2011 at the Wessex Christian Centre - the story so far.

Wow, I cannot believe we are already half-way through this our 25^th year. 2011 has been an amazing and eventful time at the Wessex Christian Centre and we are so blessed to know that God has still got so much more in store for us. Thank You Lord!

If you are unaware of what I am talking about, then I am sorry to say that you have missed out, but worry not, because as I said before, this year is no where near over yet.

Allow me to attempt to successfully describe to you in a few sentences, the Wessex Christian Centre's 2011 so far.

Well, it all kicked off on January 9^th, which was the night that our Pastor of 25 years, Brian Downward, handed over the baton of senior leadership to his son Julian. This was a fantastic night, with praise & worship, ministry from Geoff Malan, (Pastor Julian's best friend who flew in all the way from India, just for the day!!) and fellowship with so many friends of the Wessex Christian Centre. We are so proud of both our Pastors and love them immensely for all that they do for us and the kingdom of God.

It was not long after this that the church received some wonderful news. Pastor Tim and Mandy Leech and Geoff and Karen Malan, along with their families were to move to Bournemouth and join the leadership team here at the Wessex Christian Centre. This is something were are all very excited about.

This year, we were very happy to be able to send some of our team to Spring Harvest. This was to run an exhibition stand, handing out copies of our 'Keez & Jooz Kidz Praize' CD's as well as stickers, posters, badges, zippers and pens, to as many children as possible, for FREE. The team worked incredibly hard and long hours, but were so blessed themselves to be able to bless over 500 kids with the CD's and other gifts at no charge. It was such a blessing to be able to bless!

Late 2010, the vision of 'NoTicketNeeded' was birthed in the heart of Pastor Julian and in March 2011, he presented 'NTN' to the church. 'NoTicketNeeded' is a series of FREE Christian events happening throughout the year here at the Wessex Christian Centre. As we are 6 months into the year, we have already hosted 5 events and everyone of them has been sensational and anointed.

First up, we had the vibrant, the energetic, the World's No.1 Christian Reggae band - CHRISTAFARI!! The band rocked us for 45 minutes and stormed their way into the intermission with a track that was so full of energy, truth be told, we didn't want to take a break. But it was worth it to have the thrill of welcoming them back on the stage with another hour of music, ministry and communion. Yes! We broke bread, all 500 of us! Well, it was GOOD Friday after all. People received Jesus for the first time, and others gave their lives back to the Lord where perhaps they had slipped away. We thank God for His visitation of grace and mercy that evening.

The Second event of the year was a real surprise one. It all started back in October 2010, NTN was attempting to book PETRA for a 2011 gig but it all fell through. However, 5 months later, PETRA contacted the NTN office with a very unexpected request -'with only 5 days to pull it off, would you consider hosting PETRA at NTN after all? A London gig has fallen through'

We accepted the challenge and got straight to work. 5 crippling days later... PETRA arrived in Bournemouth for a simply indescribable event. We were thrilled to be able to welcome and serve the band, all 5 of the original late 70’s and early 80’s members! PETRA had every age and corner of the auditorium covered and they continually kept us engaged and inspired. There was an atmosphere of joy in the house as we were led into true worship by the band with songs that lifted up the Name of the Lord. This was a one of kind night with a one of a kind band. PETRA Rocked!

5 days after PETRA were with us, we had the great honour of serving one of the world’s greatest Worship leader /songwriters, Mr Graham Kendrick and his band. The place was packed as people of all ages came, not to be entertained and ‘performed to’ but to join with Graham Kendrick as he simply led us all into the presence of God with praise and worship. It was an incredible evening, on and on, people were lifting their voices to the Lord in worship. As was Graham's heart, it was not a show, but a corporate, collective chorus of praise. Graham Kendrick and his band are such talented but humble men and we count it such a privilege to have been able to meet them, to serve them and to be ministered to by them. It was an electric, inspiring and for many, life-changing night. God be praised!

Now, just two sleeps after that, we had another treat in store and that came in the form of Malcolm Wild and the Florida Praise band. Originally of 'Malcolm & Alwyn' a touring duo in the 70's, Malcolm brought his worship team over from Merritt Island, Florida, where he pastors a Calvary Chapel assembly. We were so blessed to have them lead worship and preach the Word of the Lord for the whole Day. This team, found such joy in praising God, and their excitement and passion to be in God's house could be see on their faces throughout the day. If we were to sum up what the Florida Praise band was about, it was ‘opening the windows’! Fresh air through Praise and Worship and the Word of God flooded the place on that day and we were uplifted, inspired to worship and brought closer to God. A fantastic day in the house of God.

