Jesus House Annual Report 2017 by Jesus House

JESUS HOUSE ANNUAL REPORT 2017

CONTENTS 03 05

Message from the Senior Pastor Who We Are 11

The Year in Pictures

Remembering Pastor Ifeyinwa (Ify) Irukwu… 10 Years On

The Prime Minister’s visit to Jesus House

The Archbishop of Canterbury at Jesus House

Connect Groups Launch

10 Years of Lunches on Jesus

Pentecostal President of Churches Together

OVERVIEW

LOVING GOD

A PRAYING CHURCH 32 Time 2 Pray: The Jesus House Prayer webinar

36 The Blessings of the 7th Season

33 ‘Pray 75’ Revival Prayer Initiative

37 Home for Christmas - Carol service

34 The Power of Prayer: Sozo Prayer School

39 Seeing in the New Year – The New Year’s Eve Service

35 Tightknots: Pray your way to a great marriage

JESUS HOUSE ANNUAL REPORT 2017

IMPACTING LIVES

Faith and Freedom

Red Wednesday

TRANSFORMING COMMUNITIES

OUTREACH

YOUTH

Church Social Responsibility

Kidz First – The Children’s Ministry

News from Brazil

Raised up in Christ (RUC) – The Youth Ministry

The Ifeyinwa Alison Irukwu Education Fund

Sierra Leone Flood Relief

‘Releasing children from poverty in Jesus’ name’: A Compassion sponsor’s journey to the Dominican Republic

Solace Ministries

A Call to Serve – ‘ACTS’ Week

Walking in support of Christmas Lunch on Jesus – The Hospitality Team

WOMEN 49

The Uncommon Woman Conference

Esthers 18-30

The Esthers Mentoring Scheme MEN

The Mandate Men’s Conference TIGHTKNOTS: THE MARRIAGE MINISTRY

Couples’ Weekend Away – CWA 2017

Love and Marriage: An evening with Agu and Sola Irukwu

The Jesus House family reunion

Celebrating Life

OTHER NEWS 88 89 90

The Festival of Life The Jesus House IT Conference Jesus House Academy REACHING OUT

91 92

EXPRESSIONS 75

The Jesus House French Church – JH Francophonie

Breaking new ground - All Nations Church MAXIMISING POTENTIAL

79 My Summer Adventure - Tolu Ilemobola in South Africa 81 The Kilimanjaro Climb 83 It’s all working out – Arinola: CD launch 84 The Ageless One Concert 85 Stella Jackson-Obot’s Book Launch 86 Chibundu Onuzo welcomes all to Lagos

CityHill Church The Common Sense Network

TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT

FINANCIAL SUMMARY JESUS HOUSE ANNUAL REPORT 2017

MESSAGE FROM THE

SENIOR PASTOR In 2017 Jesus House continued to forge ahead in building a relevant church for the 21st century, a church of spiritually mature individuals with a heart for the disadvantaged.

ur theme, ‘A NEW DIMENSION’, is reflective of the fact that we experienced new dimensions as a church and in our individual lives.

WELCOME TO OUR 2017 ANNUAL REPORT

Prayer continues to be the bedrock of all our activities and we sought to introduce new initiatives to engage more people in the discipline of praying, to provide more opportunities for our congregation to meet and pray. We launched a prayer webinar in February. We joined the Church in the land in the heartfelt cry of ‘Thy Will Be Done,’ a movement spearheaded by the Archbishop of Canterbury, The Most Reverend Justin Welby, which united the Church of our Lord Jesus across denominations and countries, in one focus, prayer for a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the land. Justin Welby led a historic lunchtime prayer gathering at Jesus House at which leaders from several denominations were in attendance. Also in 2017, we were honoured to welcome to Jesus House, on an historic visit, The Right Honourable Theresa May, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. Mrs May highlighted the church’s work in the community and encouraged young church members to consider a career in politics as a means of making positive contributions to society.

Ique canenatque conscio, que num menatum utestente

JESUS HOUSE ANNUAL REPORT 2017

We turned our focus to the plight of the Persecuted Church and hosted a team from Open Doors, a UK charity which supports persecuted Christians worldwide, on Sunday 19th March 2017. A poignant service included a procession of the flags of the 50 nations on the World Watch List where persecution is at the highest levels. The flags were subsequently mounted on the Jesus House building as a powerful visual statement of solidarity. Towards the end of the year, on Wednesday 22nd of November, the church also joined in with a world-wide initiative, Red Wednesday, which was aimed at drawing attention to the persecution of Christians and other faiths for their beliefs. Making a ‘Stand for Faith and Freedom’, the Jesus House building, along with

Agu and Sola Irukwu

other iconic buildings around the UK, including the Palace of Westminster, was lit in red. A short open-air service was a stark reminder of the freedom we enjoy in contrast to the oppression of so many. Our commitment to building communities of individuals of all ages who are progressively growing stronger in their relationship with God and one another led to the launch of Connect Groups, small hubs where people across London and a few home counties can connect weekly for bible study and fellowship. We are deeply humbled to be a part of what God is doing in the United Kingdom and we continue to be overwhelmed by His love for us. Your support on this journey is greatly appreciated; we are grateful for your partnership throughout 2017. Your continual commitment to the work in giving of your resources â&#x20AC;&#x201C; your time, talent and treasure, enables us to extend our reach within our local and international communities with the practical and transformative Gospel message of love.

We are especially thankful for the dedication of our leadership and volunteers who serve the church and our communities year on year. As 2018 comes into view we look forward with hope and excitement to the next season. If you would like additional information on our activities, please contact us at info@jesushouse.org.uk.

Agu Irukwu JESUS HOUSE ANNUAL REPORT 2017

WHO WE ARE

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OUR VISION A multicultural church made up of spiritually mature people of all ages living out their God-given purpose; a people who are passionate about social justice and committed to the spiritual transformation of society through the preaching of the complete message of Christ.

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N O I S S I M NT R OU EME T A T S 5

JESUS HOUSE ANNUAL REPORT 2017

, d o , G e f s o o t i rp al u u s r P i u g t P n n i e n I t er o v P o s c g e s n i v i i D is ing L m i x a M Impact and

OUR CORE VALUES

JESUS HOUSE ANNUAL REPORT 2017

STRAPLINE LOVING GOD IMPACTING LIVES TRANSFORMING COMMUNITIES

Our mission, values and ministries are informed and underpinned by our cornerstone scripture:

“

You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’ The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.

“

(Matthew 22: 37 – 40 New Living Translation)

JESUS HOUSE ANNUAL REPORT 2017

OUR HISTORY

esus House was established in February 1994 and is a parish of the Redeemed Christian Church of God.

There were 33 people attending the first service at the Warner Brothers Cinema in Leicester Square, Central London. Today, people of diverse ages and backgrounds make up the Jesus House family, with several nationalities represented in our congregation of approximately 3000 adults and children. Our primary pursuit is a deeper knowledge of God and a closer relationship with Him. Through our relationship with God, we recognise that no one was created to be insignificant and that everyone must be encouraged to discover their purpose, maximise their innate potential and seek ways in which to positively affect the lives of those around them - particularly the less fortunate. Our passion for the growth and development of the individual is reflected in the vision of the Church and we are committed to making a positive impact in our local and international communities.

JESUS HOUSE ANNUAL REPORT 2017

SOZO -The jesus house singles’ ministry Christmas Party - A Night to Remember

Easter ProductioN - Via de la rosa

THE YEAR IN

Pictures Our selection of some of the most memorable photographs on our journey this year...

A life changing sermon series about the Holy Spirit

Blessings of the 7th Season

ESTHERS WOMEN’S MINISTRY CHRISTMAS PARTY – A NIGHT AT THE OSCARS

Christmas lunch On jesus 2017 ‘PACKING DAY’

Prime Minister Theresa May Visits Jesus House

The Archbishop of Canterbury at Jesus House

Remembering Pastor Ifeyinwa (Ify) Irukwu

Connect Groups 2017

Pentecostal President of Churches Together

The Christmas Lunch on Jesus Project (2007 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 2017)

Pray 75 Revival Prayer Initiative

‘Home for Christmas’ Carol service

Faith and Freedom: Standing with The Persecuted Church

Seeing in the New Year – The New Year’s eve service

Red Wednesday

Kidz First

Raised up in Christ (RUC) – The Youth Ministry

The Uncommon Woman Conference

The Esthers Mentoring Scheme

The Mandate Men’s Conference

Couples’ Weekend Away – CWA 2017

Jesus House Family Reunion

Pastor Ifeyinwa Irukwu

REMEMBERING

n Sunday 4th June 2017, the Jesus House congregation joined the family and friends of Pastor Ifeyinwa (Ify) Irukwu in a Service of Remembrance on what was the 10th anniversary of her passing. Until her death, Pastor Ify oversaw several ministries at Jesus House including the Counselling Department, Women’s and Children’s Ministries, the Prisons ministry and co-ordinated the Marriage Ministry. Jesus House Radio held a live broadcast ‘Remembering Pastor Ify’ which featured sermons, her favourite songs and anecdotes from family and friends as they reminisced on times with her, and the impact that she had on them. An avid keeper of journals, her musings on various aspects of life are contained in numerous journals which were compiled into a coffee table book called ‘Treasured Reflections’, a collection of thoughts and reflections on God, life and death. Any profits from the sale of these books are to be applied towards the Ifeyinwa Alison Irukwu Education Fund for the education of underprivileged children.

SOME REFLECTIONS 15

JESUS HOUSE ANNUAL REPORT 2017

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On Prayer Prayer is the current that transmits the faith in our hearts to God. On Marriage Choosing a spouse should only be done by the help of the Holy Spirit through prayer and observation .

On Joy As long as the night must give way to the morning, weeping must give way to joy. On the Christian life People are meant to see certain ‘unnatural’ things about our lives that will make them inquisitive and point them to God.

On Decisions Decisions determine destiny. Once we make them they turn around to make us.

On life Life’s goal is to reveal God’s glory.

On Faith Anxiety proves the absence of faith.

On Praise If we praise God but do not believe the things we say when we are tested, we only flatter Him .

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On God’s will Picking your own assignment in life is disobedience even if you seem to be doing it well . On death How prepared are you to die? There is a time for that. On prosperity God is not interested in prospering you just for yourself. He blesses you so that others can be blessed through you. On Personal worth I can’t say I fully understand what makes diamonds so valuable. I can only agree that for the trouble to mine it and for the price in the shop windows it can only be valuable. I don’t fully understand what makes me so valuable, however for the trouble God took to create me and the price He paid to redeem me I am very valuable.

