The Feb/March 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, news from: Eastleigh, Northern Ireland, Isreal, the ministries of several Maranatha members, and reflections on Easter.

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 – the March issue coming out later this month) 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.

2010 A YEAR FOR BODYBUILDING.

JESUS, OUR PERSONAL TRAINER.

Come and join us for the first Manchester Maranatha Gathering of 2010 at Brunswick Parish Church, on Saturday 6th February 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.

We’ve just returned from Quinta, the annual gathering of representatives from across the whole Community, and felt prompted to record a short audio message to share with those who were unable to make the weekend, and also for those who did attend, to re-affirm our statement of intent.

The link below is to an MP3 audio file. If your web browser does not play the file when you click on the link, then it should give you the option to download it where you can play it from your computer.

> Quinta 2010 audio message from the leadership team

Thank you all for your ongoing commitment and support to this Community.

Maranatha! Come, Lord Jesus.

From the leadership team.

Our prayer is “Come, Lord Jesus!” and we praise Him that he has come to live amongst us, first as a baby born in Bethlehem, and ever since through the Holy Spirit working through the lives of believers.

We pray that you will have a Happy Christmas and that we may all know Emmanuel – God with us.

From all in the Maranatha Communications Team.

Be Bold, Be Strong.

Many Christians throughout our land today believe that it is God who is shaking our nation. The last half-century has seen efforts to construct a society in which nothing is intrinsically right or wrong, good or bad, true or false….read-on

Inside this Issue

God’s word – engaging in spiritual exercise, I am a link in a chain – a prayer by Juan Fernandez-Arias, A lesson in suffering by brother Franz in Austria, Community news/reports: Healing training retreat, Rise up men of faith, Out of the courtroom and into the Father’s house teaching retreat, Light out of darkness retreat, Maranatha regional gatherings, Maranatha calendar for 2010, Local groups & contact details.

Click here to download the full December edition of the maranatha newsletter

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

Appeal Thank You and update with standing order form

Prayer Network – November / December edition

Weekends and Retreats 2010 brochure

Booking form for Weekend in March at Beechwood Court in Conwy

Five day retreats – Light out of Darkness etc.

Maranatha Gatherings in London

Prayer meetings in London

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

‘Hope in place of Despair’

is the theme for the next Manchester Maranatha Gathering at Brunswick Parish Church this coming Saturday 5th December 10:30am – 4:00pm. Do come and join us for the whole day, or any part of this day of praise, worship and sharing as we encounter the Living Word!. For more details see this email which contains a link to the location on google-maps.

The Nov/Dec 2009 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: Eastleigh Trumpet Call, South Midlands and Yorkshire Regional Gatherings, the men’s weeked at Llandudno, Brigg local group and reflections on Christmas.

This is the first edition with Matthew Doherty as editor, and we thank him for taking this on. If you are a member of a Maranatha Local Group then perhaps you might like to contribute to the next issue – just email Matthew. You can also give us your thoughts via the comments facility here.

We arrived on Friday 23rd October at the Loretto Convent in Llandudno in a mood of expectancy; it was a privilege to be there and the Holy Spirit was everywhere to be experienced. As so often is the case, when Christian men get together to worship, something very special happens (Phil 4: 4-9). The atmosphere was electric.
One day into the Retreat, the nun looking after us was told to leave us to go on an errand; her reply was “Its not very often we get a bunch of men together praising God and listening to the Holy Spirit. This lot are great and I’m not leaving them.” AMEN.

The Role of Men (Proverbs 24) Is it the Lamb or the Lion ?
We are ‘comfy’ projecting the Lamb – He seems to make little demand on us and the Church.
But what is needed today is Jesus the Lion – the one who speaks with Authority and whose Name is above all others Lord and Saviour (Rev 5)

Thoughts: An army in waiting and prepared for war (Psalm 16) (1 Peter 5: 8 -11)
Words: Urgency, Scattered, Salt, Sealing, Solidarity, Number three, Concluding Prayers of the Methodist Covenant.
LUTHER: “Sola Fides, Sola Gratia, Sola Scriptura”
Saturday afternoon – huge storm – team work – so important in danger
Great Orme rescue operation – we prayed into the danger
Invited Christ to be with us as Light and the Living Word
We were invited to to lay our burdens down and to come and sit at His feet.
Proverbs 24 – Keep yourself pure
Psalm 16 – Wrong priorities and boundaries
Joshua 1:6-9 – Commissioning
1 Peter 5:8 – Guarding your back
Ephesians 6 – The full armour of God

The weekend drew to a close with us renewing our covenant and promising to continue to pray and meet soon.

God Bless,
George (from Lincolnshire).

On Saturday 10th October two Regional Gatherings were held bringing together Maranatha members from across the whole of the north of England and Wales for worship, fellowship, news, support and encouragement. The Gatherings were held at St. Mark’s Church, Sheffield and in The Emmanuel Christian Centre, Llandudno and between them were attended by over 100 people.

The gatherings were blessed by having members present who are not normally able to get to regular Maranatha Local Group meetings, and we were able to share together what God is doing through this Community ie through the individual members and groups scattered throughout the UK.

If you were present at one of these gatherings then perhaps you might like to share your thoughts here.