Grace Extends in Bexleyheath
The revitalisation work at Bexleyheath recently passed the two-year mark. Read this update from Chola Mukanga – Bexleyheath pastor and Grace Baptist Partnership treasurer – about how grace is extending in Bexleyheath.
It is now 29 months since we started the revitalisation of Grace Baptist Church Bexleyheath. Our goal is to become a healthy church with members who love Jesus above all else, live as God’s true family and actively share Jesus with the lost around us. We are thankful to God that so far we have been able to see five people follow the Lord in baptism. We have also been pleased to add baptised believers directly to our membership who love Jesus, are hungry for His Word and keen to serve. This is priceless encouragement in the work of revitalisation.
The church is growing in appreciating prayer and the importance of sitting under expository preaching. We also continue to see growing evidence of caring for one another. It has been particularly encouraging to see the church practice discipline and restore those who fall. It was frustrating to have to practice corrective church discipline so early in the revitalisation work but the Lord has used it to strengthen us together. We continue to see our mums and tots grow. We are also now undertaking open-air preaching in Bexleyheath Broadway alongside likeminded churches. Please pray for fruit from both works.
These encouragements are against a backdrop of difficult challenges. Over the period we have lost three individuals who we had baptised but sadly refused to commit to the life of the church afterwards. The church has also seen a number of people visit for a period and then never see them again. This can sometimes be discouraging but we are learning that Lord builds His church in His own way and with His own people.
Our greatest need at the moment is to work towards strengthening the leadership. We only have one elder and one deacon. Please pray that the Lord would build the men among us to enable us in the future to strengthen the leadership. Right opposite the church there is a new development being built that will deliver around 518 homes (to be completed in 2020/21). This is the Lord bringing people right to our door step and will be a huge opportunity for the gospel. Please pray that we would be well positioned to reach more people for Jesus as a healthy Christ-centred church.
“For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.” 2 Corinthians 4:15