Prime Minister Theresa May and Pastor Agu Irukwu

Cross-section of the Jesus House Congregation

Prime Minister Theresa May being received by the Jesus House Congregation

The Prime Minister meeting members of the SALT Civic Awareness Ministry

Enjoying a joke during the service

Conversing with members of the youth ministry

JESUS HOUSE ANNUAL REPORT 2017

Rev Nims Obunge, Pastor Funke Adeaga, Pastor Shola Adeaga and Prime Minister Theresa May

Princess Olaobaju presenting the Prime Minister with a Bouquet of flowers

THE

PRIME MINISTER’S VISIT TO

JESUS HOUSE

n Sunday 28th May, we were honoured to welcome to Jesus House, on a historic visit, The Right Honourable Theresa May, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. Mrs May was interviewed by Pastor Agu before a packed auditorium and asked questions on black and ethnic representation in parliament, Christian persecution and marriage. Mrs May highlighted the church’s work in the community and encouraged young church members to consider a career in politics as a means of making positive contributions to society. She stated: “There’s a challenge to all of us to encourage them to think about politics and Parliament as a fantastic thing to do. It’s a huge privilege to be a Member of Parliament (MP) because the decisions you take are about making a difference to people’s lives.” Asked what she would do to ensure greater representation of black and ethnic minorities in Parliament, she responded: “I’ve always said Parliament will make better decisions if it has a greater diversity of people because if you have people who have all got the same background then the decisions won’t be as good as if you have people bringing different experiences and backgrounds into the House of Commons. “I would hope you would have some young people here in your church who will see being an MP as something they can do to give back to society and to work actively to improve the lives of others.” Highlighting statistics published by Open Doors UK on the persecution of Christians, Pastor Agu asked what the UK would do to protect Christians overseas. Mrs May said it was important for the government to ensure that its diplomatic representation via the Foreign Office, embassies and high commissions promoted the ideas of freedom and belief. She added that benefits were already being seen from

the spread of the message about stamping out modern slavery. ‘We should do the same in terms of encouraging freedom of belief and challenging where we see that persecution happening.’ When asked about the perceived threat to the institutions of marriage and family life in the UK and what could be done to support them, Mrs May said it was important to ensure children understand relationships. “I think you can do quite a lot of work here in the church with some of your groups and outreach – but one of the things we are doing is ensuring that there is good relationship training in schools so that children can learn how to relate to each other and learn to understand the importance of those relationships for the future.” Responding to questions from younger members of the congregation (Fikunmi Olutunbi, 12, and Alpha Menda, 19), Mrs May said her upbringing in a vicarage had helped in her role as an MP. ‘What I learnt from my parents – particularly my father, was the importance of treating every human being equally, not making assumptions and actually recognising that we are all human, we come from different backgrounds, different interests, different problems. ‘However, his job was to serve everybody and that’s the message that I hope that I have kept with me from my time in the vicarage.’ Concluding her visit, Mrs May said: “One of the themes that I felt coming from this church is that of restoration and of hope for the future. We have real opportunities – but we need to grasp those opportunities by working together and having a real unity of purpose and build a better future for everybody.” JESUS HOUSE ANNUAL REPORT 2017

THE ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY

AT JESUS HOUSE DURING A HISTORIC PURSUIT OF GOD CONFERENCE

Pastors Sola and Agu Irukwu, The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby and his wife Mrs Caroline Welby 19

JESUS HOUSE ANNUAL REPORT 2017

Leading prayers

he Pursuit of God conference was born out of a vision to facilitate a gathering of people who hunger for progressive intimacy with God, who want to explore new depths of sincere worship and who long for an outpouring of God’s Spirit. Since 2002 our annual 21-day ‘Pursuit of God Conference’ (POG) has been geared towards seeking revival in our individual lives and for society as a whole. In June 2017, it was linked with the Church of England’s ‘Thy Kingdom Come’ global prayer initiative, as we participated in a historic and inspiring coming-together of hundreds of thousands of churches in 85 countries - all praying for the renewal of churches and the restoration of countries. One of the main highlights came on Day 8, when the head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, the Archbishop of Canterbury, The Most Reverend and Right Honourable Justin Welby, honoured us with a visit. He was accompanied by his wife, Caroline.

The Archbishop and Pastor Agu praying together

In a strong show of unity and cohesion, he led the heads of several denominations and church groups – as well as members of the congregation – in a special lunchtime prayer session for the peace and prosperity of the nation. The first 10 days of the event had been dedicated to joining in intercession for the United Kingdom at a very critical time for the nation following the Brexit vote to leave the European Union and a general election later in the month. The Archbishop of Canterbury described his visit to Jesus House as a real privilege and added that he was blessed to be in partnership with the Church. After explaining the origins of the global prayer initiative, ‘Thy Kingdom Come’, he stated: “This is no longer a Church of England thing – it’s a Church of God thing. We’ve suddenly woken up to the fact that prayer pleases God. Churches not speaking to each other in the past are now praying ‘Thy Kingdom Come’ together. It’s most extraordinary.” Thanking the Archbishop for taking the time to visit Jesus House, Pastor Agu said: “We might have different expressions of worship, but we are one church. We pray together because whatever church we come from around the world, whatever background, whoever we are, we are called to pray, “Thy Kingdom Come”. Earlier during the service, a leader of the Chinese Church in London, Pastor Siew Ong, described how the Chinese church both in China and in the diaspora is also growing and working in partnership with other churches.

General Directorof the Evangelical Alliance, Steve Clifford; Adviser for Evangelism, The Revd Canon Chris Russell; Mrs Caroline Welby; Archbishop Justin Welby; Pastor Sola Irukwu; Rev Nims Obunge

Pastor Siew Ong leading prayers

he theme for the 2017 Pursuit of God Conference was ‘Restoration.’ Speakers included in-house Jesus House pastors and returning guest ministers, Reverend Joe Olaiya, President and Founder of Living Faith Foundation; Dr Okey Onuzo, a consultant nephrologist and Associate Pastor of the national headquarters of the Foursquare Gospel Church and Pastor Leke Sanusi, Regional/Country Pastor for RCCG Europe 2 Region and the Senior Pastor of RCCG Victory House, London. Other speakers included Pastor Wale Akinsiku, senior pastor of House of Praise Mississauga, Canada and Dr Sharon Stone, leader at Christian International Europe who is widely recognised as an apostolic prophet to the nations The message from all the speakers followed a common thread on Restoration, for the individual, for families and for the United Kingdom. Worship was led by the Jesus House music ministry, the Tribe of Judah. The daily evening programme included a reflection on topics such as repentance, God’s mercy and holiness.

Archbishop Justin Welby with Pastor Agu Irukwu and Reverend Yemi Adedeji JESUS HOUSE ANNUAL REPORT 2017

key part of our focus for 2017 was the relaunch of our small group ministry under its new name, Connect Groups. A series of events preceded the ‘go-live’ date including training for over 90 Connect Group leaders and hosts.

On Sunday 19th August, the church enjoyed a taster during the services as the congregation was divided into groups of up to 12 people, to simulate a typical Connect Group meeting, for a discussion on the chosen topic, ‘The Holy Spirit’ as they shared breakfast. An initial batch of 15 Connect Groups began on Wednesday 6th September and by December there were over 60 groups operating in London and its environs. The groups are run in termly cycles which mirror the academic year. To celebrate the festive season and end the winter session, each group held a ‘Bring and Share’ Christmas party on the 7th of December (attendees posted videos and pictures on our Jesus House social media platforms using the hashtags #JHCGChristmas and #JHConnectBash. Several groups have recorded testimonies of healings, deliverances, financial provision and answers to various prayers, including the miraculous escape of a teenager who was struck by a car on her way to school just days before her 18th birthday. The force of the impact shattered the windscreen and hurled the child into the air. Medical personnel attending to her marvelled at the limited injury she sustained with one doctor remarking that her body must be made of steel.

Connect groups meet on Wednesday evenings from 7.30pm - 9.00pm in various homes and coffee shops in and around London.

JESUS HOUSE ANNUAL REPORT 2017

Presenting the Connect Groupsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; team

Pastor Agu introduces the team

Pastor Sola praying for the Connect Groups Administrators

Getting to know one another

JESUS HOUSE ANNUAL REPORT 2017

A few members shared what it is like to be part of JHYC:

“

“ “

I love a lot of things about Jesus House, but after tonight, I have no doubt that the primary reason God brought me to this church, for this time, is for this Connect Group. I have never been so humbled and inspired by the fire and wisdom of such young people.’ - Oladoyin Oladapo -

“

I was thinking about this Connect Group today and I just want to say that I have so much love for all of you in my heart and I’m praying for ALL of you.’ - Treasure Inyang -

JHYC is made up of young adults, most of whom are undergraduates or new graduates. The hosts are Divine Adegbie and Tubo Adeaga. They hold their meetings at 7.30pm on Wednesdays.

JESUS HOUSE ANNUAL REPORT 2017

“

I love this Connect Group so much! You’ve all been a blessing to me and I know I could go on and on about what I love about you all, but for the most part, you guys have redefined the role of and the meaning of the word family for me. THE LOVE IS REAL! - Nkechi Ogbogbo -

- Tomi Akinyemi -

“

JHYC is more than just a connect group to me. It’s a family – my family, full of young sisters and brothers who are helping each other on a spiritual journey. JHYC has changed me as an individual and made me aware of how much of God I still need to experience. JHYC being formed was the catalyst for my current understanding of Christ and having the freedom to express, inquire and learn about Christ is an invaluable experience.

JESUS HOUSE ANNUAL REPORT 2017

10 YEARS OF LUNCHES ON JESUS

CHRISTMAS LUNCH ON JESUS [2007 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 2017]

he Christmas Lunch on Jesus initiative celebrated 10 years of delivering hampers to the less privileged in Barnet. A red tie fundraising dinner was held on 8th December 2017 at the Regents Banqueting Suite in North London, to commemorate this milestone. It was a wonderful opportunity to thank those who had been a part of making the vision a reality; those who had sponsored hampers and who had come out year after year, often in the biting cold, to pack and deliver the hampers. It was also a time to share stories of the impact their generosity has had. Performing on the day were talented artists such as Noel Robinson, Lurine Cato, awardwinning Gospel singer/songwriter; and Jesus House members, Phil and Siam Noel. The money raised was used to feed vulnerable and desperate families who would otherwise have been unable to afford a Christmas lunch.

Many families are dependent on foodbanks through the year and Christmas can be a particularly challenging time financially. Christmas Lunch on Jesus was set up by Jesus House in 2007 to share the love of Christ at Christmas time by providing free hampers to families or people in need, or who are experiencing very difficult circumstances. The hampers are packed with Christmas goodies including a turkey, stuffing, potatoes, carrots, brussels sprouts, gravy, Christmas pudding and chocolates. It is funded from donations from local churches.

PROJECT IMPACT

fter the first year we invited other churches in the borough to come on board with us on this worthy cause.

In 2012, we embarked on the journey of adding a community franchise model so that other communities across the country and beyond could benefit from CLOJ too. The scheme has spread out to communities overseas, in Australia and Brazil. With your physical and monetary contributions, in ten years we have given out over 25,000 hampers in the UK alone and over 5000 volunteers have contributed their time. 25

JESUS HOUSE ANNUAL REPORT 2017

Guests Pastor Phil and Deaconess Siam Noel ministering

Guests

Rev Simon Rea of St Peters Church, Stonegrove, Barnet

Guests and sponsors of the Christmas Lunch on Jesus 10th year anniversary fundraising dinner

Guests

Members of the CLOJ organising team cutting the Christmas Lunch on Jesus 10th year anniversary cake

Former Deputy Mayor of Barnet, Cllr Sury Khatri

The Charity auction in progress

Pastor Ayo, Head of Community Action, giving a toast

Guests Guests at the Christmas Lunch on Jesus 10th year anniversary fundraising dinner

The CLOJ Communications Team, from left to right, Wonu and Tawanda

Guests

Dr and Dr (Mrs) Davies, leaders from a CLOJ partner church

JESUS HOUSE ANNUAL REPORT 2017

owards the end of the year, Pastor Agu was elected Pentecostal President of Churches Together in England (CTE) making him the second person ever to serve in this position. Four years earlier, Bishop Eric Brown, Presiding Bishop of the New Testament Church of God, a black majority Pentecostal church founded in the UK in the fifties by Caribbean migrants, became the first Pentecostal President.

