Second Saturday takes on a bit of a different format and nature in November! – The theme of the day in November will be Ministry in the Workplace. It’ll still be super and sensational though and you’ll even get a very nice buffet lunch on this occasion!

Throughout the Bible, we see that God does powerful things in the lives of his people in the context of their workplaces and through the tools of their trades. In the Old Testament, we see Jael overcoming the enemy by crushing the head of Sisera with the aid of a ‘workman’s hammer’ (Judges 4:17-21, Judges 5:24-27). In the New Testament, we see God working miracles through the aprons and handkerchiefs that the Apostle Paul used in his occasional part time job of making tents. This job for Paul helped him pay the rent whilst he ministered as an Apostle to the Gentiles (Acts 19:11-12, Acts 28:29-31).

In these and in many other stories in the Bible we see that God is very interested in what we do whilst we are in the workplace. He wants to use our whole lives to advance His Kingdom in the world around us.

So, on November 10^th, from 10am to 4pm, we will be welcoming Mark Greene from LICC to come and speak to us on this exciting topic. Mark has written many books and spoken extensively on this whole subject around the world. There will also be ministry and input from some of the Elders and testimonies from members of King’s Church on how God has used them in their places of work. There will also be lovely food and refreshments throughout the day!

To get booked in, you can do this in the following ways:

By Email: Complete the attached booking form and email back to workplace@kingschurch-manchester.org

By Phone: Ring Sarah on 0161 273 2168 and book in for this conference.

In Person: Book in at the Church Office at any time between 10am-4pm during the week or go to the Help Desk this Sunday.

I believe this will be a great day of equipping, inspiration and teaching on a really important subject for us as a Church. God wants to use our whole lives to fill the whole earth with his glory. Every moment of our lives are a wonderful opportunity to Make Jesus Famous.

Come along to Second Saturday in November and be equipped in this area of everyday life!

I had the great opportunity on Sunday 28th October to go on the Mike Shaft show on BBC Radio Manchester. I was asked to go on and talk about our ‘Superhero Party’ that we are holding on the 31st of October as an evangelistic alternative for 5-11 year olds instead of Halloween.

I was pushed in the interview about where I stood on Halloween. I was asked whether it was evil or whether it was just ‘harmless fun’. I was able to answer this, but I really wanted to get across on the Radio that we’re not doing this party to tell Manchester how bad Halloween is, we’re doing it to tell them how amazing and good Jesus is. Yes, we don’t agree with Halloween and all that associated with it. It is bad. But the life changing message of Jesus is so, so good. That’s what we want to focus on and give all our energies towards. Making Jesus Famous in all that we do is our focus, it’s our passion and it’s our vision for Greater Manchester and beyond. I believe that this life changing gospel message will change the face of Manchester and beyond!

To listen to the full interview, then click here – (forward the Mike Shaft show onto about 1 hour 25 minutes and you can listen to the interview with me!)

For more information on the Superhero Party this Wednesday Night at King’s House for 5-11 year olds then contact Rachel and Judah Cole on 0161 273 2168.

Situated between the renowned countries of Japan and China lies the spectacular and untouched beauty of South Korea. Korea was, and officially still is a Buddhist country, with many temples hiding away in the various mountains that grace South Korea’s beautiful topography. Despite this fact, it is estimated that about a quarter of the population are practising Christians, and in almost every town and city you will find yourself surrounded by a great number of red or white illuminated crosses sticking out of the top of buildings signifying a meeting place of the church.

The difference in culture between South Korea and the UK is quite marked, and Kingdom excellence in areas such as punctuality, presentation, generosity, confession and respect is incredibly evident in all aspects of society – from public transport to car-parking attendants! We were therefore incredibly blessed by the people in Korea at all times: we were blessed when we travelled on their underground; we were blessed when we ate in their restaurants and we were blessed when we stayed with them in their homes. The culture of giving generously made a particularly deep impression on us, with both of us being astounded by the financial blessing we experienced during our stay.

Over half the population of South Korea are resident in the capital – Seoul – a huge, busy, vibrant city that is awake all hours and a staggering contrast to the serenity of the countryside, whilst possibly being (we think) the safest capital in the world. We decided Seoul would be the ideal place to prophetically proclaim God’s Word over the country and to pray for His people there, and so by ascending Seoul Tower and obtaining a 360 degree view of the whole city, we did just that.

On our second Sunday in Korea we visited Onnuri church in Seoul, which has 50,000 members and focuses on Matthew 28 and fulfilling the Great Commission. There we met the pastor of the English ministry, and presented him with the Bible and the letter, which he promised he would also pass on to the senior pastor of the church.

The other Bible was received by Mr Oh in Gumi, in the south of the country, a man of peace who along with his family went out of his way to bless us immeasurably – they took us in to stay with them, fed us a lot of delicious Korean food, took us around all the tourist sights in a particularly popular area, and even paid for our train tickets back to Seoul, twice!

