Graham Hall

MIssion and the people of God

noreply@blogger.com (Graham) — Tue, 20 Nov 2012 11:23:00 +0000

What a joy it was to have Roger and Georgina (George) Eaton and their daughter Miriam with us in Ashford last Sunday to speak about how the Lille church Plant is progressing. In the afternoon, Roger also spoke at the Tenterden Church Plant so that they could be caught up in apostolic mission together. I am thrilled to hear that churches throughout East Kent within the Newfrontiers family are now inviting Roger to speak about the Lille initiative with a view to showing their commitment to ongoing prayer and support for their anticipated relocation to Lille in early spring of 2013. I have been gripped by Chris Wright’s excellent book ‘The mission of God’s people’. Page after page I have underlined, in my worn copy, such quotes as “It is not so much that God has a mission for His church as that God has a church for its mission” and “The Babel story presents us with a people who seem intent on invading the heavens even when resisting God’s will for them on earth”. Stirring stuff indeed! Reading Chris Wright’s book while attending our Newfrontiers Global conference in Turkey and hearing Bob Roberts Jnr speak about reaching the nations was a like being hit by a spiritual Molotov cocktail! Check out Bob’s Blog on http://www.glocal.net/ My fellow leader Carl Maidment and I have just returned from an excellent conference in London which focused on biblical models for the Holy Spirit’s ministry in the local church. Mike Pilavachi was excellent as the main speaker. I came away with a simple truth – it is rude not to allow The Holy Spirit time to settle on people when receiving from Him. It should set us up nicely for our December meetings – Emmanuel – God with us!

Overwhelmed by the Spirit’s Presence on Bastille Day in Lille City Centre

noreply@blogger.com (Graham) — Thu, 30 Aug 2012 08:48:00 +0000

What a day our prayer team had on our last visit to Lille! A group of us started to pray for the church plant in the city Centre and seconds later, two coaches rolled up and out poured over a hundred African believers from a church in Paris! We introduced ourselves and explained why we were in Lille and asked that they pray for us and the church plant initiative. They then explained that the Holy Spirit had prompted them to come to Lille to pray that the Gospel would impact the city mightily! It was one of the most powerful and wonderful moments of my life - following God as we knelt on the paving being loudly prayed and sung over as we worshipped Jesus together. Only God could have arranged this moment and we were so encouraged that the Lord is going ahead of us in such tangible ways. One person recounted literally feeling the ground shake as we placed hands on the ground. There were a lot of bemused locals looking on trying to work out what was happening – such joy, such unity such mutual honouring between believers from different cultures. Amazing, truly amazing.

Just as prophesied!

noreply@blogger.com (Graham) — Thu, 07 Jun 2012 09:18:00 +0000

Ezra 5:2 “Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Joshua son of Jozadak set to work to rebuild the house of God in Jerusalem. And the prophets of God were with them, supporting them”. I keep saying it, but we could not build without good prophetic input. Our last visit to Lille in preparation for a future church plant was a blast! We ended up prayer walking around the Saint Charles area of the city (an area prophetically highlighted for us before we set out. Afterwards we met up with Eddy Wallez from l'église baptiste de Wattrelos (Roubaix) - part of the Salt and Light European network. We were both humbled and so impressed to hear what God is doing in North part of Lille. It was particularly helpful to also connect with Mike Beaumont who was over from Oxford serving the church Eddy leads. We sensed a real joining of hearts as we discussed how the Holy Spirit was causing leaders from within different apostolic Movements to get connected for mutual support and help – kindred spirits indeed as we talked also about Belgium! Now planning a Reconnaissance trip with Stef Liston, Mike Betts and Maurice Nightingale in September just before the Lille Prayer day on Sept 15th. We are now in our new town centre health and healing centre in Ashford – we are calling it The Hub. Having also relocated our church administration here too will no doubt increase the effectiveness of all things Gateway – momentum increasing. After just two weeks of running ESOL classes, we have had eight new people from other nations coming to learn how to speak English. Can’t wait for the health and healing rooms to be operational. Thank you Lord for prophetic direction….the glass windows look great!! Just as prophesied. Graham

At last!

noreply@blogger.com (Graham) — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 13:12:00 +0000

We now have the signed contracts for our new Healing Centre ‘THE HUB’ in the Park Mall Shopping Centre in the town centre of Ashford. Keith Hazell prophesied that we would have such a resource three years ago (curved glass walls included!), in which we would pray for people who are unwell, provide counselling, physiotherapy-type care and nutritional therapy. Thank you Lord for the gift of Prophets to the churches!

