The Unlock London Walk No.27 Saturday 24th April 2010

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1 The Story of St Paul s A St.Paul s church on St.Stephen s Rd stands at the heart of the community just a stone s throw from the historic Roman Rd street market, right next door to Old Ford Primary school and surrounded by lots of social housing. The church was built in 1878 and has always been held in great affection by local people, with memories of baptisms, weddings, funerals and community life. The church was closed in 1991 after years of neglect and amid safety concerns. Many people feared that it would go the way of several old East End churches and be turned into luxury flats. Spurred on by massive local support, the Parochial Church Council of St.Paul and St.Mark, Old Ford worked tirelessly to secure not only the survival of the building but an exciting new vision for how the building could serve the whole community. Drawing on the old tradition of the village parish church which was open all the time to serve all the people of the village, the concept emerged of re-opening St Paul s seven days a week with worship and a host of activities for all the people in the parish and beyond, people of all faiths and none. Our hope is that each and every person coming in to St Pauls whether for a cup of tea in the Cafe, for prayer and worship, for the Gym, for study support or for a special event, will have a great experience of welcome and hospitality, reflecting the love and welcome of God in Jesus Christ for all people. Our hope is that all local people will feel that St Pauls is their space, that they can contribute to it as well as enjoying the various activities and that it will truly fulfil the 1990 s vision of being a New Heart for Bow. We value your prayers for us as this is a challenging neighbourhood as you can imagine. A particular area for prayer is for the protection and well being of the young people of this area. We believe God is calling us to begin a youth programme here and are in the process of appointing a youth worker prayer, compassion, wisdom and financial resources are all urgently needed. Over 3 million was raised from over a dozen different funders including the National Lottery, the European Community and the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund. Working closely with the church, Matthew Lloyd Architects designed a radical scheme to restore the Victorian heritage shell of the building and to place inside a new 21st century structure with the iconic Ark above the nave. Balfour Beatty were given the contract for the work and work began in St Pauls re-opened with great rejoicing in Over 1,000 sq metres of space was created which now serve as: on the ground floor a beautiful place of worship, community hall and cafe on the first floor an educational support centre run by the charity IntoUniversity a mezzanine floor with office space, a therapy room, laundry and boilers the top floor a Gym and Fitness centre run by the charity Ability Bow. Contact: The Revd. Philippa Boardman St.Paul s Church St.Stephen s Rd London E3 5JL telephone: stpaulsbookings@btconnect.com

2 Introducing... Music Man from Mozambique Here at St Paul s, we are delighted to have been lent this sculpture Music Man. He belongs to the Burrell family who live in west London. Music man was made in memory of their son, Edd, who died from a brain tumour when he was just 19 years old. Music Man is not only a beautiful memorial to a young man whose life was tragically cut short but it is also a powerful sign of how something beautiful can be created from the horror and tragedy of war. Music Man was made in Mozambique from weapons handed in as part of the ground- breaking project Transforming Arms into Tools. This was the vision of Bishop Dinis Sengulane, the Anglican Bishop of Lebombo in Mozambique. In 1992, he was attending a conference of political and community leaders struggling with the issue of what to do with around seven million guns buried in caches all over the country after 16 years of bitter civil war. As he was praying in the middle of the night, he decided to act on the words of the Old Testament prophet Isaiah and persuade people to hand in their guns in exchange for tools: to turn swords into ploughshares and spears into pruning hooks With backing from the Christian Council of Mozambique (CCM) and Christian Aid, the Transforming Arms into Tools programme was launched. By 2005, over 600,000 weapons, hidden away since the end of the civil war, had been handed over in exchange for instruments of production like sewing machines, bicycles and building materials. No-one asks for names or papers. The weapons are simply taken away, prayers of cleansing are said, and then they are cut up or melted down. For example, a group of farmers found 500 guns and exchanged them for a tractor to cultivate the land. Children bring bullets which are easier for a child to find and in exchange they might receive some materials to use at school. And all this in one of the world s poorest countries. Not only are the weapons traded for tools but the weapons themselves may be transformed into objects of beauty and meaning through the Guns into Art programme. Artists take the decommissioned weapons and all kinds of sculptures from crocodiles and birds to chairs and a Tree of Life (which can currently be seen at the British Museum) have been produced. Philippa Boardman Vicar - St.Paul s, Old Ford September 2009 For more on the Guns into Art Project see:

