Other Activities
Another important activity of HTB is its yearly church camp, named Focus. This takes place over a week at a seaside campsite where typically 3,500 people attend and involve themselves in the many seminars, workshops and recreational activities. The size also attracts some prominent speakers to speak on issues affecting the church and society. Regular such speakers include Mike Pilavachi from Soul Survivor, the Bishop of London Richard Chartres, Frog and Amy Orr-Ewing.
Since 1985, HTB has been actively involved in a process called Church planting whereby struggling churches in London are boosted by scores - sometimes hundreds - of people committing to move from HTB to the identified church for at least a year. This also involves at least one member of HTB's clergy similarly moving to the new church to help lead worship, form Pastorates and run local Alpha courses. Over the years nine churches have been planted in this way, including St Gabriels, Cricklewood, with some of these churches going on to make Church Plants of their own. The most recent such plant was to Holy Trinity Swiss Cottage in October 2006.
HTB also has thriving children's and youth ministries. Other notable activities HTB undertakes are services twice a year involving the large HTB choir - at Easter and Christmas - and several free classical concerts that utilise the church's pipe organ that was refurbished in 2004 as well as drawing on the talent of the nearby music colleges.
In September 2005 HTB started providing the talks given at the Sunday services as free downloads from its website and through the iTunes podcast directory. These downloads, which HTB has termed HTB Podcasts, have proved popular and more recently other talks specifically provided for the HTB Podcast community have also been offered, including answers to questions sent in by listeners. Each month the total download count from this catalogue of talks is over 40,000, with some talks making it into the top ten in the Religion and Spirituality section for iTunes.
In 2011 HTB formed the William Wilberforce Trust to bring together various social action projects that were linked with HTB. These projects include work in deprived neighbourhoods, addressing homelessness, and providing practical support for people with addictions.
HTB is also home to:
- Worship Central, led by worship pastors Tim Hughes and Al Gordon; and
- St Paul's Theological Centre, led by its Principal Graham Tomlin.
Read more about this topic: Holy Trinity Brompton
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