Pastor Agu elected as Pentecostal President of Churches Together in England

Pastor Agu joins five other CTE Presidents tasked with the responsibility of representing Christianity in England by providing ‘spiritual leadership to the national ecumenical movement that facilitates closer working together by the churches in England’. The other CTE Presidents are: Archbishop Angaelos of London

(The President for the Orthodox Churches), the Revd Canon Billy Kennedy (The President nominated by the New Churches, the Religious Society of Friends (i.e. the Quakers) and the Lutheran and Germanspeaking Churches), the Revd Dr Hugh Osgood (The Free Churches Moderator), Cardinal Vincent Nichols (The Cardinal Archbishop of Westminster) and Archbishop Justin Welby (The Archbishop of Canterbury). All the presidents are required to sign a joint covenant which commits them to ‘pray to God to lead us, with all our sisters and brothers in Christ, towards communion in faith, life and witness; so that, united in one body by the one Spirit, we may together witness to the perfect unity of His love’. Commenting on his appointment Pastor Agu said, ‘I consider it an honour and a privilege to serve as one of the six presidents of Churches Together in England… I am hoping that I can bring whatever graces God has given to me to bear as we serve the Church in what I consider exciting times. Exciting because in spite of negative news…, I see tremendous opportunity for the Church. I am believing that as we serve we will play our part in bringing to pass the revival that we so earnestly desire for this nation’. Pastor Agu leading prayers outside Westminister

JESUS HOUSE ANNUAL REPORT 2017

His term in office will run from October 2017 to September 2021.

Churches Together in England is the body that represents Christianity in England, it is recognised as the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;formal ecumenical instrumentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; to facilitate collaboration and encourage unity between the national member churches, presently 48.

OTHER CTE PRESIDENTS

Archbishop Angaelos of London

Archbishop Justin Welby Pastor Agu with the other CTE presidents

Cardinal Vincent Nicols Pastor Agu leading prayers outside Westminister

Hugh Osgood

Pastor Agu and Archbishop Angaelos of London

Rev Canon Billy-Kennedy

JESUS HOUSE ANNUAL REPORT 2017

A PRAYING CHURCH In 2017 we offered a range of prayer initiatives, creating opportunities for individuals to learn and to practice different prayer styles as we sought to develop and establish a praying culture.

JESUS HOUSE ANNUAL REPORT 2017

“

For My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations. Isaiah 56:7

“

e continued in our mission to build a praying church, where people of all ages and backgrounds are united in their desire and passion for constant communication with God through prayer, a church where people prioritise prayer, making it a way of life, and where they come together regularly to pray for God’s intervention in their personal lives and in society.

e launched our prayer webinar on Monday 6th February 2017 with a view to providing an avenue for church members to hold regular, structured and intentional corporate prayer meetings, without requiring their physical presence in the same geographical location. Holding initially for half an hour twice weekly (Monday and Friday) from 6.00am to 6.30am, the frequency was increased to three times, including Wednesdays, with an average number of 200 regular attendees.

THE JH PRAYER WEBINAR JESUS HOUSE ANNUAL REPORT 2017

PRAY 75 REVIVAL PRAYER INITIATIVE

od shapes the world by prayer. The more praying there is in the world, the better the world will be and the mightier the forces against evil everywhere.’ – Edward McKendree Bounds Along with other parishes of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Jesus House participated in a 75-day prayer sprint for the United Kingdom between 1st August and 14th October 2017. In the post-Brexit era of instability and uncertainty in the UK, the RCCG UK Mission launched ‘Pray-75’ which saw hundreds of people set aside 75 minutes each day to intercede for the nation. Inviting people to sign up, Pastor Agu Irukwu, in his capacity as Chair of the Executive Council for

RCCG UK stated: ‘We are living in unprecedented times in the UK today. The future of the nation hangs in the balance as we face a myriad of challenges that do not seem to have straightforward and natural solutions. It is therefore imperative that as God’s representatives on earth, and particularly here in the UK, we should turn to him in prayers for answers and solutions. We are believing God to raise such a groundswell of prayer that something will definitely shift spiritually in this nation.” A special website was set up (www.pray75.church) where people were able to sign up daily to pray using the guidelines and scriptures published. The name of the initiative and the number 75 have symbolic implications for the organisation as the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Pastor Enoch A Adeboye turned 75 years on the 2nd March 2017.

SOZO PRAYER SCHOOL

ozo, the Singles’ Ministry at Jesus House ran two week-long prayer workshops in the course of the year. The first was held at the start of the year from 13th – 17th February, and covered topics such as ‘How to pray’, and ‘How to focus your prayers using Scripture’. The second prayer week (between 27th November and 1st December) themed ‘Fight for your day’ was an extension of the first event and focused on the issues that most unmarried people face in the world today.

SOZO was created to provide a safe and appropriate place of fellowship for unmarried people at all stages of life. The word ‘Sozo’ is derived from the Greek language, and refers to keeping a person safe and secure, removed from harm.

JESUS HOUSE ANNUAL REPORT 2017

T i gh t k n o t s , o r ga n is e d a prayer ch a l le n ge ,

hroughout the month of November, Tightknots, the marriage ministry at Jesus House, ran a 30-day challenge for married couples: Pray Your Way to a Great Marriage. It was an initiative that started in 2012 and has served 100s of couples in the years since. It is aimed at encouraging married couples to spend a few minutes every day praying together and is a fun way of ensuring that this essential component for spiritual growth is not neglected in the busyness of life. Upwards of 50 couples signed up by email and on social media platforms and were supported by daily scriptures, prayer guides and exercises.

JESUS HOUSE ANNUAL REPORT 2017

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Tight â&#x20AC;&#x153; KNOTS

PRAY YOUR WAY TO A GREAT MARRIAGE

THE BLESSINGS OF THE 7TH SEASON

n October Pastor Agu felt the promptings of the Holy Spirit, to engage in a season of earnest fasting and prayer for revival in the United Kingdom. It was during this fast, on Sunday 22nd October, whilst he was preaching a series titled “God Answers Prayers”, that he felt a prophetic unction come upon him and he started prophesying to the church about the ‘season of the seventh time’ based on 1 Kings 18:41 - 46. The 7th season is a season of answered prayer. It is a revelation that came from the story of the prophet Elijah praying on Mount Carmel. Since then, Pastor Agu has continued to develop this prophetic message further in a series of sermons and a study book entitled ‘The Blessings of the 7th Season’ which was presented to the congregation on Sunday, 10th December. In the days following several testimonies of remarkable breakthroughs were reported by people in the United Kingdom and abroad. A website was set up for people to post their personal accounts of answered prayers and divine intervention in their lives and circumstances. Someone who experienced healing from a long-standing ailment said: ‘I am deeply humbled by God’s mercy and love for me, still in awe of this miracle and believe it’s not just one for my gratitude journal but one to share with many people and reconfirm miracles still happen.’ Another lady who was healed from a life-threatening condition said: ‘There will be many things throughout life that will test your faith and pull you in all different directions away from God. Having faith in God is being confident that He loves you, that He cares about your life, and that He’s in control of your future. It’s believing that God is who He says He is and will do what He says He will do.

Pastor Agu in the Jesus House Sound Studio recording the Blessings of the 7th Season audio book

If you put your faith into action, it will be strengthened. Exercise your faith through thanksgiving in every situation because you know God will never forsake you. Remember, if God is for you who can be against you? In other words, instead of magnifying a problem, magnify God.’

Simeon Otung Sound Studio Manager

JESUS HOUSE ANNUAL REPORT 2017

Home for Christmas:

Carol service W

ell into the seasonal spirit, Jesus House welcomed its congregation and local community to its Carol Service, themed â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Home for Christmasâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; which was held on Wednesday 13th December.

JESUS HOUSE ANNUAL REPORT 2017

Seeing in the New Year The

New

Year’s

he New Year’s Eve service is one of the largest events in the church calendar with over 3000 people in attendance. It serves as an opportunity for us as a church to worship and thank God for the outgoing year and to offer up prayers for the coming one. Pastor Agu’s sermon reminded listeners that we all have a purpose. He encouraged each person to trust God and ‘launch out into the deep’ in 2018, to reach beyond their comfort zone and try something new. He reminded listeners of the great rewards in trusting God, pointing to His abiding faithfulness in previous years. The Jesus House music ministry, The Tribe of Judah, led the congregation in worship. Guest ministers on the night included urban contemporary gospel rap artist and composer, Guvna B; and gospel choir Volney Morgan and New Ye, (winners of the Premier Gospel Awards Choir of The Year), whose energetic delivery and dynamic stage presence thrilled the crowd.

JESUS HOUSE ANNUAL REPORT 2017

Eve

Service

JESUS HOUSE ANNUAL REPORT 2017

Faith and Freedom S TAN D I N G W I T H THE PERSEC U TED C HU RC H

he desperate plight of Christians around the world stirred us up to partner with a charity that supports those persecuted around the world for their Christian faith. Open Doors UK and Ireland (ODUKI) publishes the annual World Watch list, which highlights the 50 worst countries to be a Christian.

The Deputy Mayor of Barnet and other distinguished guests joined us on Sunday 19th March 2017 to witness a moving ceremony where members of the Jesus House congregation pledged their support for persecuted Christians through a number of initiatives in the coming year. Pastor Sola Irukwu urged the congregation not to forget what other Christians around the world are going through, “for if one of us suffers, all of us suffer”. Fifty flag bearers marched into the main auditorium bearing Olympic-sized flags as a symbolic representation of the countries on the World Watch List. Pastor Agu led prayers for the Persecuted Church in each of these nations. He said, “It is both alarming and disconcerting to see the scale of persecution towards our Christian brothers and sisters right across this global village that we all live in together. The pain and suffering of one part of the body affects the whole body. We will stand shoulder to shoulder in the cause of highlighting and advocating against these evil practices.” Lisa Pearce, CEO of Open Doors UK ans Ireland, welcomed the partnership and growing friendship between Jesus House and ODUKI. She drew attention to some of the suffering Christians face; highlighting cases were Christians were imprisoned for ‘blasphemy’ in Pakistan and instances where churches were burned, and worshippers regularly killed in Nigeria and Egypt. Notwithstanding these and other horrific circumstances, those persecuted continued to follow Jesus. Each person received a mini-flag representing one of the 50 worst nations to be a Christian as a reminder to pray for that country. They were also encouraged to support Open Doors’ Hope for the Middle East campaign which calls for ‘equality, dignity and a role in reconciliation for Christians and other minorities in Iraq and Syria’ by signing a petition to be presented to the United Nations. Following the service, the 50 flags were mounted, for 50 days, at the top of the Jesus House building in Brent Cross as a powerful visual statement of solidarity with Christians in these countries.

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RED WEDNESDAY M A K I N G A S TA N D F O R FA I T H A N D F R E E D O M

A short open-air lunchtime service, led by Pastor Agu, was a stark reminder of the freedom we enjoy in contrast to the oppression of so many. Speaking about the event, Pastor Agu said: “We wanted to bring attention not only to Christian persecution but also highlight the injustices perpetrated against other faith groups.”

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“

This is an opportunity for us to promote faith and tolerance for people of faith and between different faith traditions in our global society.

