Day 21 – 29 Days of Prayer and Giving – Walthamstow, Waltham Forest
Dear Partner in the Gospel
Today is day 21 of our 29 Days of Prayer and Giving for Grace Baptist Partnership. Each day we will focus our attention on a particular church planting, church replanting or church revitalisation project in which we have an interest. We trust you will remember these situations in prayer and that you will take advantage of the opportunity to support the spread of the gospel by means of a donation to Grace Baptist Partnership this month. It will also help us if you will share these requests with your friends by forwarding these emails to them.
25 February 2016
Walthamstow, Waltham Forest
London’s oldest Baptist church closed in late 2014. The closure of the church once served by luminaries such as William Kiffin, Abraham Booth and Ernest Kevan deeply saddened many people. The closure of the historic church, however, was more than a blow to ‘denominational’ hubris. It was a dent to efforts to evangelise one of London’s most diverse and rapidly growing towns.
Over the past year, a ‘coalition of the willing’ has been forming which aims not only to replant the church in Walthamstow but to see it – Lord willing – become a hub for evangelistic endeavour which will in turn strengthen other churches in Waltham Forest as well. Though Grace Baptist Partnership has been asked to lead the effort, we are not alone. Local churches in the East District of the Association of Grace Baptist Churches (South East), Home Mission and Grace Baptist Mission all have a role to play.
Since last autumn, a team of evangelists supported by Grace Baptist Partnership have been involved in weekly evangelism in the area. Daniel Shwe (North Watford) was there weekly for three months. Regan King (Angel) and Sonny Simak (Southall) have continued evangelising the area since – Regan serving two days a week and Sonny assisting one day a week. They venture into Chingford to support Bernard Roberts a couple of times a month as well.
The evangelists have gone door to door in the neighbourhood as well as being actively engaged in street evangelism in the nearby town centre. A Bible study has been set up in a local Costa Coffee Shop and a small core of people have begun meeting there on a more or less regular basis to study the Scriptures. It is hoped that a Sunday afternoon meeting can begin this spring.
Several men have been considered as possible leaders for the developing project. However, an appointment has not yet been made. There is a brother that with the consent of his local church elders we would like to discuss the role with more formally. We do value prayers for this very important matter.
Additionally, would you pray for Regan King and Sonny Simak as they continue evangelising the local area? Would you pray for those with whom they have had gospel conversations over the past few months? Would you pray for the people meeting with them each week for Bible study? Would you pray that a Sunday afternoon meeting will be able to be launched this spring?
There is work to be done in the building as well. Would you pray that this can be completed in a timely and cost-effective manner? Would you pray for a suitable alternative meeting place should the building not be ready in time for the commencement of Sunday meetings?
Has a likeminded church closed in your area? Rather than simply accepting that fact, why not cooperate with other churches in your region to seek to evangelise the area and replant a local church? If you think we could be of assistance to you in this process, feel free to get in touch.
http://www.gracebaptistpartnership.org.uk/about-gbp/donate/
Warm regards in Christ
Barry King
General Secretary
Grace Baptist Partnership