Author Archives: Maranatha Community

Spotlight Issue 20 – News from Local Groups

Spotlight - News and Views for Local Groups, by Local Groups

The December 2010 issue of Spotlight – News and Views for Local Groups, by Local Groups, has been recently produced and can be downloaded here.

SpotlightIn this issue:

  • Prayers for Kenya
  • New Media Gallery
  • New from Regional and local group Gatherings
  • Report from the “Turning stress into opportunity for Healing” weekend
  • Tribute to Sister Elizabeth Tuttle (RIP)
  • and articles on the Christian Bikers Association and Faith & Science.

Spotlight is the vehicle for news from Maranatha Local Groups (as distinct from the Maranatha Newsletter which brings news of inititatives from the office in Flixton, Manchester) so if you have anything to report from your local group then please email Matthew. You can also give us your thoughts via the comments facility here.

Not Ashamed

Not Ashamed

We write with news of an exciting initiative launched by Christian Concern. As Andrea Minichiello Williams says:

The ‘NOT ASHAMED’ campaign seeks to help Christians across the UK stand up and speak up for Jesus Christ in public life, presenting Him as the only true hope and solid foundation for our nation.

There is growing pressure in our society to remove Jesus Christ (and the values and truths revealed through Him) from public life and to restrict Him to the domain of the ‘private and personal’. Increasingly, Christians are finding that they are barred from the workplace and community involvement if they are not prepared to compromise the biblical teaching on belief and behaviour.

Meanwhile our society continues to fragment and faces enormous change and challenge. Yet in some quarters of the Church, there seems to be a collapse in confidence that Jesus Christ really is ‘good news’ for individuals and for our nation as a whole.

‘NOT ASHAMED’ is being launched in response to these observations. It is an opportunity to repent for past failures and to renew our confidence that Jesus Christ is good news for all people, everywhere, as we stand together and declare with clarity, compassion and courage that Jesus Christ is ‘positive news for public life’ and the only hope for our nation.

Wednesday 1st December is the focal point of the campaign. On that day and in the run up to it, we hope that thousands of Christians will wear the ‘Not Ashamed’ symbol of the cross. We will also be delivering a ‘Declaration of Christian Hope for our Nation’ to key leaders in public life.

View and buy Not Ashamed items now at the online shop

We expect the ‘high visibility’ of the campaign to give rise to many opportunities to explain to friends, family members, neighbours, colleagues and others why we believe that Jesus Christ is the only true hope for our nation.

To help in this, the former Archbishop of Canterbury, Lord Carey, is writing a special booklet explaining why Christians are ‘Not Ashamed’ of Jesus Christ. We hope that in partnership with local churches, it will be delivered to every home in the country.

We are excited about this new initiative and pray that Christians across the nation will unite around it.

Will you join us as we seek to put the hope of Christ at the heart of our nation?

To do so and to find out more, visit the ‘NOT ASHAMED’ website

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if, on 1st December, tens of thousands of Christians were wearing the Not Ashamed logo and had signed the declaration? Please spread the word!

New Media Gallery – online now!

New Media Gallery online now!
We have just launched our online Video and Audio Gallery!

This Gallery offers a way of showcasing our vision of unity healing and renewal, as well the work and life of the community.

The videos and audio clips are organised into the key areas of Maranatha’s work – praying, serving, witnessing, healing, teaching and the life of the community. At the moment, there are videos there from Dennis, Linda, Rev Allyn Benedict – an American who leads the Out of the Courtroom Retreats (formerly an Episcopalian priest) and Father Bill Keogh – a Maranatha member from Kent who is also a leader within Catholic Charismatic Renewal.

Featured Media

  Declaring the Message of Maranatha – a personal message to the Community
      Watch video

  Trumpet Call – An Introduction
      Watch video

  Maranatha – A Healing Community
      Watch video

  Becoming a Community of Love
      Watch video

  Maranatha – A Listening and Trusting Community
      Watch video

You can access all the videos from the Maranatha web-site, just click on Home then Latest Media.

We will be adding more videos and audio content over time and both sharing more about what is happening in the Community, and declaring the vision and message of Maranatha. If you have an idea for a video, or part of a video – whether it’s filming what Maranatha means to you, what Marantha is doing in your local area, or what local initiative Maranatha is supporting, then please get in touch!

Manchester – 2nd October

Inspired by the Saints.

Manchester Maranatha
Inspired by the Saints
Everyone is welcome to join us for the Manchester Maranatha Gathering at Brunswick Parish Church, on Saturday 2nd October: 10:30am – 4:00pm. Come for the whole of this day of praise, worship and sharing, or for any part, as together we share in building up the Body of Christ!.

For more details see this email which contains a link to the location on google-maps.

MARANATHA WEEK OF PRAYER

18th – 25th Sept.

A Week of Prayer for the Church and Nation.

In the face of our national situation we have decided to call the whole Maranatha community to a Week of Prayer. We are urging all Maranatha Groups and Prayer Cells to gather during this week and also urge individual members to arrange times of prayer to which friends and church members may be invited.

God’s Word makes it clear that the future of a nation can be changed by the humble prayer of God’s people in that land. We, as the people of God in the United Kingdom, have the opportunity and the power to make a difference to the future of our nation. Therefore, let us, as little brothers and sisters of Jesus, take God at His Word and  humble ourselves and pray and seek His face in repentance for the sake of our children and all the future generations of this land.