“

Towards the end of the year, on Wednesday 22nd of November, the Church also joined in a world-wide initiative, ‘Red Wednesday’, which was aimed at drawing attention to the persecution of Christians and other faiths for their beliefs. ‘Making a Stand for Faith and Freedom’, the Jesus House building, along with other iconic buildings around the UK, including the Palace of Westminster, was lit in red.

JESUS HOUSE ANNUAL REPORT 2017

YOUTH

Kidz

Y A D N U S T FIRS Kidz First is the Children’s ministry at Jesus House for children aged 2 – 12 years.

n September, the children were once again given the opportunity to showcase their talents and the result of months of hard work to the wider church family at the annual Kidz First Sunday. This is when a representation of the children run the Sunday service and serve in various ministry areas as ushers, greeters, marshals, production crew members etc. The theme, ‘My Destiny – born for such a time as this’ was a reminder that one person can make a huge difference in the lives of so many people. An exciting fundraising drive which included a Talent Show and Fun Day, a ‘Who’s the Baby’ competition, lemonade sale, and dress up days for the children yielded £1,652 for Cancer Research UK, the children’s designated charity for the year. The graduating class of 13-year olds were presented with their leavers’ certificates by Pastor Sola Irukwu in a special segment marking the end of their time in the junior church as they transitioned to TM4.12, the Jesus House ministry for 13-16 year olds.

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TM4:12 (‘Team’ 4.12)

TM4:12 take their name fr om the scripture in I Timothy 4:12 : “Let no one despise your youth, bu t be an example to th e believers in word, in conduct, in lo ve, in spirit, in faith, in purity.

YOUTH

RAISED UP IN CHRIST (RUC) SUNDAY

n Sunday 17th September 2017 it was the turn of our Youth ministry to take over the church on RUC Sunday, an annual event that provides an opportunity for the youth to experience serving in various capacities in the wider church. Raised Up in Christ is the youth ministry at Jesus House, it includes TM4:12 (for ages 13 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 16 years) and RUC Squad (ages 16 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 21 years). It is focused on grounding its young members in the values and tenets of the Christian faith and equipping them to live out their faith in practical ways in a modern secular world, whilst also contributing positively to society.

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WOMEN

Esthers is the women’s ministry at Jesus House, bringing together women of all ages. During the year it organised a range of events and activities. These are a few.

he Uncommon Woman Conference (UWC) returned in 2017 from 18th to 20th May. In a change from previous years, the conference was extended by a day. Themed ‘In Sync’, the focus was on relationships. Responding to feedback from previous conferences, breakout sessions were held for the first time focusing on three broad groups of ladies: married, single under 35 and single over 35. In a ground-breaking development, we welcomed our first ever male speakers; Matt Bird, creator of Relationology and CEO of the Cinnamon Network (which enables churches in the UK to work within their local communities by providing start-up funding for projects) who led a general session and Pastor Agu Irukwu who guided the breakout session for single ladies under 35 years old. A strong line-up of speakers 49

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included Pastor Ifeanyi Adefarasin, co-pastor of The House on the Rock and founder of Woman to Woman Ministry which is dedicated to social reformation in West Africa; Dayo Benjamins-Laniyi, author, compere and entrepreneur; Lisa Pearce, CEO of Open Doors UK and Ireland; which works to raise awareness of global persecution of Christians, mobilising prayer, support and action among Christians. Inhouse pastors Chizor Akisanya and Denrele Runsewe led the breakout sessions for married ladies and single ladies over 35 respectively. Worship was led by Chevelle Franklin, (award-winning Jamaican reggae and gospel music minister), the Onuzo sisters (award-winning author Chibundu and singersongwriter Dinachi) and the Tribe of Judah, the Jesus House music ministry.

Delegates at the Photo booth

Dayo Benjamins - Laniyi

ChevelleI Franklin

Dayo Benjamins

Pastor Ifeanyi Adefarasin JESUS HOUSE ANNUAL REPORT 2017

WOMEN

Esthers1830

iscipleship is at the heart of Jesus House and we are committed to guiding, equipping and empowering the next generation of leaders to be ‘salt and light’ in their communities.

This vision was once again borne out when more than 200 women enjoyed Esther’s 1830s’ annual brunch at the Pullman Hotel, King’s Cross, in March 2017. The theme, ‘How do I discover and fulfil my purpose?’ offered guidance on what it means to discover and pursue one’s purpose. Using the analogy of a manufacturer, product and a manual to describe our relationship with God, main speaker, Pastor Agu Irukwu pointed the ladies to the Bible, or as he described it, ‘the manual’ as holding the key to discovering our purpose. He stressed the importance of having the right people in your corner to support and encourage you. The guest panel included Angela Thomas, founder of a wedding and events planning company and co-ordinator of various social projects including London Fellowship and Fe-Male; and Samantha Ike, final year medical student who juggles her responsibilities as a mother with the rigours of medical school. Drawing on her passion for entrepreneurship and seeing millennials utilise their God-given gifts to serve, Angela shared her inspirational testimony, which underscored the importance of seizing each day and the opportunities offered to us.

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Esthers 1830 is part of the Esther’s women ministry at Jesus House, specifically created for women aged 18 through to their mid-30s. It is co-ordinated by ladies within this age group, with oversight from the female leadership of the Church. They share a passion for building a strong, inclusive, authentic and empowering community that can grow in God’s word, fellowship, learn from one another and make a difference in their various spheres of influence.

“

I think finding your purpose is a lifetime endeavour; it’s a process that should be enjoyed and not rushed. It should ultimately be decided by the Holy Spirit along with a desire to know what God has planned for your life.

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WOMEN

The Esthers

MEN TO RI N G SC H E ME

he Esthers’ Mentoring Scheme (EMS) is an 8-week personal development and empowerment programme based on the ‘Shine’ programme developed by Hillsong Church. The key concepts of Worth, Strength and Purpose are examined within small groups to create an environment where delegates can feel safe enough to be vulnerable and so receive empowerment. Now in its 8th year, the programme is open to women above 18 years old. It has since established a system through which past mentees are encouraged to become mentors. Approximately 400 women between ages 18 and 78 years old have attended the programme since it was launched in January 2010. The programme is run 2 – 3 times each year. In 2017 there were 35 participants. Kemi Taylor, who attended as a mentee in 2013 and subsequently became a mentor gives this account of her mentoring journey:

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‘I attended EMS as a mentee in 2013. I felt it was something the Lord wanted me to take part in when it was advertised in church.’ She describes her experience as: ‘Lots of growth, tears and fun!’ She initially volunteered to provide administrative support and then signed up to be trained as a mentor. It has been four years since she became a mentor and she has seen several women pass through EMS. ‘I wanted to give back, and truth be told, you always learn something every single time, even as a mentor. It has been lots of fun, a time of continuous reflection and personal growth. I continue to meet lots of very lovely women who have so much inside of them. Seeing their growth from day 1 till the last day of the retreat is very fulfilling and a reminder that we all have something inside of us - which sometimes needs someone else to spot or encourage us to pursue.’

The programme ends with a weekend residential retreat during which the ladies are presented with Certificates of Participation. EMS is co-ordinated by Pastor Funke Adeaga (who holds a Masters degree in Christian Mentoring and is founder of the Christian Mentoring Association, which promotes mentoring within the Christian community) and Dr Zion Ekundare, a trained counsellor who runs the Jesus House Counselling Centre.

Pastor Funke Adeaga

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2017

he Mandate Men’s Conference continues to grow and returned in 2017 from Thursday 31st August to Saturday 2 September. The theme was Transformation, with the aim of supporting the growth of men who are able to rightly apply kingdom principles in every area of their lives such that they become influencers in their communities. The 3-day event featured a line-up of worldrenowned speakers including Dr A.R. Bernard, Founder and senior pastor of the Christian Cultural Centre, Brooklyn, New York; Lord Michael John Hastings, Baron Hastings of Scarisbrick CBE, Global Head of Citizenship and Diversity at KPMG International. Lanre Olusola (also known as The Catalyst) who is widely recognised as a premier life, mind, emotions and behavioural change coach. Speaking at the breakfast meeting on Saturday 3rd September, which is the traditional conclusion of the conference was Mr Ken Costa, top investment banker and chair of numerous charities, including Alpha International which promotes Alpha, an introductory course to Christianity. He is also the author of ‘God At Work’ a book about Christianity’s relationship to the workplace and ‘Know Your Why’ in 2016, about finding and fulfilling one’s calling. The number of father-son duos attending the breakfast painted a strong picture of unity and was an opportunity for them to enjoy some quality time together, bond with other men and, to acquire knowledge. Mrs Kemi Olutunbi made history as Mandate’s first ever female speaker, as together with her husband Bode, (with whom she leads TightKnots, the marriage ministry) led a breakout session titled ‘A Shelter in the Storm – Building a marriage that can withstand the Storms of Life’.

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TRANSFORMATION

MEN

Dr A R Bernard; Pastor Shola Adeaga, Mr Ken Costa, Dr A R Bernard and Pastor Agu Irukwu

TIGHTKNOTS The Marriage Ministry

etween 28th April and 1 May 2017, we held our 19th marriage enrichment retreat at Alexandra House in Swindon, Wiltshire, South west England where 45 couples gathered to nurture their marriages. The Tightknots team went to great lengths to create a welcoming and relaxing environment with everything in place for couples to spend some special bonding time away from the day to day pressures of life, while investing in their marriages. The theme was ‘A Kingdom Marriage’. An exciting programme of activities included workshops, talks, open and frank conversations, men-only and women-only group discussions, dance classes, a movie afternoon, BBQ and of course, the pièce de résistance was the dinner and dance date night themed ‘Glamour and Sparkles.’ “I loved all the little touches, opening our door and seeing rose petals strewn across the bed was a beautiful picture; it was very heartwarming to know that someone had taken the trouble to prepare for us. It seemed as if every time we returned to our room there was a surprise waiting.

ightknots, the marriage ministry at Jesus House has one goal; to support couples and encourage them as they build Christ-centred marriages. We would like to see healthy and fulfilling marriages which thrive on commitment, intimacy and growth and which leave a legacy for future generations. A variety of marriage enrichment events are run to promote godly marriages for members of the church and the community, including prayer sessions for marriages, the annual couples’ weekend away and various social events such as movie and entertainment nights.

JESUS HOUSE ANNUAL REPORT 2017

“I loved the personalised touches, the card that had our names, the chocolates and the gifts. The practical exercises were great fun, but my favourite was the ‘Love tree’ and the wooden hanging heart on which we wrote our hopes before hanging it on the tree.” – CWA couple “I want to say thank you to…the Tightknots team. I appreciate all you do that help support kingdom marriages…Your attention to detail and the planning to make sure you keep things fresh and creative and still meet most people’s needs - spoken and otherwise, may take a lot out of you but my prayer is that God will reward your labour of love - and also refresh you all. I was blessed by this last CWA, as I was the first time I attended two years ago.” – CWA couple

Oyinda and Tayo Abinusawa

Mr and Mrs Anthony-Williams

Couples

The longest married couple

The Love Tree

Mr and Mrs Kanga

Obinna and Efe Iheanacho

Weekend Away 2017 Husband serenading wife

Husband serenading wife

Dancing the night away

All dressed up for dinner

Group session

The MCs leading couples in a game JESUS HOUSE ANNUAL REPORT 2017

TIGHTKNOTS The Marriage Ministry

Love and Marriage: AN EVENING WITH AGU AND SOLA IRUKWU

olding its second event abroad, (the first was the 2016 couples’ weekend retreat in Portugal) Tightknots took its marriage enrichment message to Lagos, Nigeria. ‘An evening with Agu and Sola Irukwu’ was an informal evening aimed at equipping couples with time-tested tools that would help shore up their marriages.

