity. Crosses will be erected in Bexleyheath Welling and Belvedere if we could have got just one more Cross erected to the south maybe in Old Bexley or Sidcup we would have crossed the borough from east to west and north to south. Pray that next year will be better. However a christian witness will be out in the Broadway all day on Good Friday and the town centres management have asked if we could be there on Saturday as well. Very encouraging but just not doable. At such short notice the Salvation Army cannot even put together live music for Saturday the 3rd April. Please Pray for Jose in the midst of all of this as she can only look on and watch. She cares for my sanity, health and future because she knows I cannot stop, because I am so excited. CARE ABOUT BEXLEY BOROUGH (CABB) is now so important. Pray that Police/Church/Council alliance will continue to show that the church cares, is active in social care and is relevant, to become revived and to become robust. The churches 3 R's learn them, pray about them. Relevant Revived Robust, it is my vision for Bexley Churches.
PLEASE KEEP IN YOUR PRAYERS TBB needs management skills. . Frank, John Baptiste and Terry oversee me as my accountability group (AG). It has been made clear to me by my AG that for TBB to become a viable and professional ministry, moving on to become a registered charity, we are going to need some management skills. Pleased pray for the right people to capture the vision and be a part of TBB. We already have a TBB executive who are activists, doers of good works, but they do not need the added burden of managing the admin side.The issues that go along with having me as the employee of TBB and all that goes with that, of which Brian Weller is handling in the 'stop gap.' We need a treasurer, as Frank puts it, "Who is there to serve and not control" So please pray about this issue, that God will raise up the right people to do the right jobs at the right time.Blessings to you all.

2010-01-27T15:40:00.003Z

PLEASE PRAY FOR:
Our AGM on the 16th March at Trinity Baptist church at 8pm.
The application to the Prevention Of Extreme Violence, Community Cohesion funding stream for CABB (Care About our Borough: Bexley) has been successful and the funding has been agreed in principle with the provision that some tweaks can be made. I am awaiting the offer to be made in writing with the requests for some add ons. Please Pray that those add ons are in keeping with the integrity of the project.
For Steve Webster as he calls those who have a heart to pray to come together at Trinity on the 27th January at 8.30 under the Banner TRANSFORM BEXLEY THROUGH PRAYER.
MOST IMPORTANT: CROSSING THE BOROUGH:in His name, please pray for the plans for this coming Easter as we try to coordinate 7 large crosses being erected across the borough. Bexleyheath and Belvedere already have the plans under way. Northumberland heath, Welling, Old Bexley are exploring the idea and Crayford and Sidcup are yet to respond. Scroll down and read the in depth bit for full details. Pray that the Town Centres Management authorize these events.
For my time this Sunday 31st Jan at Gateway Church in Erith.
For my meeting with Toyin today Wednesday 27th Jan to discuss her vision for "Women in Action"
For Steve Gordon's meeting with Bexleyheath School and Bexley safety Partnership in discussions re a start date for School Pastors.
Please pray for Matt Carpenter. Matt is one of our boroughs main christian shakers and movers. He is a visionary and whats more he turns his visions into reality. He makes things happen. He has made "RUNNING:LATE" happen, he has made the Youth night club "TURNING POINT" happen, he made the all day Christian witness event in the Broadway before Christmas, happen. Matt is a bit special, pray for Matt. He is looking for a place to live at present. He is looking to rent a flat or a room. Please pray for funding for Matt. If you can help Matt with accommodation please contact me on see-more.ministries@sky.com
That the church will recognise the value it can be through social action in this borough and can see a way forward to become relevant in this age.
Please continue to pray for the way forward for the church to play an active part in Thamesmead especially through Street Pastors. Bexley Safety Partnership has now expressed a desire for Street Pastors to happen in Thamesmead.
Please pray for Mick Harvey as he seeks election to be a part of Northumberland Heath Community Forum.
Please pray for the new collective of the leaders of the Mother and Baby/Toddler groups. For Alexa as she coordinates the first meeting.
Pray that the initiative will be an encouraging prayerful group who will share ideas and ways of being a valued and positive ministry to mothers and fathers who bring their children along to the groups.
Please continue to pray for the application to the BU for funding for my ministry. We have moved past the recommendation stage. Please pray that in Gods guidance the BU will favour the application and that we will accept graciously the decision that will be made.
Please pray for those who are sending in their names to be Street Pastors in response to my visiting their Churches and banging the gong for Street Pastors and for the encouraging signs at Crayford for the start of Street Pastors.
Please pray for John Baptiste the Senior Coordinator of Street Pastors as these new applications create more work for him as an already busy Church Minister.
Please continue to pray for TBB and for God to find us a management team. We need those with management skills with a legal background and a Treasurer who can serve and not control.
Please pray for Martin Andrews at Trinity Baptist Church as he and his team plan for the 24th February as they plan for 100 men of the borough to come together in worship and prayer. Please pray for Stella as she starts to pick up the challenge of getting me appointments to visit with the boroughs ministers. Continue to pray for those future meetings with the Boroughs Ministers and the opportunity to share the vision around the churches. My preaching diary is almost full up to April and a little beyond.
Pray for Mick and Wendy Harvey as they head off to Hong Kong and China as guests of friends.

PLEASE GIVE THANKS FOR:

Give thanks for a blessed and a fabulous Sunday service at Christ Church on the 24th January.

Give thanks for a blessed and encouraging meeting with Pastor Eddy and Femi and the team at Gateway Church Erith, what a spirit filled meeting and a meeting of minds, vision and prayers. I look forward to working with the Saints at Gateway Church.

Also give thanks for the two Unity Services on the 24th. At three o clock in the afternoon I was given the opportunity to share the Vision of TBB with the churches of Old Bexley and met with some wonderful people who were encouraged with what they heard and great networking opportunities were there.

In the evening I spoke at the Bexleyheath Unity Service and again there was great interest in all that is going on. Two political party representatives showed and interest and i will follow that up.

Give thanks that a married couple came forward and told me that whatever the cost of the wood for the crosses across the borough they would pay whatever the cost. PTL

Give thanks for Premier Radio's offer to fund a slap up breakfast at the Holiday Inn Black Prince to launch CAB:B on the 22nd March

Give thanks also for the Venerable Paul Wright Archdeacon of Rochester who is fully supporting CAB:B.

Give thanks for a good meeting at Erith School where the Northumberland Heath Community Forum took place. Thanks was expressed to Mick and Wendy Harvey, Transform Bexley Borough and some of the local churches for their good work at the big SWITCH ON at Christmas and the turning on of the lights. It was recognised as a great event and should be built upon.

That the forum received graciously the news that I could not possibly be a part of the executive committee, but that I was there as a resource for them and a player in future activities.

For my meeting with Pastor Eddie at Gateway Church Kennett Rd Erith. Give thanks for his team their heart and their passion to be a part of all that is going on

Give thanks for the very first Transform Your Life at Alpha. Steve Swan, who heads up this initiative informs me it was a great night and 14 people are enrolled each of them in recovery through AA. It is being held at St Johns Welling.

Give thanks for the early signs for Febuary 24th "Its a Man Thing, 100 men of God" all coming together in worship and praise. If you are a man be at Trinity baptist Church on the 24th February.

For Penny Dormer who has stepped into the position of Secretary/Administrator at TBB. Penny is an answer to prayer and we look forward to her being with us in the journey of TBB.WE would all like to thank Kath Andrews who has stepped down due to ill health and time to recover. I am thankful to Kate for everything that she does, give thanks for her energy, passion and friendship.
Give thanks for the new people that new joint initiatives put us in touch with.
Give thanks that joint ventures with those outside the church give us opportunities to witness through who we are and how we behave, the boundaries we will not cross and the areas of discussion we will not enter into. Give thanks for Nigel Cross at Northumberland heath and his hard work and that God will touch him through his work and our witness to him.

THE "IN DEPTH" BIT

As time is now ticking down for Jose and I. It is now two weeks before we fly off to Australia on the 10th February. The Ozzie heat is very appealing to me at the moment. We will be away in OZ until March 1oth. So there is much to do before that.

