A dynamic outreach campaign
“Time for Change: A Change You Can Believe In” was the theme for the evangelistic campaign hosted by Willesden SDA Church, in partnership with Stonebridge Church, held between 21st July and 3rd August 2019. The organizing committee chaired by Cheryl Allen commissioned the theme song for the campaign, which was written, composed, and arranged by Tina Brooks.
“The main speaker, Pastor Brent St. Jean from the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Mission, was larger than life with that quality to give life to any biblical story one could fill being a spectator or part of it.
“On the first day of the evangelistic series, Pastor Salmon of the Stonebridge Church cheerfully opened with these words: “There is no place like this place, anywhere near this place. So, this place must be the place to be.” The message entitled “How to know if he loves you”, in which Pastor St. Jean advised the church that people who have no love are emotionally handicapped, and that Jesus was, indeed, the best person to love us.
“The 14-day thought-provoking campaign was advertised on Adventist London Radio, and included a nightly health feature covering topics ranging from stress and men’s health, to gun and knife crime, to peer pressure, and mental health. On the question of marriage, Pastor St Jean stated that “satisfaction in marriage is easier when there has not been anyone before.” When taking the congregation through the story of the crippled man at the Bethesda Pool, he drew a parallel with us since we, too, can be like that man who had been intensely looking at the water of the pool for a new life but missed the man standing before him who is the fountain of living water. Lastly, he encouraged us to continue in the revival and the reformation spirit until we see the face of Lord and Saviour, Jesus-Christ.
“The church made it its responsibility to start and finish on time with a concise message between these two poles. Time was kept.
“On 3rd August, the final day of the campaign, the Mayor of Brent, Councilor Ernest Ezeajughi visited the church, taking the time to congratulate it on its work in the local community. He assured the congregation that not only were local church initiatives, such as the Centre for Health and Hope and the Winter Night Shelter for homeless men, greatly appreciated by his office, but that funding would be made available for such programmes to continue in the future.
“The event culminated in the baptism of 16 new believers, with the youngest being age 9. In the weeks following the campaign, 7 more candidates were baptised in two ceremonies held on 24th August and 26th October.