Emphasising God’s blueprint for marriage, Pastors Agu and Sola dealt with a range of topics including working together as a team, managing personality differences, dealing with conflict, valuing one another and enjoying intimacy. Their delivery which was engaging, practical, down-to-earth and peppered with humour was well-received. Pastor Agu and Pastor Sola Irukwu at the photobooth

Building relationships

Deaconess Kemi and Deacon Bode Olutunbi, Heads of the Jesus House marriage ministry

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The guestbook

FAMILY REUNION Jesus House would not be what it is today without your involvement, and our collective story could not be completely told without you, so if you have ever passed through the doors of any of our places of worship, we consider you family and would like to thank you for contributing to the Jesus House mission.

he first reunion of the Jesus House community in Nigeria took place on the 10th of November, at the Civic Centre in Lagos with 176 people in attendance. The event was an opportunity for former Jesus House members who had relocated to Nigeria, to re-connect with each other and with the church leadership. Expressing his gratitude on behalf of the church, Pastor Agu highlighted their contributions, stressing the fact that they were a crucial part of the Jesus House story. He shared the vision for the next phase of the church and outlined the ways in which they could continue to be a part of the journey notwithstanding geographical separation.

The Jesus House Community is made up of people who have passed through Jesus House in some capacity, during our 23year existence and who desire to remain a part of the church and to be kept abreast of our activities.

Pastor Agu with former JH members

Mrs Morenike Olubode with former Pastor Ayobami Olunloyo with former JH members JH members

Deaconess Laide Olunloyo with former JH members

Guests arriving

Pastor Bajo with former JH members JESUS HOUSE ANNUAL REPORT 2017

Celebrating Life F

or the 12th consecutive year, Jesus House hosted the annual Celebrating Life banquet in honour of the elderly citizens of the boroughs of Barnet and Brent. On Saturday 29th July 2017, over 400 residents of care homes in the borough, along with their carers, were treated to an afternoon of music, dancing and a much-loved walk along memory lane.

JESUS HOUSE ANNUAL REPORT 2017

Michael Elwood

Cutting the Celebrating Life cake

The Abigail’s Court team

Head of Abigail’s Court, Mrs Stella Jackson-Obot

Kidz First performing at Celebrating Life

Guests

JESUS HOUSE ANNUAL REPORT 2017

Michael Elwood, a long standing member of Jesus House arrives

Guests

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OUTREACH

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NSIB RESPO

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MISSION TRIP TO BRAZIL 2017

hen Jesus House member and Deacon, Wesley Skau, began an outreach to prison inmates and their families in the southern Brazilian town of Londrina nearly ten years ago, it soon became apparent that much more was needed to be done, particularly amongst the children. Today, the Jesus House Outreach in Brazil includes running a children’s sports centre, distributing more than 1,000 Christmas Hampers, 2,000 Easter chocolate boxes and providing monthly pop-up barber salons for children. In July 2017, Pastor Ayo Adedoyin who heads our Community Action efforts, visited Londrina to see first-hand the work there and to ascertain how the work may be developed further in the future. The Jesus House Community Sports Centre engages children in weekly activities including taekwondo and P.E. and provides them with a place to receive guidance and encouragement. Children who would have walked the streets and ended up in crime and drug use and trafficking are now being taught that their lives matter and they can make a positive difference. Those who have succumbed to a life of crime are being told they can have a second chance and through God’s help, they can make a great impact in the lives of others around them. More than 200 children are involved in activities at the centre every week. There are also various outreach opportunities in impoverished neighbourhoods such as Crystal in the south of Londrina. Countless residents have fallen on hard times and their children are at risk of becoming involved with crime as teens.

Many don’t reach adulthood because of the high level of crime-related deaths. Weekly activities are provided to influence them in a positive way. Every month, ten professional barbers and hairdressers volunteer their time to provide them with new haircuts, not only meeting a basic need, but helping them to establish relationships to enable them to inspire and encourage the children whilst sharing the Gospel with them. Pastor Ayo saw the value in engaging these children in Bible study classes and academic tutorials whilst they are young. “Often, a life of drugs and crime is the result of poverty and believing your life is worthless. By giving them the tools to learn, we could provide these children with the means to pull themselves out of poverty and potentially become influential people in their communities,” he stated. Key to getting official funding for facilities such as playgrounds is registering the much-respected outreach as a ministry. In addition, financial backing through sponsorship for specific projects such as the barbing salon, would enable the Jesus House Outreach to branch out and provide more services. Pastor Ayo explained: “Within Londrina, we have already witnessed the impact which can be made when important business men and leaders get behind an idea. “If we could continue to enlist this form of assistance through corporate sponsors and leaders in our own area, we could increase the outreaches already being provided and open up other opportunities which will save the lives of these precious children.”

Pastor Ayo with some of the Brazil project volunteers

Delivery of Christmas Lunch on Jesus Hampers to residents

Christmas Lunch on Jesus Brazil volunteers

The Jesus House sponsored football team just before their match at the city Stadium

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Ifeyinwa Alison Irukwu

EDUCATION FUND

he Ifeyinwa Alison Irukwu Trust Fund set up in memory of late Pastor Ify Irukwu (1966 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 2007), continues to sponsor the education of disadvantaged children in developing countries. The fund is accessible to all children of school age irrespective of race, religion or gender, who otherwise would never be educated. The goal is to sponsor children in every developing country. Presently, five children are being sponsored in Malawi (through African Child Trust), five in Rwanda (through Solace Ministries) and one in Nigeria. In 2017 two of the children Divine Kamikazi and Christian Kirenga - started secondary school .

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SIERRA LEONE FLOOD RELIEF 2017 Every Little Countsâ&#x20AC;Ś

n 14 August 2017, there was a devastating mudslide on the outskirts of Freetown, Sierra Leone resulting from three days of torrential rain. The poorest of the poor had built houses in this unsafe area which was the epicentre of the flooding and mudslide. Over 1000 people died and thousands more were left destitute, their homes, belongings and tools of trade all subsumed by the mudslide. Recognising the need for an interim, immediate response, long-time member of Jesus House, Oluyomi Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;tuminu, originally from Sierra Leone, mobilised support from family

members to ascertain what could be done. One of the early responders to the crisis was Don Boscoe, an established charity operating in Freetown, which had provided makeshift tents to provide shelter, aid and daily meals and offer medical services to 250 women and children. Oluyomi and her family members arranged for a local bakery in Freetown (the Red Lion bakery) to supply 500 large bread rolls daily to the Don Boscoe relief effort for a two-week period. Jesus House came on board to keep the food supply going by contributing financially towards ensuring a further two weeks supply of bread each day. This immediate response was key to the relief effort and ensured that critical support was available ahead of longterm solutions.

Don Boscoe is an international non-governmental organisation, headquartered in Italy, with roots in the Roman Catholic faith. It is a world-leading missionary organisation and one of the leading authorities in child protection and child welfare, operating in Sierra Leone since the late 90s. It offers a range of services, including crisis intervention, provision of clothing, shelter, food, educational opportunities, counselling support and family reunification.

Dan Boscoe charity providing breakfast for some of the victims of the mudslide

Temporary Camps for the families who lost their homes during the mudslide

Bread rolls provided by Jesus House

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‘RELEASING CHILDREN FROM POVERTY IN JESUS’ NAME’ A COMPASSION SPONSOR’S JOURNEY TO THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

n January 31st 2017, Wonu Yoloye, our Communicatioins Manager joined a team of Redeemed Christian Church of God ordained ministers on a mission trip organised by Compassion, UK to the Dominican Republic. Compassion UK’s mission is ‘releasing children from poverty in Jesus’ name and to see the practial outworking of this, was the essence of Wonu’s trip’. The programme of activities included visits to churches that ran local Compassion-sponsored projects followed by visits to the homes of some of the sponsored children. “Some of the houses we visited were literally held up by cardboard paper and sticks and covered by corrugated roofs. Some houses had gutters running through them but still the children seemed happy. The parents cried as they told us their stories and thanked us for sponsoring their children, so they

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could have access to amenities that they, as parents, couldn’t afford to give them.” Summing up the experience, Wonu said: “Before the trip, in my mind, I was the one ‘doing something to improve’ the lives of the people in the Dominican Republic but I can honestly say that my life is better because I met them...without a shadow of a doubt. I got back to the UK and convinced a few of my friends to sponsor two girls with me; their names are Ekua (from Ghana) and Samantha (from the Dominican Republic). Please pray for them every time you get a minute. Let’s pray that poverty will not be a barrier to what God wants to do in their lives in Jesus’ name. Amen.”

Home of a benefactor of the child sponsorship programme

John Draper, National Partnerships Director at Compassion UK with a sponsored child

At the ministerio Cristiano Jesus el mesias student centre

Wonu Yoloye and Dupe Yemidale (another RCCG delegate) with Compassion staff who were former Compassion sponsored children themselves

Reception at the Child sponsorship Programme hosted by the Ministerio de Predicacion y ayuda Eliezer

A mother and baby room for teenage mothers sponsored by Compassion

RCCG delegates on their way to the Dominican replublic

Staff at the child sponsorship project with RCCG delegates

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SOLACE MINISTRIES

n 2017, we continued to support the work of several organisations transforming the lives of people and communities around the world.

One of those organisations, is Solace Ministries, which empowers poor families to create their own source of income, with the provision of micro loans. Donations from Jesus House provided 77 families with vital startup funding for small businesses selling food crops, oil and agricultural tools in the Ruhango district of Rwanda. Solace Ministries is a Rwandan charitable organization established in July 1996 following the Genocide of 1994 with a vision to comfort widows and orphans. Today, the survivors of the war and genocide are still struggling to reestablish their lives. Hundreds of widows and orphans have been comforted and given a restored desire to live through the work and projects of Solace Ministries. Hundreds of others have overcome feelings of hatred, anger and resentment. Most of the beneficiaries of Solace Ministries have lost their entire families but have found an alternative family through the large family at Solace Ministries. Adopting a holistic approach, Solace offers a wide range of

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services including: Counselling and evangelism, childcare and development, HIV/AIDS and health awareness programmes, school sponsorship, housing, farming associations and income generating activities (IGA). Jesus House shares this vision of care for the orphans and widows of Rwanda and since 2010 has provided a range of support to the communities of Kaduha and Kabagari. This support includes: A Pig Farm Project aimed at generating income. In February 2010 a donation of £4,770 ensured that each family in Kaduha received a pig to be bred for income generation. ‘Bras Without Borders’ - In October of that same year, Esthers, our women’s ministry, donated underwear to Rwandan women. The gift was presented to the women as a demonstration of love and support from one woman to another, by a representative of Esthers. In addition, the young adults at Jesus House funded and helped set up a computer training school at the Solace Ministries Centre in Kigali in October 2011.

