ECC Grapevine Dec/Jan 2014 - Issue 65

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ISSUE 65 - December / January 2014

rapevine G Ealing Christian Centre

magazine

one family

of many nations proclaiming one gospel

through many disciples

New ECC church plant in FELTHAM www.ecc.org.uk

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Pentecostal Church GRAPEVINE magazine • Issue 65 • December 2013 / January 2014

A word from the SENIOR PASTOR

SOWING SEEDS AND PLANTING

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lanting churches is one of the things ECC is called to do. It is part of our vision, which is set out on our Vision Bookmark, which we encourage everyone at ECC to keep in their Bible to pray over on a regular basis. They are available from the back of the auditorium.

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Our strategy in ECC thus far has been to wait on God for direction and, as he raises up people in our midst, to cooperate with the Holy Spirit in stepping out where we believe he is directing us.

As individuals have shared their vision and brought

Japanese Fellowship

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In the Book of Acts, it is very evident that the Holy Spirit was clearly guiding and leading the apostles and church members in their strategies in taking out the Gospel. The church at Antioch, for example, was founded when the believers were forced to scatter after persecution in Jerusalem (Acts 11:19-21). The church in Ephesus was founded by the apostle Paul, only some years after he had originally tried to plant a church there, since the Holy Spirit first guided him to Europe at that time to plant churches in places such as Philippi, Thessalonica and Corinth (Acts 16:6-10).

Only after that did he have the divine release to return to Ephesus and pioneer what would become a large and influential church, which was both regional and international in reach. This shows how important it is not only to get the right location but also the Lord’s timing.

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for Pastor Rajinder and myself to visit this nation on a regular basis to help teach and equip the church leaders there in different parts of the country.

Planting churches is one of the things ECC is called to do their strategy, when we have believed God is behind it, we have sought to empower and release them to see that vision fulfilled.

Guyana Over the years, ECC has been instrumental in helping to plant churches in different countries.

Back in 2002, Pastor Mark took a team to Guyana to assist in a church plant in a place called Timerhi. After a Gospel crusade, the church began in a converted garage.

The launch itself went very well, and the church has since grown under the leadership of Pastor Michael Sammy (whom

GRAPEVINE magazine • Issue 65 • December 2013 / January 2014

ECC has been sponsoring over these years) to around 300 people. They later bought the land opposite the garage, and built a large new building. It is now the biggest Elim church in Guyana. They have done very well, and we rejoice with them in their fruitfulness.

Nepal In Nepal, our missionary, Bhab Ghale (with his wife) has been overseeing an amazing programme of church planting in that country as, sent out and supported by ECC, the vision to plant a church and a trained leader in every village is being fulfilled. It has been exciting

Closer to home, we were able to assist Pastor Aogu and his wife, Chisato, to establish the ECC Japanese Fellowship which, starting from nothing, has now reached between 50 to 60 Japanese adults and children. This has been no mean feat since, firstly, the Japanese are amongst the hardest and least-reached people in the world, and secondly, since they come over to the UK on short contracts of three to five years, there is a constant succession of returnees going back to Japan, who need to be replaced in the church. From ECCJ, they are returning to Japan to have an influence on their own countrymen and -women. In addition, plans are developing to follow up the work in that country from here at ECC.

The Philippines In 2004, Pastor Mark and his wife, Cora, went out to Cebu in the Philippines, sent by ECC to fulfil a calling to establish a work and a church there.

Today, the church in Portland has a congregation of around 200 adults and children.

In April 2013, a short-term mission team from ECC was instrumental in helping to plant a second church in Danao City, Cebu. In the months since then, the church has grown to around 90 adults and children.

Long before they relocated from Cebu back to London in June 2012, we had planned for Pastor Mark’s role in ECC to not only oversee all our growing missions involvement

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CHURCHES in various countries, but locally to oversee ECC’s church planting programme in and around London. We had already been discussing several places and people groups, where we felt daughter churches from ECC could be planted. He has been forming around him a church-planting team, which would help in the set-up of each local daughter church we start to plant out from ECC.

Sowing seeds The idea is that as the mother church, ECC would help birth them and look after them, as they start to grow and establish themselves, until they are able to stand fully on their own feet.

For many years, we as a church have been using our resources (both people and materials) to help in the growth of other churches, both in the UK and in other countries, and to sow into their ministries. It is part of our mission, which is also set out in our Vision Bookmark ‘… to fulfil the Great Commission to train, equip and send out from our fellowship, witnesses, evangelists and missionaries to reach all peoples both at home and abroad’.