I have a vision for this Easter to cover our borough in large wooden crosses. These crosses will obviously bring to those who pass the prompt of thought as to why Easter happens. I am hoping that all of the crosses will be erected in a dramatic way at the end of a "Walk of Witness" where the pieces of the cross will be carried to the place of standing. I am hoping that outdoor services will happen across the seven Churches Together Groups. Belvedere/Thamesmead, Bexleyheath, Sidcup, Crayford, Erith/Slade Green and Old Bexley. I am praying that the Town Centres management will give us all permission to do this and leave the crosses up over Easter. The plan is to have prayer boxes and Cares and Concerns boxes so that the immediate communities can share what they believe to be subjects to pray for and for those who do not pray an opportunity to express what they believe to be a fear, a concern and a care for where they live. This should be adopted in the program of community cohesion, "We are asking and we will listen". Please pray that this "CROSSING THE BOROUGH" in his name happens. The funding for all of the wood for these large crosses is in place as I spoke of earlier.

I now believe CABB will happen and that God will provide, so I am pushing on. Please Pray for Jose in the midst of all of this as she can only look on and watch. She cares for my sanity, health and future because she knows I cannot stop, because I am so excited. CARE ABOUT BEXLEY BOROUGH (CABB) is now so important. Pray that Police/Church/Council alliance will continue to show that the church cares, is active in social care and is relevant, to become revived and to become robust. The churches 3 R's learn them, pray about them. Relevant Revived Robust, it is the vision for Bexley Churches.

PLEASE KEEP IN YOUR PRAYERS TBB needs management skills. Terry Griffith and Frank Payne along with Brian Weller and John Baptiste have stepped in to the gap to sort out my financial support stream. Frank, John Baptiste and Terry oversee me as my accountability group (AG). It has been made clear to me by my AG that for TBB to become a viable and professional ministry, moving on to become a registered charity, we are going to need some management skills. Pleased pray for the right people to capture the vision and be a part of TBB. We already have a TBB executive who are activists, doers of good works, but they do not need the added burden of managing the admin side.The issues that go along with having me as the employee of TBB and all that goes with that, of which Brian Weller is handling in the 'stop gap.' We need a treasurer, as Frank puts it, "Who is there to serve and not control" So please pray about this issue, that God will raise up the right people to do the right jobs at the right time.Blessings to you all.

2010-01-13T11:55:00.006Z

RELEVANT, REVIVED, ROBUST.
Welcome again to my blog site. My schedule of either visiting or preaching at churches around our borough is going very well. This strategy is to have an opportunity of meeting other Christians and sharing the vision of TRANSFORM BEXLEY BOROUGH. Those of you who wish to follow this new start to my ministry can always catch up with me on this site and view what has happened and what I would like prayer for.It is already Wednesday. I will already have spent my day at the Police Station in my role as Chaplain and had several meetings with key people in our borough.

THIS YEAR 2010: IMPORTANT NOTICE! I will keep this notice up for a couple of weeks as it is so important.
TBB and I need some targets for this year. Our main aim this year must be to create in Gods guidance :
A Senior Management Team (SMT): It is clear that God has a plan, He is not only opening doors, he is flinging them open wide for His church to play an important part in the potential of our borough. Do you want to play a part in this? Have you got management skills, business acumen and financial accounting experience? We need all of these skills so those of us who are activists can know in confidence that those gifted by God in areas outside of our skill-base can manage the future of TBB.
A consistent funding stream so as to plan and budget an income for me and shape and cherish what God has started to do here in our borough to a professional level.
An "A team" who want to make a difference in His name. I would like to find a partner team who can share my work load and be a 'think tank' for what I do:
A)Raising the level of awareness of the work of the church.
B) Bringing the Church together in understanding of TBB's role.
C) Bringing the Church to a high visibility of Relevance through social action.
Therefore Management, Funding and a Team expansion program are priority. If any of this resonates with you then please contact me on see-more.ministries@sky.com and lets talk.

PLEASE PRAY FOR:

The application to the Prevention Of Extreme Violence, Community Cohesion funding stream for CABB (Care About our Borough: Bexley). We will hear this Thursday the 14th January as to whether we have made a successful bid. This will need a lot of prayer as I do not have confidence that the bid will be successful as I do not think we were steered towards a stream which criteria was in keeping with the initiatives aims. This will be if nothing else a learning curve for me.
For my time this Sunday 17th Jan at Highfeild Rd Baptist Church.
For my meeting at Premier Radio at 10am on the 14th January to discuss their involvement with all that is happening in our borough and how "Hope London" can partner us in outreach ministry.
Please pray for Matt Carpenter. Matt is one of our boroughs main christian shakers and movers. He is a visionary and whats more he turns his visions into reality. He makes things happen. He has made "RUNNING:LATE" happen, he has made the Youth night club "TURNING POINT" happen, he made the all day Christian witness event in the Broadway before Christmas, happen. Matt is a bit special, pray for Matt. He is looking for a place to live at present. He is looking to rent a flat or a room. Please pray for funding for Matt. If you can help Matt with accommodation please contact me on see-more.ministries@sky.com
That the church will recognise the value it can be through social action in this borough and can see a way forward to become relevant in this age.
Please pray for me to discern what I need to be involved in. I have been invited to join the Northumberland heath Community Forum Executive and complete an application form. Whilst I feel being involved is necessary, I have to be careful not to spread myself to thin, pleas pray for me in that.
Please continue to pray for the way forward for the church to play an active part in Thamesmead especially through Street Pastors.
Please pray for the new collective of the leaders of the Mother and Baby/Toddler groups. For Alexa as she coordinates the first meeting.
Pray that the initiative will be an encouraging prayerful group who will share ideas and ways of being a valued and positive ministry to mothers and fathers who bring their children along to the groups.
Please continue to pray for the application to the BU for funding for my ministry. We have moved past the recommendation stage. Please pray that in Gods guidance the BU will favour the application and that we will accept graciously the decision that will be made.
Please pray for those who are sending in their names to be Street Pastors in response to my visiting their Churches and banging the gong for Street Pastors and for the encouraging signs at Crayford for the start of Street Pastors.
Please pray for John Baptiste the Senior Coordinator of Street Pastors as these new applications create more work for him as an already busy Church Minister.
Please continue to pray for TBB and for God to find us a management team. We need those with management skills with a legal background and a Treasurer who can serve and not control.
Please pray for Martin Andrews at Trinity Baptist Church as he and his team plan for the 24th February as they plan for 100 men of the borough to come together in worship and prayer. Please check out the poster which came as an attachment to the email which included the link to this blog.
Please pray for Stella as she starts to pick up the challenge of getting me appointments to visit with the boroughs ministers. Continue to pray for those future meetings with the Boroughs Ministers and the opportunity to share the vision around the churches. My preaching diary is almost full up to April and a little beyond.
Please pray for quite an important opportunity on the 24th January. In the morning I am preaching at Christ Church Bexleyheath and then in the afternoon I am key note speaker at the Churches Together in Old Bexley unity service, quite a busy day and important to TBB.
Please start our prayers towards Easter, April 4th is Easter Sunday and plans and preparations need to be in hand soon if we are to expand and build on what we achieved last years open air service and witness in the Broadway and beyond.
Pray for Mick and Wendy Harvey as they head off to Hong Kong and China as guests of friends.
PLEASE GIVE THANKS FOR:
Give thanks for a blessed and fabulous service at Northumberland heath Baptist church, much prayer was had and asked for at the service and I give thanks that I listened to our Lord and changed the message which I had prepared, at the last minute to a whole different message which, by the after service feedback, was greatly received. PTL
For my meeting with the Venerable Dr Paul Wright Archdeacon of Bromley and Bexley. We had a great meeting as I explained my plans and the CABB initiative. Paul is very excited and supportive of the vision and will be writing to the clergy under his care and we will both be meeting with them all in March. As a point of interest Paul's study is decorated with Harley Davidson pictures and plaques all on the American legendary motorbike and Paul has his own Harley in the garage, and he drives it around whilst wearing a dog collar. I suggest he needs a leather jacket with "Heavens Angels" across the back.
Give thanks for Mick and Wendy Harvey and my time with them both in their home on Tuesday 12th Jan. Give thanks for their passion, heart and servant heart.
Give thanks for the plans which are in place calling 100 men to come together and worship and pray. If you are a man be at Trinity baptist Church on the 24th February.
Give thanks for Steve Swan who believes he has found a location for Transform your life@Alpha. There is a suite at the library which Steve is very impressed with.
For my meeting with Kate Foot. It was productive and decisive, we are in great need of a secretary at TBB as Kath Andrews has stepped down due to ill health and time to recover.I am thankful to Kate for everything that she does, give thanks for her energy, passion and friendship.
Give thanks for the new people that new joint initiatives put us in touch with.
Give thanks that joint ventures with those outside the church give us opportunities to witness through who we are and how we behave, the boundaries we will not cross and the areas of discussion we will not enter into. Give thanks for Nigel Cross at Northumberland heath and his hard work and that God will touch him through his work and our witness to him.
THE "IN DEPTH" BIT
Time is now ticking down for Jose and I. It is now less than a month before we fly off to Australia. As I write this the snow is still falling, I am still in a recovery stage of illness which has hung around for two weeks now. Being asthmatic a cold of a chill always goes to my chest so wheezing, coughing and loss of energy are my constant companions at the moment. I never ever switch on our heating of the gas fire, but I just cannot get warm, so Jose knows I am not putting it on. I have had the swine flu jab and the regular flu jab so I have the armoury to stay afloat, but I am keeping Lem Sips in profit at the moment. So the Ozzie heat is very appealing to me at the moment. We are readying ourselves for February the 10th when we will be off to Australia to visit with our son Lee his wife Melanie and our all important Grandson Elliott Martin. We will be away in OZ until March 1oth. So there is much to do before that.
My Preaching diary is looking good, no spaces until after April 4th which is Easter Sunday, so the Sundays ahead are already looking busy.
I have already had my preliminary meeting with Inspector Steve Duffy and Chief Inspector Tony Gowen who are the start of my planning team. Please pray for these events, I believe CABB will happen and that God will provide, so I am pushing on. Please Pray for Jose in the midst of all of this as she can only look on and watch. She cares for my sanity, health and future because she knows I cannot stop, because I am so excited.
CARE ABOUT BEXLEY BOROUGH (CABB) and The PID (Project Initiation Document) is now so important. B.C. Tony Dawson even mentioned it at the Carol service as one of the main projects in 2010. Pray that Police/Church/Council alliance will continue to show that the church cares, is active in social care and is relevant, to become revived and to become robust. The churches 3 R's learn them, pray about them. Relevant Revived Robust, it is the vision for Bexley Churches.
PLEASE KEEP IN YOUR PRAYERS
TBB needs management skills. Terry Griffith and Frank Payne along with Brian Weller and John Baptiste have stepped in to the gap to sort out my financial support stream. Frank, John Baptiste and Terry oversee me as my accountability group (AG). It has been made clear to me by my AG that for TBB to become a viable and professional ministry, moving on to become a registered charity, we are going to need some management skills. Pleased pray for the right people to capture the vision and be a part of TBB. We already have a TBB executive who are activists, doers of good works, but they do not need the added burden of managing the admin side.The issues that go along with having me as the employee of TBB and all that goes with that, of which Brian Weller is handling in the 'stop gap.' We need a treasurer, as Frank puts it, "Who is there to serve and not control" So please pray about this issue, that God will raise up the right people to do the right jobs at the right time.
Blessings to you all.

