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The Newsletter for Through the Roof
20 Years of Changing Lives
TTR is 20!
All Aboard
Happy Birthday! Through the Roof has been
celebrating throughout 2017, and the peak
was our gathering at St. George’s, Ashtead.
Nearly 200 supporters of all ages and abilities
joined together to give thanks to God for 20
years of the charity with a fully inclusive
worship service.
Water Team Many attendees said the service had inspired
them, and committed to head home and do
more. Christine, a faithful volunteer over many
years, told us, “I found it thrilling to be part of
one of the most diverse church services I’ve
been to. The service content was truly inspiring
and I want to do more to support TTR.”
Defending the
Fatherless Leading the service were people with physical
and sensory disabilities and parents of disabled
children, and the centre-piece of the event
was a life-size balloon structure depicting the
through the roof story. Created by ‘Inspired
Balloons’, it captured everyone’s imagination
and featured in many photos on Facebook!
The order of service was available in large print
and braille, and speech was signed into BSL by
interpreters, all with the goal of welcoming as
many people as possible. One Mum of a
disabled person enthused, “My daughter really
enjoyed it and felt at home because there
were so many other people in wheelchairs.”
Pastor Davis, our partner in Kenya, sent his
congratulations, “The charity has done an
No: No:
60 Summer
70 WINTER
2014
2017
immensely great job
in transforming the
lives of many people
with disabilities and
their families in
developing nations.
Thank
you
for
partnering with me
in Kenya and making
disabilities known
and treated with
dignity. Your staff
and volunteers have
always shown love,
kindness
and
patience to my people. CONGRATULATIONS
AND GOD BLESS ALL.”
The service was truly inspiring
and I want to do more
Joni Eareckson-Tada recalled the small
beginnings of Through the Roof in an affirming
video message, and gave praise to God for
everything that’s been achieved since those
days. Jenny Edwards MBE read the ‘through
the roof story’ in Mark chapter 2 from the
Accessible Bible, and worship leader Thuy
Mallalieu, who is himself blind, sensitively led
the congregation in a time of praise and
singing. Rev Jonathan Edwards preached,
describing the love and determination of the
men in bringing their paralysed friend to Jesus,
and that one of them must have taken the lead
in this enterprise. He challenged us to find
1000 Roofbreakers in 3 years, to enable
disabled people to come to Jesus and be
active participants in the life of the church – a
big task!
We currently have over 110 Roofbreakers, who
have all received a free starter kit, encouraging
monthly email and are part of a growing
network. Could you join this family and
advocate for disabled people in your church?
Please contact us or sign up at
www.throughtheroof.org.
www.throughtheroof.org