All-in-all our entire trip to South Korea was a great success, and a huge testimony to the provision, protection and abundant blessing of God. We also learnt a great deal from our brothers and sisters in Korea, namely their dedication to prayer and fasting, their life together as a community, their tenacity and their intense desire to see the Kingdom of God come in their land, even as the church is rapidly growing and God is pouring out His blessing on them by the bucket load! We are extremely encouraged to see how much God is working in South Korea, and we are confident that what He can accomplish there, He can do here too, and more!

In Mark’s gospel there’s a little conversation between an unnamed disciple and Jesus; they are walking together out of the temple and the disciple casually remarked ‘what massive stones, what magnificent buildings’. A seemingly innocent comment but Jesus responds with amazing revelation; ‘do you see…not one stone here will be left on another’. The disciple was making small talk and he got so much more than he bargained for; but I think Jesus loved it. This disciple sharing his life with Jesus moment by moment led to revelation and this is the kind of life Jesus is calling us to.

God’s primary call to humanity is into fellowship with himself and we can trace it from Genesis through the old covenant fellowship offerings through to Jesus’ death and resurrection securing unhindered fellowship with God in Christ. In John 15 Jesus shows us what this fellowship should look like; a branch attached to a vine, unbroken interaction, life constantly flowing from the vine to the branch. Our fellowship with Christ needn’t be limited to a 10minute quiet time plus open home and a Sunday service; it can and should be loving communion throughout all the activity of our lives, even small talk about architecture!

But in John 15:15 Jesus goes even further; not only are we to be servants of God we are to be friends, those who know their master’s business. Through our loving relationship we gain insight into God’s plans and purposes for our world. Our intimacy with Jesus is not just to heal, restore and give us joy; although it is for all those things it is also for purpose. The disciple Mark writes about is left speechless when Jesus drops his bombshell, and as we share our lives moment by moment with Christ he has some amazing vision to share with us too.

Just as this disciple did we can receive revelation as we small talk with Jesus, but his response in Mark 13 shows us what kind of revelation this will be – Jesus is all about his kingdom! His revelation will always concern the extension of Christ’s rule and reign on the earth until the whole cosmos is restored and reunited in Christ (Eph 1:9).

If we are to accomplish our ‘Go’ commission we need to be living in this unbroken fellowship with Christ, sharing our lives with him and alert to his question ‘do you see?’ So chat to Jesus about everything, and let him tell you stories about the places you go everyday and the people you meet. The most casual comment you make to Christ could be the start of some serious kingdom revelation! Living this way with Jesus can never be boring or mundane; it’s always fresh, growing and fruitful; let’s share our lives with him in a new way and as we do so see his kingdom purposes fulfilled in our friend and family and in our city.

“Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost.

Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare”

Isaiah 55:1-2 (NIV)

I’ve been so blessed and encouraged by the word of God that has been coming to us as a church at Second Saturday. It’s like eating a rich banquet of God’s word as the life-changing word of God is taught by anointed men and women of God. It’s like a meal that never runs out with so many courses of rich revelation, and healthy truths. Norman and myself have been able to come and feast on the Word that is being brought to us as a church through these teaching and equipping events.

The Word of God brings great fruit and change in our lives. I’ve personally known habits broken by the Word of God, relationships restored and healing in body, mind and spirit as I’ve sat under the teaching of the anointed Word. I’ve known the daily revelation of the life changing Word as the Holy Spirit has taken the Word of God and helped me change my priorities to those of the Kingdom.

At the end of Second Saturday, I don’t want to go home, it’s that good! I would encourage you to come and receive from the rich feast and banquet of God’s word that is being laid out every month.

I long for more people in King’s Church to increasingly get deeper into the Word of God, to run with it, devour it and feast on it. I would love for more people to be able to come to Second Saturday and be inspired as they hear the Word of God as I have done. It’s such a wonderful blessing.

God has laid out a banquet of rich food in His Presence. We can come and eat, without cost. We can receive all of God’s gracious blessing that he pours into our lives through His Word and through His Spirit. The Word of God is the richest and tastiest food you will ever eat and enjoy. God wants us to share and enjoy the Word of God as we eat and enjoy it together. Like any good meal – He wants us to talk about His Word, act on His Word, & share His Word with each other and with the World.

Come along and enjoy the Banquet of God’s word at Second Saturday every month!

Doreen Arrowsmith – September 2007

Second Saturday teaching that you might have missed is available by clicking the audio menu on the front page of this web site

A withered flower
A stormy sea
Your face in a mirror
The bit in a horse’s mouth
The rudder of a ship
A raging forest fire
Water from a clear spring
An arrogant businessman
Rusty metal
Moth eaten clothes

Answer: In the Epistle of James! This is probably one of the most popular books in the New Testament. James’ main concern is that professing Christians give themselves wholly to the Lord. In his day, he obviously saw the danger of nominal Christianity creeping into the church and people deceiving themselves (1:22) about their spiritual status. Nominal Christianity is an oxymoron. James wanted his readers to understand the only adjective you could put before Christianity is “wholehearted”. Although his letter covers a wide range of subjects, his concern throughout is that his readers move into wholeheartedness.