As well as relocating our church administration from the Corn Store in Dover Place, we shall also be running our C.A.P Money Management courses, E.S.O.L and Children’s Play Therapy courses there - exciting times ahead! It should be operational by the end of May.

Serious respect to Jon Budd and The Gateway Media Team for the promotional video for the Lille Church Plant. It is being shown this week at Newfrontiers Mobilise 18-30’s conference. After that, we will get it onto Gateway’s website and also the new Facebook site for the Lille plant headed by Roger Eaton. I still can’t get my head around the fact that there are over 110,000 students in Lille – what a mission field! It was great having Silvain Biville from l’église Ciel Ouvert, Lille preach at Gateway on being a ‘signs and wonders generation’. Silvain is becoming a dear friend and he brought us excellent ministry and it was great fun meeting his
lovely family.

Thanks too for Carl Maidment and the growing team working on our plant out into St. Michaels/ Tenterden. Plans are taking shape for a Father’s day launch on June 17th. From May, those planting out will be meeting in the North School library while the main congregation meets in the Main Hall. It’s going to feel like a church planting nursery on site! Just discovered this quote from Albert Einstein that I think is relevant for church planting;

"Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted."

On a personal note, what a great Paris-Roubaix cycle race. Pain, suffering, and glory for the victor – sounds a great description of what happened 2000 years ago this weekend…. Thank you Jesus for enduring, so much enduring…

Graham

God is faithful to His promises!

noreply@blogger.com (Graham) — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 12:19:00 +0000

Well, it's been a time of huge encouragement following our recent steps of faith.It's wonderful news that Roger and Georgina Eaton and their daughter Miriam from City Church Canterbury have decided to plan and prepare to relocate to Lille.

They have been very involved in the excellent student ministry at City Church, and being fluent french speakers they will be a much needed catalyst for the Lille Church plant. This has proved an answer to prayer as we seek to get rooted in a city of over 110,000 students.

Our next trip to Lille is on the 23rd February and will be to 'shoot' a church planting promo' ready to show at the Newfrontiers Mobilise conference on 10th-13th April in Prestatyn.

On the home front we have been stunned by our people's fantastic response for the special offering so soon after Christmas in order to kit out our new Healing and Wellness Centre. It is so true that people 'give into vision' that flows from prophetic direction. Gateway Church family - you are outrageous! Thank You.

I am currently reading 'God's Stump' by Nigel Measures. It has an unusual title but it addresses a vital issue of building diverse churches across cultural and socio-economic boundaries that are that are firmly rooted in God's grace and joyful acceptance of each another. As we prepare to plant out into the Tenterden/St.Michael's area of the Weald of Kent this summer, this passion to see such an expression of church will be paramount in our prayer and planning.

Please pray that God would grant us success as we seek to follow His leading.

Graham

I have just seen a bit of heaven on earth!

noreply@blogger.com (Graham) — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 18:16:00 +0000

Encounters with God come can come at the least expected moments. To be honest I would not have expected such an encounter at our church’s Christmas Carols event this week. Our evangelist Carl Maidment has over the last months been working with a team of volunteers to pilot ‘English for Speakers of Other Languages’ (ESOL) classes. These course attendees from many nations were invited along to join with us in celebration at the birth of Jesus. Not only that, the bible readings were read out in other languages with the texts projected in English. Then some Nepalese friends were invited to sing a worship song in their native tongue. At that point I was wrecked, inspired, smiling, and quietly crying at the same time as I had a glimpse of heaven with ‘People from every tribe and nation worshipping Jesus’.

It has now burnt something deep into my soul for building a multi-cultural church. So much so I am asking can we build any other kind? Living in Ashford, Kent (The garden of England) we worshipped Jesus with people from the Congo, Nigeria, France, Russia, Poland, Malta, Nepal, Zimbabwe, Italy, Romania and America!

I am now left thinking that any church plant we seek to be involved in whether France, or in the Weald of Kent we should pray and plan for churches to emerge that reflect God’s passion for multi cultural churches. Anything less misses the point of the cross, through which Jesus broke down the dividing walls that separate nationalities paving the way to enjoy the brilliance of this one new Man in Christ – the Church, comprised from people of every nation under heaven – glorious, profoundly glorious.