2010-01-06T10:26:00.020Z

RELEVANT, REVIVED, ROBUST.

Welcome again to my blog site. My schedule of either visiting or preaching at churches around our borough is going very well. This strategy is to have an opportunity of meeting other Christians and sharing the vision of TRANSFORM BEXLEY BOROUGH. Those of you who wish to follow this new start to my ministry can always catch up with me on this site and view what has happened and what I would like prayer for.It is already Wednesday. I will already have spent my day at the Police Station in my role as Chaplain and had several meetings with key people in our borough.

THIS YEAR 2010: IMPORTANT NOTICE! I will keep this notice up for a couple of weeks as it is so important.

TBB and I need some targets for this year. Our main aim this year must be to create in Gods guidance :

A Senior Management Team (SMT): It is clear that God has a plan, He is not only opening doors, he is flinging them open wide for His church to play an important part in the potential of our borough. Do you want to play a part in this? Have you got management skills, business acumen and financial accounting experience? We need all of these skills so those of us who are activists can know in confidence that those gifted by God in areas outside of our skill-base can manage the future of TBB.

A consistent funding stream so as to plan and budget an income for me and shape and cherish what God has started to do here in our borough to a professional level.

An "A team" who want to make a difference in His name. I would like to find a partner team who can share my work load and be a 'think tank' for what I do:

A)Raising the level of awareness of the work of the church.

B) Bringing the Church together in understanding of TBB's role.

C) Bringing the Church to a high visibility of Relevance through social action.

Therefore Management, Funding and a Team expansion program are priority. If any of this resonates with you then please contact me on see-more.ministries@sky.com and lets talk.

PLEASE PRAY FOR:

The application to the Prevention Of Extreme Violence, Community Cohesion funding stream for CABB (Care About our Borough: Bexley). We will hear this Thursday the 14th January as to whether we have made a successful bid. This will need a lot of prayer as I do not have confidence that the bid will be successful as I do not think we were steered towards a stream which criteria was in keeping with the initiatives aims. This will be if nothing else a learning curve for me.

For my time this Sunday 17th Jan at Highfeild Rd Baptist Church.

For my meeting at Premier Radio at 10am on the 14th January to discuss their involvement with all that is happening in our borough and how "Hope London" can partner us in outreach ministry.

Please pray for Matt Carpenter. Matt is one of our boroughs main christian shakers and movers. He is a visionary and whats more he turns his visions into reality. He makes things happen. He has made "RUNNING:LATE" happen, he has made the Youth night club "TURNING POINT" happen, he made the all day Christian witness event in the Broadway before Christmas, happen. Matt is a bit special, pray for Matt. He is looking for a place to live at present. He is looking to rent a flat or a room. Please pray for funding for Matt. If you can help Matt with accommodation please contact me on see-more.ministries@sky.com

That the church will recognise the value it can be through social action in this borough and can see a way forward to become relevant in this age.

Please pray for me to discern what I need to be involved in. I have been invited to join the Northumberland heath Community Forum Executive and complete an application form. Whilst I feel being involved is necessary, I have to be careful not to spread myself to thin, pleas pray for me in that.

Please continue to pray for the way forward for the church to play an active part in Thamesmead especially through Street Pastors.

Please pray for the new collective of the leaders of the Mother and Baby/Toddler groups. For Alexa as she coordinates the first meeting.

Pray that the initiative will be an encouraging prayerful group who will share ideas and ways of being a valued and positive ministry to mothers and fathers who bring their children along to the groups.

Please continue to pray for the application to the BU for funding for my ministry. We have moved past the recommendation stage. Please pray that in Gods guidance the BU will favour the application and that we will accept graciously the decision that will be made.

Please pray for those who are sending in their names to be Street Pastors in response to my visiting their Churches and banging the gong for Street Pastors and for the encouraging signs at Crayford for the start of Street Pastors.

Please pray for John Baptiste the Senior Coordinator of Street Pastors as these new applications create more work for him as an already busy Church Minister.

Please continue to pray for TBB and for God to find us a management team. We need those with management skills with a legal background and a Treasurer who can serve and not control.

Please pray for Martin Andrews at Trinity Baptist Church as he and his team plan for the 24th January as they plan for 100 men of the borough to come together in worship and prayer. Please check out the poster which came as an attachment to the email which included the link to this blog.

Please pray for Stella as she starts to pick up the challenge of getting me appointments to visit with the boroughs ministers. Continue to pray for those future meetings with the Boroughs Ministers and the opportunity to share the vision around the churches. My preaching diary is almost full up to April and a little beyond.

Please pray for quite an important opportunity on the 24th January. In the morning I am preaching at Christ Church Bexleyheath and then in the afternoon I am key note speaker at the Churches Together in Old Bexley unity service, quite a busy day and important to TBB.

Please start our prayers towards Easter, April 4th is Easter Sunday and plans and preparations need to be in hand soon if we are to expand and build on what we achieved last years open air service and witness in the Broadway and beyond.

Pray for Mick and Wendy Harvey as they head off to Hong Kong and China as guests of friends.

PLEASE GIVE THANKS FOR:

Give thanks for a blessed and fabulous service at Northumberland heath Baptist church, much prayer was had and asked for at the service and I give thanks that I listened to our Lord and changed the message which I had prepared, at the last minute to a whole different message which, by the after service feedback, was greatly received. PTL

For my meeting with the Venerable Dr Paul Wright Archdeacon of Bromley and Bexley. We had a great meeting as I explained my plans and the CABB initiative. Paul is very excited and supportive of the vision and will be writing to the clergy under his care and we will both be meeting with them all in March. As a point of interest Paul's study is decorated with Harley Davidson pictures and plaques all on the American legendary motorbike and Paul has his own Harley in the garage, and he drives it around whilst wearing a dog collar. I suggest he needs a leather jacket with "Heavens Angels" across the back.