Sano, one of the sponsored children, with his mum

Solace Ministries representative with the residents of Kinihira

Landmark in Kinihira

Residents of Kabagali

Fridaus, A young child being sponsored by the Ifeyinwa Irukwu Trust Foundation, with Dr Aderemi Banjoko, Founder of Solace Ministries

Residents of Kabagali

Indigens of JESUS Kabagali HOUSE ANNUAL REPORT 2017

OUTREACH

A CALL TO SERVE ACT S

WEEK

Call to Serve (ACTS) Week is rooted in the biblical commandment to ‘love thy neighbour,’ and was initiated to encourage Christlike love and service within our local communities in the aftermath of the 2011 riots in several London boroughs, towns and cities across England. With a focus on the vulnerable members of our community, and those with a particular need, (including the elderly, disabled and lone parents), the week-long scheme sees volunteers from Jesus House donating their time to provide a much-needed clearing and de-cluttering service to our neighbours in the borough of Barnet.

Some recipient comments:

██ “Why are you helping me with my garden, and for free?” ██ “This is the first time I have seen my garden in the last 15 years! I’m so grateful” ██ “You guys are really doing a great job, I will never forget this.”

In 2017, ACTS week ran from 14th – 19th August. In total 22 homes were served. The response to the team’s generosity was largely surprise and curiosity as to why strangers would go out of their way to help in such a manner. Young people spending time helping those more vulnerable

With God all things are possible

Mission impossible?

Definitely getting on top of the Work

Even children got involved

JESUS HOUSE ANNUAL REPORT 2017

Walking the streets to raise funds for CLOJ

WALKING IN SUPPORT OF THE CHRISTMAS LUNCH ON JESUS INITIATIVE

THE HOSPITALITY TEAM

ur volunteers are the back-bone of the church and their contributions are valued greatly in every aspect of church life. They are quite literally the eyes, ears, heart, hands and feet that enable the fulfilment of the church’s objectives. With contributions ranging from parking cars, driving shuttle buses, offering a friendly welcome, leading worship, caring for children, manning an information desk, operating a camera, keeping the church in tip-top shape, or handing out food and beverages to a host of other activities, our volunteers remain

dedicated to helping to meet the needs of everyone who attends the church. Upwards of 600 volunteers contribute their time and skills by serving in over 50 teams that make up our church workforce. One of these teams, the Hospitality Team, embarked on a project aptly termed ‘Winter Walk and Worship’. It was a charity walk from Brent Cross to Wembley Stadium with a multi-purpose focus: raising funds for the Christmas Lunch on Jesus initiative, keeping fit, team bonding and most especially, sharing the love of Christ. The day was a tremendous success with £4000+ raised for CLOJ, which translated to providing 160 less privileged households with a Christmas hamper.

Praying together

Rumbi Gisarin Hospitality Team Leader

JESUS HOUSE ANNUAL REPORT 2017

Rumbi Gisanrin with members of the Hospitality Team

EXPRESSIONS

e i n o h p o c Fran

hrough the leadership of Pastors Mark and Marceline Menda, the Francophonie Church is able to extend the Jesus House vision to French-speaking residents in and around North London. Approximately 100 people attend the weekly services at Jesus House Francophonie. The nations represented include: Ivory Coast, Mauritius, the Republic of Congo, Italy, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), France, Burundi, Madagascar and Scotland. In 2017 the church held a variety of activities and events including a worship night, a youth day, and various events for the children.

A Night of Worship

Pastor Mark (3rd from right) shares a joke with church members

The women’s conference (Sandra Mbuyi ministering with Tribu de Juda)

Family Dinner Quiz

Francoise and Pastor Marceline Menda at the women’s conference

Youth Choir Day

Church family dinner

Kidz First performing at the Tribu de Juda Concert

Women’s Conference (with Guest Speaker Ruth Ntumba)

The Women’s Choir

Tribu de Juda Concert

The Mendas at the Family Dinner Guests at the Family Dinner

JESUS HOUSE ANNUAL REPORT 2017

BREAKING NEW GROUND All Nations Church

n 1 October 2017, the latest Jesus House off-shoot opened its doors for its inaugural service. A team of 10 led by pastors Biyi and Tolu Akinosun started the All Nations Church at the Destiny Centre in Leyton, East London. Since then, life at the fledgling church has been a whirlwind of activity. The first few months were spent getting to know their neighbours and building relationships with other local churches. Their membership of 26 was increased by the

Members of All Nations Church

births of three babies in quick succession! The church introduced Christmas Lunch on Jesus to the borough, distributing hampers to members of the local community. The future looks bright for All Nations. In 2018, the church plans to start a soup kitchen and debt relief centre to help people with unmanageable debt in conjunction with Christians Against Poverty.

JESUS HOUSE ANNUAL REPORT 2017

U MY SUMMER ADVENTURE

niversity undergraduate, Tolu Ilemobola spent her summer vacation volunteering with Restless Development, a youth-led development agency whose mission is ‘to place young people at the forefront of change and development.’ It works in India, Nepal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

TOLU ILEMOBOLA IN SOUTH AFRICA

She spent three months in South Africa helping to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS, gender-based violence and helping young people with CV writing and developing interview skills. As part of her community outreach programme, she was required to run a project in line with the goals of Restless Development to mark the end of her period there. She decided to organise an event that would have a lasting impact on the community. “When we evaluated the work of previous volunteers, I noticed that every cycle had organised a football tournament for the youth as part of their big event for the community. But I didn’t want to leave them with just another football tournament. I wanted to leave them with something greater, and that is when I thought of a Spelling Bee competition.” “To witness children from ages 7 years up to 15 years stand in the presence of their friends, and for one child, her mother, and spell words with such confidence, and for some with timidity, was a priceless moment”. Speaking further of her experience she said: “I stayed in East London, a city situated in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. I was posted to one of the three rural towns in the area, Tsolo. Myself and three other volunteers were taken in by our host mother Mama Jamalega, who graciously provided us with two rooms…We were the only people in Tsolo who had two rooms, others lived in a ‘roundville’ – and they had to sleep, cook, eat and wash there. If there is one word that I can use to wrap up the experience God allowed me to have in South Africa, the word would be ‘favour’…No one picked their place of birth or their choice of how they were born, we were all placed somewhere, at a particular time for a particular reason, and for some that was either fortunate or unfortunate. And God has blessed me with a fortunate life.”

Tolu Ilemobola

JESUS HOUSE ANNUAL REPORT 2017

Tolu with the children in Tsolo Community

Tolu Illemobola with traditional dancers in the Tsolo town centre

Tolu Ilemobola with the children in the Tsolo Community The young contestants of the Spelling Bee competition

Preparing for a no litter campaign in the local town

Last night in Tsolo celebrated with a cultural night

Tolu with her South African host family and team mates

Winner of the Spelling Bee competition with the spelling bee judges

Joy at being featured in the local newspaper (Daily Dispatch) in Tsolo

Tolu and her South African host mother

A 15 year old spelling Bee contestant

JESUS HOUSE ANNUAL REPORT 2017

Three members of Jesus House started the year off conquering Mount Kilimanjaro, following fast on the heels of Pastor Sola Irukwu and Deaconess Tomi Coker who had reached the summit a year earlier.

The

Kwabena Asare, Folusho Aluko and Ayoola Bandele each had different reasons for embarking on this feat but what they had in common was the desire to make a lasting difference in the lives of children. A photojournal captured their experiences.

OUR KILIMANJARO TREK FOR COMPASSION UK “It all started when a team of 19 volunteers, including Kwabena Asare, Ayoola Bandele and Foluso Aloko from RCCG, Jesus House, London decided to climb Mount Kilimanjaro to raise funds for Compassion UK, one of the world’s leading child development and advocacy organizations. Compassion provides education and support to less privileged children globally, who otherwise will not have the opportunity.

FUNDRAISING The target was to raise a minimum of £2000 or find sponsorship for at least 2 chidren each. All funds were going towards the development of a HIV Support centre in Arusha, Tanzania.

TRAINING AND PREPARATION Training involved hours in the gym, training, running, cycling and long practice treks up various hills and mountains. Other preparation also involved shopping for our hiking kit – everything we imagined would be required to survive life on a mountain for 6 days – from high to freezing temperatures, high altitude and reduced levels of oxygen. All through the preparation period, we had immense support and encouragement from Compassion UK and Rightfoot Adventure (the company that organises challenges for Compassion and other charities).

JESUS HOUSE ANNUAL REPORT 2017

CLIMB BY FOLU

KE ALUK O

THE JOURNEY After months of fundraising and preparation, the day finally came for our trip. On the 20th of January 2017, we all headed to the airport where we met the other members of our amazing team. I was amazed at how much and how quickly we all bonded. It’s great to work with people who share the same interests and passion as you. We arrived at Kilimanjaro airport around 8.00pm after which we were taken to our accommodation at Moivaro Lodge, ready to take on Mount Kilimanjaro and for the adventure of a life time. We spent the next day at one of the Compassion projects which was definitely a life changing experience for us. We met Compassion staff, church leaders, families and previously sponsored children who had now graduated. We were also able to visit some of the families in their homes. Finally, the day came when the trek started. We drove for about four hours to the starting point of the Rongai route where we met our guides and porters and the trek commenced. We trekked for about four hours, (approximately four miles), to an elevation of 2,671m. We spent the first night at Simba camp; for some of us, it was our first experience of sleeping in a sleeping bag and a tent! As we progressed up the mountain, the temperature dropped, and the air got thinner with less oxygen. The vegetation gradually reduced and by day 4 it had totally disappeared. At this point, some of us had started to react to the high altitude and felt very sick, but we were all determined to carry on. With encouragement from each other and the immense support from our guides we pressed on, one step at a time, as the guides kept reminding us to go “pole pole” (slowly slowly). Finally, it was summit night. We camped at Kibo hut at an elevation of 4720m. After an early dinner, we were sent to bed between 6.00 and 7.00pm only to be woken up at 11.00pm for the journey ahead.

The team lined up and started up very slowly to the summit. This was probably the toughest part of the trek. The temperature was about -20 degrees (minus 20). We had spent an average of six to eight hours trekking each day over the last four days. Some of us had aches and pains and wondered if we would complete the trek. However, all the fear, anxiety and pain disappeared the moment we hit the top! There was such a feeling of achievement and fulfilment. The view of the sun rising over Kilimanjaro was absolutely amazing.

Our team raised over ÂŁ27,000 and secured sponsorship for 59 children in different countries. Looking back, we can confidently say that climbing Mount Kilimanjaro to raise funds for charity has been the most rewarding thing most of us have ever done.

JESUS HOUSE ANNUAL REPORT 2017

‘IT’S ALL WORKING OUT’

Arinola’s second album launch

n 29th October 2017, the congregation at Jesus House witnessed the launch of Arinola Nnatuanya’s latest album, It’s All Working

Out.’

Following the success of her debut album, ‘The Secret Place’, Jesus House member and worship leader Arinola Nnatuanya’s rich vocals were once again captured in her latest album ‘It’s All Working Out’ which encourages the listener’s active participation on a journey of total surrender to the Lord, in thanksgiving and praise, as through each song she expresses a deep desire for greater intimacy with Him.

Arinola Anthonia Nnatuanya is a lead vocalist and worship leader with The Tribe of Judah, the worship team at Jesus House, of which she has been a part since 2002.

