Today, I am about to return to my home in Auckland, New Zealand, after nearly five weeks of exhilarating ministry in the United Kingdom. The main focus this time has been the New Generation Church, Sidcup, on the South East edge of London, and the Global Generation Church in Ramsgate, on the South coast of Kent. Having been something of a Father to these churches, they graciously invite me back each year to impart more Biblical foundations and to to have quality time with their Leaders. In forty five years of Christian Ministry, I have never been more excited than I am now, witnessing principles that I have taught for so long,being fleshed out by these creative, crazy, committed people. Under the leadership of Paul and Paula Weston at New Gen and Mike and Stella Andrea at Glo Gen, they are pursuing the Gospel of the Kingdom on all fronts. This really sums it all up! So many Christians have a Gospel of the Church. Jesus brought a Gospel of the Kingdom that turned his religious and secular world upside down.
Checkout the church websites to capture the flavour: New Generation and Glo Gen
A focal point each year has been Lark in the Park during the Summer holidays. In Sidcup, this involves a large Tent City in Sidcup Place at the centre of the town. Fifteen hundred people came during each of the 16 days. They encountered everything from the Park Pastors to the Big Top Events. Numerous clubs for all ages, sports events and competitions; a Fathers and Sons event with the latest BMWs and Minis; a huge Family Fun Day. Ladies Night by ticket only is always over-subscribed. The Gospel is at the heart of everything we do. More than 450 helpers were enlisted from a catchment as wide as local Indian Restauranteurs with their cooking demonstrations, to a raft of of volunteers from the huge BMW dealership on the outskirts of the town.
Special Guests on the site are always popular from J.John to the Bishop of Baghdad, Andrew White, and the World Champion Power Lifter, Arthur White. Arthur usually comes for several days with his wife, Jaqui,and the people love them. After Sidcup, the event moves down to Ramsgate.
Our Church in Ramsgate has the greatest engagement with local authorities I have ever witnessed. Entrusted with the training of Young Offenders; administering Pipeline, a comprehensive youth programme; the Pie Factory, reaching young rock musicians in schools who can’t afford lessons, and have often dropped out of conventional education. The list goes on and on.
New Generation, Sidcup, has now been meeting on Sunday evenings in the local Parish Church, St. Johns, and are helping run an Alpha Course there. Sunday mornings are still at the Multiplex Cinema in Bexleyheath. Midway through my visit, Paul Weston arrived with a set of keys for a school they had just been given! This former Prep School will now be our centre of administration while the building is re-vamped, and then it is hoped to open a Government assisted ‘Free School’, deploying a number of our excellent teachers. Close to a permanent Travellers site and a Council Housing Estate, it is an area in need of massive regeneration. Our New Generation Centre is due for a major makeover and will be used for the expansion of the very popular pre-school programme led by Paula Weston.
Global Generation, Ramsgate, is similarly expanding. Over the last three years, I’ve watched them transform an industrial complex near the heart of the city, into a first class centre for all the community. On my recent visit, the commander of the Kent Police came with his senior staff for their quarterly meetings in one of the conference suites. Both of these churches have fully equipped Double Decker Buses, kitted out for young people, and able to respond with a team of trained youth workers to potential trouble spots in the community. Both Mike and Paul have gained the confidence of Civic leaders, and are working in tandem with them on various projects. In Sidcup, our local MP, who is a Junior Government Minister, meets regularly with team members for prayer and encouragement.
Hopefully, this will give you an insight as to how these churches are embodying the message of Jeremiah that I have included elsewhere on this site:
“Seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have called you into exile.Pray to the Lord for it,because if it prospers,you too will prosper.”[Jer. 29 v. 7 ]