Give thanks for Mick and Wendy Harvey and my time with them both in their home on Tuesday 12th Jan. Give thanks for their passion, heart and servant heart.

For the CRIBS team as they recover from the pressure of taking the Christmas presentation around the schools and settle into 2010.

Give thanks for the plans which are in place calling 100 men to come together and worship and pray. If you are a man be at Trinity baptist Church on the 24th January.

Give thanks for Steve Swan who believes he has found a location for Transform your life@Alpha. There is a suite at the library which Steve is very impressed with.

For my meeting with Kate Foot. It was productive and decisive, we are in great need of a secretary at TBB as Kath Andrews has stepped down due to ill health and time to recover.I am thankful to Kate for everything that she does, give thanks for her energy, passion and friendship.

Give thanks for the new people that new joint initiatives put us in touch with.

Give thanks that joint ventures with those outside the church give us opportunities to witness through who we are and how we behave, the boundaries we will not cross and the areas of discussion we will not enter into. Give thanks for Nigel Cross at Northumberland heath and his hard work and that God will touch him through his work and our witness to him.

THE "IN DEPTH" BIT

Time is now ticking down for Jose and I. It is now less than a month before we fly off to Australia. As I write this the snow is still falling, I am still in a recovery stage of illness which has hung around for two weeks now. Being asthmatic a cold of a chill always goes to my chest so wheezing, coughing and loss of energy are my constant companions at the moment. I never ever switch on our heating of the gas fire, but I just cannot get warm, so Jose knows I am not putting it on. I have had the swine flu jab and the regular flu jab so I have the armoury to stay afloat, but I am keeping Lem Sips in profit at the moment. So the Ozzie heat is very appealing to me at the moment. We are readying ourselves for February the 10th when we will be off to Australia to visit with our son Lee his wife Melanie and our all important Grandson Elliott Martin. We will be away in OZ until March 1oth. So there is much to do before that.

My Preaching diary is looking good, no spaces until after April 4th which is Easter Sunday, so the Sundays ahead are already looking busy.

I have already had my preliminary meeting with Inspector Steve Duffy and Chief Inspector Tony Gowen who are the start of my planning team. Please pray for these events, I believe CABB will happen and that God will provide, so I am pushing on. Please Pray for Jose in the midst of all of this as she can only look on and watch. She cares for my sanity, health and future because she knows I cannot stop, because I am so excited.

CARE ABOUT BEXLEY BOROUGH (CABB) and The PID (Project Initiation Document) is now so important. B.C. Tony Dawson even mentioned it at the Carol service as one of the main projects in 2010. Pray that Police/Church/Council alliance will continue to show that the church cares, is active in social care and is relevant, to become revived and to become robust. The churches 3 R's learn them, pray about them. Relevant Revived Robust, it is the vision for Bexley Churches.

PLEASE KEEP IN YOUR PRAYERS

TBB needs management skills. Terry Griffith and Frank Payne along with Brian Weller and John Baptiste have stepped in to the gap to sort out my financial support stream. Frank, John Baptiste and Terry oversee me as my accountability group (AG). It has been made clear to me by my AG that for TBB to become a viable and professional ministry, moving on to become a registered charity, we are going to need some management skills. Pleased pray for the right people to capture the vision and be a part of TBB. We already have a TBB executive who are activists, doers of good works, but they do not need the added burden of managing the admin side.The issues that go along with having me as the employee of TBB and all that goes with that, of which Brian Weller is handling in the 'stop gap.' We need a treasurer, as Frank puts it, "Who is there to serve and not control" So please pray about this issue, that God will raise up the right people to do the right jobs at the right time.

Blessings to you all.

2009-12-29T10:45:00.007Z

RELEVANT, REVIVE, ROBUST.

If you do not read on to my main posting, please take the time to at least read this which I believe to be very important for us all to know. At a recent CRIBS event we were all made aware of this news which I pass onto to you.

Richard Dawkins is backing The National Federation of Atheist, Humanist and Secular Student Societies. They have launched a recruitment drive in the summer of 2009. They want to establish a network of atheist societies in schools to counter the role of Christianity.

It will teach that religious belief and doctrines can prevent ethical and moral behaviour. The students will be encouraged to lobby schools and local authorities over what is taught in RE lessons, to call on acts of worship to be scrapped. It wants the societies to hold talks and educational events to persuade students not to believe in God.

The British Humanist Association has led this campaign and it has already won the arguments. If the Christian Community do not continue in their outreach, their ministry of social action and continue to make their case for God, His Son and The Holy Spirit with the Good News of the Gospel, and continue to play a part in the decision making process which will include issues of the education of the adults of the future are receiving now, then we are leaving the door wide open for other people to barge in and stand in their spot.

These other people have very different ideologies and aims.

The quote from Edmund Burke should be on all of our fridges, mirrors and dashboards. "The only thing needed for the triumph of evil is that good men and women do nothing."

Now read on!!

In this posting I would like in His name to just encourage us all for the year ahead. One of the traditions in my home is to watch "The Christmas Carol, Scrooge" on Christmas Eve. It has to be the black and white 1951 version with Alistair Sim and Kathleen Harrison. This year was no different, however once Jose and I watched it and enjoyed it all over again we thought how nice it would be to also watch "Its a Wonderful Life with James Stewart.

The problem however was that we did not have a copy of that film. I have sky TV and over 600 channels and nowhere could I find this Christmas favorite showing anywhere. But our prayers were answered once going to our friends Dave and Elaine Camp on Boxing Day. Lainey had a copy of the film.

Jose and I spent Sunday watching "feel good films", "Groundhog Day" and "Its a Wonderful Life".

"Its a Wonderful Life" is a film where the main character "George Baily" gets to see what his town would be like if he was not around. Two main thoughts came to my mind. I ask you to indulge me for a moment as I think out loud.

The Angel "Clarence" who appears to George in an hour of desperation gives George his wish when he states "Perhaps it would have been better if I had never been born" and from that moment it is as if George had not been born. He goes back to his town via the cemetery where he visits his brothers grave, George dived into a frozen lake when his brother fell through the ice and saved him, only now the grave records that Harry died, who in real life became a war hero fighter pilot and saved many lives when he protected a battle ship from the Japanese airplanes. So you can start to see that George being around to save his brother had knock on effects which gave his life worth and meaning.

Clarence, took George into the town "Bedford Falls" except it is now called Pottersville, named after the local money grabbing, selfish wicked businessman. The town was a wicked town, bordellos and bars up and down its main street. The streets were rough and troublesome.

Clarence showed George that his life made a difference, that his integrity and example touched many lives, and he did not know it. His very presence, his work, his way, his character kept a town on the straight and narrow, and he was loved.

At one point in the film the evil Potter offered George $20,000 to come and work for him, he offered George all that money could buy if he would only come and work for him. George wavered a bit then recognised that Potter just wanted to be able to reach all the people who banked with Georg's small "Property and Loan" company. But George resisted and it reminded me of Jesus in the wilderness being offered so much by the devil, and resisting.

Also I thought about the angel who came to strengthen Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. Then I wondered what my world would be like if there was never ever a Jesus. What would life be like if an Angel came to me and showed me a world without Jesus, without the promise, without Hope, without His teaching, His lifestyle, His example. I believe He has touched more lives than I realise, I believe He, unknowingly to me, means more to those who we might call non-Christians than I realise.

Have you ever thought what it might be like to live this life without Jesus. What would our world look like. I believe you could allow your mind to go over the top on this. You for example might have to be a bit harder in attitude, a bit selfish in being all about you and yours, what if history turned out different.

Now come closer to home. What if you were not here. What if the church was not here. Lets take a look at what our borough would be like if The Church of Jesus Christ was not here. What if there were no Street Pastors, no CRIBS, no town centre chaplaincy, no prayer, no christian willing to put their own needs aside just so as to make a difference, no christian influence anywhere at any time, what kind of borough would we be. What kind of children would we be growing, what kind of people would we all be. Its a thought isn't it? What would it be like if there was no Transform Bexley Borough working hard to coordinate, network, bringing people of the same visions together, what If....???

But we are here, and we are here because Jesus was here. Jesus made a difference to History, he made a difference to us and so we can make difference here in this place in this time.

I believe 2010 is going to be a magnificent year for the Church in this borough. I believe the relevance of the Christian Faith will build and build to a point that those who own that vision will also see a church which is being revived. History has shown that a revived church also becomes robust in its confidence and its outreach.