We have been waiting on God for some time, and feel there are several areas where we believe we could plant a new church or reach a new people group from which a church could be established.

Feltham

Our strategy in ECC thus far has been to wait on God for direction and … to cooperate with the Holy Spirit in stepping out felt for a number of years a burden to plant a church there, and for some time we have been discussing the way forward for this to happen. You can read his article on page 4.

He has been working together with Pastor Mark’s team for many months in preparing for this new outreach, so that we can work together to see a new daughter church planted in Feltham to reach all those there that the Lord knows are waiting to be reached with the Gospel, their lives impacted and changed for forever.

This is an exciting development which, by God’s grace, will have its official launch on Saturday 1st March 2014.

Richard Buxton

One such area now is in Feltham. Pastor William has

n behalf of the family here at Ealing Christian Centre, we would like to take this opportunity to let you know that we are glad to have you worshipping with us today. We hope you will feel at home in our fellowship - whether this is your first time or your umpteenth time with us. May God bless you.

CONTENTS 2 A Word from the Senior Pastor

4 Sharing the vision for FICC

by Pastor William Anane-Forkuo

6 Mission to India

by Pastor William Anane-Forkuo

7 Planting the Gospel by Pastor Mark King 8 Called to a New Dimension

by Pastor John Starr

9 How to Experience 90% of Income covering

100% of Outgoings by Roy McEwen

10 Testimonies from Revival & Healing meetings 12 Prayer Centre Testimonies 13 Two-month Prayer Diary Pull-out 21 Evangelism & Prayer Ministry Calendar 22 Sunday Nights At The Centre - New for 2014 23 Sunday Services at a Glance / Notices 24 Fellowship & Courses 25 Relationships Ministry Course Dates 26 Finance & Attendance statistics / What We Believe

27 A Salute to Unsung Heroes by Akin Osuntoki

28 Gathering 13 - Youth Ministries 29 Teachers’ Training Day - Children’s Ministries 30 Women’s Encounter Weekend Would you like to contribute an item to the next edition of the Grapevine magazine?

The deadline for the FEBRUARY/MARCH edition is FRIDAY 3rd JANUARY 2014

If you would like an item to be considered for the next edition of the Grapevine magazine, please email your article to info@ecc.org.uk, marked 'For Grapevine'.

Articles for half a page should be no more than 250 words, and for a full page should be no more than 600 words. The Editor reserves the right to edit articles where necessary.

Editor-in-Chief: Pastor Richard Buxton Editor & Design: Berean Services UK Photography: Roy McEwen plus various contributors from ECC COVER PHOTO: Pastor William Anane-Forkuo Stock Images: freepik.com, publicdomainpictures.net, Google images Print: Deluxe Printers Ltd, London NW10 7NR, Tel: 020 8965 1771 Ealing Christian Centre, 268 Northfield Avenue, Ealing, London W5 4UB Tel: 020 8840 7508 Fax: 020 8840 1461 Email: info@ecc.org.uk Website: www.ecc.org.uk

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Pentecostal Church

Grapevine is published by Ealing Christian Centre. Reproduction in whole or part without written permission is prohibited. Grapevine and the ECC logo are trademarks of Ealing Christian Centre in the United Kingdom where Grapevine circulates.

Copyright © Ealing Christian Centre 2013. All rights reserved.

GRAPEVINE magazine • Issue 65 • December 2013 / January 2014

MISSIONS

Sharing the vision of a new ECC church plant in

FELTHAM

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that God was not talking about the building, but about many people who are lost, searching for Him but in the wrong places.

n 2004, I relocated my family to Feltham.

Just at the crossroads, we always used to see the young people gathered for very wrong reasons, doing drugs and many worrying activities.

My wife, Juliet, and I (pictured below) became very concerned and so we decided to pray, because we also had children who were young at the time.

We believe the Lord answered our prayers, because the young people moved from the area and stopped meeting at this spot. Not so long after this move, I would occasionally pass by buildings in the area and have a strong sense that ‘this could be a church.’ I would immediately repress these thoughts, since I did not think nor understand at the time that there was indeed the need for something divine. This struggle persisted for a very long time.