This past Sunday, we just finished 'A Time of Refreshing 2011'. 8 days of ministry, worship and fellowship. What a feast we had. It was truly a week of hearing from the Lord. We thank God for the men of God who sought the Lord and so faithfully preached the Word to us. We also thank God for meeting with us and allowing us to spend time in His presence. It is our prayer that we will continue to be changed daily into what the Lord desires us to be. He is a good God!

Looking back on these past six months has been incredibly uplifting, yet humbling to realise just how much the Lord has blessed us. The amazing thing is, we are only half way through this year. Still to come, we have PHATFISH, BOSH, Kings Chamber Orchestra and Saltmine Theatre Company events.

I have no doubt that we, at the Wessex Christian Centre, can say with King David, that our cup surely does overflow.

It is hard to believe that it is 25 years since the commencement of the Wessex Christian Centre. We began in January 1986 by renting the Galaxy Cinema which was situated in the same building as the Playhouse Theatre. Exactly 1 year later we purchased the whole complex and this has been our home ever since.

There have been many changes in the fabris of the building since then and many hundreds, if not thousands of people have passed through our doors. Some are scattered throughout the world.

Sunday 9th January is 'handing over the baton' day when the senior leadership will be passed from Pastor Brian Downward to Julian, his son.

Brian will not be retiring, just taking on a different role.

We would love for anyone who has ever been associated with the Wessex Christian Centre over the years to join us for this very special day. Maybe you've just visited us once in a while....either way we welcome you.

We meet at 10:30am and then share a tea together at 4:30 followed by the induction service for Julian and Sarah at 6:30pm.

This day will kick start a year of celebrations. Keep your eyes on this blog and our website for events coming up later in the year. They will all be free of charge and you will not want to miss one of them.

WOW! what a week!

WOW WHAT A WEEK!!

W.C.C has just walked away from a thrilling ministry week called 'A time of refreshing 2010'. It was the 3rd annual conference we've hosted here and this one was a 'rippa' as the Auzzies put it. Did we walk away unscathed? I hope not! in fact, anyone who came that left unaffected would raise a suspicious eyebrow from me I can tell you! The ministry was direct...it was uplifting, encouraging, confrontational, mellow, full-on, quiet, loud, short, long, blue and red! We had fantastic fellowship and great time of worship. The laughs were worth the 12 month wait and everybody that attended made a difference!

If you would like to come next time, keep an eye on the website (http://www.wccbournemouth.co.uk/) and the info will be up by the Autumn this year God willing.

In regards to St.Peter's Hall, we are still trying to and believing God that we can buy it. It has been under offer now for 2 months. It should have completed a month ago but as yet we have heard nothing and the 'under offer' sign has again disappeared. And so we wait. It's exactly what The Lord warned us would happen so there's no surprise.

I would like to ask yo to pray for The Malan Family. They are missionaries in India and are having a greatly difficult time right now...amid great blessing actually, which may seem a contradiction but actually isn't. Take a look at their site http://www.mission-india.org/ and please, continue to or determine to pray for them every day. God bless you for your support.

Latest W.C.C Blog

Yeah, I know, I know, it's been too long since the last WCC blog! My fault! I acknowledge it fully! :-)
Well then, coming up at WCC is an performance by our Children's group that will not be forgotten in a hurry. It's only 8 minutes long but we think it will have people on the edge of their seats! not to mention, rejoicing in our God and the victory He's won.
In May, we will be hosting the third annual 'Time of refreshing' ministry week right here at WCC. Book in now (for free). It takes place between Sun May 30th and Sun June 6th. Various speakers from around the country will minister the Word of God and we will have loads of fellowship and Worship at the same time. Free to attend, free to register...or just turn up on the door. You can see more info by going here - http://www.wccbournemouth.co.uk/ Here's a video taster from TOR2009.

Ok, in other news, St.Peter's hall has finally sold to a developer in Bournemouth. He wants to turn it into a small shopping centre, flats and a restaurant. Now does this mean that our vision is dead or must now be thrown out...no! We believe that God told us that this would happen and that we must stand fast in faith and see what God would do. The planning permission hasn't gone through yet, so it may not...the completion of the sale may fall aprt...who knows...but right now, we go back to the waiting game. We knew it wouldn't come quickly or easily, but that God would fight the battle. We have no money...we have no businessmen or millionaires in the Church...just faith in God that we can make a difference with Him in this town.

Julian and Sarah have just given birth to their third Child...a boy called Joseph which we give the praise for and in just 5 weeks, Abi and Richard Jones will be welcoming their lastest addition to their family and the Church. On top of that, Ryan and Jontey Wylie have just announced that they are expecting their first child. As Pastor Brian puts it "we will grow this church one way or the other"

IN August this year, we will have our very first full length Biblez 'N' Bikez camp which will take place at The IBTI bible college in Burgess Hill, sussex. We can't wait to see what God will do in the lives of our precious children. It's very hard in this financial climate to come up with the cash for a camp like this and some of our kids are even paying for themselves to go! amazing!