Know that we have always made a difference by our presence, know that the church has always played a part in its community, believe that we can play an even bigger part if we recognise the great vaults of opportunity which God is giving us, His church, here in this place, at this time.

What about playing this hand one more time, wind the time machine forward to a time when none of us are here on this side of life. A time where we could look back and see how things turned out, with and without our presence, how does it look? Does it look better without our presence, or with? Has faith, manifesting itself in social action, made any difference, does the Love of Jesus Christ make a difference when shown by all Christians working together have any effect, does a church with one vision change anything. I believe we all know the answers to all of the above. So all we have to do now is come back from the future and commit ourselves to His work here at this time. Together we can make a difference.

Bless you all, and please pray for 2010.

Martin.

2009-12-15T09:51:00.018Z

Jose and I would like to
wish all of you a very blessed Christmas. If your family is close or far away we pray that the Love of Jesus Christ blesses you all, not only at this time but all the days of your lives.

Relevant, Revived, Robust

Welcome again to my blog site. My schedule of either visiting or preaching at churches around our borough is going very well. This strategy is to have an opportunity of meeting other Christians and sharing the vision of TRANSFORM BEXLEY BOROUGH. Those of you who wish to follow this new start to my ministry can always catch up with me on this site and view what has happened and what I would like prayer for.It is already Wednesday. I will already have spent my day at the Police Station in my role as Chaplain and had several meetings with key people in our borough.

NEWSFLASHES

Please enjoy the new video clips, scroll down a bit and over on the right.

I was asked to write an update of my ministry in Plain Truth which has been published this week, there are copies at Trinity but you can read it online if you wish, it is in the style of my articles in the past "SEE MORE FROM A CAB" please click the link below to read the piece.http://www.plain-truth.org.uk/current_issue/seymour.html

PLEASE PRAY FOR

The application to the Prevention Of Extreme Violence, Community Cohesion funding stream for CABB will be successful on Thursday 17th Dec.

That the Police carol Concert on the 17th Dec at 7pm at Trinity will be a blessed and joyous occasion and the Police will be encouraged by the attendance of the community in Bexleyheath.

Pastor Kasey of Christ Apostolic Church as he prepares his message on Thursday at The Police carol concert.

That the church will recognise the value it can be through social action in this borough and can see a way forward to become relevant in this age.

Please pray for Kate and Rev Adam Foot at St Johns in Welling as they get back into the swing of things having returned from Sabbatical.

Please pray for the CRIBS team who are taking their Christmas presentation around to the schools at the moment. Please pray for the two teams who are acting out the presentation. Pray for their energy and their health.

Please continue to pray for Chief Inspector Tony Gowen who has taken over Chief Inspector Steve Murrant’s role in charge of Partnerships and me.

Please continue to pray for the Christmas morning service which Julia and I are putting together.

Please pray for our Christmas activities in the borough.

Please continue to pray about our carol singing on the 21st,22nd and the 23rd from Bexley Christian Life centre, Trinity and Christchurch.

Please continue to pray for the way forward for the church to play an active part in Thamesmead especially through Street Pastors.

Please pray for Steve Swan and myself as we now try to go forward with the Transform your Life initiative. WE are looking for a comfortable location, not in a church, for this new venture to meet.

Please pray for the new collective of the leaders of the Mother and Baby/Toddler groups.

For Alexa as she coordinates the first meeting.

Pray that the initiative will be an encouraging prayerful group who will share ideas and ways of being a valued and positive ministry to to mothers and fathers who bring their children along to the groups.

Please continue to pray for the application to the BU for funding for my ministry, we have moved past the recommendation stage. Please pray that in Gods guidance the BU will favour the application and that we will accept graciously the decision that will be made.

Please pray for those who are sending in their names to be Street Pastors in response to my visiting their Churches and banging the gong for Street Pastors and that the encouraging signs at Crayford for the start of Street Pastors.

Please pray for John Baptiste the Senior Coordinator of Street Pastors as these new applications create more work for him as an already busy Church Minister.

Please pray that a new venue can be found for the S.A.F.E project "Turning Point"as we have no longer the use of the ZERO Bar. Please pray that a suitable venue can be found so that this valuable Youth Night Club may continue in its ministry.

Please continue to pray for TBB and for God to find us a management team. We need those with management skills with a legal background and a Treasurer who can serve and not control

Please pray for CRIBS. They have an exciting new “3:16” initiative for 2010/2011. They have been given a double Decker bus. The funding required to bring the bus to a required level of emissions and to kit it out as a traveling Christian teaching space are in excess of £30.000.

Please continue to pray for my future meetings with the Boroughs Ministers and the opportunity to share the vision around the churches, this year is already full and I am starting to fill dates in for 2010, pray that this progress continues.

Please pray for Stella as she will soon start to fill my diary with dates for preaching and meeting with Ministers.

PLEASE GIVE THANKS FOR

The gift of £100 placed through the door of CLC in an envelope marked "car". Jose and I give thanks for this anonymous gift which is obviously to help us with the financial burden of getting our car fixed. We are so grateful and bless you who has done this.

Kate Foot as she returns to the leadership of TBB, and everything else that she does, give thanks for her energy, passion and friendship.

MORE THAN insurance company who have made the insurance claim on our car as easy for us as they can, with hire cars and courtesy cars. As the driver did not stop we still have top pay the excess and all the ex’s. Also give thanks that after some deliberation they have decided to fix our car and we should have it back by the 21st Dec

My time at Spurgeons on Thursday last week. I lectured on Transforming Mission and it seems to have gone well, I enjoyed myself anyway!

Our time at Christ Apostolic Church, the welcome and the love shown to Jose and I was a blessing and we so enjoyed the service. We made some good friends and we look forward to spending time with them again.

The day long event at the Broadway put together under the RUNNING:LATE group.

The Christmas disco for the youth at Northumberland Heath, which was low on numbers but those who attended enjoyed the evening.

Give thanks for the ministers in Churches Together in Bexleyheath. We all had our annual Christmas Lunch on Monday the 14th. We all get along so well that we were possibly the noisiest in the Stables restaurant Danson Park. It is a joy to be with them and we should give thanks for the friendship and the humour which is always so evident when we are together. Rev John Cooke, Rev Francis Jakeman, Rev Jim Charles, Pastor John Radcliffe, Pastor John Baptiste, Rev Terry Griffith and yours truly, please give thanks for their relationship with one another.

For the team at RUNNING:LATE who all get along so well and for our Christmas meal together last week, it was a hoot and a joy to be with them all.

For CI Tony Gowen who I have now met and had my first briefing session with him. Tony has taken over from Steve Murrant and will be with me as we steer CABB to completion. He has now had CABB explained and we will meet again on the 21st to discuss a way forward if we get the funding.

Give thanks for the new people that new joint initiatives put us in touch with.

Give thanks that joint ventures with those outside the church give us opportunities to witness through who we are and how we behave, the boundaries we will not cross and the areas of discussion we will not enter into. The grace that we afford those who are hard to work with and the desire to build bridges with those who have been left behind through a falling out. I give thanks for new friends in Northumberland Heath and the forging of new relationships.

Give thanks for Nigel Cross at Northumberland heath and his hard work and that God will touch him through his work and our witness to him.

THE "IN DEPTH" BIT

Jose and I had a great morning at Christ Apostolic Church. We were welcomed with Tea, croissants, grapes and the love and fellowship of a godly community. After our refreshments we joined the service which was already in full flow with a pre-service bible study. As church members arrived the worship just seemed to flow from the study into very active worship with no words being shown anywhere as the songs all seemed to be known.

A young man, maybe in his teens, took the mike and just led the worship led and inspired obviously by the spirit, we just had to keep up, he was backed by a full lady choir of about 12 members. The worship lasted for about 45minutes and was greatly uplifting and inspiring. If you know what I mean by this statement, Margaret at CAC, who is waiting to take up her position as School Pastor, led a song from the seats and as she sang the first line, I could have been in Africa her voice and phrasing was so evocative, it was just so culturally African, it had the tingle factor, it was a privilege to be with them all on Sunday.

The prayer box positioned in Morrison's which had been removed is now back in place. PTL

The day long event in the Broadway on Saturday the 12th went very well. Matt Carpenter put a great day together and the team on the day worked hard and the witness was good. Ronnie Barham, the minister at Sidcup Baptist Church wowed the crowds with his voice. People, who were passing, stopped and listened and it was a great opportunity to explain who he was and get chatting to people.