One day (on one of my prayer walks), I came across Cineworld, which is arguably the largest building in Feltham, and yet again I had the same thoughts. I believe the Lord also brought the young people to my mind, and told me to go and get them, which really scared me. Again, I repressed these thoughts, believing that this was beyond me. I did, however, begin to put it to prayer and, after some time, it became apparent to me that God was prompting me to plant an Elim church in Feltham. Believing that I had uncompleted work to do at ECC, I brushed this thought aside.

During the times of prayer about these promptings, I would clearly remember and sense the calling of Abraham to an unknown land, as found in Genesis 12, the understanding of which scared me to no small degree, particularly as I felt comfortable at, and didn’t want to move from ECC. It was again impressed on my mind

GRAPEVINE magazine • Issue 65 • December 2013 / January 2014

As they persisted, I shared these promptings with my wife and, just like me, she did not think we were at the place to begin to even think of a possible move from ECC. I stopped thinking and praying about this idea, despite the fact that church planting was something that the ECC leadership team were very much considering and talking about. My thinking was: “This would be fantastic, but it’s not

“Apart from many things I would like to use you for, I would like you to rebuild the broken families and young people with no direction or purpose, whom I will bring into your path.”

God was not talking about the building, but about many people who are lost, searching for Him but in the wrong places. for me. I would support this cause, but not initiate it.”

I surrendered all to God in prayer, confessing: “I will do as He wants me to do.” What next? was the question. God never gives you the whole picture, but looks to see faith in action.

We (my family and I) prayed fervently about this initiative for several years, but did not take any further action and I began to rationalise things and even tried to tell God the reasons why this couldn’t be possible. I heard God speak: “Apart from many things I would like to use you for, I would like you to rebuild the broken families and young people with no direction or purpose, whom I will bring into your path.”

I knew that this was clearly from God, because I have a passionate love for the people in what I consider to be a broken community. Many young people on the streets seem to be coming from broken relationships and broken family backgrounds. To see such people come to have a personal relationship with God is, for me personally, very exciting!

However, the very thought of sharing these happenings with the leadership welled up with such trepidation that I kept putting it off until the end of 2011.

After much prayer, and having considered at length not only the vision of ECC but the Elim Movement in its entirety - which strongly promotes churches planting daughter churches - I believe God is about to do something phenomenal in Feltham and its surrounding towns. I am certain it is consistent with the bigger vision of Elim

MISSIONS and ECC, and with the birthing within me to plant an Elim church in Feltham.

Firstly, I decided to share the vision with Pastor Richard Buxton, but told God that without 100% support from him, I would have to conclude that this vision was not from Him (God). When I first shared this proposal with Pastor Richard, he stated in principle that it is a good idea and that he believed it is from God, since it is in accordance with the wider vision of Ealing Christian Centre. He further advised us to pool our resources together and wait for the arrival of Pastor Mark King, who was shortly due to relocate back to ECC from the Philippines. A fortnight later, Pastor Richard suggested I share this proposal with the entire ECC leadership team, which was well received and welcomed.

PastortoMark Following this, I was asked seek King out a viable venue to rent, and also to prepare the mission and vision statements for the proposed church, which I did with the help of God. Prayer has not ceased since that time (and has even increased, once the demographics of Feltham and its surrounding towns had been researched).

Praise God for the team that has come alongside us, praying and bringing ideas together, with the help of Pastor Mark.

We have since been doing prayer walks in the area, as we believe in Mark 3:27, where Jesus says, “In fact, no one can enter a strongman’s house and carry off his possessions unless he first ties up the strongman. Then he can rob his house.”

Leaflet-dropping and surveys are all planned to follow pending our pre-launch services from 15th December 2013.

We believe the opportunity has come not only to go and win souls into the Kingdom, but for people to be released and serve with us in this vision. Therefore, if you have any gift or talent, and feel led to help, please do not hesitate to contact us, or if you want to support us financially you are welcome to, but by all means pray with us for the exciting times ahead.

Important information Address Feltham Assembly Hall Feltham Park Hounslow Road Feltham TW14 9DN Pre-launch service Sunday 15th December Official opening scheduled for Saturday 1st March Meetings Sunday services @ 11am Prayer meetings Tuesdays 7pm-9pm Midweek groups For more information on the many ways you can support this ministry, please speak to Pastor William or Pastor Mark or ring

020 7175 0108

Pastor WILLIAM ANANE-FORKUO Feltham Assembly Hall - home of Feltham International Christian Centre

GRAPEVINE magazine • Issue 65 • December 2013 / January 2014

MISSIONS

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his mission to India was birthed and sponsored

by Brother Samir and family (pictured), after a dramatic encounter with the Lord. Samir, whose past life was characterised by drugs, alcohol and cigarettes, met Christ after attending one Sunday service here at Ealing Christian Centre. His relationship with Christ brought a total transformation,which made him give up his past life completely.

