We’re moving!!

From Sunday 6th February onwards, we will be meeting in our new building, 216, Acton High Street. W3 9NX.

You’re most welcome to come and join us and take a look around. We’ll be there every Sunday at 4:30pm.

Image: nuttakit / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

CLICK HERE FOR PRAYER REQUEST FORM

This is a key year for OakTree:

• Moving into 216,
• CAP,
• 3 years of serving on the streets every week,

a 17 year journey now landing OakTree in the middle of Acton – Let’s carry on PRAYING our way onwards.

So, quite a few people have heard of a movement called 24/7 prayer. They have brought together a story that God has been writing, encouraging churches and groups of Christians to pray non-stop 24 hours a day, 7 days a week…

They say about themselves:

“24/7 is an accidental prayer movement that began in September 1999. A bunch of young people who found praying difficult set themselves the challenge of praying non-stop for a month. God turned up and they didn’t stop praying till Christmas! People who wouldn’t walk into a church service came to experience God’s presence in the Prayer Room: some even gave their life to the Lord. The idea of praying night and day spread fast! All it takes is 24 people to pray an hour a day to fill a week. You can use the space to talk to God about anything you wish and try new ways of praying using the arts, music and activities.”

And there are so many testimonies from people who have taken part in this…

“And there are stories of salvation. People who would call themselves Christians are asking for prayer, spontaneous conversations are taking place about God and a girl walked into a prayer room  on her university campus in Surrey said ‘it was like coming home’”

“In a prayer room in Scotland a cancerous tumor disappeared from a woman’s body in answer to prayer. Doctors at Ayr hospital and Glasgow royal infirmary are astounded”.

“An atheist walked into a prayer room and said, ‘you can really feel God in here’”

Last time 24-7 counted there had been over six thousand three hundred 24-7 prayer rooms in over 96 different nations! On every continent but Antarctica! There have been prayer rooms run in place from Catholic Churches in England to brothels in Mexico. This is a contagious movement.

We are going to participate with them and for ACTON from

after our service,

7pm 31^st Jan – midnight of 6^th Feb.

God has called us to pray.

God is calling us to pray.

This is an exciting way to do it!

The danger is that the more mature members think it’s for young people and the young people think it’s for the adults….THIS IS FOR ALL OF US AND IS GOING TO TAKE ALL OF US TO ACHIEVE IT….

Practicalities…

• There will be a sign up sheet on Sundays.
• We would like everyone to pray and consider doing 2 or more shifts during the week.
• We would like a team to get involved in various bits the whole week, from helping keep the prayer room tidy to running some prayer activities.
• If you are interested in this then get in contact with Mark Bishop or Ruth Robinson.

ROTA and PROGRAM… to come?

Click here to view the embedded video.

More info about what the 24-7 Prayer Movement is all about can be found here

CLICK HERE FOR PRAYER REQUEST FORM

Just in case you missed the update in yesterday’s service on our new building, here it is in brief.

1 The planning permission was submitted to Ealing Council about 4 weeks ago. It normally takes between 8-12 weeks in total. So another 4- 8 weeks to go. An informal discussion with the planners has already had a favourable response and so we are very hopeful.

2 The costings for the project will be submitted to us within the next week. These will then be discussed next week before a meeting with Neville Simpson, who is heading up the project, on 6 November.

3 We then have the rest of November to discuss where we might need to alter the final plans/costs etc.

4 During December if all has gone well with the previous stages we shall go out to tender.

5 In the New Year, dependant on when the builders can start, work will begin. The total time for the project being about 5-6 months.

So work should begin on site within 2-3 months! Please do pray for:

-Neville Simpson

-The OTAF Project team headed up by Sarah Miller. Obviously I have input as well.

-For planning permission

-Unity and wisdom as we respond to costings etc

-The right builders and other contractors

At some point before work begins it is hoped to have some 24 hour prayer in the building. In the meantime keep praying anyway.

As I hope you can see thing are really moving forward now and once Christmas is over it will all start to move much more quickly and in front of our very eyes.

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see (Hebrews 11:1). Soon we shall be able to see!

In His love,

Mark

Dear Oaks,

Well many of you will have heard of Easter Sunday’s announcement by now.

Oak Tree is the proud owner of their very own building. The contract on 216 Acton High Street has been both exchanged and completed!

Technically speaking the building belongs to the London Diocesan Fund on our behalf. But most importantly all of those years of praying and seeking God’s will have come to fruition.

Age Concern the present tenants will be in the building until 31 May when they are contracted to leave.

Neville Simpson the Project Manager appointed by the LDF is already working on the plans and it is hoped that the work will go out to tender in the near future. It is hoped that he will attend one of our May meetings to show us some drawings and discuss the plans.

As for now let us praise God for all His wonderful faithfulness. He is indeed very, very good.

Let us continue to pray that we will be a people who are full of God’s Spirit and that we, as well as 216, will be a building in which the Lord loves to dwell.

In His love,

Mark

I won’t be working until Saturday so there will not be a further email this week. But I will be back at my post on Saturday morning for Healing on the Streets (HOTS). Yesterday at HOTS was the busiest we have ever known it and hugely encouraging. The market stall and the children’s activities based around it meant the whole market area seemed to be humming with Christian witness in one way or another.

Today at our Easter Service I was so excited by the great sense of worship and gratitude expressed to God. Yes, for the provision of 216 but even more so because Christ is Risen and sin and death are defeated. The many cardboard testimonies were a great advert for the transforming power of the Living God. From the front I could see that God was deeply and powerfully moving in people’s hearts – it was a real joy!

Finally let me forewarn you that next Sunday we will continue to both celebrate the resurrection and the fact that at long last Oak Tree has a permanent home. And one right in the heart of Acton in a building once known for putting out fires but in future known for celebrating the one who is the All Consuming Fire.

Christ is Risen! He is Risen indeed, Alleluia!