thank you

Below is a report we were asked to write for Romford baptist church's annual meeting, but we think it applies to all those who love and support us.

Report from Church Planting team on Harold Hill

Once again thank you so much for your faith in keeping the buildings on Harold Hill available for the people of Harold Hill and the mission of God on Harold Hill.

Over the last six months we have much to be thankful to God for. Here are three things that we hope will encourage you.

Community impact

A large amount of our time has been spent getting to know local people and local organisations. This is now starting to show fruit, people ring us, recommend us and suggest us to others in the community. (This we I have a house exorcism to do at the request of someone in the local authority!!)Now being liked isn’t everything and sometimes being a follow of Jesus means being unpopular, but I think people like us because of what they see us doing, loving and caring for those others don’t want to invest in.

Starting to be congregational

We now have a monthly time set aside in our groups to spend time talking about what people feel we should be doing and how they feel things are going. We point out that as Christians we believe that Jesus is the unseen person helping us in our conversation. Our hope is that this models an approach that allows all to come and have a voice, to be heard and to try to hear what others are saying. This is not a church meeting, but hopefully it is laying the foundations of a congregational community.

Sharing communion

Each week after our community meal, we share communion. Why? Because it helps us to tell the gospel in an accessible, visual and encouraging way. As we have been sharing communion this term we have been weaving the Gospel of Matthew through it. It has been a real time of learning as a team about how to tell the Jesus story. Each week we give people permission not to take it and state that communion is for those trying to follow Jesus. It has created loads of questions and God moments. Our hope is after Easter to do some ‘teaching’ on why we eat so much.

So once again thank you, because of your faith and commitment to Harold Hill and to Jesus, people are trusting the church and seeing value in it. People are having an opportunity to be part of community that believes in God speaking through the collective rather than just the ‘leader’. People who would have never have heard that Jesus Christ died, rose again to forgive sins and give life are hearing week after week after week.

Please ask our gracious Father to continue to lead us and to fill us again with His Holy Spirit as we share the story of his Son.

Thank you.