During this Week of Prayer there will be evening gatherings 7:30 – 10pm at ‘The Ark’ (26 Ambleside Road, Flixton, Manchester, M41 6PH) each day from 18th-24th September. Each gathering will consist of worship and prayer which will be led by different people each evening. All are welcome.

Click on the following links for the programme of prayer and resources:

Week of Prayer programme

A Prayer for each nation of the United Kingdom

A declaration over the United Kingdom from Pastor Jonathan Oloyede

Our Children : A Confession

Two prayers /prophetic messages

Spotlight Issue 19 – News from Local Groups

Spotlight - News and Views for Local Groups, by Local GroupsSpotlight

The September 2010 issue of Spotlight – News and Views for Local Groups, by Local Groups, has been recently produced and can be downloaded here.

In this issue: Heal our Land,  News from Bourton on the Water, Northern Ireland and Conwy, news of marriages  new begginings and lives lived faithfully to the end, and reports from individual members.

Spotlight is the vehicle for news from Maranatha Local Groups (as distinct from the Maranatha Newsletter which brings news of inititatives from the office in Flixton, Manchester) so if you have anything to report from your local group then please email Matthew. You can also give us your thoughts via the comments facility here.

Regional Gathering – North West

Greater Manchester – Wirral – Liverpool – Chester – Lancashire – Cheshire – North Wales

Praising GodPrepare the Way of the LORD

Saturday, 11th September 2010. 10.30a.m. – 3.30 p.m.
at
The Emmanuel Christian Centre, Llandudno

Maranatha Groups in the North West and Wales invite you to a regional gathering of Praise, Worship and Healing.  We live in exciting times.  The spiritual battle for the soul of this nation is great but we know as Christians the victory has already been secured – we simply need to take hold of it TOGETHER.  Our unity in the Body of Christ is key.

ALL ARE WELCOME!

Directions: Emmanuel Centre is next to the Town Hall in Llandudno.  There is limited parking within the Centre grounds, on-street parking on some streets nearby, and a pay car-park about 5 minutes away.
Registration on day – Suggested gift £3.  Pensioners & students £1.  Unwaged free. 
Drinks provided (please bring sandwiches).  Note: there will not be any children’s facilities.

A Word from Dennis

Dennis Wrigley, Maranatha Community Co-Leader

July 2010

My dear friends in Christ,

I feel I should let you know that I am standing back from active leadership following cancer surgery. I hope to be back again after a few months and Sheila and I thank God for all the many kindnesses shown and the prayers of this loving Community. At this crucial time when Maranatha is expanding its ministry please pray for Linda and Juan and others holding responsibility within the Community as we enter a period of radical development for which we have been preparing for the past 18 months.

The prime reason for writing to you is to share something of the excitement of what God is doing with Maranatha. He is presenting us with a phenomenal opportunity and this embraces all of us within this Community wherever we live, whatever we do and whatever our age. He is raising an army of believers walking ever more closely together. We share the same vision of a united and renewed people, and of renewed churches and a renewed nation. Many are now confirming that they believe that Maranatha was formed ‘for such a time as this’.

Are we prepared to decisively support the opportunities God is placing before us? Are we prepared to take initiatives where we live in forming more Prayer Cells and Maranatha Groups? Are we prepared to help to build up this army? Are we prepared to play our part in being involved in the various initiatives that are currently being taken – mobilising the young, scanning the newspapers and journals, participating in Trumpet Call, developing the healing ministry, breaking down barriers between denominations? Are we ready to face up to the ferocity of the secular humanist attack upon the Christian faith which is taking place in our country today? Are we prepared to play our part in creating an effective Christian witness on the major issues facing our nation at this time of crisis? Are we prepared to join together in affirming the central truths of the Christian faith with new vitality and confidence, proclaiming the Lordship of Christ? Are we prepared to speak out more effectively for the persecuted church worldwide? Are we prepared to walk more closely with one another particularly those who have roots overseas? Are we committed to the poor and disadvantaged?

Maranatha has a crucial role to play in the life of our nation and the churches. Do please pray about your own role in all this. Will you please ask God to show you how, together, we can be a powerful servant ministry to the Church in this land? We would love you to write to the Leadership Team with your questions and suggestions about areas in the life of the Community in which you may be able to play a part. We are currently receiving enormous encouragement and we would be delighted to hear from you as we stand on the verge of a great leap forward.

May God richly bless you and your dear ones, especially those who stand in particular need.

With warmest love in Christ,

Dennis

Dennis Wrigley, Maranatha Community Co-Leader
July 2010

July Newsletter

Maranatha Newsletter

CRISIS –

A time of opportunity.

Click here to download July NewsletterWe believe that God has raised up the Maranatha Community over the years and that we have an important role to play ‘for such a time as this’. God has instilled within us a love for the whole Church of Christ and we have experienced the fusion of the breath of the Holy Spirit in all the different traditions, in spite of our sin and weakness.

The July edition of the Maranatha Community Newsletter addresses our current situation and also has details of PRAYER WEEK – 18-25 Sept, an article on ALIGNMENT, an update on ‘3s’, A PROPHECY, News about the Malawi Visit, Developments in Anglesey, Spotlight, Regional Gatherings, Persecution, Books by Maranatha Members, News about developments of the website, Maranatha calendar for 2010, Local groups and contact details.

We would also like to draw your attention to the following: (click on each)

If you have any comment on this newsletter then please do leave them.