3 May 2023, 09:29Maxine DonovanLondon
God bestows special favour on Tottenham Lighthouse
On Sunday 8 January 2023, ITV News featured Tottenham Lighthouse Church because of its generosity in giving a total of £10,000 to the people visiting its twice weekly Food Hub. Many applauded the Church’s generosity, but there was a small minority who felt that this money could have been better spent on our unfinished church building. On the surface the latter viewpoint seems to have merit, but on deeper analysis it is clear that God inspired us to make the sacrifice and show compassion to those in desperate need.
We all want to see Tottenham Lighthouse Church completed, but we have come to realise that the delay has been a blessing in disguise. During our stay at the West Green Road Baptist Church from 2018 - 2020, we mingled and developed a close relationship with the Baptist Church members. They collected and read our books and on many Sabbath mornings we had Baptist members worshipping with us. The Head Deaconess of the Baptist Church informed her pastor, Rev Stephen Agilinko in the presence of our Pastor Dr Jude Jeanville, that she was now keeping the Sabbath. When Rev Stephen Agilinko was going on Sabbatical for three months, he asked our Pastor Dr Jude Jeanville to preach in his absence. Since moving back to our Church building we continue to maintain our close links with the West Green Road Baptist Church. Rev Agilinko has joined us at our Communion Service, we supplied them with food from the Food Hub for their monthly cooking class for young people in the community and our Church’s programme, ‘Sharing the Love’ is announced at the Baptist Church and their members attend.
Another blessing of the delay, especially during lockdown, was that members came to realise that the building was not the Church. We were the Church. Church buildings were closed, but God’s mission still had to continue. The Holy Spirit propelled us out of our comfort zone and we shifted our focus outwards from ourselves, to meeting the needs of our community. From this desire, the twice weekly Food Hub which started on the front lawn of the West Green Road Green Baptist Church, and the quarterly community event ‘Sharing the Love’ came into being. These programmes have been a blessing to all. Councillor Tammy Hymas seeing the positive impact that both programmes had on the community, nominated them for the Mayor of Haringey’s National Heroes Award. ‘Sharing the Love‘ was not shortlisted, but Sis Sophia Charles and her Adventist Community Services team went on to achieve the Mayor of Haringey’s National Heroes Award 2023 for the twice weekly held Food Hub.
Jesus went around doing good, and showing compassion to the less fortunate. By giving away £10,000 to people who are greatly affected by the cost of living crisis, we are following Jesus’ example. Jesus promised, ‘Give, and it shall be given you; good measure pressed down shaken together and running over...’ (Luke 6:38 KJV) We are witnesses to God honouring His Word. On Sunday, 23 April Pastor Jude Jeanville at a special Prayer Session announced that someone, who wished to remain anonymous, donated £10,000 towards the Church Building. We gave away £10,000 and received £10,000.
The ‘running over’ of God’s blessings continued on Sabbath, 29 April when one of our daughters, Sis Marsha Mills, who now worships at the Wood Green Church, returned home to deliver the message during Divine Service. We all felt so proud of her. She had grown and matured in Jesus Christ, and was a positive role model to all. She was presented with a bouquet of flowers by Sis Pat Awotwi. Accompanying her was her son, other family members and well wishers from the Wood Green and Hackney Churches. If the reunion with loved ones on earth is so joyful, can you imagine what the reunion in heaven will be like? ‘Don’t lose heart and stop doing good. In time we’ll reap the harvest, so don’t give up.’ (Galatians 6:9 The Clear Word)
On Sunday 8 January 2023, ITV News featured Tottenham Lighthouse Church because of its generosity in giving a total of £10,000 to the people visiting its twice weekly Food Hub. Many applauded the Church’s generosity, but there was a small minority who felt that this money could have been better spent on our unfinished church building. On the surface the latter viewpoint seems to have merit, but on deeper analysis it is clear that God inspired us to make the sacrifice and show compassion to those in desperate need.
We all want to see Tottenham Lighthouse Church completed, but we have come to realise that the delay has been a blessing in disguise. During our stay at the West Green Road Baptist Church from 2018 - 2020, we mingled and developed a close relationship with the Baptist Church members. They collected and read our books and on many Sabbath mornings we had Baptist members worshipping with us. The Head Deaconess of the Baptist Church informed her pastor, Rev Stephen Agilinko in the presence of our Pastor Dr Jude Jeanville, that she was now keeping the Sabbath. When Rev Stephen Agilinko was going on Sabbatical for three months, he asked our Pastor Dr Jude Jeanville to preach in his absence. Since moving back to our Church building we continue to maintain our close links with the West Green Road Baptist Church. Rev Agilinko has joined us at our Communion Service, we supplied them with food from the Food Hub for their monthly cooking class for young people in the community and our Church’s programme, ‘Sharing the Love’ is announced at the Baptist Church and their members attend.
Another blessing of the delay, especially during lockdown, was that members came to realise that the building was not the Church. We were the Church. Church buildings were closed, but God’s mission still had to continue. The Holy Spirit propelled us out of our comfort zone and we shifted our focus outwards from ourselves, to meeting the needs of our community. From this desire, the twice weekly Food Hub which started on the front lawn of the West Green Road Green Baptist Church, and the quarterly community event ‘Sharing the Love’ came into being. These programmes have been a blessing to all. Councillor Tammy Hymas seeing the positive impact that both programmes had on the community, nominated them for the Mayor of Haringey’s National Heroes Award. ‘Sharing the Love‘ was not shortlisted, but Sis Sophia Charles and her Adventist Community Services team went on to achieve the Mayor of Haringey’s National Heroes Award 2023 for the twice weekly held Food Hub.
Jesus went around doing good, and showing compassion to the less fortunate. By giving away £10,000 to people who are greatly affected by the cost of living crisis, we are following Jesus’ example. Jesus promised, ‘Give, and it shall be given you; good measure pressed down shaken together and running over...’ (Luke 6:38 KJV) We are witnesses to God honouring His Word. On Sunday, 23 April Pastor Jude Jeanville at a special Prayer Session announced that someone, who wished to remain anonymous, donated £10,000 towards the Church Building. We gave away £10,000 and received £10,000.
The ‘running over’ of God’s blessings continued on Sabbath, 29 April when one of our daughters, Sis Marsha Mills, who now worships at the Wood Green Church, returned home to deliver the message during Divine Service. We all felt so proud of her. She had grown and matured in Jesus Christ, and was a positive role model to all. She was presented with a bouquet of flowers by Sis Pat Awotwi. Accompanying her was her son, other family members and well wishers from the Wood Green and Hackney Churches. If the reunion with loved ones on earth is so joyful, can you imagine what the reunion in heaven will be like? ‘Don’t lose heart and stop doing good. In time we’ll reap the harvest, so don’t give up.’ (Galatians 6:9 The Clear Word)