CRIBS performed their Christmas presentation. There were interviews and Coffee and Tea was handed out. Well done troops for Saturday.

Steve Swan and I would be grateful to anyone who can identify for us a venue which might lend itself to hosting the “Transform Your Life@ Alpha” initiative. WE would like to host the initiative at a non-church venue. The venue needs to be comfortable and welcoming. We have been helped by Kate Foot who thinks we can get the library. Steve came to me with his vision of a specialized Alpha course (which you can read about in last weeks blog). Pray about this brave pioneering vision. Pray that another way has been found to engage with a section of the community with the Gospel Of Jesus who has the power to Transform their lives. Please pray about a venue which will be user friendly and "off-church".

Jose and I had a great evening on the 12th as we attended an evening to see the CRIBS presentation of the Christmas message which they are taking around the schools. We had a great meal and saw a very good piece of drama acted out by Craig Coston Jason Vaughn and Wendy Harvey. Gordon Raggett explained about the CRIBS “3:16” initiative and the money which needs to be raised please click on line http://cribsonline.org/ this is where you can find out how to support this exciting venture.

Gurjit Sahota, Community Cohesion coordinator, has been so helpful to me in preparing the Project Initiation Document for the presentation to the panel on Thursday. I am a bit anxious about this as I am now needed to be there and be grilled, ever so lightly I hope, about the project.
CARE ABOUT BEXLEY BOROUGH (CABB) and The PID (Project Initiation Document) is now so important. Gurjit Sahota will take care of the administration and I will take care of the project details. There will be difficulties in the question of the Parenting Skills seminar. I am expecting questions to do with the church’s policy on same sex parents who are in an alternative lifestyle commitment. I believe I can deal with this question but please pray for me in my attitude and how I move the panel to a position of a workable understanding of a way forward in this issue.

It would be great to announce the project at the Police carol Service. Pray that Police/Church/ Council alliance will continue to show that the church cares, is active in social care and is relevant, to become revived, to become robust. The churches 3 R's learn them, pray about them Relevant Revived Robust, it is the vision for Bexley Churches.

PLEASE KEEP IN YOUR PRAYERS

TBB needs management skills. Terry Griffith and Frank Payne along with Brian Weller and John Baptiste have stepped in to the gap to sort out my financial support stream. Frank John Baptiste and Terry oversee me as my accountability group (AG). It has been made clear to me by my AG that for TBB to become a viable and professional ministry, moving on to become a registered charity, we are going to need some management skills.
Pleased pray for the right people to capture the vision and be a part of TBB. We already have a TBB executive who are activists, doers of good works, but they do not need the added burden of managing the admin side.The issues that go along with having me as the employee of TBB and all that goes with that, of which Brian Weller is handling in the "stop gap." We need a treasurer, as Frank puts it, "Who is there to serve and not control" So please pray about this issue, that God will raise up the right people to do the right jobs at the right time.
Blessings to you all

Martin Seymour

2009-12-09T09:17:00.003Z

Relevant, Revived, Robust
Welcome again to my blog site. My schedule of either visiting or preaching at churches around our borough is going very well. This strategy is to have an opportunity of meeting other Christians and sharing the vision of TRANSFORM BEXLEY BOROUGH. Those of you who wish to follow this new start to my ministry can always catch up with me on this site and view what has happened and what I would like prayer for.It is already Wednesday. I will already have spent my day at the Police Station in my role as Chaplain and had several meetings with key people in our borough.

NEWSFLASHES :
I was asked to write an update of my ministry in Plain Truth which has been published this week, there are copies at Trinity but you can read it online if you wish, it is in the style of my articles in the past "SEE MORE FROM A CAB" please click the link below to read the piece.http://www.plain-truth.org.uk/current_issue/seymour.html

PLEASE PRAY FOR:

That the church will recognise the value it can be through social action in this borough and can see a way forward to become relevant in this age.
Please pray for the driver of the vehicle which smashed into the rear of our car on Friday night. Please pray forgiveness on the driver as they did not stop and so this is all added expense for Jose and I just before Christmas. Please pray the driver is OK. Please pray for Jose and I as we try to get this all sorted out.
Please pray that our car will be fixed and not written off.
Please pray for Jose and I as we attend Christ Apostolic Church in Welling this Sunday the 13th at 1pm as we share the TBB vision.
Please pray for me as I lecture at Spurgeons on Thursday 10th at 08.30-10-30
Please pray for Chief Inspector Tony Gowen who has taken over Chief Inspector Steve Murrants role in charge of Partnerships and me.
Please pray for the Christmas morning service which Julia and I are putting together.
Please pray for our Christmas activities in the borough.
Pray for the day long event in the Broadway this coming Saturday the 12th. RUNNING:LATE are running the event of music, drama, interviews all to create a Christmas atmos and publicize ALPHA, the Christmas Services in our Churches and much much more.
Please pray about our carol singing on the 21st,22nd and the 23rd from Bexley Christian Life centre, Trinity and Christchurch.
Please pray for the way forward for the church to play an active part in Thamesmead especially through Street Pastors.
Please pray for Steve Swan and myself as we now try to go forward with the Transform your Life initiative. WE are looking for a comfortable location, not in a church, for this new venture to meet.
Please pray for the new collective of the leaders of the Mother and Baby/Toddler groups. For Alexa as she coordinates the first meeting.
Pray that the initiative will be an encouraging prayerful group who will share ideas and ways of being a valued and positive ministry to to mothers and fathers who bring their children along to the groups.
Please pray that the Prayer Box in Morrison's Erith will be allowed to stay in its present position and in its present format. (See Below “In Depth Bit”) At the moment it has been removed because of 5 complaints, in nine years.
Please pray for the application to the BU for funding for my ministry, we have moved past the recommendation stage. Please pray that in Gods guidance the BU will favour the application and that we will accept graciously the decision that will be made.
Please continue to pray that the encouraging signs at Crayford for the start of Street Pastors.
Please pray for the future of the Christmas Party for our youth which is being handled by James Heath and will happen at Northumberland Heath Baptist Church on 12th Dec
Please pray that a new venue can be found for the S.A.F.E project "Turning Point"as we have no longer the use of the ZERO Bar. Please pray that a suitable venue can be found so that this valuable Youth Night Club may continue in its ministry.
Please pray that the bid for CABB is successful on the 17th December. As Citizens Advice Bureau have claimed C.A.B we are now using the working title of CABB Care About Bexley Borough. It is even now more important following the obvious gaps shown up in the public enquiry that the enthusiasm which my new C.A.B.B project has been received well and will continue to be supported by both Police and BCSP.
Please continue to pray for TBB and for God to find us a management team. We need those with management skills with a legal background and a Treasurer who can serve and not control
Please pray for CRIBS. They have an exciting new “3:16” initiative for 2010/2011. They have been given a double Decker bus. The funding required to bring the bus to a required level of emissions and to kit it out as a traveling Christian teaching space are in excess of £30.000.
Please continue to pray for my future meetings with the Boroughs Ministers and the opportunity to share the vision around the churches, this year is already full and I am starting to fill dates in for 2010, pray that this progress continues.
Please pray for Stella as she will soon start to fill my diary with dates for preaching and meeting with Ministers.
On a personal note please pray for our daughter and her husband as they work through negotiations to sell their home and buy a new larger one in these difficult times, we ask for prayers of protection for them both and an ease of transition.

PLEASE GIVE THANKS FOR;

The life of Bryant Clarke and his thanksgiving service on Friday, for the witness of his family and for the inspiration that Bryant and Winn have been to all of us at Trinity

MORE THAN insurance company who have made the insurance claim on our car as easy for us as they can, with hire cars and courtesy cars. As the driver did not stop we still have top pay the excess and all the ex’s.

For Keith Sydee who came and took a look at our car and reassured us that it may not be written off.

For CI Tony Gowen who I have now met and had my first briefing session with him. Tony has taken over from Steve Murrant and will be with me as we steer CABB to completion. He has now had CABB explained and we will meet again on the 21st to discuss a way forward if we get the funding.

For Julia Beaumont and her passion for prayer and all that she does at Trinity.

Give thanks for Pastor Casey at Christ Apostolic Church, Welling. For his support of TBB and his grace. For his willingness to come along and be our speaker at the Police carol Concert on 17th December.

That "Care About Bexley Borough"(CABB). The church joining with the Police and the BCSP in being active together to meet four points of need, watch this space. Give thanks that a recent meeting with Kevin Taylor, Head of BCSP went so well that we are now preparing the final bid for consideration on the 17th Dec.