3 St John s Stratford B St John s Church was opened in It cost 23,000 to build, 5,000 was granted by the church commissioners and much of the rest of the money was given by local people. It was a Chapel of Ease for West Ham Parish until The building was designed by Edward Blore who was one of the leading architects of his day, he had been given the job of finishing the east face of Buckingham Palace after John Nash was sacked for being too extravagant and going over budget. St John s clock was built by Benjamin Lewis Vulliamy in Vulliamy came from a noted clock making family, and he was himself an eminent and respected maker. Originally there was a gallery at the back of the Church, which was removed in 1887, and building work in the mid 1990s revealed the bricked-up door which lead from the tower on to the gallery. In 1847, 600 was raised by subscription, for the purchase of an organ; the erection of a richly carved recedos of Caen stone, extending the whole width of the chancel; in beautifying the altar window with painted glass. In 1879, during the incumbency of the Rev William Jay Bolton, the huge 6-sided Martyrs Memorial was built in St John s churchyard to commemorate 23 Protestant men and women who were burnt alive at the stake in 1556, during the reign of Mary Tudor, for their religious views. In 1884 the interior of St John s was completely changed, the Chancel was extended and the Choir Vestry and the Organ Chamber were built. The richly carved recedos of Caen stone erected in 1847 was cut in half and placed in either side of the new chancel. A plaque near the organ states that the Chancel is in memory of Sir Antonio Brady, a famous geologist of the time. The building was damaged by bomb blasts during World War II, in particular all the windows were blown out. The only pre-war window is the small one in the left wall of the Chancel which is a copy of the famous picture by Holman Hunt The Light of the World. This was taken out and stored before the bombing. The churchyard railings were also removed for the war effort. St John s was finally restored from war damage in 1951, the new East Window was dedicated in A new extension, incorporating the 1884 Choir Vestry, was built in 1998 to provide space for church members and the local community. The bricks used to build the extension were recycled from a demolished building and came from the same period as the bricks in the original church. We give thanks to God for our building, standing at a pivotal point in East London. We also thank God for our wonderful, multicultural congregation and for the growth in numbers and ministry here at St. John s. As we look towards 2012, we ask for prayer that we may make the most of all the opportunities to share the good news of Jesus. St. John s Church about 1840 St John s Church Broadway Stratford London E15 1NG Tel:

4 Highway s roots go back to revival meetings held in Stratford by D L Moody and Sankey in 1884 when between 3000 and 7000 people went to the meetings. These meetings led to a conference hall being built in Bryant Street, which after a number of years later became a Methodist church. At about this time Leopold Harris led a number of people to start a mission hall known as Highway. In order to acquire a place to meet a couple of houses were acquired Romford road and then a hall was built at the back which was opened and dedicated in January 1936 with about 300 people present. Since then over the years the church has been through good times and not so good times but has always sought to be faithful in making the love of God known. 1. C Highway Church It was in 2001 that Barratts home started a redevelopment in the former London Electricity Board buildings. After much consultation Highway church expressed an interest to Barratts asking for a bigger modern contemporary facility in exchange for the land where our old church stood (Picture 1). In 2004 Barratts made an offer to Highway which was accepted. Picture 2 shows the knocking down of the original building and you can see in Pictures 3 & 4 the wonderful new building that we now worship in. We really feel God has been so good to us and we now have a facility that will serve us in our aspiration to be a New Testament Church in the 21 st Century. THE VALUES AND HALLMARKS OF HIGHWAY CHURCH LIFE LOVE Love for God/Love for one another/ Love for those who don t know Jesus DISCIPLESHIP Discipleship into maturity and wholeness Through the Word/Through the Holy Spirit/Through a commitment to prayer/ Producing disciples who make disciples MISSION We believe that Jesus is for everyone, and we believe in the whole church taking the whole gospel to the whole world. Locally/Nationally/Internationally/Through words, works and wonders. WEEKLY PROGRAMME Sunday 9.45am Prayer meeting 10.30am Family Service Monday 10.30am Daytime Life Group Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday 10.30am Exercise Class 7.00pm Prayer Meeting 1.45pm Friends & Neighbours/7.30pm Alpha Course am Little Fish (Parents/Carers Toddler group) 5.45pm Funky Fridays - This group is for children aged from years pm - Youth Group PRAYER POINTS Groups that either happen at Highway or where members of our church are involved in Street Pastors in Newham the local co-ordinator is a member here at Highway. The Youth in Stratford how we can reach them. Funky Fridays Kids Club where we can have anything from 30 up to 70 children coming each week. Family Contact we run a Contact Centre here at Highway pray for the families that attend. Alongside U a local charity that supports children and families living with HIV in East London. Many of their volunteers are members here at Highway Church. Urban MissionToolkit - recruits, trains, equips, mobilises and supports volunteers to work with vulnerable people in deprived communities and in other areas of need. Training happens here at Highway on a term time basis. Pastor Simon Clinton Highway Church 88a Romford Road, London E15 4EH highway.church@virgin.net