What a weekend we have just had!

noreply@blogger.com (Graham) — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 22:32:00 +0000

Five people were baptised outdoors in our portable baptistry tub. One of our senior citizens was unable to climb into the baptistry pool, but was so desperate to be baptised that she sat on a chair in a paddling pool, and we poured a bucket of water over her! This showed a remarkable determination to stay true to the biblical mandate to be dunked, and not dribbled!

The day before that, three of us (Roger Eaton, Michael Garcia and myself) visited Lille to discuss our proposed church plant into the city, with one of the key church leaders there. This was Silvain Biville, who with his wife, leads the Ciel Ouvert Eglise. It was a humbling and inspiring time hearing Silvain’s story of sacrifice and passion to see the lost reached for Jesus and people healed by the power of the Holy Spirit. We felt a kindred spirit in so many things. I was delighted that Silvain has accepted an invitation to speak at Gateway Church next year.

It is early days for us in Lille, but we sensed in Silvain a brother we could learn from, and who displayed a generosity of spirit. He has graciously offered to help us in our quest to see the prophetic words fulfilled about church planting, by allowing us to use their church building for prayer when we visit. There is something very special when brothers from different apostolic and prophetic streams connect with each other. We returned to Ashford on the Eurostar (in only 50 minutes) with hearts that were deeply enriched.

Graham

Copenhagen report

noreply@blogger.com (Graham) — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 16:11:00 +0000

What a privilege it was to join with other leaders and wives in Copenhagen, with one of the newly formed apostolic teams in Newfrontiers UK led by Mike Betts. Mike’s apostolic sphere is called Relational Mission. About 150 of us were able to attend and benefit from some excellent ministry by Mike and my old mate Goff Hope of King’s Community Church Norwich.

Evan Rogers led the vibrant worship times, which didn’t mix very well with a near terminal dose of man-flu on my part! I was so looking forward to this conference and felt really rough for the most of it. Mike’s talk entitled ‘Go in the strength you have’ – was very appropriate!

I was so impressed with the sheer number of Copenhagen’s cyclists - a biker’s heaven. I was less impressed by the cost of food and drink!

I miss being away from our crowd at Gateway, and so it was great to be back and see yet more new people ‘looking in’ last Sunday. Then in the afternoon we spent a wonderful time with Roger and Georgina Eaton from City Church Canterbury. They have a great passion for church planting into France and Roger will be joining myself and one or two others for a second fact-finding trip to Lille on November 19th, when we hope to meet some church leaders there. I firmly believe that church planters should honour existing ministries in the intended location, and not just turn up unannounced and stick a flag in the ground.

I am now preparing vision documents for our Church Family members meeting. I love these annual meetings where we can thank God for what has been a year of growth. As we grow we are determined to keep our values, as we expand our plans for the next season. As things hot up, I am learning more than ever to live from a place of rest in all that’s happening. I am so delighted that God carries us and not the other way round.

“I have upheld you since your birth, and have carried you since you were born. Even to your old age and grey hairs I am He, I am He who will sustain you.
I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you”. (Isaiah 45:3-5)

Graham

One big week after another!

noreply@blogger.com (Graham) — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 19:38:00 +0000

Our last Gateway church prayer meeting was focused on planting a church into the Weald of Kent. It was a blast, with sixty people mobilised to pray! What an outrageous passion for God!

Then last weekend, it was back to the classroom at Ashford, as Al and Jane Gregory from the Newfrontiers church at Dartford took us through Dave Devenish’s ‘Setting People Free’ course. It was hard work to cover so much material in two days, but Al and Jane were magnificent at taking us through the material. The accompanying workbook was such a help and very thorough.

I am really looking forward to November 19th – which will be our second strategic church planting reconnaissance visit to Lille, France. Roger Eaton from City Church Canterbury will be joining me, and hopefully one or two others as well. We aim to follow up on some leads and meet other church leaders on the ground. Then the momentum should begin to kick in. Exciting days ahead.

And oh yes! Mark Cavendish the “Manx missile” signs for Team Sky this month. (This is serious cycling in case you are unaware..!) Bring on ‘Le Tour 2012’! Stage three is on Tues 3 July from Orchies > Boulogne-sur-Mer 197 km. That has to be a day out with P & O ferries! Allez, allez allez…

Destination Lille

noreply@blogger.com (Graham) — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 08:40:00 +0000

What a time it’s been since our first prayer day in Lille on September 8th with Mike Betts, Norman Blows (Bury St Edmunds), Joop Bakker (Groningen), David Hermy (Rennes) and Pete Pemberthy (Ashford). Following significant prophetic words that Gateway Church Ashford would be involved in spear heading church planting into Europe along the Eurostar rail line, it was first stop Lille. It is a vibrant city of 230,000 people including over 100,00 students, and it soon got our church planting juices flowing!