Give thanks for the new people that new joint initiatives put us in touch with. Give thanks that joint ventures with those outside the church give us opportunities to witness through who we are and how we behave, the boundaries we will not cross and the areas of discussion we will not enter into. The grace that we afford those who are hard to work with and the desire to build bridges with those who have been left behind through a falling out. I give thanks for new friends in Northumberland Heath and the forging of new relationships.

Please pray for Nigel and Trevor, God knows them and has his hand upon them. Through this venture I have been invited to be a part of the Local Community Forum, another opportunity for Jesus to be a part of any planning agenda.

THE "IN DEPTH" BIT

Jose and I had a great morning at Bexley Christian Life centre. John Baptiste, his family and the members at BCLC all made Jose and I very welcome. The worship at the beginning of the service lasted for about 50 minutes and was fantastic. There is someone at the rear of the church who has the voice of an excited angel and to listen to her was a blessing.
When I came home late on Friday night from driving the cab I noticed our car askew in the road and partially in a disabled bay. It crossed my mind that Jose may have not applied the handbrake. On checking, it was clear our car had been hit with some force and was not drivable.
The prayer box positioned in Morrison's has been removed by the manager. The prayer box in Erith was an international initiative promoting prayer boxes being placed in shops around the world, and many were placed in supermarkets, shops and schools around the UK.On 1st July 2000 the prayer box was officially installed by the Mayor of Bexley John Wilkerson. Also present was the then manager Gary Hodnett, and Church leaders and congregations, Nigel Beard and other councillors and dignitaries. The Mayor gave a speech and the then Minister of Queen Street Baptist Church, Colin Davey gave the prayer. The Mayor then put the first prayer request in the box.The box itself was sent from Canada to us; if you have not seen it, then that’s because it is an unobtrusive yet attractive box which has served the community very well providing a service which brings comfort and help to all; both Christian, other faiths and none. People have the option of requesting further help if they wish.The present position is that the manager will re-install a smaller box, out of the way, but we have been told that the Manager withdrew the original because he had received a few complaints from the public over a three month period which led him to remove it. In nine years of service we know of no other complaints.I know some people have enquired in Morrison’s as to where it has gone and voiced their disappointment; I trust it helped to encourage him to reconsider. Please pray that the status quo is effected as those who use the prayer box have got used to where it has always been situated.
Steve Swan and I would be grateful to anyone who can identify for us a venue which might lend itself to hosting the “Transform Your Life@ Alpha” initiative. WE would like to host the initiative at a non-church venue. The venue needs to be comfortable and welcoming. Steve came to me with his vision of a specialized Alpha course (which you can read about in last weeks blog). Pray about this brave pioneering vision. Pray that another way has been found to engage with a section of the community with the Gospel Of Jesus who has the power to Transform their lives. Please pray about a venue which will be user friendly and "off-church"
Read in last weeks blog about the CRIBS “3:16) initiative and the money which needs to be raised please click on line http://cribsonline.org/ this is where you can find out how to support this exciting venture.
The early plans are now in motion for the Police Community Carol Concert on the 17th December at Trinity. Pastor Casey from Christ Apostolic Church will be our main speaker for the evening. Steve Webster will give the prayer of thanks for our Police. We will be joined by the Christ Apostolic Youth Choir and Ron Jones will lead on the organ.
The urgency now to move things forward with regard to CARE ABOUT BEXLEY BOROUGH (CABB) and The PID (Project Initiation Document) is now so important. Gurjit Sahota is busy writing the in depth PID. It would be great to announce the project at the Police carol Service.Pray that Police/Church/ Council alliance will continue to show that the church cares, is active in social care and is relevant, to become revived, to become robust.The churches 3 R's learn them, pray about them Relevant Revived Robust, it is the vision for Bexley Churches.

PLEASE KEEP IN YOUR PRAYERS

TBB needs management skills. Terry Griffith and Frank Payne along with Brian Weller and John Baptiste have stepped in to the gap to sort out my financial support stream Frank John Baptiste and Terry oversee me as my accountability group (AG).It has been made clear to me by my AG that for TBB to become a viable and professional ministry, moving on to become a registered charity, we are going to need some management skills. Pleased pray for the right people to capture the vision and be a part of TBB. We already have a TBB executive who are activists, doers of good works, but they do not need the added burden of managing the admin side.The issues that go along with having me as the employee of TBB and all that goes with that, of which Brian Weller is handling in the "stop gap." We need a treasurer, as Frank puts it, "Who is there to serve and not control" So please pray about this issue, that God will raise up the right people to do the right jobs at the right time.

Blessings to you all

2009-12-02T11:47:00.005Z

RELEVANT,REVIVED,ROBUST

Welcome again to my blog site. My schedule of either visiting or preaching at churches around our borough is going very well. This strategy is to have an opportunity of meeting other Christians and sharing the vision of TRANSFORM BEXLEY BOROUGH. Those of you who wish to follow this new start to my ministry can always catch up with me on this site and view what has happened and what I would like prayer for.

It is already Wednesday. I will already have spent my day at the Police Station in my role as Chaplain and had several meetings with key people in our borough.

NEWSFLASHES :
I was asked to write an update of my ministry in Plain Truth which has been published this week, there are copies at Trinity but you can read it online if you wish, it is in the style of my articles in the past "SEE MORE FROM A CAB" please click the link below to read the piece.http://www.plain-truth.org.uk/current_issue/seymour.html

PLEASE PRAY FOR:
That the church will recognise the value it can be through social action in this borough and can see a way forward to become relevant in this age.

Please pray for Jose and I as we attend Bexley Christian Life centre this Sunday the 6th to share the TBB vision.
Please pray for the way forward for the church to play an active part in Thamesmead especially through Street Pastors.
Please pray for Steve Swan and myself as we now try to go forward with the Transform your Life initiative after our meeting with with Alpha.org.
Please pray for the new collective of the leaders of the Mother and Baby/Toddler groups.
Pray that the initiative will be an encouraging prayerful group who will share ideas and ways of being a valued and positive ministry to to mothers and fathers who bring their children along to the groups.
Please pray that the Prayer Box in Morrison's Erith will be allowed to stay in its present position and in its present format. (See Below “In Depth Bit”) At the moment it has been removed because of 5 complaints, in nine years.
Please pray for the application to the BU for funding for my ministry. Please pray that in Gods guidance the BU will favour the application and that we will accept graciously the decision that will be made.
Please continue to pray that the encouraging signs at Crayford for the start of Street Pastors.
Please pray for the future of the Christmas Party for our youth which is being handled by James Heath and will happen at Northumberland Heath Baptist Church on 12th Dec
Please pray that a new venue can be found for the S.A.F.E project "Turning Point"as we have no longer the use of the ZERO Bar. Please pray that a suitable venue can be found so that this valuable Youth Night Club may continue in its ministry.
Please pray that the bid for CABB is successful on the 17th December. As Citizens Advice Bureau have claimed C.A.B we are now using the working title of CABB Care About Bexley Borough. It is even now more important following the obvious gaps shown up in the public enquiry that the enthusiasm which my new C.A.B.B project has been received well and will continue to be supported by both Police and BCSP.
Please continue to pray for TBB and for God to find us a management team. We need those with management skills with a legal background and a Treasurer who can serve and not control
Please pray for CRIBS. They have an exciting new “3:16” initiative for 2010/2011. They have been given a double Decker bus. The funding required to bring the bus to a required level of emissions and to kit it out as a traveling Christian teaching space are in excess of £30.000.
Please continue to pray for my future meetings with the Boroughs Ministers and the opportunity to share the vision around the churches, this year is already full and I am starting to fill dates in for 2010, pray that this progress continues.
Please pray for Stella as she will soon start to fill my diary with dates for preaching and meeting with Ministers.
On a personal note please pray for our daughter and her husband as they work through negotiations to sell their home and buy a new larger one in these difficult times, we ask for prayers of protection for them both and an ease of transition.

PLEASE GIVE THANKS FOR

Please join with Jose and I in prayers of thanksgiving for the great news that our daughter is expecting our third grandchild in June2010.