MISSION TO

India

This dramatic transformation has touched many people’s lives - including his colleagues at work. His wife, Bubble, had been praying for her husband and, seeing the change, desired for this message to be sent to their country of origin, after receiving a clear direction in her dream. The family then had a very powerful and successful mission last year with Rev Theodore Effiong.

Seeing what the Lord did last year, the family believed they should save money and resources for this year’s mission to India, and started making preparations and informed Pastor William AnaneForkuo and Rev Theodore about a two-week mission to India.

We definitely had an open heaven, characterised with the powerful presence in every meeting - from day one.

We were blessed to travel to nine cities in India, starting in Dehli. In each city, we spent two nights in an open-air crusade. At every meeting, we had praise and worship in the

local language, and preaching through an interpreter. Praise God, in every meeting in each of the cities, we saw hundreds of people giving their lives to the Lord after the Gospel was preached. The responses were so phenomenal that you wondered whether they understood the invitation that was being made. We asked the interpreter to repeat it to them to be certain. In fact, they had understood it the first time.

We saw instant healings taking place. At one of the meetings, a man was brought forward because he couldn’t walk by himself. After prayer, he could walk and came to the platform

himself to share his testimony.

In the same meeting, a girl of about twelve was brought by her mother, sick with typhoid fever. She was prayed for, and the mother asked if she should cancel the hospital appointment. She was told to go for the appointment, which was due the following day. She then came with the father the following evening, and testified of the girl’s complete healing from the disease. We also had people with hip problems healed instantly during these meetings.

There was an opportunity to meet about 50 to 70 youth workers in a particular church

and, wow, the power of God was evident. We saw God giving revelation knowledge over almost everyone in the meeting - words which were spot on. I must say, however, that the people were hungry for the Lord, and therefore God showed up. “And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13).

The Lord opened the door for us to meet the President and some of the executives of the Pastors’ Association in one of the cities, and we had the privilege to minister to about 300 pastors and their wives on a day’s retreat they had prearranged. The whole day was given to us to pour into these men and women, for them in turn to go to be a blessing to their congregations. Seeing these ministers so blessed, we were taken to two different churches on the Sunday, one of them was the President’s church, and it was such a blessing to be there. They wanted us back in India before the end of the year.

This mission trip taught me many things, but I believe we need to pray for India, as they need our prayers, and for more and more missionaries who will give resources, teaching and coaching to the ministers, so that the church in India will have a good foundation to build upon. I believe this will be a catalyst for the Holy Spirit’s invasion of that country with the Gospel in such a massive way, that even the whole continent will be impacted.

The voice of the Lord is saying: “Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?” (Isaiah 6:8).

Pastor WILLIAM ANANE-FORKUO

GRAPEVINE magazine • Issue 65 • December 2013 / January 2014

MISSIONS

Planting the

GOSPEL C

hurch planting is about expanding the Kingdom of God, by evangelising unreached or under-reached people. Thousands of men, women and children will go unreached, unless a church presents the Gospel in their language and culture. Since the Gospel travels most effectively along cultural and relational lines, it is essential that church planting is the major evangelistic strategy for reaching our towns, cities and country.

In the early 1960s, if you said ‘evangelism’ in a wordassociation game, you would probably get back ‘Billy Graham’. Crusade evangelism dominated the Church’s ideas about reaching out. Back then, when church members decided to share the Gospel with their neighbours, they looked to see which evangelist was coming to town, and invite their neighbours to come along, in the hope that they would receive Jesus.

Then in the 1980s, crusades began to decline, and personal evangelism was used as the key strategy to reach the lost. A church that wanted to reach out would typically offer programmes, such as ‘Evangelism Explosion’ and ‘Person-to-Person’, in order to witness to friends and strangers and, on the whole, these were successful and the effects are still been experienced.

But today, church planting is generally regarded as the

default for evangelising an area or people group within it. A glance at any evangelical denomination’s website will give an insight into what they are doing to initiate church growth, and they will probably refer to the same strategy – planting churches!

