The Maranatha Community is pleased to support the Not Ashamed campaign

and Dennis Wrigley, our Community Leader, has issued the following statement:

I am not ashamed to honour publicly the one who is my creator – Almighty God.

I am not ashamed to honour His name, at all times and in all places.

I am not ashamed to declare that Jesus Christ is the Saviour of the world and has the Name above all names.

I am not ashamed to declare that God is not absent, but present here and now.

I am not ashamed to declare that God is not silent, but is speaking here and now.

I am not ashamed to acknowledge publicly that the foundations of our nation are Christian.

I am not ashamed to proclaim that the basic freedoms we enjoy and the fundamentals of our democracy are Christian in origin.

I am not ashamed to pray with those who have requested it.

I am not ashamed to share my faith with others, always respecting their convictions

I am not ashamed to declare the good news of Jesus to the people of this nation.

I am not ashamed, in the name of Jesus to challenge those forces which are inflicting damage on our society.

I am not ashamed in the name of Jesus to defend the marriage based family from those who are seeking to destroy it.

I am not ashamed to defend children from the corrupting influences which are inflicting so much harm upon them.

I am not ashamed in the name of Christ to speak out for the poor and exploited, and against injustice from whatever source.

I am not ashamed to speak out for the millions of Christians worldwide who are being persecuted, tortured and slaughtered for their faith and robbed of their human rights.

I am not ashamed of claiming that Jesus is the hope of the world, always showing respect to those who cannot accept this.

I am ashamed of my own many weaknesses.

I am ashamed of the spiritual and moral decline of my nation.

I am ashamed of the divisions within the church.

I am not ashamed to defend those truths and values which have enriched the fabric of our society over the centuries.

I am not ashamed to resist those forces which are antagonistic to Christ and are seeking to dismiss God from the public domain in our nation.

I am not ashamed to stand with those who, in the United Kingdom, are today being victimised for their faith.

I am not ashamed to pray that God’s love and saving grace will be released upon our nation at this time of crisis.

I am not ashamed to challenge those who would deny the spiritual dimension of life.

I am not ashamed of Christ, the Son of God, who has died for all of us and who is alive in His loving, serving people.

I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and to declare that it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes.

Whoever is ashamed of me and my words,
the Son of Man will be ashamed of them
when he comes in his glory
and in the glory of the Father
and of the holy angels.
(Luke 9.26)

I am not ashamed to own my Lord
Or to defend His cause
Maintain the honour of His word,
The glory of His Cross.
(Isaac Watts)

Dennis Wrigley
November 2010

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!

The Maranatha Community has issued this Briefing for Chrisitians (click here) in the run up to the General Election on May 6th.

Act Now

This is the time for the Christian voice to be heard in our land. Christian activists can take the initiative immediately. First pray, then approach each candidate directly with questions based on the issued raise in this Briefing (Trumpet Call). Write or email each candidate with the names of a dozen or so supporters. Invite candidates to meet you at short house meetings and at local churches. Use the letters page of local newspapers. Arrange a delegation to candidates’ offices on specific issues. Urge other Christians to raise these crucial issues.

An Immediate Opportunity

The General Election is an opportunity for Christians to witness to their faith and express their beliefs on important public matters. We can make an effective contribution to the national debate and drive key issues to the top of the political agenda.

For details, click here to download the latest Trumpet Call.

Please leave us your comments here on any of these issues. (Please note the comments are moderated before being published).

The current economic crisis is not just a catastrophic downside of the normal economic cycle, but a financial and social disaster. It is also at the same time a great Spiritual Opportunity.

We have recently produced two documents A Nation in Crisis and A Time of Opportunity which address the current situation.

The deadline to sign this petition against Clause 61 of the Coroners and Justice Bill (currently before Parliament) which will remove the free speech clause protecting those who express views on sexual ethics, is 5th July. If passed this clause would open the door for Christians to be investigated and interrogated by the police, prosecuted in the courts and even imprisoned simply for presenting a Christian view point on sexual ethics.

For more information see this Trumpet Call.

Maranatha is collaborating with a team of lawyers and church leaders, together with Christian Concern for our Nation, to change Clause 61 of the Coroners and Justice Bill which is currently before Parliament. It is being proposed that the free speech clause protecting those who express views on sexual ethics will be removed. This will open the door for Christians to be investigated and interrogated by the police, prosecuted in the courts and even imprisoned simply for presenting a Christian view point on sexual ethics.

For more information see this Trumpet Call.