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Following the second meeting on Sunday there was an exciting development confirming what God said to us. It’s an amazing journey that we’re on together and God is revealing to us new truths about His Church in Manchester.

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“Around ten million people in East Africa are facing severe hunger as some areas experience the worst drought in 60 years, destroying crops and livestock.  Combined with failed harvests and escalating staple food prices, the drought is creating a dangerous mix that is pushing people to the brink of starvation.  South east Ethiopia is the hardest hit region, with 3.2 million farming-dependent people experiencing food shortages, while 3.2 million others are affected in northern Kenya and 2.5 million in Somalia” (Extract from Tearfund Website, www.tearfund.org) Working with New Life Church, Salford and River Church, Liverpool, we have altogether been able to give £3,000 to the famine crisis in East Africa through the relief work that Tearfund are doing with other agencies in this region.  This £3,000 has been released from the monies that the 3 churches tithe for their overall income each month. Like Paul stated in Galatians – we are eager to remember the poor.  We want this value to be at the core of our mission, both here in Manchester and in our reaching out with the Gospel to the ends of the Earth.

It is tragic to see many lives, including many children, effected by starvation and famine in East Africa in this time. We want to play our part in helping to relieve this suffering through our giving.
However, we want to go beyond just merely giving finance to those in need.  We want to stand with them in prayer and believe for the supply of food, drink and shelter to help relieve suffering.  We also want to pray for the proclamation of the Gospel in this region and see many lives turning to Jesus and knowing His love and power in their daily lives.

Let’s continue to remember the poor at the heart of our Gospel, both in our giving and in our praying in this time.

Gavin White

The Lord has been speaking clearly and strongly to us about his love. The events of Tuesday night show to us that we are in a privileged position to share the love of God with our city. The media, especially the newspapers out the following day, are generating a culture of hatred towards the young people who wrongly vandalised shops and looted in our city on Tuesday night. The headlines do not reflect anything of the love of God. We must make sure that we continue to do all we can under the anointing of the Spirit to generate a culture of love. Let’s encourage one another to stand out as light and as salt in the city in the way we speak about and pray about what has been happening. God so loved the world (including the young people who roamed the streets on Tuesday night) that he gave his one and only Son! Let’s keep clear of a worldly or fleshly condemning of people whom God loves. Let’s stand out and be different in the way we talk about what has happened. Let’s allow what has happened to sharpen our understanding of what the love of God really is; how his love flowing through us enables us to love our enemies and not just those who do good to us.

We really need to spend time praying as churches. Meet up with friends and set a direction for the prayer time making sure it is a positive faith- filled time. Law and order has not broken down in Manchester, the Spirit of God is still at work in this city because we are in the city. Whether they realise it or not, all the authorities in this city only exist because their authority is from God. We can thank God for and pray for council leaders,politicians, judges and magistrates and for the police. Pray for our young people to shine as stars and demonstrate the love of God in our city.

We believe that Tuesday night’s events show there is still much for us to do in sharing God’s love with the people of Manchester. We praise God for what we are doing as a church and the long term plans the Lord has given to us. Praise God for Love Mums, for VIP nights, for Kid’s Club, for the planned secure housing for the homeless, for youth work, for every church member seeing themselves as ‘sent’ people in their streets, work places and places of education. We refuse to be diverted from the long term sowing of love into this city.

Dave Emmett

Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good.  Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor; not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord (Romans 12:9-11 NASB)

God is not a philosophy, He is real. When we go to God, we don’t put on a mask, He knows everything anyway. In the same way, Paul exhorts us to be real with one another, to love one another sincerely and not put on a show with one another. How beautiful it is when brothers dwell together in unity, not comparing each other but opening up our lives to one another, helping and encouraging each other. No one has it all. We all need (including our leaders) each other’s encouragement, prayers and love.

Let’s recognise the things that unite us in the love of the Spirit, instead of the trivial, irrelevant things that divide us. We don’t have to create unity; Paul said we just need to preserve it. (Eph 4:3)

We are not called to judge one another but to love one another. Therefore, love is not about making others to become like us, to agree with our doctrines or revelation, but to embrace people where they are at and love them as who God has called them to be.

This does not mean that truth is not important. If we have found truth, by all means stand by it, protect it, preserve it, but never force it on someone thinking that we all need to be the same in order to love each other.  Leave the work of conviction to the Holy Spirit. Only the love of God can do it.

A religious spirit is one of the greatest obstacles to living a kingdom life. God does not want a religious people who only focus on performing our religious duties but He wants a bride who is truly and completely in love with Him. When love comes in, all human endeavours have to flee. No doubt, love is the greatest and most fearsome weapon that we have against the plans of the evil one.

1 John 4:8 tells us that God is love. Therefore, let us continue to drink of His love, be worshippers of God daily and to allow God to use us as the carrier of His love to the world around us. We cannot do this with our own human strength but if we position ourselves in the unfailing, victorious love of God nothing will be impossible because love never fails.

Natalie Cole

On Sunday Kofo brought us a word about spending time with Him and being in his presence. I was really struck as he shared God’s heart on how he misses us, how he is jealous for us. I was challenged as he went on to say that we have time for friends and Facebook but what of him? Where is his time?

Recently I have struggled in finding God, hearing from him and knowing his love and power through his presence. Through the words from God that have come and the support of my friends and church family, I have come to a place where I know God is with me at all times and that he never leaves me. Hearing the word on Sunday encouraged and challenged me that God is there and that he misses me. He loves us that much that he is jealous for us, he wants us, we are his people and we are made to be in his presence.

At the prayer meeting on Wednesday morning we spent time praising God and being with him. We spent some time waiting on God and he spoke to us:

“One thing I want you to do is focus on me but first of all, know that I am good!”