RESOURCES COMMITMENT TIME FINANCES

Many churches see this as the ideal way of fulfilling Jesus’ Commission of Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:15-18 and Acts 1:8.

PRAYER WORD OF GOD

I always find it helpful to remind myself about the vision of ECC until 2015: • Church in continuous revival • Discipleship of the individual • Changing of our communities • Planting of new churches.

In many ways I see that, if we plant churches, points 1 to 3 will follow, especially when each member of the ECC family is actively involved in utilising the gifts and abilities God has entrusted to us.

We are all living, walking, talking Gospels! We all have a testimony – a story to tell about how we each encountered a destinychanging God, who loves and cares for us, and who wants to have a personal relationship with us through His Son, Christ Jesus. This is Good News, and news which we must pass on to others in order that they, too, have the opportunity to receive eternal life.

We must focus on the planting of the Gospel that leads to intentional church planting

EVANGELISM

Therefore, when we plant churches, we need to focus on the Gospel. When the Gospel is planted, as Paul put it, it is God who “makes it grow” (1 Corinthians 3:6-7). When we focus on planting the Gospel among unreached people, we become open to God’s process for building His Church. On the other hand, when we focus on the planting of a church over the planting of the Gospel, our focus can become organisational, programmeorientated and institutional.

Therefore, we must focus on the planting of the Gospel that leads to intentional church planting.

expression of church in their local communities.

It might be that God is speaking to you about planting an ‘expression of church’, or planting the Gospel in a community where it is needed.

If so, please speak with me and share what God has placed on your heart.

As we pray for revival, and desire to see change in our communities, we need to plant churches and rise to the challenge of TBCA.

A Challenge to ECC! In 2015, the Elim Pentecostal Church movement - of over 550 churches - will be celebrating its centenary, as it was founded in 1915. The Big Centenary Ask (TBCA) challenges the leaders and members of all our Elim churches to explore ways in which they can plant a new church or a fresh, missional

Pastor MARK KING

GRAPEVINE magazine • Issue 65 • December 2013 / January 2014

PASTOR JOHN

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ou are the Beloved of God. God has chosen you to be aligned with His beloved Son, Jesus Christ. He has chosen to place His affection upon you. His purpose is to conform you to the likeness of His Son. Everything that belongs to Christ belongs to you.

Since you became a Christian, the Father has been taking you on a journey of transformation. Each step is a step of progress into greater glory (2 Corinthians 3:18).

You are already in Christ; the Father has placed you there. You are the Beloved of the Father. He loves to increase you! He loves to show you who you are to become.

He has planned all your upgrades.

Intimidating the Enemy

Called to a NEW DIMENSION

His desire is to take you into a time of New Beginnings.

The Father loves to enlarge and increase you. He purposes that you should enter a new environment of faith and liberty. A higher, deeper, broader place in His Spirit awaits you to explore.

But it will require you enlarging your mind. Because smallness of mind will hold you back, the Holy Spirit needs to upgrade your thinking (Romans 12:2).

The challenge is learning not to live in your circumstances, but to live in Christ.

God wants you to see Him as awesome as He really is, and you will overcome everything that is against you. He wants to raise you up to a greater level of confidence in Him.

spirit will keep you trapped in a substandard place of being.

True poverty is the acceptance of meagre possibilities – deficiency, limitation, smallness, being governed by lack of love, liberty and resources. People with ‘poverty’ thinking convince themselves that they lack resources.

Overcoming a Poverty Spirit

Instead, they should step out in faith to meet God’s provision. A ‘poverty spirit’ will convince you not to take those steps of faith, but to stand still and wait for provision to come to you. God, however, places provision in the place where you are about to tread: in front of you (Joshua 1:5)!

The Lord desires to remove any semblance of a ‘poverty spirit’ from your heart. A poverty

Don’t be defined by externals – your bank balance, your current resources, your environment.

Earthbound thinking and logic will not take you where the Spirit of God can. Renew your thinking with the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2: 9-16).

You will need to progress in the language that intimidates the enemy.

It’s called ‘worship’.

GRAPEVINE magazine • Issue 65 • December 2013 / January 2014

Be defined internally, by the greatness of God’s Spirit within you.

Re-think your assumptions about what is or is not possible.