Lastly, we're very excited to announce the release of a brand new album entitled :- 'Keez&Jooz kid'z praize adventure no.1'. It's a kid'z album of course but for all the family! It's taken 12 months to produce and record and is an 'experince' not just some CD of some kind. It has 10 songs on the CD but 22 tracks, that's because we visit a lot of different places, Keez, Joo and the Biblez'N'Bikez gang. You can pre order yours now by contacting the Church through the website. It costs £7.00 for the regular CD or £10 for a backing track split track version for you to use with your kid's group to perform live or in Sunday school. We also have a website which is under construction just now where you can meet the gang, join the gang...get free stuff, buy a t-shirt etc. can't wait to see who joins up and who thinks they can 'out-perform' Keez&Jooz!. The Disc is at the factory right now being made...more info soon.

God bless for now,
Julian

Christmas @ wccbournemouth

Well it is Christmas time right now and here at the Wessex Christian Centre we are having a great time celebrating this season. We began our festivities by sharing together our annual Christmas meal. It was held at the Premier Inn hotel and was a time of great fellowship and good food, as well as a wonderful message from Ian Coffey, Faculty member of Moorlands Bible College.

We continued the celebrations on Sunday evening by holding our Carol Service, during which our W.C.C kids performed their Christmas Production. A presentation that taught us who Christmas is all about, Jesus. It including songs which were written and recorded by Julian Downward and Keeley Morgan, which coincided with the release of our NEW Kids Praise CD, "Keez & Jooz Kidz praize adventure no.1". You can purchase one online at wccbournemouth.co.uk for just £5.00. (or 3 for £10) This coming Sunday, December 27th, we will be having a repeat of the production as well as singing more carols. We would love for you to join us and invite your friends and family, starting at 6:30pm.

Over the last few weeks, our Pastor and his family all underwent surgery. Jose had a Parathryroid Gland removed, whilst Pastor Brian, Julian and Cerian each had investigative procedures. We thank God that all were giving clean bills of health and we praise Him for Jose’s quick recovery. We also say thanks to all you who prayed for them.

This New Year we are looking forward to A Time of Refreshing 2010, which will be held here from May 31st - June 6th. We are very excited and trust it will be a great week. For more information or to register for free, go to wccbournemouth.co.uk and click on T.O.R 2010.

A quick update on St Peter’s hall. The news is that we have been out bid at this moment, but this was expected as The Lord told us it would happen before we even made our bid, however, we firmly believe that the building will be ours for the kingdom of God and so for now, we are waiting.

For any further information, please don't hesitate to contact us. Email:- info@wccbournemouth.co.uk or contact us through 'Facebook' search for Wessex Christian Centre

WCC latest

Hi everyone..
Again, we've a great few weeks here at WCC. We've just come through the summer holz and a whole bunch of Kids activities such as day trips and summer specials including a magnificent week of Kid's club (Paradise Island) every night 6-8pm.

We had a FAB time! We believe, and always have, that kid's and young people deserve the best we can give them and this year's summer activities were nothing short of that.

In other news:-

'OH MY DAYS'

One of our oldest members at WCC - Colleen - just turned 80! we had a fantastic party for her where she treated the entire church to Domino's Pizza! You rock Col ! congratulations on this milestone, we love and appreciate you!

'OPERATION:PASTOR BRIAN'

Just recently, our Pastor, Brian, has had to undergo more surgery on his heart and at this time we thank God for bringing him through safely although only time will tell how successful the procedure has been.We believe in the provision of our God in this matter, for He is good!

'MISSION:INDIA'

The Malan family, who are our resident missionaries in INDIA have had an exceedingly difficult time in the last couple of months, but in a nutshell, Abi, the oldest girl, is at present in South Africa undergoing a specialised physiotherapy course which will last 6 weeks to see if they do anything to help with a serious curvature of the spine problem. If not, Abi will have to have metal bars fused to her spine to straighten her up. Without this operation, further complications will ensue. At the same time, Geoff and the family have had terrible unforeseen visa issues which, thank God, have been resolved! We give God all praise for this family and the work they are doing and we are so proud to have them as members of WCC. You can read more on these and other news subjects on the mission India website at: http://www.mission-india.org/ hit 'latest news' tab. Feel free to send the Malans an email anytime at geoff@mission-india.org . If you would like to support Mission-India financially, you can also find info on the M-I site on this.