Please give thanks for Mick and Wendy Harvey. Give thanks for their Love of Jesus and their servant heart and their work and witness in Northumberland heath.
The new working relationship and partnership in Northumberland Heath. The turning on of the lights in Northumberland heath was a great event. With over 250 people attending. The carols were well sung, the children had balloons which read “Happy Birthday Jesus”. There was mulled wine, mince pies, boxes of Dates and a great atmosphere. Members of the Safer Neighbourhood Team were introduced individually. Borough Commander Tony Dawson was on form and performed his duties well. Pleas read the “In depth bit” to hear how a life was saved.
For Borough Commander Tony Dawson who is such an encouragement. For CI Tony Gowan who will take over from Steve Murrant and will be with me as we steer CABB to completion
For Steve Swan and his innovative thoughts with regard to a new way of doing Alpha and for HTB who are so keen for us to get on with “Transform your Life”
Give thanks for Pastor Casey at Christ Apostolic Church, Welling. For his support of TBB and his grace. For his willingness to come along and be our speaker at the Police carol Concert on 17th December.
That "Care About Bexley Borough"(CABB). The church joining with the Police and the BCSP in being active together to meet four points of need, watch this space. Give thanks that a recent meeting with Kevin Taylor, Head of BCSP went so well that we are now preparing the final bid for consideration on the 17th Dec.
Give thanks for the new people that new joint initiatives put us in touch with. Give thanks that joint ventures with those outside the church give us opportunities to witness through who we are and how we behave, the boundaries we will not cross and the areas of discussion we will not enter into. The grace that we afford those who are hard to work with and the desire to build bridges with those who have been left behind through a falling out. I give thanks for new friends in Northumberland Heath and the forging of new relationships. Please pray for Nigel and Trevor, God knows them and has his hand upon them. Through this venture I have been invited to be a part of the Local Community Forum, another opportunity for Jesus to be a part of any planning agenda.

THE "IN DEPTH" BIT
Even though the "Turning on of The Lights" at Northumberand heath was a bit of a logistics nightmare the event was a triumph of what can happen when the church joins with others. The blessing of being in a community cohesion project which comes together and is a great event cannot be measured.
Let me tell you about a lady who came upon the event by accident and who’s life was saved.
Ms “X” always has a Chinese meal delivered to her home on a Friday, however her phone was out of credit and so walked up to get her take away Chinese meal. She came across the turning on of the lights event. She got chatting with some of the Christians. The last one she spoke to was Wendy Harvey whom she shared the news that she was planning to end her life that night. After a final Chinese meal she would take pills and end it all, but because of the love shown to her and the feeling of togetherness she felt a glimmer of hope was enough to put off her plans. Refusing offers to walk her home she gave her address and Mick and Wendy called around to see if she was OK. She has since made her own contact and will attend Mick and Wendy’s home church “Lighthouse” this coming Sunday
If the whole evening was just for her, I believe it was worth it, but the added bonus is that everyone is now talking of doing more together and the Church in Northumberland heath is now engaged and buzzing.
The prayer box positioned in Morrison's has been removed by the manager. The prayer box in Erith was an international initiative promoting prayer boxes being placed in shops around the world, and many were placed in supermarkets, shops and schools around the UK.

On 1st July 2000 the prayer box was officially installed by the Mayor of Bexley John Wilkerson. Also present was the then manager Gary Hodnett, and Church leaders and congregations, Nigel Beard and other councillors and dignitaries. The Mayor gave a speech and the then Minister of Queen Street Baptist Church, Colin Davey gave the prayer. The Mayor then put the first prayer request in the box.

The box itself was sent from Canada to us; if you have not seen it, then that’s because it is an unobtrusive yet attractive box which has served the community very well providing a service which brings comfort and help to all; both Christian, other faiths and none. People have the option of requesting further help if they wish.

The present position is that the manager will re-install a smaller box, out of the way, but we have been told that the Manager withdrew the original because he had received a few complaints from the public over a three month period which led him to remove it. In nine years of service we know of no other complaints.
I know some people have enquired in Morrison’s as to where it has gone and voiced their disappointment; I trust it helped to encourage him to reconsider. Please pray that the status quo is effected as those who use the prayer box have got used to where it has always been situated.

The meeting at Alpha.org was very encouraging. Alpha themselves now do a “Recovery Alpha” This is based very much on the 12 steps of the Alcoholics Anonymous system of recovery. However rather than those who are taking part deciding who their God might be, the God of the bible is very much introduced as that higher power who those who are taking part look to for the strength to survive the addiction. The HTB Recovery plan is also for all addictions whatever it might be. Therefore to hear of a program of “Transform your Life”, engaging with those who have not yet decided that the higher power is the God of the bible and encourages them to look towards this “unknown to them” God, matches in with present plans. So the plan is not only is “Transform your Life” be for those who are with AA, but maybe those who are the families of Alcoholics, or of Drug Users. "Transform Your Life at Alpha" will be a borough wide facilitated by TBB initiative for those who are broken by whatever 21st century life has done to them. It will be an oasis of hope where lives can be turned around and transformed by an understanding of new beginnings. But it will not be held in a Church and those who find Jesus will be introduced to a church local to them. We learnt much about how that could happen as the same problem exists with “Workplace Alpha” and “Prison Alpha”. However we are better placed to follow up anyone who comes to faith. With my knowledge of many of this borough’s churches we will be in a good position to identify a church who might be suitable to the new believers character and needs as a start point. This is the vision of Steve Swan of St Johns in Welling. Steve came to me with his vision and we fleshed it out a little bit are now confident of a way forward. Pray about this brave pioneering vision. Pray that another way has been found to engage with a section of the community with the Gospel Of Jesus who has the power to Transform their lives. Please pray about a venue which will be user friendly and "off-church"

A poorly attended cocktails evening for CRIBS at Crockenhill happened on Monday the 23rd of November. I personally counted 3 people present outside of those associated with CRIBS which I feel is a shame with regard to all that CRIBS do in the borough. Those who were not there missed out on the vision of CRIBS for 2010/2011. Gordon Raggett gave a presentation which looks at an initiative with a working title of “3:16” pulling on John 3:16 and 2 Timothy 3:16 with the vision of putting a bible into all of the hands of the boroughs primary school children on the 400th anniversary of the first translation of the bible into English. They wanted a space to call their own which they could take into all the schools. You may remember the prayer tent which was very labour intensive. So a bus was decided on and letters of enquiry went out. Praise God a reply came back from Scotland and CRIBS have been GIVEN a double Decker bus! The irony is that the bus on offer started life as the no 51 in Sidcup. “She’s coming home, She’s coming home, The Bus is coming home”. However they need a lot of money to support this vision. Money for the engine, money for the refurbishment needs to be raised please click on line http://cribsonline.org/ this is where you can find out how to support this exciting venture.

The early plans are now in motion for the Police Community Carol Concert on the 17th December at Trinity. Pastor Casey from Christ Apostolic Church will be our main speaker for the evening. Steve Webster will give the prayer of thanks for our Police. We will be joined by the Christ Apostolic Youth Choir and Ron Jones will lead on the organ.

The urgency now to move things forward with regard to CARE ABOUT BEXLEY BOROUGH (CABB) and The PID (Project Initiation Document) is now so important. I met with Gurjit Sahota today, Wednesday 2nd Dec at 2pm and he is busy writing the in depth PID. It would be great to announce the project at the Police carol Service.
Pray that Police/Church/ Council alliance will continue to show that the church cares, is active in social care and is relevant, to become revived, to become robust.
The churches 3 R's learn them, pray about them Relevant Revived Robust, it is the vision for Bexley Churches.
PLEASE KEEP IN YOUR PRAYERS
TBB needs management skills. Terry Griffith and Frank Payne along with Brian Weller and John Baptiste have stepped in to the gap to sort out my financial support stream Frank John Baptiste and Terry oversee me as my accountability group (AG).
It has been made clear to me by my AG that for TBB to become a viable and professional ministry, moving on to become a registered charity, we are going to need some management skills. Pleased pray for the right people to capture the vision and be a part of TBB. We already have a TBB executive who are activists, doers of good works, but they do not need the added burden of managing the admin side.
The issues that go along with having me as the employee of TBB and all that goes with that, of which Brian Weller is handling in the "stop gap." We need a treasurer, as Frank puts it, "Who is there to serve and not control" So please pray about this issue, that God will raise up the right people to do the right jobs at the right time.
Blessings to you all
Martin

2009-11-25T17:16:00.010Z

DUE TO PRESSURE OF WORK THIS WEEK, I HAVE NOT YET BEEN ABLE TO UPDATE MY BLOG. PLEASE COME BACK ON FRIDAY FOR ALL MY UP-TO-DATE NEWS.

THANKS.

Blessings

MARTIN