Arinola performing at her album launch

It’s All Working Out’, CD Cover

JESUS HOUSE ANNUAL REPORT 2017

Pastor Ife and Arinola Nnatuanya

AgelessONE The

CONCERT

n Saturday 6th October, approximately 600 people gathered at Jesus House for the Ageless One concert, brainchild of Tai and Yemi Durojaiye, Jesus House members. A sterling line-up of long-standing cross-denominational music ministers including Noel Robinson, Danny Oates, Helen Yousaf (an ordained Minister from Elim Pentecostal Church), Philip and Siam Noel, Remi Odumesi, Josephine Eaton, Dr Grace Madueke, Phoebe Durojaiye and the Tribe of Judah came together in a powerful portrayal of unity in the Body of Christ. Pastor Agu Irukwu led prayers for the United Kingdom against the backdrop of the song ‘Heal Our Land.

Phoebe Durojaiye the young songwriter singing her song ‘Never Gonna Stop’

Pastor Phil and Siam Noel sing ‘Worthy to be Praised’

Tribe of Judah lightens the auditorium as they sing ‘God My Rock, God My Light and Salvation’

Tai & Yemi Durojaiye (TaiYemi)

Taiyemi singing ‘Heal Our Land’

Pastor Agu prays for the land with the song ‘Heal Our Land’

MC Remi Odumesi and Danny Oates in exuberant praise

Pastor Phil and Siam Noel Pastor Agu exhorts the audience sing ‘Worthy to be Praised’

MC Remi Odumesi and Danny Oates in exuberant praise

Noel Robinson singing about the power of resurrection in ‘He is Risen’

Pastor Agu Irukwu and Mrs Stella Jackson-Obot

Signing copies of her book

The public presentation of Stella Jackson Obot’s

Broken Vessel’

With volunteers at her book launch

hey say it is never too late to chase a dream. Stella Jackson-Obot understands this all too well. A retired barrister, she is perhaps better known in Jesus House for heading up the Abigail’s Court ministry, which supports the elderly in our local boroughs of Brent and Barnet. But over the past couple of years, she was also completing work on her debut novel which was launched at Jesus House on Sunday 9th April. ‘Broken Vessel’ - the first part of a trilogy called, The Atonement Series, tells the story of a woman’s struggle to overcome the stigma and shame resulting from a traumatic childhood experience. Stella wanted to write books that touched on everyday experiences, but which also exposed areas of secrecy and tackled the stigma and shame surrounding abuse with understanding and sensitivity. Drawing on themes such as hope, restoration and forgiveness, ‘Broken Vessel’ is a real page-turner which leaves the reader chomping at the bit to get into the sequel. We look forward to parts two and three – ‘Restoration’ and ‘Justified.’

JESUS HOUSE ANNUAL REPORT 2017

Volunteers at the book launch

Chibundu Onuzo

WELCOMES ALL TO LAGOS

till in her twenties, Chibundu Onuzo stamped her footprint firmly on the world literary map with the release of her second novel, ‘Welcome to Lagos’ published by Faber and Faber. Her debut novel, ‘The Spider King’s Daughter’, published when she was only 21 years old made her the publishing house’s youngest signing in its history. ‘Welcome to Lagos,’ which launched to positive reviews at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, London on 12 January 2017, examines the politics and society of Nigeria through the lives of an ill-assorted crew of five who find themselves thrust together by choice and circumstance. The evening featured music performances which included multi-talented Onuzo, poetry and readings from the book.

Pastor Agu and Chibundu Onuzo

Guests at the book launch

Pastor Sola and Agu Irukwu

Chibundu Onuzo being interviewed

Welcome to Lagos

Dr Okey Onuzo, Proud father of the Author JESUS HOUSE ANNUAL REPORT 2017

JESUS HOUSE ANNUAL REPORT 2017

he Festival of Life is an all-night programme of inspirational worship, prayer and Bible teaching which brings together people of diverse backgrounds and denominations united by a common desire to pray for the nation, the government and the family. Organized by the Redeemed Christian Church of God and hosted by its General Overseer Pastor E A Adeboye, the first Festival of Life was held in London in April 1996. It has since become one of the largest non-denominational gatherings of its kind in the UK, with over 40,000 adults in attendance. In 2017, the Festival of Life returned to the London Docklands Excel centre on 21 October. Themed ‘Rest,’ the programme included appearances by Lord Michael Hastings (Global Head of Corporate Citizenship at KPMG International and former Head of Public Affairs and Head of Corporate Responsibility at the BBC); Eddie Lyle, President of Open Doors UK and Ireland who together with Pastor Agu Irukwu presented the Hope for the Middle East petition, to which thousands added their signature, indicating their support for persecuted Christians in the Middle East; award-winning artist, Nathaniel Bassey and dance group ‘Synergy’ who presented a compelling demonstration of our victory in Christ.

Synergy

Ancient Landma

Pastor E. A. Ad

eboye Pastor Mrs Fo

lu Adeboye

The F estiv

al of

Life Y outh

Choir

Ancient Landmark

Festival of

Ancient Landmark

Life choir

Lord Hastings and Steve Clifford

Nathaniel Bassey JESUS HOUSE ANNUAL REPORT 2017

MAXIMISING POTENTIAL IN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

he Jesus House Information Technology (JHIT) conference returned for the third year between 2 – 4th November. It is a career and entrepreneurial development initiative designed to deliver handson training and workshops on a range of Information Technology fields, in addition to providing practical tips on developing a successful career in IT.

The three-day event attracted over 500 attendees, providing networking opportunities with a vast section of the industry. The conference was the brainchild of the Jesus House IT team which is supported by members of the congregation, professionals in the field, who volunteer their time and expertise to assist in meeting the church’s IT requirements. In 2017, the Conference received part sponsorship from Google and partnered with the British Computer Society, A sterling line-up featuring 45 speakers included Clarence Odogwu (Chief Information Security Officer of Sainsbury’s and Argos) and John Morton (Chief Technology Officer CPM and founder of 3 technology start-ups) who delivered keynote addresses. Commenting on the benefits of the event, a few attendees said: “I have been looking to change career and the conference helped to clarify certain myths. I am now better informed and can make the bold move to forge ahead.”

FEEDBACK AND STATISTICS KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER AND IMPACT 72% of delegates gave 5-star rating CONFERENCE DELIVERY 66% of delegates gave 5-star rating AUDIENCE ENGAGEMENT 67% of delegates gave 5-star rating THE CONFERENCE VENUE 84% of delegates gave 5-star rating THE DIFFERENT SESSIONS – SEMINARS AND WORKSHOPS AND CV REVIEWS

“I am short of words because this is beyond my expectations and I pray that God will help me to be able to contribute to the next JHIT Conf. God bless the organisers. Thank you.”

61% of delegates gave 5-star rating

“Brilliantly setup, good to see a church organisation put together such an impactful event.”

84% of delegates are likely to attend next event

“What I gained in one the workshops is more valuable and content rich than the training programme I spent £8,000 to attend. I wonder why I did not hear about this event in the past years.”

Haiyan Wu - Chair, British Computer Society, Young Professionals Group

Delegates

OTHER KEY STATISTICS

84% of delegates are likely to recommend the event to their friends

Delegates being coached during the CV review session

Wale Okuyelu 89

JESUS HOUSE ANNUAL REPORT 2017

Ade Dina , Head of the Jesus House IT department

THE JESUS HOUSE

Academy T

he Jesus House Academy, the teaching arm of Jesus House, offers a range of classes including baptism preparation classes for adults and children, weekly bible study classes, Sunday school classes for adults and a New believers’ forum. About 60 adults, teenagers and children attend preparation classes and are baptised at Jesus House during ceremonies held in April and September each year. The Jesus House Academy team in conjunction with the children’s and youth ministries ran age appropriate preparatory courses for the different year groups.

Speaking of their

experience, some of the participan ts said: ‘The Baptism cla ss was so amaz ing ! I found it reall eyes to how it cle y opened my anses us of our sin s (the old man) by flesh and actuall dying in our y makes us new in God’s eyes! ‘I really feel like since I’ve been ba ptised God answ a lot quicker an ers my prayers d I feel like we ha ve an ongoing co seems like being nversation. It baptised remove s some barriers from Him... Do yo to me hearing u remember dia l up Internet? Be like being upgrad ing baptised is ed to broadband!’ ‘Thank you, and God bless Jesus House and ever part in putting th yone who took is class together. ’ ‘We should all go through this cla ss... I still don’t fu how important it lly understand is, but Jesus ma de sure He did it volumes!’ so that speaks

dies class said: e weekly bible stu An attendant at th provides structure g experience that ‘A truly life-enrichin d. I thoroughly daily walk with Go the to xt nte co d an m exploring and fited spiritually fro enjoyed and bene , warm-hearted ed ind le with like-m discussing the Bib participation for highly recommend Christians and I ur journey. The yo in are u r where yo s’ everyone no matte ke ma s ‘Bible studie d wisdom is what an es ag in ity ers div rful class. a bright and colou eived to strengthen for the support rec I am truly grateful ther. The faithful Fa ly en th our heav my relationship wi the facilitators is by rk administered wo rd ha d an s ort eff nk you!’ uld like to say tha not in vain and I wo JESUS HOUSE ANNUAL REPORT 2017

Reaching out Pastor Andy Gray

e were privileged to support the work of other ministries locally and internationally, including CityHill London, a young, dynamic and thriving church located on Clapham Common, South London. Expressing appreciation to Jesus House, lead pastor Andy Gray said:

“A HUGE thank you to Jesus House for giving generously to CityHill. I cannot believe a year has passed. 2017 flew for me, felt like New Year’s ended and Christmas came the next day. Thank you for supporting us. I can honestly say if you had not been so generous we may not exist today. In 2017 CityHill saw an increase in attendance, having 858 people attend. We grew to 40 members, averaging in the final month of the year 22 in weekly attendance, compared with 8 the previous year. We had 388 children attend our services with 218 of those coming in 2017, coinciding with the launch of our children ministry - CityLite. 1/2 of the children in 1/4 of the time. Amazing.

had our greatest digital year to date. 4,210 plays of our online talks took place in 2017, previously 2016 was our best year with 2,583. In the last two weeks we had listeners in Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkey, Indonesia, Pakistan, Thailand, Cambodia, Mongolia, Egypt, India and Nepal. Amazing. I believe in the next year CityHill can grow to 100 members and average 40 in attendance come the end of 2018. This is why I am so grateful that you agreed to support us over two years. Thank you for being a part of this great work. Let us make history together, by helping to turn the tide of the current spiritual trends within the UK.”

Church nowadays is no longer just the physical meeting, it is digital also, which is why this year we launched the CityHill London App. In 2017 we Meeting at the CityHill Church

JESUS HOUSE ANNUAL REPORT 2017

The Common Sense Network

esus House also supported the work of the Common Sense Network which is described by its founder, Mike Omoniyi, as the ‘the answer to the lack of media plurality in the UK…’

TCS Network is a group of over 100 (and growing) ordinary freelance, journalists, bloggers, commentators, illustrators and news reporters, who are united in the objective of providing an alternative to mainstream media. The Network aims to challenge perspectives purported in the mainstream media by empowering ordinary people to take control of their own narrative.

JESUS HOUSE ANNUAL REPORT 2017

TRUSTEESâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; ANNUAL REPORT

FOR THE YEAR ENDING 31 DECEMBER 2017

JESUS HOUSE ANNUAL REPORT 2017

REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES

he Trustees, who are also Directors for the purposes of Company Law, are pleased to present the annual report for the purposes of Charities Act 2011 and sections 415 to 419 of the Companies Act 2006, together with the accounts for the period ended 31st December 2017. The Trustees have adopted the updated provisions of the Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP) “Accounting and Reporting by Charities” (FRS 102), in preparing the annual report and financial statements of the Charity.