James was the brother of Jesus, and much of his language is similar to the teaching of Jesus in the gospels. He never quotes Jesus, but his main concern could be summed up in the words of Jesus in Matthew 6:33 “Seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness”. This “seeking first” and giving yourself “wholly” to the Lord will be a constant concern through the letter as we study it together.

Anyone looking for guidance in their Christian life will benefit enormously from studying James. Believers often quote the James across the world. James’ lavish use of illustrations makes the teaching easy to understand and remember. It’s a vibrant colourful book to read.

We will start looking at the book of James together Saturday 13^th October at 10am in King’s House.

James is an intensely practical book to study. It is sometimes called “the proverbs of the New Testament”. It’s full of concise exhortations, encouragement and warnings. There are no long arguments to follow. James wants ordinary believers to grow to maturity, act wisely and live out the faith they profess. He wants them to move into spiritual “wholeheartedness”.

The range of what is covered is more diverse than what is found in Paul’s epistles. Yet there is the constant concern of spiritual wholeness. In our study of James we will look at living wholeheartedly for the Lord and covering the following topics:

Trials and temptations
Hearing and doing
Favouritism forbidden
Faith and deeds
Taming the tongue
Wisdom: earthly and heavenly
Boasting about tomorrow
Warning the rich
The need for patience
The prayer of faith

James is the sixth New Testament book we will be studying on a Second Saturday. So far we have studied Galatians, 1 Corinthians, Philemon, Ephesians and just finished Romans. Wonderful books to study! They were all written by the Apostle Paul and were all inspired by God the Holy Spirit; we believe them to be the infallible written Word of God and totally relevant to 21^st century Christians living in Manchester. You can download any of the teaching from these books by clicking “more” on the audio player and selecting the book (from the drop down menu) you want to hear being taught.

Recently God has spoken to us about evangelism. We have heard a lot recently about ‘going’ and taking the Good News of the Kingdom. We have heard about starting something new and being “fishers of men”. We have heard about seeing the need and experiencing God so that the world can experience him through us.

It has been incredible to see the King’s Church take hold of what God has been saying and putting it into practice. As a church we have just had a two week mission, where we went out on to the streets day after day to preach the Gospel to people and show them the love of God. During this time we have reached out and preached the Gospel one on one on the streets of Manchester to hundreds of people and we have seen God do awesome things. Over the two week period we saw lots of church members getting stuck in and taking the Good News to the streets of Manchester. We have seen at least 15 people respond to the gospel. And we have seen God heal many people and at work in the lives of many more people.

At the end of the two weeks of being out on the streets we had an event at King’s House with a meal, live entertainment and a testimony from a gifted evangelist Dave Roberts. On the night we saw 7 people get saved and quite a few people were healed.

We really believe that we have entered a new season as a church. We are a gifted, evangelistic people and as we allow God to use us we are going to continue to see more and more fruit as God adds to our family. We are so excited about what God is going to do through us as we give him our time and as we make ourselves available for him to use us.

Judah & Rachel

This testimony is also available in video
In 2006, on the August Bank Holiday I had some pain in my chest. I went to the Doctor’s and it was diagnosed that I had Lung Cancer. At that point, the Doctor’s gave me 2-3 weeks to live. Richard and Dave immediately came and prayed with me at my home. All the Elders then prayed and anointed me with oil for healing the next Sunday before the Church. At this time, I believed from God that I would be totally healed from Cancer.

I then went through a full course of Chemotherapy. This took place in 8 separate weeks over 3 months. During this time, I was once short of breath and they gave me a blood transfusion of 4 pints. The white blood cells were disappearing so they gave me an injection to boost the white blood cells. This treatment was then followed by a full course of radiotherapy that took place over 8 days.

Praise God! – During all this treatment, I lost no hair and didn’t suffer from any sickness. I was able to walk upstairs and knew that I was in the healed in the name of Jesus. During the chemotherapy I was given some anti-sickness tablets that I didn’t use. I gave these back after the treatment. I was also given some medicine that I poured down the drain because I didn’t need it – I knew I was totally healed!

Every scan that I had began to show how the cancer was getting smaller & smaller. It was as if the miracle was happening right before my eyes on the screen! I was able to testify to the Doctor’s and Nurses about how God heals and that no sickness is beyond his powerful healing hand. I knew that God had healed me and the scans and medical evidence just had to catch up with what had already happened in my body.

I had a CT scan in late July this year just after Bible Week. The cancer has nearly all gone away – I believe that God will totally clear it, and I will have the scans to prove it. I’ve had no side effects or sickness and feel totally healthy. There are no symptoms or side-effects of the cancer in my life at all.

In the last 12 months, I have put double-glazing into our house, fitted a new kitchen, re-laid the drive and put some new cladding on the front of the house. I’ve never felt better!

I believe that God is a God who heals. He is a miracle working God. When I was diagnosed with Caner, I went through the Bible and wrote down all the Scriptures that mention healing. I then spoke and confessed them in faith out loud over my life. My body just had to come in line with the Word of God – it had no choice!

Norman Arrowsmith – September 2007