Re-think positively what is possible in the light of your favour with God, with your confidence in His desires for you. You will have to leave behind adopted beliefs and assumptions, which do not really represent who God truly is. Your personal assumptions will either defeat you or inspire you to live in God. When God plans to develop your progress, He uses all the circumstances of your life to train and equip you for a higher, deeper, broader place in the Spirit.

You will need to progress in the language that intimidates the enemy.

It’s called ‘worship’.

Your intimacy with God intimidates the enemy. He’s afraid of rejoicing hearts.

He cannot stay in the presence of real praise.

Rest in your confidence in the Father’s supremacy.

Wait patiently on Him, by being active in worship, loving the simplicity of prayer. Be occupied with the indomitable, irrepressible, irresistible Lord, and you will see His majestic victories in your life.

The Father has opened the door to a new dimension of the Spirit, to give you a taste of the age to come, to bring Heaven to earth. It is His desire that you should fully explore this place as His Beloved.

Seize the opportunity, and enter into a higher place in the Spirit.

EITC is here to help.

Pastor JOHN STARR

PRACTICAL TRUTHS

How to...

EXPERIENCE 90% OF MY INCOME COVERING 100% OF MY OUTGOINGS

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veryone on earth can and should experience this fantastic miracle.

It’s the miracle of how 90% of your income can cover 100% of your outgoings.

That’s right. I haven’t made a mistake. 90% covers 100%.

I agree, “Those maths don’t add up.” Correct. That’s why it’s a miracle! When you experience this miracle, you will believe that ALL things are possible. That’s why you have to experience this miracle for yourself.

God is the most generous being in all creation, and it’s part of His nature to give, because ‘giving’ is what sustains everything. For there to be food, previous food has to die to produce the seeds to plant, to grow more food.

Creation is screaming out that life gives life. God wants us to be like Him...giving life to everyone and everything around us.

So, it starts with God saying His sun rises on the just and unjust; He references the birds of the air and how beautifully He makes them, and makes a profound statement about how much more He will do for us. All this, God said BEFORE He asks us to

follow His example of giving!

Demonstrate that you trust God God demonstrates that He trusts us, by ‘giving’ us freewill.

Yes, the biggest sign of trust is no control or freewill. Imagine, we can choose to do whatever we choose: to walk in blessings or not. By choosing to follow in faith, we have an opportunity to demonstrate that we trust God with our freewill.

Now, in many cases, 100% of your salary (before tax) cannot even cover your outgoings, much less after tax...then another 10% less in your pocket can seem a step beyond logic. But we’re dealing with the God who spoke the world into being! So, you’ve done your calculations and you cannot afford to give 10% of your income. Fact. Good.

Now more than ever you need to experience the greatest miracle of provision on earth, do the illogical thing, and give 10% of your earnings into the offering bucket.

90>100?

In all areas of financial decision-making, I was changing - applying wisdom and thinking things through, instead of buying on impulse.

So much so, that within three years, my five-figure personal debt was completely gone.

Paid off.

God works perfectly; don’t undo His work Now, a word of warning, try not to undo the work God is doing. I know you won’t do that on purpose. Here’s what it can look like: You want an affordable mortgage.

You speak it to be, in the spirit realm. Then a bank or mortgage advisor offers you a mortgage at a high interest rate - just about affordable now, but totally unaffordable if interest rates rise. You start praising God for making a way.

Stop. Is this God’s way or the enemy’s?

Immediately. Each of our circumstances is different. God is busy making a way where there’s no way for you, now that you have demonstrated that you trust Him above your circumstances.

In 2008, wifey and I were in this exact position. In my spirit, I was convinced we had to find a variable rate product, but the banks were pulling their variable rates off the market.

One high street bank manger told us: “You will never find what you’re looking for. Take this fixed rate one now.” It was at 5.5% fixed for two years. We prayed and prayed.

In my miracle experience, a catalogue of events happened.

My eyes were opened to how I was wasting money. The waste adds up; you’d be surprised.

Over a short period of time, I realised I had lost the desire for much of the ‘things’ I used to waste money on.

One day our mortgage broker called, gave us a website address and said, “I don’t know how this happened, but this particular bank has literally just put a variable rate of 1.76% above base rate online.” We applied, were approved, and within six months, our monthly mortgage

OK. Done it. When does the miracle happen?

payments dropped by over 30% as interest rates dropped to 0.5%.

God is busy on your behalf, so don’t undo His good work, have patience, enjoy the process, enjoy the miracle experience.

