What is happening at Solid Rock in Bridgend??!!       

June, 2008

WOW what a weekend – it certainly lived up to its name. The best word to describe it is awesome !! Young People from Solid Rock were taking part in a project called Ignite Hope 08. Five hundred young people met in Cardiff & other areas to show that Christians care about their community and that young people can have fun sharing God's love. Thirty young people from Bridgend were involved. They met at Solid Rock for worship & teaching in the morning then carried out acts of service before meeting in Cardiff in the evening for a Christian celebration & a gig. God was present in a powerful way, lives were changed and 3 young people from Solid Rock committed their lives to Christ.

Young people had a number of interesting conversations and much support as they did works of service. The volunteers filled a skip to overflowing with rubbish as they cleared Tremains Woods, the play area near the Spar and the area around the Triangle in Brackla. They did gardening for the elderly in Wildmill, cleared the beach of rubbish at Ogmore by Sea and delivered Community Safety leaflets in Bridgend and Porthcawl. Some did prayer walks for several hours in a day and felt God's presence. Students who had come from Cardiff to support & help were hugely blessed. In all it was a privilege to be there!

However that was just the beginning!

We continued to meet at Solid Rock on Sunday evenings both to encourage new Christians and to give opportunity for others to ask questions. We also meet several of the young people and their friends several times during the week. In the past 4 weeks 11 other young people have made a commitment! What is really exciting is that there has been no pressure from us – God has done everything his way & they have each come as individuals in their own special way. We just stand back in amazement. We are excited & humbled at the understanding of some of them as they share their faith with their friends. More young people continue to ask questions as God draws them to himself. A number of these young people have had & some still have huge problems in their lives but they support & encourage each other!

Thank God that when Bridgend was called the suicide capital, God is at work in a mighty way!!

Thank God that:

●     He answers prayer !

●     For all those who have been praying for the young people of Bridgend

●     He works in His way & knows what is best for each of us

●     He transforms lives & is setting young people free

●     Volunteers & staff are privileged to see God at work in a mighty way

Pray that :

●     Christian young people will want to know God more deeply

●     Christian young people will have the courage to talk to their friends about their faith

●     Volunteers will have the right words to say as they work with young people with huge problems in their lives

●     Solid Rock is known as a place where young people can experience God

●     God will send the right people to work at Solid Rock at this time

Events

Jan/Feb                       Press from across the world descend on Bridgend and call us Òthe suicide capital of the world Ò. Christians from various parts of Britain offer support.

March/April..... Christians throughout the world pray for Bridgend and we support the young people, some of whose friends had committed suicide.

April 23                        As a result of an initiative by Martin Saunders, Youthwork Magazine,60-70 people from all over England & Wales meet in Solid Rock to pray for youth workers and youth of Bridgend. This was a time of mutual blessing and we came away KNOWING that a wider church family is praying for us.

                                    Three young girls not yet Christians come after school & join in the prayer.

May 2 – 5        Ignite Hope 08 weekend.                    Three young people make a commitment

May 8              Jay makes his commitment (Testimony enclosed)

May 9              Solid Rock - 5 young people, not yet Christians, spend most of their lunchtime singing O Happy Day - loudly!!

                        24 hour prayer time for local Christians to pray for Bridgend held at Solid Rock. At one time 17 people young and old prayed together. A number of young people stayed to 3.30 am leaving five to stay throughout the night. Saturday afternoon & evening 10 – 15 not yet Christians were praying or asking questions & discussing issues.

May 15                        18 year old young man makes his commitment

May 19                        17 year old young man makes a commitment

May 28                        Two 15 year old girls make a commitment    

June 1                         20 year old young man makes a commitment

June 4                         Two 15 year old girls make a commitment    

June 6                         15 year old girl makes a commitment

June 9                         16 year old young man makes a commitment

June 11                       14 year old girl makes a commitment

We continue to be amazed at what God is doing & want you to rejoice with us and pray that in the midst of turmoil He will continue to do amazing things!

Jay's testimony

My life before God – are you ready for this? - I used to take drugs, sell drugs, rob cars and houses. I was on coke, whiz (amphetamines), weed and nearly ended up on the pin (injecting) and when I got that far, I decided to stop. Now and then I was taking weed and coke. I was still drinking and fighting and robbing. I never listened to my parents and got kicked out of my home in Cornelly and moved to Bridgend. I was still in my bad ways. I was still fighting in town and I wanted out and everything bad to stop.

I was coming to Solid Rock every day but would be sitting around the corner drinking vodka and other stuff and smoking weed.

Then I met Becky and somehow (was it God's strength even then?) stopped my drugs completely and stopped getting in trouble. She was a very good influence on me – and she has calmed down a lot too.

Marco was an influence on my life too - and all the time I would try to beat him and do more bad things than him. But when I came to Solid Rock, I was surprised to find that God had straightened his life out already and he was in Solid Rock too!!! He'd even beaten me in this.

One day I was working with Gareth and we came back to Solid Rock one lunch time, as usual, and I went upstairs with Marco, Gareth and Neal and I asked Jesus to come into my life. I felt something had been taken away and something else was put back which gave me a different view on life and it happened in an instant. I can't explain it. Marco was over the moon.

We then went back to work and Marco was asking how my relationship with my mum was. I said I hadn't spoken to her for about 4 months. Ten minutes later my mum phoned me and asked how I was and said she wanted to meet up with me with my sister. Also a letter had come for me to have an interview in Bridgend College and to apply for training courses. In half an hour a lot had happened!

A few days later I was helping Lynn in Solid and Yasmin, my friend, walked past and she was going to hospital for counselling and I prayed that she would get through it, and when she came out she said she had been signed off with the counsellor!!!

Now I want to tell everyone and get everyone to know Jesus. I also want to thank Solid Rock for what they have done, especially Marco for not giving up on me.

It must have been God giving me the strength to come off drugs as I just made the decision to come off the drugs and didn't have any withdrawal symptoms. There is no way someone can do that by themselves.

Sometimes I still have the urge to go out and get cans of drink, but I don't want to go back to that lifestyle, so I pray about it and the feelings go away. I know I have a better life now than I used to have and don't want to go back to my old ways.

Other people have noticed the change in me too. When people who have seen me punching people on the ground now see me, they can see that I am a changed person. They chat about my past and even though they don't believe in God, they are really amazed at the change and they can see that "there is something going on".

At first, my new life was really hard, but as I've been reading my Bible and praying more, things have become easier and fallen into place for me. I was always about trying to scam people and make money. But now I want to help other people. Its not all about me anymore.

If anyone wants to talk about this come and see me. I'll be really pleased to tell you what God has done in my life. I am ALWAYS excited about telling people about God. I want to be an evangelist and tell people about Jesus.

I feel God has amazing plans for Bridgend and I feel something big is going to happen soon.