by Neal | Oct 2, 2012 | Link Parish, News, Transforming Lives |
A message came from the Morogoro team yesterday evening:
“Slow start to Day 1; people arriving through the day: 29 attendees thus far. Good atmosphere & all clearly keen yo engage with training. Worship singing a joy! Prayer for t’morrow; wisdom for issues beginning to show in this new group”
Praise God for their freedom in worship singing, and for their enthusiasm to connect with the Rooted in Jesus material. Please uphold the team as they begin to engage with the issues that are emerging. If the Lord gives you any insights as you pray – or words or pictures – with regard to these, please pass them on.
Personally, I experienced a quite unexpected fall yesterday morning, when I was out in the fields with my dog. I am OK, but was bruised and shocked and am feeling quite stiff this morning. This might be a signal to us, as intercessors, to pray for the Lord’s protection for team and conference participants against any accidents, or enemy attacks of any kind.
Psalm 91 comes to mind, at times like this!
by Neal | Oct 1, 2012 | Link Parish, News, Transforming Lives |
Two messages from the Morogoro team. One came on Friday at the end of the first conference:
Praise God for v positive conclusion to a good conference with special Eucharist. We give thanks with you for all God has done. We sensed all returning home with renewed hope and anticipation & encouraged in their leadership of RinJ. Please pray for conversations some priests may have which will encourage evangelists to attend conf 2. Please pray protection for our families esp Lukas & Danstan. God bless you in your praying” God is so faithful & good. Amen!
The second came this morning:
Greetings from Tanzania! Conf 2 starts today; pray please for good connections with attendees. Expecting and anticipating great blessing & good things from God. Andy Douglass joined us for this week.
Please pray especially for Andy Douglass that he may find his place and role very quickly in the team. Ask the Lord for good relationships with attendees, and to cover with His blessing all the participants in this second conference – some may turn up, even later today, as a result of conversations with those at the first conference.
I have a sense at this time that the Lord is showering us with blessing us as we pray, and the team and participants as they engage with the conferences. May we keep up our spiritual guard and stay alert for everything He has for us all.
I will take my stand at my watchpost and station myself on the tower, and look out to see what he will say to me, and what I will answer concerning my complaint.Haggai 2:1.
by Neal | Sep 30, 2012 | Link Parish, News, Transforming Lives |
As some of you will be aware, our Vicar, Rev Amanda Barraclough, is currently in Tanzania taking part in two Rooted in Jesus Conferences in Morogoro, Tanzania, where Wakefield’s link Diocese of Mara is, as well as St Mary’s link parish of Ikizu is situated.
Updates since Amanda’s trip started have just come through so below is a digest of updates so far via the group praying for them in the UK. I will post further updates as they arrive:
Monday 24th September
I have this morning received a message from the team in Morogoro:
“positive team meeting; raring to go; good sense of God’s promises & opportunities for conferences. Particular request for protection – armoured up; for unity & effective working as team; prayer too for those travelling to Morogoro today”. God bless you in your praying. Jonathan
Please pray, as they ask, for the Lord’s protection over them and for each one to put on and have confidence in the armour of God – Ephesians 6. We ourselves also need to put on the armour, so that we and they are all free from attacks of the evil one. Ask Him, too, that team members may each be bound in trust and love to Christ and to each other.
Please ask the Lord for safe passage for all who are travelling to Morogoro today, for the Rooted in Jesus conference starting tomorrow. Pray that God will bring safely in all of His children that He has called to be there.
Yesterday they sent us a scripture, which seems to help inform our praying:
We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves.
1 Thess. 5: 12-13.
Tuesday 25th September
An encouraging message came from Jonathan this evening:
26 delegates arrived safely today. We have been received well. We hear good stories with honesty of the impact of RinJ over the past year. Difficulties and challenges shared openly. Clear signs of people engaging with the Holy Spirit during the ministry time. Prayer please esp for those more aware of the challenges and disappointments than the joys of their groups over the year – but they have come to the Conference! Team tired but working well together”.
Jonathan x
I have a sense from this of strong engagement with what is going on at the conference, i.e. that ‘battle is joined’. This leads me to think that we should be praying spiritual protection and the Lord’s armour over everyone there. I’m reminded of Jonathan’s request yesterday: “Particular request for protection – armoured up …”
The belt of Truth; the breastplate of Righteousness; the shoes of Peace; the helmet of Salvation; the shield of Faith; the Sword of the Spirit. (Ephesians 6: 10-20.) Our God is King of Kings and Lord of Lords, and He has the victory. Praise Him!
An intercessor sent a word: ‘His banner over them is love’.
Friday 28th September
Another positive message from the Morogoro team yesterday evening:
Very clear God is taking attendees deeper into himself & in work of RinJ at this conference. Powerful & encouraging testimonies of God’s activity & healing thus far. Excitement of first time trainees at naming people to invite to their new RinJ groups. Prayer please for attendees as they return home tomorrow afternoon: protection & on God’s on-going work. Team keeping well: anticipating a few days rest and relax in preparation for second conf. Thanks to other half of team – the intercessors, God bless you.
We give glory to the Lord in thanksgiving for His amazing presence and work among them all.
Please note that ‘tomorrow afternoon’ means today, Friday, so please pray for the delegates today, if you are free to do so, as they leave the wonderfully blessed experience of the conference and return to life at home, that they may be protected and may lose nothing of all that God has given them this week.
Remember especially those who were already RinJ group leaders, who were described earlier this week as ‘those more aware of the challenges and disappointments than the joys of their groups over the year’ that they may be encouraged and strengthened and be able to continue the good work they have already undertaken.
Praise the Lord!
I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart,
in the company of the upright, in the congregation.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;
all those who practice it have a good understanding.
His praise endures forever!
Psalm 111:1,10
by Neal | Jul 1, 2012 | News, Transforming Lives |
The latest edition of the Wakefield Diocese Newsletter is out. You can download a copy here.
If you look closely, you can see a photo of the Jubilee celebrations at St Mary’s!!
by Neal | Feb 21, 2012 | News, Transforming Lives |
Lent is not only a time for giving something up, it’s a time for prayer and reflection. At St Mary’s there are two main ways we have devised to help you with this:
- Lent Prayer Calendar – this is available from church or from downloading it from this web site (click here to view the post). This calendar has a thought for every day throughout Lent, written by members of St Mary’s congregation.
- Lent Groups – this will be held each Tuesday in Lent at the Vicarage in both the afternoon and evening, see the calendar page for exact time, and contact the Vicar if you’d like to attend.
As well as these local activities, the Church of England has released an App for iPhone or iPad with a Lenten reflection and prayer for each day. This is a sample page from the iPad, and the download link is here. The App costs £1.49.
by Neal | Feb 15, 2012 | News, Transforming Lives |
Last year we produced a Lent Prayer Diary which provided a reflection or prayer for each day throughout Lent. This year we have done the same, and added thoughts and reflections from our All-Age congregation.
Please feel free to download and print the calendar using the links above the document which is reproduced below. Also, please pass onto friends and family.
Our Holy Week and Easter Services are printed on the calendar and will be on the web site calendar shortly.
[scribd id=81680536 key=key-vaoavvoyj8hrn5i7cad mode=list]
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