Isn’t that selfish?

God said to test Him in this, and see if He wouldn’t open the storehouse of Heaven. God wants our ends to meet. And, by trusting God, we move more and more into living in spirit and in truth. Jesus said, “If My Word abides in you, and you abide in Me, ask for whatever you want and it shall be so.”

I can hear your alarm bells ringing. The operative word is ‘abide’. With Jesus’ Word abiding in you, you won’t ask for selfish things!

Giving and/or tithing whichever term you use - is one of those little things we do which demonstrates whom we trust.

Choose to trust God.

ROY McEWEN

GRAPEVINE magazine • Issue 65 • December 2013 / January 2014

TESTIMONIES FROM REVIVAL & HEALING MEETINGS

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esus and His disciples were walking early one morning, and apparently did not have breakfast. Jesus was hungry, and He saw a fig tree which bore no fruit. He spoke to the tree, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” The next day, Peter saw the same tree, which had actually withered right at the roots.

Jesus’ words took effect and it had withered. When Jesus spoke, power came out of His mouth to accomplish what He said. When we speak God’s promises over ourselves for various situations in our lives, God’s Word carries power to accomplish the promises, when believed in our hearts.

A couple, with heavy hearts, once brought their little year-old baby to us. The baby had a hole in its heart. They were soon to see the doctor for another check up. We commanded healing into the baby’s heart. She was taken to see the doctor, who took a scan and was amazed that the hole in the heart had closed.

The father then brought the doctor’s first report describing the baby’s hole in the heart and then the doctor’s second report to show us that the hole in the heart was closed.

Jesus is amazing. By His stripes we receive our healing. You can read two powerful testimonies of salvation from sin and healing. Be encouraged in your faith as you read them.

For personal prayers, please come to the Revival and Healing Meeting which is on the second Sunday of every month. Also contact our 24/7 Prayer Centre for prayers over the phone.

GOD IS A MIGHTY HEALER Josephine shares how she was healed of cancer, gall bladder stones, high blood pressure and all emotional hurts

“I

went for the first time with a group of women to the Encounter Weekend in 2012, arriving at the location with a heavy heart, and full of bitterness and emotional wounds. Glory be to God, by the end of the programme, God had healed me of every emotional pain, and I returned home with a very light heart, all bitterness and hurt had gone, and I felt peace like a river had taken over.

It was indeed an encounter with the Lord!

“Later, after the Christmas Carol Service in December 2012, as my children and I left the church, I developed a cough and bought cough mixtures on the way home. To my surprise, the cough lasted for two months and defied all medication.

Alongside of it, I had pains all over my body, had stomach problems, and had lost weight drastically. My haemoglobin level had dropped to 7 (the average level is between 11.5 and 16.5*). (*Source: www. patient.co.uk) During the Revival and Healing Service in February, Pastor Rajinder called out, and said there was someone with persistent headaches. I got up and went up to the altar of God, where she ministered to me.

Later, I was given prayer cloths - which had been prayed over - to lay on my body.

Meanwhile, the doctors at Northwick Park Hospital tested and queried about cancer of my bone marrow, whilst simultaneously, the doctor at Central Middlesex Hospital recommended that my gall bladder should be removed, on account of multiple gall stones.

Pastor RAJINDER BUXTON

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GRAPEVINE magazine • Issue 65 • December 2013 / January 2014

I cried and prayed to God, the mighty Healer, reminding Him of His promises.

I called the Prayer Centre the day I was going for the operation to have my gall bladder removed, and a sister agreed with me in prayer. Once I got to the hospital, necessary preparations for surgery were carried out on me.

The doctor came to see me, and said he had read through my latest reports and they contradicted the former ones. From all the evidence before him, the doctor could not find anything wrong with me, and sent me back home. The next day was Sunday and, with my hospital name-tags still on my wrist, I shared with the church what Jesus had done for me, to give glory to God. At Northwick Park Hospital, the doctor stared at me in the face, and said he could not find anything wrong with my bone marrow, as there was no cancer of the bone marrow. Further tests were carried out, and showed that my haemoglobin had risen to 12, and I had gained my weight back. The blood pressure that was persistently high has since become normal. With God, all things are possible.

He is the greatest Physician. Our God is greater and higher than any other gods.

He is a mighty Healer.

Josephine

“The doctor could not find anything wrong with me and sent me home.”

