Bell Farm Christian Centre is a Christian Church based in the middle of the Bell Farm Estate in West Drayton, Middlesex. Bell Farm and its neighbouring estates house around 10- 11,000 people in a disadvantaged area of outer London on the doorstep of Heathrow airport. When many agencies withdrew from the neighbourhood during the 90s due to high levels of crime the Centre maintained its presence and work on behalf of local people. Now, it has become the fulcrum for community life, with a key role in renewal and development.
The story of Bell Farm Christian Centre during the difficult times of the 1990’s has been recorded in a small booklet entitled “Lightening the Darkness”. The story is a powerful testimony as to how God changed the situation in answer to the prayers of the church. During these years the estate saw young people begin to harass shop keepers and local residents, escalating into violence towards people and property. They would prevent cars from driving down certain roads, they vandalised cars, set fire to them, threw bricks through houses and church building windows, and even made death threats.
People within the church started to pray together regularly, prayerwalking around the building. Another forty days of prayer and fasting took place, this time to pray in the blessing of God. People felt a noticeable change in atmosphere. A specific answer to prayer was the appointment of a Christian police officer. The church began to pray for the police and their fight against crime. A small group met every evening for a week, to prayer-walk in a circle on a road where the family of a ring leader lived. Within weeks the family were evicted. On the final evening, the walkers were approached by some of the young people, who asked them for prayer!
Source: Bfcc.org.uk
Bible Study: 2 Corinthians 6:17-18
OCTOBER Praise GOD that He is concerned for the salvation of individuals and the welfare of communities.
PRAY WIDER that Bell Farm Christian Centre may continue to be the heartbeat of the community and that many residents may come to Christ through their service in love.