'BABY BABY'

Two couples in the church are expecting their next baby! Julian & Sarah, Elliott & Millie Downward are 4 and half months pregnant and Ricahrd, Abi & Precious Jones are 6 weeks gone! we give all praise to God for His gracious gifts to us!

'...MADE IN HEAVEN'

And finally, Tom & Kalee are newly married and loving it. We give God the praise for His blessings to this special couple who waited for God's partner for them. Mr & Mrs Rothwell are both studying at Moorlands Bible college and active members of WCC. We pray for God's blessing upon their marriage and future together! we love you guys!

Oh yeah...thought we were done didn't you?..well, for those who are wondering about St.Peter's hall, the jury is still out on that. We are waiting for a decision to be made by the receivers. We'll keep you posted.

Hey, something else, then we're done - We can confirm that 'A time of Refreshing 2010' will take place from Sunday May 3oth - Sunday June 6th...and we think that's news worth spreading. Take a look at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJOYJQxQods for some great highlights from 2009 TOR and please plan to join us next year. Contact us for more info anytime.

Any questions or comments, please don't hesitate to contact us at any time!

info@wccbournemouth.co.uk
God bless,
Team WCC

It's been an exciting 2 weeks!

Hi everyone and welcome to the latest WCC blog. A lot to get through so I'll attempt to make it short.

On Sunday morning of the 26th,

we had a 'focus on Children' service. Visiting us was a team from AOG that just do children's work. They entertained the kids and the adults alike and brought an important message about following Christ! The previous day they held a workshop for 4 hours about children's work which was very helpful to our kids work team members.

Then...on Sunday evening, the Brazilian Church that has been meeting in our venue for 10 years, moved out to the their brand new venue!

What an amazing celebration we had as we thanked God for what He has done with that Church!

We started out by marching from WCC down Hinton Road, accross Old Christchurch road and up to the Church. They have leased an ex-nightclub and have renovated it to make it a great venue to meet as a Church. As we arrived, Pastor Renato asked Pastor Brian & Jose to be the first to cross the threshold. Climbing the stairs we entered at the top to find a fantastic venue just waiting to be filled with the praises of God, and it was! Since leaving WCC on Hinton road, the whole church was led by a procession of dancers and singers!

Pastor Renato then said some very complimentary words about Pastor Brian and asked him to pray a prayer of dedication over the building and the church body. The volume in that place was amazing as with one heart we joined together and called upon God to fill that place!

It was a great, great

experience which we will not soon forget. We pray God's blessing on the Brazilian people as they start down this road of a new faith venture! Watch this church folks and see what will happen through them in this town.

And finally...

concerning our vision for St.Peter's hall (you can read about this in previous blogs if you don't know about it already)...firstly, I would like to answer a valid question posed by an anonymous visitor. He/she asked, "why do you need to buy St.Peter's hall when you have such a big venue at the top of the road?"..Well the answer to that is both simple and complex..but in a nut shell - first of all, one important word:- 'VISION'. This church has been claiming back that building for the kingdom of God for some 15 years and we have been praying against some of the things that have gone on there over the years. Not one night club has succeeded there in more than 20 years! (even during the boom period!). We believe it's God's land and God's building. It was consecrated to Him when it was built. It still IS His!. But that aside, when it comes to vision, it comes down to this:- The building we have at the top of the hill is simply not big enough and will not be able to accommodate the plans we have for St.Peter's hall. The 2 venues are completely different. St.Peter's could host 3 children's and young people's groups simultaneously, Run a coffee shop, old folks group and kids play group in the day, run a Christian 'Night club' (for want of a better term) every friday and saturday with facility for 30- 400 kids. It has twice the office space of wcc and can function as all of the above without hardly changing a thing around between events....something WCC can never do. WCC is primarily a Church, with, in one case, fixed seating and the venue we have downstairs will only host around 150 people at its max! On top of all of this, we want to turn it into an evangelistic centre and for that, a change of venue and its position is crucial. To sum up on that score, there is literally 50 times the pedestrian traffic at the bottom of Hinton road as at the top (even in the middle of the day...never mind friday night) and approx 15 times the vehicle traffic too. This says a great deal. Finally, in answer to the question posed...I say this....why? because God told us to!

Now then, the main reason for writing again about St.Peter's today was to inform you if you didn't already know, that we have now made a formal offer on St.Peter's Hall on Friday the 24th of last month. We will see where it takes us but we truly believe after seeking God about this for a month, that this is His plan. Where's the money coming from? well certainly not the lottery, but rather, we are waiting for a miracle, yes! But we are also giving ourselves! This Sunday, £8,000 came in for the VISION and we will wait for the rest as God challenges and provides.

Thank you for your continued prayer and support.

Julian and Team WCC.