In Depth:  AGBCSE

Jim Sayers writes: How do we equip Christians for works of service?

That is the core role of every local church, but an association of churches can also help to support those churches and give them the resources they need. The Association of Grace Baptist Churches (South East), exists to do that for a group of 70 churches in and around London. We gathered for our annual day on 1 October, (hastily moved out of London to Guildford to escape a train strike!), focused on ‘Equipping the Saints’. Phil Heaps led a session on Christ in the Old Testament, and David Skull from Grace Church Brighton, a newly launched church plant, preached from Acts 3:19-20 on the need for a time of refreshing. Five churches joined the AGBC (SE), three of them newly constituted church plants, and plans were announced for a new church-based training initiative.

There are now real people, living in real homes, in the real town of Ebbsfleet! A handful of homes are occupied, with more families moving in every month. This process should accelerate over the next ten years, by which time there may be as many as 15,000 homes.

The new town of Ebbsfleet is close to the M25, next door to Bluewater Shopping Centre. It is less than 20 minutes to London on the new high-speed train service. It will serve as a dynamo for economic regeneration for the area and will attract many working people and families. The plans look exciting, with new schools and extensive retail and leisure facilities. Yet the developers have no plans to include any faith buildings.