The Eurostar train delivered us from Ashford to Lille city centre in just 50 minutes. David Hermy (who was originally from Lille) arranged a place for us to worship, pray and prophesy, courtesy of a French Reformed church in the suburbs of Fives, just two Metro stops away from the centre. There was a clear sense of the presence of God as we prayed, and some great directional prophetic words on how we should proceed. Read on and feel the burn!
Some of the prophetic input on the day:
“The way Eurostar developed its rail service holds a pattern for us.To start building the initiative with visibility, building it big. Almost appearing stupid in the way we are to do it. It may appear non-economically viable, as the schedule and regularity of time-table visits is larger than the number of people catching the train. But like Noah, we are to build big, with momentum and visibility.”

“…There is a question arising, “what next?” but the scripture says ‘ first the natural then the spiritual’. The strategy is to imitate how Eurostar built the rail service. They set up the timetable and service. The service was built before the people came. Graham is to be like a guard on the station, pointing people to the carriages; there is a need to develop a train schedule routine. People will start to get on it as it goes backwards and forwards. There is a need to study the Eurostar system, there are mechanics to this. Make a plan like a timetable. For example, Joop coming down from Holland. Plan to arrive together to be in the centre. Create a schedule!”

“…God is shaping an arrow that will travel many times. As it does so, it will become stronger and it will penetrate further resulting in a growing confidence and faith –with great penetration into the city.”

“…. What is about to happen is an intergenerational thing. God promised the land to Abraham and used Moses to prepare the people for the taking of the land. Then Joshua, representing the next younger generation entered the land. ‘ There is a land and I will give it to your offspring, prepare the people for taking the land.’”

“…. A banner will be unfurled, not a flag. It will spread out and many people will see it. The banner is a schedule that many people will see it from afar. It will attract from afar, building confidence. We are not to plan small, but big plans, big banner.”

It was so good to have Joop travel for 6 hours from Holland; we sensed that something very special was happening as we gathered. This can only gather in momentum!
Afterwards, we went on a walkabout in the city centre and were really surprised to see how many young people and students there were. It was weird sitting in a Brasserie sampling local French cuisine and beer, knowing that we would soon be back in Ashford in under an hour’s train journey – Europe seems to be shrinking and God’s plans are enlarging.

Since coming back the momentum has increased almost daily, with people texting, emailing and telephoning, either whooping with delight at the news of a plant in Lille, or wanting to know about our plans or book a day trip over there with us!

We have been given the contact of a leader in Lille whose church is seeing many saved and healings on the streets taking place. He has offered to advise us.

The next steps…
We are planning regular Lille day trips over the next 12 months using Eurostar or travel by car and Euro-tunnel. By booking well in advance we can get the cheapest deals. The dates penciled in so far are: Sat. 19th November, Jan 7th, March 10th, May 12th July 14th.

We’ll start by continuing to pray, worship and prophesy with a view to getting out on to the streets doing the stuff. Early days yet but even if you can’t speak French you can still pray and worship! We did sense that many 18-30’s would gather to the banner being unfurled. This could be one exciting way to plant another church in Europe – after that, who knows - next stop Brussels?

If you want in or would like more information, do get in touch to our church office.

Thank you Lord, for working in team

noreply@blogger.com (Graham) — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 14:47:00 +0000

What a great preaching series it’s turning out to be on the book of Revelation at Gateway. There are so many pitfalls when preparing preaches for this book. The guys are doing a great job keeping it applicable to daily life. I am so glad we are building a strong team here. Last week the elders were out of town, and other key guys were not available, and we still managed to do our Multiplex series with four preaches happening at different venues around the North School site. Awesome work all round; and special respect and thanks to the P.A. Team.

Have just started reading R.C. Sproul’s book ‘The last days according to Jesus’. It’s a great ‘assist’ to studying Revelation.

I’m off to Gatwick early tomorrow to pick up Ben Goodman from Gatwick. The Newfrontiers churches in our part of Kent are gearing up for a great time receiving from Ben’s prophetic ministry. I could not imagine seeing the local church built without good prophetic input; a great gift to the churches from Jesus to bring us into maturity and greater vision.