Anything we need in life comes from God who is good. Why would we go anywhere else for what we need? God has made himself available to us, for us to go and be with him, to sit in his presence and look into his eyes. If we need grace then one thing we need to do is go to him. If we need love, one thing, we go to him. Is it the power of God you need in your life? One thing! Is it more joy? One thing!

I am not saying that all of a sudden all the problems are solved but I know that when I need to feel his love and presence I can go to him. I know that he is there for me and will never leave me. I know that I can sit with him and just be with him. There is nothing we have to do to earn his love or presence that he has given freely to us.

I want to know God more; I want to feel his love and presence more. I want to be used the way he wants to use me. I want to bring his Kingdom rule and reign to the world around me. One thing is all I need to do, focus on him and know that he is good.

Kelly Shennan

Tendai Chirau left Manchester some months ago now for Gulu Uganda, since she felt God had sent her to work in a hospital there for a season; she returns to us in September. Here Tendai reports on the work that God is doing through her there.

“Firstly, thank you for your prayers: I am now fully registered to practice here and my visa is sorted. I thank the Lord for his strength through these tough days. This is the only hospital with an orthopaedic surgeon in Northern Uganda and Southern Sudan, so it’s very busy. I currently attend an English-speaking, cell-based community church here. I help with the children’s work which has enabled me to make some good friends in the church.

Allow me to testify how God has enabled me to touch the lives of people in Gulu. One day the Holy Spirit directed me to a house where many children were playing outside. I actually returned another day with bread and juice. A pregnant lady, sitting outside the house, introduced herself as Molly. I told her that Jesus had prompted me to bring her a gift and that he loved her so much. She told me she was a Christian but hadn’t met with the Church as she was heavily pregnant with her fourth child. We chatted for an hour and I told her I would visit her again. I returned three weeks later but sadly complications had led to the death of Molly and her unborn child, of which I was informed by her husband, who was also a Christian. He also told me how Molly told him of the lady who brought juice and bread. Had I not obeyed the Holy Spirit, I may never have been able to tell Molly how much Jesus loved her. I prayed with her husband and family and will visit them again.

Another time the Holy Spirit directed me to a teenage girl, called Helen, sitting outside her home;the left side of her face was swollen.She agreed to let me pray for her and her grandma, who had chronic pain down her left side. Helen had planned to have surgery the following day to remove the swelling, but when I met her the next day the swelling and other problems had completely gone – no surgery needed! Later I discovered her grandma’s suffering had gone as well. Helen is a Christian and a very good friend to me.

Yet another day the Holy Spirit directed me to Abdullah, a man selling clothes at the market. Abdullah told me he was a Muslim; I told him I was a child of King Jesus who made Heaven and Earth. I gave him a bunch of bananas that day. I see Abdullah three times a week and try to share the gospel with him each time. Once he said ‘Praise Jesus’. Though he refused to let me pray for him, I believe he will yet know King Jesus.

I thank God that in the hospital I have encouraged and prayed for many patients, relatives and staff members. I even prayed for the ward manager who had chronic rib pains. The pain didn’t go immediately but after praying on a few occasions it has now gone. Now when she sees me she lifts both arms in the air, something she was previously unable to do.”

Tendai

Let us continue to pray for Tendai, that the Lord would give her strength, provide for her financially and add to the fruit she is seeing there. May we also follow her example in obeying the Holy Spirit.

At the beginning of creation God performed miracles by speaking. Jesus’ first miracle was performed when he spoke to the servants, telling them to fill the jars. God has encouraged us recently from the book of Acts to continue speaking His word.

“And now, O Lord, hear their threats, and give us, your servants, great boldness in preaching your word. 30 Stretch out your hand with healing power; may miraculous signs and wonders be done through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” (Acts 4: 29-30)

This is God’s word to us as a Church. That as we continue to be filled with the Spirit – the unlimited all-powerful Spirit of God – we can speak His word with all boldness and expect to see God stretching out His hand to heal and perform signs and wonders.
The gospel we have received and proclaim is the power of God (Rom 1:16). Let’s proclaim it and expect to see His supernatural love and power – His power for salvation and signs and wonders. This is who we are as God’s people. Miracles are normal in the Kingdom of God. Let’s push through and allow this to be our experience.

I’m personally challenged to continue speaking the word with boldness and expecting to see His power. But I know that with God we can do all that He has purposed for us. There are no limits for us as God’s people. God bless you.

Reuben Cole

“Thank you for all your prayers,
more people need to be in Church in the Home”

This statement was made by a member of the Peel Hall Church in the Home recently.  They said this after leaning on their Church in the Home members to pray and support them through their father being so ill that they thought he was dying.  Two weeks after they told us that, their father has been taken to a rehab centre and is increasingly on the mend.  God answered our prayers!

This is not the first time we’ve had prayers answered in our Church in the Home.  We’ve seen countless healings, provision of houses, provision of finances, provision of justice, increasingly stronger relationships with Christ; the list really is endless and God still has more to do!

I can speak on behalf of us all and tell you that we couldn’t live without the support, friendship and community that our Church in the Home gives us.  We laugh together, share together, eat together and cry together and through it all we keep God in the centre.

I want to encourage those that haven’t settled into a Church in a Home, and are even wondering if it is worth it, to attend one in the coming week.  If you need a miracle, prayer answered, provision or friendship it is the place you need to be.

The good news is that it doesn’t have to be in Peel Hall in South Manchester!  I know other Church in the Homes all across the City are experiencing exactly the same signs and wonders and would also welcome you into their community.

Why not try it and see what God can and will do for you & through you?

Naomi Armitage