STRUCTURE GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT

esus House is a charitable company limited by guarantee, incorporated on 4 August 2000 and registered as a charity on 27 September 2001. It has a non-charitable subsidiary company, New Dimensions Trading Limited.

It is governed by its Memorandum and Articles of Association and is managed by a Board of Trustees. Decisions are determined by a simple majority vote by the Trustees who set the strategic direction of the Charity. Trustees are selected based on the contribution that they will make to the governance of the organisation and the skills that they possess. They are provided with copies of the Charity Commission’s Guidance to Trustees. Additional information and training is also provided as at when required. Delegated authority has been given to the Senior Pastor and Leadership Team for the day-to-day running of the operations of the Charity.

OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES

The Charity’s objects are: The advancement of the Christian religion worldwide; The relief of poverty worldwide.

hese objects are charitable and operate for the public benefit. It pursues these objects by the operation of a centre for Christian worship and a Food Bank at its premises in Brent Terrace, Brent Cross, London. The Charity’s main objective for the year was: To continue its re-invention and re-positioning of the local church through the Re-engineering project which is focused on improving organisational effectiveness and efficiency to enable the charity to maximise its impact.

JESUS HOUSE ANNUAL REPORT 2017

STRATEGIES

he Charity’s strategy for achieving this objective was: To reposition itself to effectively reach those presently outside of its dominant demographic, and fulfil the vision of the new church.

Significant activities that contributed to the achievement of these objectives were: Events and activities organised during the year in line with the charitable objectives to promote the Christian faith and help the less privileged and disadvantaged within the local and international community included

██ The Uncommon Woman Conference; ██ The Mandate Men’s Conference;

██ Youth ██ Multimedia

██ The ACTS Week of Serving;

██ Kidz First (Junior Church)

██ Celebrating Life which is an annual banquet for senior citizens in residential homes within the borough;

██ Tribe of Judah (Music)

██ The ‘Spreading Christmas Cheer’ outreach which provided free hot drinks and mince pies to commuters at local tube stations;

██ Community Action ██ Prayer

██ The ‘Christmas Lunch on Jesus’ which is an annual community centered project that provides people in need in the Borough with a Christmas Hamper; ██ The Londrina Jesus House Community Action Project in Brazil which started in 2010 with the Rehabilitation of ex-offenders at the state-run Londrina Prison Parana and the current renovation of a community center.

With over 650 volunteers who support and make an invaluable contribution to the operations of the Charity, some of the departments include:

JESUS HOUSE ANNUAL REPORT 2017

██ Church Social Responsibility ██ Welfare ██ Men’s Ministry ██ Esther’s Women’s Ministry ██ Abigail’s Court ██ Francophonie Church ██ IT

ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE FOR THE PUBLIC BENEFIT ██ The Charity, through its departments, organises activities, events and meetings to promote its objects. ██ The Charity continues to provide invaluable financial and administrative support to the Festival of Life prayer event held bi-annually in London and regionally as and when necessary. ██ The Charity continues to provide substantial financial support to other charities (locally, nationally and internationally) operating within its objects. Grant allocation for each year is approved by the Board of Trustees and disbursement to various charities is approved by the Management Team.

Jesus House between the 31st of August and 2nd of September 2017. The theme was “Transformation” and the conference continues to transform and inspire young and older men to positively impact their various spheres of influence. ██ Jesus House as a community strives to create an environment in which everyone is enabled to fully live out their true-life purpose by facilitating opportunities for development and the cultivation of God-given gifts.

██ The Charity continues to impact lives across the globe by partnering with the Londrina State Penitentiary (PEL) Brazil to help change the lives of inmates.

██ The positive work and projects undertaken by the organisation is recognised locally and nationally. This provided the platform and recognition for the organisation to host some prominent dignitaries such as the UK Prime Minister in May and the Archbishop of Canterbury the following month.

██ The Colindale Food Bank (part of The Trussell Trust), a food distribution service set up for those in need within the Borough and operating out of the Novo Centre and our premises at Brent Terrace.

██ Jesus House celebrated 10 years of the Ifeyinwa Alison Irukwu Trust in June 2017. This is an educational trust established to support under priviledged children with their education.

██ Monthly sponsorship of the Good Shepherd Homes in India.

██ In November, Jesus House hosted a reunion in Lagos, Nigeria, of past members who had relocated to Nigeria. This was an opportunity for former Jesus House members to re-connect with each other and for the church leadership to share the vision for the next phase of the church, including options for their future involvement.

██ ACTS (A Call To Serve), a week-long opportunity to go out and help the elderly, lone parents, disabled and the less privileged within the local community with services such as trimming of hedges, gardening activities, de-cluttering, jet washing of pavements, painting and bin washing. ██ Celebrating Life, an annual event to celebrate the elderly in the local community. Hundreds of senior citizens from various cultural backgrounds and more than 30 care homes across Brent and Barnet attend and are treated to a three-course meal to celebrate their lives and achievements.

██ A key part of our focus for 2017 was the relaunch of our small group ministry in September, under its new name, Connect Groups. Connect Groups are small communities of members who meet weekly in a variety of locations in London and its environs. They are environments which foster fellowship, the building of friendships and spiritual growth.

██ IT Week, including a three-day conference programme, themed “Accelerating Your Career” delivering training and workshops on different areas of Information Technology. The event provided the unemployed with valuable information and essential interview techniques, equipped experienced professionals with innovative skills for the advancement of their careers and showcased the diverse career opportunities in IT. ██ Mandate, the Annual Men’s Conference held at

JESUS HOUSE ANNUAL REPORT 2017

ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE FOR THE PUBLIC BENEFIT CONT.

n line with our mission statement, “In pursuit of God, discovering purpose, maximizing potential and impacting lives”, a few of our members did some extraordinary things:

██ Tolu Ilemobola spent the summer volunteering in South Africa with a UK-based charity called ‘Restless Development’ a youth-led development agency whose mission is to place young people at the forefront of change and development. It works in India, Nepal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. ██ Kwabena Asare, Ayoola Bandele and Foluso Aluko participated in a charity walk to climb to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro for Compassion UK. They successfully completed the task and raised a significant amount of money for their designated charity.

██ Arinola Nnatuanya released her second music album titled ‘It’s All working out’ which was launched on 29th October 2017. This is a Christian album to further spread the message of the Gospel. ██ Stella Jackson-Obot and Chibundu Onuzo both held public presentations of their books, ‘Broken Vessel’ and ‘Welcome to Lagos’.

RISK MANAGEMENT

he Trustees have conducted a review of the major risks to which the Charity is exposed. A risk register has been established which identifies the major risks by area of activity, the nature of those risks, the likelihood of the risks happening and the measures taken to manage them. The Trustees review the risk register regularly at meetings and are satisfied that systems are in place to manage the risks that have been identified. In particular, insurance cover is in place and the finances of the Charity are kept under review. Where appropriate, systems have been established to mitigate the risks the Charity faces. Significant external risks to funding have led to the development of a strategic plan which will allow for the diversification of funding and activities. Internal control risks are minimised by the implementation of procedures for authorisation of all transactions and projects. Procedures are in place to ensure compliance with health and safety of members of staff, volunteers, clients and visitors to the Charity.

PLANS FOR FUTURE PERIODS

he Charity continues to explore ways of furthering its charitable objectives in an effective manner by ensuring there is awareness of its services and proactively seeking opportunities to be more involved in the community. The Charity seeks to provide services and activities that meet the needs of people in the community. These activities provide a positive change in the moral and spiritual climate of the local borough which reflects the charity’s Christian ethos and beliefs.

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TRUSTEES RESPONSIBILITIES STATEMENT

The Trustees (who are also Directors for the purposes of Company Law) are responsible for preparing the Trustees’ Report and the Financial Statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).

Company law requires the directors to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of the affairs of the company and of the profit or loss of the company for that period. In preparing those financial statements, the directors are required to:

██ select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently ██ make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent ██ prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the company will continue in business ██ state whether applicable UK Accounting Standards have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements ██ observe the methods and principles in the Charities SORP

he Trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the organisation and to enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

In so far as the Trustees are aware: ██ there is no relevant audit information of which the company’s auditors are unaware; and ██ the Trustees have taken all steps that they ought to, in order to make themselves aware of any relevant audit information and to establish that the auditors are aware of such information.

The trustees are responsible for the maintenance and integrity of the corporate and financial information included on the charitable company’s website. Legislation in the United Kingdom governing the preparation and dissemination of financial statements may differ from legislation in other jurisdictions. Approved by the Board on 16th November 2017 and signed on its behalf.

Dr O Adeaga Trustee

JESUS HOUSE ANNUAL REPORT 2017

FINANCIAL SUMMARY

JESUS HOUSE ANNUAL REPORT 2017

Top 8 Income Sources for 2017

Tithe

£2,429,232.85

Vision/ Special Offerings

£608,813.40

Offering

£578,414.96

Thanksgiving

£188,399.81

Other Ministry Income

£110,107.14

Guest Minister's Honorarium - Donations

£53,504.14

Welfare funds

£48,302.85

Pursuit of God - Special Donations

£37,794.55

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Top 8 expenditure items for 2017

Staff Costs

£1,657,599.38

Ministry Outreach and Expenses

£580,134.00

Rent Expenses

£467,525.79

Special Events

£313,535.80

Security Management

£311,640.69

Cleaning Services/Supplies

£138,137.45

Guest Ministers Honorarium

£123,564.39

CSR - International Projects

£92,730.30

The Welfare Scheme – “Thinking of Others”

he Jesus House welfare scheme aims to fulfil Christ’s command to “love one another” (John 13:34) and to “help the least of these my brethren” (Matthew 25:31-46) The welfare scheme is deemed to be the “hands” and “feet” of Jesus to members of the church who are hurting or who may be going through difficult times either due to illness, bereavement, unemployment or the pressures of life.

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The scheme has at its heart, the alleviation of poverty. It seeks to ensure that no member of Jesus House is in a position where he/she cannot afford the basic necessities of life i.e food, shelter and clothing. Although the principal beneficiaries of the scheme are JH members, non-members may also benefit from the scheme in exceptional circumstances.

INCOME

EXPENDITURE

Welfare

£48,302.85

Welfare - Relocation

£1,900.00

Welfare - General

£16,300.84

Welfare - Educational

£18,570.88

Welfare - Medical

£1,594.00

Welfare - Bereavement

£44,403.23

Welfare - Widow's Fund

£5,500.00

Welfare Statistics: Assisted 2 individuals with relocation expenses

Assisted 24 families with basic feeding and transport expenses

Assisted 3 individuals with education costs

Assisted 2 individuals with medical expenses

Gave financial assistance to 39 individuals to help with bereavement circumstances

Supported 20 widows through Christmas

GRANTS

UK In addition to giving 20% of our income to the World Evangelism Mission and supporting the RCCG Central Office on a monthly basis, Jesus House supported 32 other charities in the UK by way of giving charitable grants to help with the fulfilment of their charitable objectives. These included new church plants within the RCCG Network.

OVERSEAS Jesus House also supported charities in various countries including India, Austria, USA and Nigeria.

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But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord

and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen

2 Peter 3:18