Members of the Maranatha Community are invited to support this initiative by praying for it, and by participating in the march in London on 18th July. It is organised by March of Repentance who, like us, are a group of believers from all denominations who are crying out for Godly change in the Church and in our Nation. They believe that ‘this is a time of testing in which Almighty God is calling for repentance and for a new devotion to His Word.’
Click the banner above for more information.
David Alton has written an article in the Catholic newspaper “The Universe” talking about the state of UK and parliament. His opening paragraph is “For many years the Manchester-based Maranatha Community has been a clear voice, prophetically speaking to society on a variety of issues including the breakdown of marriage, the neglect of children and the contagious spread of our violent drugs culture, and has also worked tirelessly for healing and unity in places like Northern Ireland”.
The latest issue of Spotlight – News and Views for Local Groups, by Local Groups, has been issued today and can be downloaded here.
In this issue, news from:
Nottingham Group
Flixton (3rd Friday)
Sheffield
Wakefield
Chiswick
Scotland
The “Feed my Sheep” weekend hosted by the Marches Group,
and a welcome to the new West Dartmoor Maranatha Group.
Click on the comments button to read what other folk are thinking and to give us your thoughts. If you are a member of a Maranatha Local Group then perhaps you might like to contribute to the next issue – just email George and Mary who produce Spotlight.
We’ve just received this report from Kate Stanway who was at the Feed my Sheep weekend run by the Marches Group:
It was a wonderful weekend of love, healing, renewal and unity; knowing that we were being shepherded by the Great Shepherd of the Sheep – the Good Shepherd Himself. The testimonies at the end were a tribute not only to Him but to the blessing of the Maranatha Community in this nation. We all felt so bound together in His love through being part of the Body of Christ in Maranatha.
I had a real sense, in my own heart, that the Lord was moving to heal hearts from spiritual, emotional and physical sickness. Jesus binds up the broken-hearted. Psalm 23 was a great blessing to us at the weekend.
Ros Dodd says, ‘The sheep were well fed in the Marches weekend and returned to their own folds restored and renewed. For all involved, comfort zones became a thing of the past as people did things for the first time or realised that they could still do them! Many thanks to Jim Dainty who shepherded us, and to the great Shepherd whose presence was so real with us.’
A Day of Decision for the Nation and for the European Union. Read the Maranatha Briefing – Information for Christians concerning the elections for the European Parliament.
is the headline article in the latest Maranatha Newsletter – Issue 118 (March 2009).
At the annual Maranatha Community ‘leaders’ gathering, which was attended by around 85 members involved in different aspects of the life of the Community, we spent time in prayer, praise and listening together. We were built up in loving fellowship and by mutual encouragement. Jonathan Oloyede, a Nigerian missionary to this country, joined us for the Saturday morning. He spoke this word for the Community – “Run, sit, run, sit, run run run, sit, sit, sit”. We are to run with a message to awaken the people of God. We need to sit to receive this message, own it in our hearts, then run with it. God will give us everything as we sit and wait in order for us to run.
Click here to download the full March edition of the maranatha newsletter
With the mailing for this newsletter we also sent out details about our Weekends and Retreats.
Click here for details of Weekends and Retreats – together with booking forms.
This is the theme for the next Manchester Maranatha Gathering at Brunswick Parish Church on Saturday 6th June 10:30am – 4:00pm. Do come and join us for the whole day, or any part.
For full details including how to get there download the PDF flyer.
(NB. 3MB, so takes a while to download. Note also that if you are printing this pdf then in print / Page Scalling select “Fit to Printer Margins”)
The ‘Relationships Redeemed and Restored‘ Maranatha weekend away has just happened! Here’s what one attendee thought of it:
“I always go to Maranatha weekends with mixed thoughts! Not quite sure what is going to happen – yet with fixed ideas about what I want to happen! God always surprises me and I come away not only wishing the weekend would last longer but also feeling refreshed and renewed in my relationship with God. ‘Relationships Redeemed and Restored’ was no exception. It was a quality time of reflection, teaching and allowing God to speak in to our lives. Meeting in stunning surroundings was just the icing on the cake. If you want to take time out to get away from everyday life to spend some quality time with God allowing Him to move in your life more deeply then I can totally recommend a Maranatha weekend away!
If you would like to see what other weekend retreats are available, please click here
During the course of 2009 there are monthly healing teaching sessions at the Ark. The aim is to promote healing ministry throughout our Community and to compliment this there will be a Healing Training week at Kalah House, Helmsdale from 31st Aug – 5th Sept. This is specifically for Maranatha members called to be involved in healing ministry. The main focus will be upon the ministry of Life Prayer which has been an amazing means of healing for many. A new edition of Maranatha teaching notes is about to be published about the ministry of Life Prayer – watch out for the notice on the webpage. Life Prayer training is also being carried out in different parts of the country through Regional groups.
Join us at Brunswick Parish Church for the next Manchester Marantha Gathering called ‘The Word – Light in the Darkness’. For full details including how to get there, click here! Or you can download a PDF flyer here.
Maranatha Community (Archive News) 