5 Woodgrange Baptist Church D The Area The current population of the area is probably 70% Asian, with an abundance of mosques and a few Hindu temples and Sikh Gurdwaras. Directly opposite the church is the only Shi a mosque in Newham, and this is looking to expand its premises. There are also a number of churches. In fact Newham is host to almost 200 network congregations, characterised by travelling congregations who don t generally live in the area. The population is booming - the government persists in saying that only 250,000 people live in the borough, whereas the doctors have 320,000 on their books. This puts pressure on public services and housing, and the privately rented sector is taking full and sometimes irresponsible advantage! Work and witness The church is working hard to make connections with people in the area. Some of our own activities are listed on the noticeboard outside, and the building is large enough for space to be let to other groups (e.g. two other churches meet on the premises). We are actively involved with London Citizens (community organising), and beyond the building are about to start a befriending project for isolated elderly people and a Kick London football academy for children. We are very busy and hopefully, by the grace of God, increasingly effective as well. The church - past and present The name Forest Gate comes from the fact that the gate to Epping Forest was located here. Gradually the forest receded, and with the building of Forest Gate Station in the 1840s, the area began to be populated much more substantially. To begin with, it was a wellto-do area, and the Baptist chapel, which was erected in 1882, reflected that. It s quite grand in style, with a gargoyle watching over you as you enter! Back in the early 1900s it was the largest church in the area (800+ on a Sunday evening), and in 1936 the Gymnastics Club that operated in the back hall sent five young men to the Berlin Olympics. But the last 50 years has seen a shifting population many white people moved out and have been replaced by people from the Caribbean (1960s), Asia (1970s) and more recently Eastern Europe. The church has a weekly congregation of about 120 and reflects much of this ethnic diversity. Ways you can help Please pray for us Different people groups tend to co-exist rather than interact, and we feel called to build bridges with people of other Faiths and cultures. We are constantly called upon to give practical help to migrants who have no recourse to public funds. This is demanding in terms of knowledge, resources and compassion. A diverse congregation will bring change in the way the church operates, and change is always difficult to negotiate. The building is old and not fit for purpose. A local architect is helping us to rethink the design of the rear building, and refurbishment will be expensive. 345 Romford Road, Forest Gate, London, E7 8AA

6 Saint Antony s Catholic Church Forest Gate E This was built by and for the Franciscan Order of Saint Francis around1892. Forest Gate was a very big Parish then as it is today. At first is was mainly comprised of the Irish immigrants with a number of European Catholics, today we have about a hundred nationalities represented in our congregation. The Franciscans did a great job in this area of the East End of London. This was the Provincial House of the Franciscans in England & Scotland. In the Friary there were about 50 Priests, Brothers and Students. The Priests looked after Forest Gate Parish and went to many other Churches in the East London and outer Essex Parishes to help with Masses when Priests were away or sick. The Church is very large and built in the neo-gothic style and with Pugin s architectural influence. Naturally it is full of the Franciscan spirit, with statues, stain glass windows with,many of the Franciscan Saints - Saints Francis, Antony, Clare and Bonaventure (the name of the Boys Secondary School next to the Friary). Saint Antony s is very much a Shrine Church - there is such a great devotion to Saint Antony by so many Catholics and non Catholics alike. Every Tuesday there is Novena to Saint Antony -when Novena prayers are recited,requests for prayers for various intentions are read out, Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament takes place and veneration of St Antony s relic finishes the Service. An average of two hundred people come weekly to this Novena. Many come all day on Tuesdays to pray in the Church - this includes many Hindus who come from India with a great Devotion to St. Antony! We have a number of Masses and Services in the Church for the many Nationalities: there is a Tamil Mass once a month, a Spanish South American Mass every Sunday afternoon, and during the year - Masses for the West Indies communities, the Nigerians, the Ghanaans, the Goans, and we have two Rites of the Catholic Church now with their Liturgy - the Syro Malaba and Malankara Rites. We also have an Old Latin Rite Mass celebrated every Sunday evening. The congregation is one of the largest in the Catholic Diocese of Brentwood. We have two Catholic secondary schools - St Bonaventure s with 1,400 boys and St Angelas with 1,400 girls, including a Six form for 800 (this includes a number of non- Catholic young people. We have a Parish primary School with 450 children. We have many elderly, many in various Homes in the parish, many societies catering for the various needs of the ethnic groups. We have a commitment to Newham General Hospital and of course a regular visiting of the sick in their homes. We are involved with the other Churches in the area, with Inter faith now there are many Muslim, Hindu & Sikh and other Faiths in Newham. TELCO is a special outreach to the wider community, working with all the Faiths and those of good will to make a better united society in the world of work and recreation, and dealing with issues of Justice and Peace. This is just a birds eye view of our Parish -hoping this will help for your Walkers to have a taste of what Saint Antony s Parish is like! Fr Denis Hall

7 Salvation Army Stratford F Describe the area that you serve Stratford is one of the most diverse and transient communities in London. It is also one of the youngest. Background and origin of your Church At Stratford a large hall was opened in Angel Lane in (fn. 294) In 1903 it had total Sunday congregations of 957, and it continued in strength and social importance through years of unemployment up to the 1930s. Membership was increased by a revival and faith-healing campaign in The hall was damaged during the Second World War. In 1965 it was closed under a redevelopment scheme, and the Stratford corps moved to the Goodwill community centre, Paul Street, built by the Army s centenary appeal fund. The soldiers roll was then 32. The Salvation Army in Paul St was and then reopened in 2005 as a new plant. This new plant is currently officered by Captains Nick and Lisa Hanover. Emphasis of the work and witness/christian outreach Most of the work of The Salvation Army in Stratford takes place in the local Community, supporting the local community and most importantly building relationships. This happens in a number of ways often in partnership with other Churches, agencies and organisations. We do this through: Sports ministry (football clubs and keep fit), Schools ministry (After school clubs, assemblies, School governor) Supporting other Churches Through the use of our building Life Groups A bi-monthly Bible study/fellowship group London Citizens Campaigning for justice As we are blessed with a building, we are able to support a variety of different groups in the community such as; The local Tenants and Residents Association, Community Support Officers, Addict groups, Private Christian counselling, Community Links and Sure Start We praise God for: An Increase and deepening of relationships in the community. Opportunities to show and share God s love in real and practical ways. Things to pray for: The continuing work of The Salvation Army that the salt may continue to flavour the community in which we live and work, and God s light may shine through us in the relationships that we continue to develop. A team of like minded, passionate and enthusiastic Christians who share the vision of encouraging the God colours and God flavours within our community!

8 Bromley by Bow Church in Community 25 years ago the United Reformed Church at Bromley by Bow began an experiment to explore new ways of engaging with its community, as the old ways clearly weren t working. The few remaining church members tentatively opened the doors and invited people into the spaces. The first people to come were local artists who needed studio space; others wanted to dance, meet with disabled people, create a café, open a nursery, build a boat... The church adopted a policy of saying Yes to everyone and we are still working along the same lines. The Bromley by Bow Centre grew out of this experiment and now, on the site, we have a Primary Health Centre that works holistically with its patients, connecting them to the many community projects happening around them; we have 800 Learners on a variety of academic and vocational courses; Help and Advice, an Employment team, Families Support, Social Enterprises, youth work, a day nursery and much more. G In the midst of all this activity sits the church; a quiet, reflective space offering week-time prayer as well as the Sunday service, as well as the pastoral work associated with the many people who come through our doors. We offer our liturgies, celebrations and cycle of events across the faiths and cultures of local people, often weaving traditions together to form a new story from the old ones. We believe in a practical gospel, lived out in context in a way that transforms lives and offers healing, both personal and communal. In an area of high immigration, we offer hospitality and welcome to all in the name of Jesus Christ. In humility and fragility, we continue to open our doors to see who will come in.