”

TESTIMONIES FROM REVIVAL & HEALING MEETINGS

SAVED BY A MERCIFUL GOD Ileen shares her testimony of how she came through the waters to experience God’s salvation

“A

s a child, I attended church with my grandmother on Saturdays (to a Seventh Day Adventist church). I loved going to church with my grandma, because after church she prepared a wonderful lunch and she baked cakes and puddings with fresh ice cream. I didn’t know anything about having a personal relationship with Jesus or the

‘I was in a deep whirlpool ... it was dark down there ... suddenly, the bright light penetrated the water....’

Holy Spirit. When I arrived in England I stopped attending church, as my parents did not attend church either and I rebelled.

My present job (which I have had for fifteen and half years) takes me to Central America, Mexico and Cuba. The company sends me on trips to check out hotels, tours and transportations, so I am able to help arrange travel arrangements for clients in those countries.

One year, the company organised a trip for me to Costa Rica. Whilst in Costa Rica, I went on an adventure trip which included a white water raft tour.

The guide instructed us how to sit and paddle, and the emergency procedure

if anything were to go wrong during the rafting. That day, the river was a ‘Level 4 strong’ for 18 miles, with big waves.

Everything was going smoothly and I was enjoying the trip on the river, until we came to the last big swell. It ripped the raft and dropped into a whirlpool and then turned over. We all ended up in the swirling pool. I’m a strong swimmer, but this was different!

The current was strong, and I went under the water and it was very dark down there. I tried to make my way up, but I was struggling so much. I started to pray within my heart for God to save me. I also prayed to God and made some promises to God if He took me out of this danger. Before the last thought came to my mind, it was like all the light of the sun was shining in one place - upon me; the bright light penetrating the water, as I could even feel its warmth. I swam my way up and thanked God for saving my life.

As soon as I returned home, I start looking for a church. I went to couple of churches but somehow they didn’t appeal to me. Together with a friend,

we attended ECC, and the atmosphere was good. I believed it was during the second song of worship, Alpha and Omega, that the power of the Holy Spirit came over me. Tears streamed down my face. At the time, I didn’t know what I was feeling, and why the tears? At the end of the service, there was a call to say the Sinner’s Prayer,

‘I could have fallen, my soul cast down, but God’s mercy rewrote my life.’ which I did. I gave my life to Jesus. I couldn’t wait to go to church again on a Sunday. I surrendered myself to my God and my Lord Jesus Christ. I could have fallen, my soul cast down, but God’s mercy rewrote my life.

I got baptised at ECC in October 2005.

I was so full of joy that I could not contain it. I quickly changed from despair to great joy. I can’t do without Jesus Christ in my life; He means everything to me, and I can see His every move made in my life.

After giving my life to Jesus, I also went through some very difficult situations and, once again, Jesus came to my rescue by showing me how to get out of them. He spoke to me through dreams and visions to guide me. I know my Lord is victorious, and He will never leave me nor forsake me.

Ileen

”

GRAPEVINE magazine • Issue 65 • December 2013 / January 2014

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PRAYER

Testimonies from the PRAYER CENTRE The Prayer Centre operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, as compassionate prayer partners are waiting to take your prayer requests and to pray for your individual needs over the telephone. Here are a small selection of the amazing answers to prayer, as individuals ring back to share their answers with us.

“I WILL RESTORE”

A woman needed prayer for divine intervention, as she had not been receiving her housing money from the local authority. Unbeknown to her, the money was being paid to her former landlord, and this had been going on for six months! Her request was that there would be full restoration of all the payments. She made this request during the Revival and Healing meeting. To the glory of God, all the money was paid back into her account, and she gave thanks to God.

YOU CAN MAKE THE DIFFERENCE

Be the person God can use at the end of the phone to pray with someone in need. Just a few hours per week will never be wasted.

Please contact our Prayer Coordinators, Rudy or Tom, on 020 8799 2199 to make yourself available.

Your prayers can make the difference.

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SALVATION

A man called the Prayer Centre for prayers because he was feeling depressed due to some life challenges he was going through. He was prayed with, and the Gospel was shared with him. He decided to give his life to Christ. Praise God.

MANY NEEDS MET

A woman called the Prayer Centre for her husband, who was in poor health; a job for her older son, and for her younger son to get a school place.

She called back to give thanks because God had answered all her prayers: her husband received his healing; her son got a job, and she was able to get her younger son into a nearby school. God is faithful.

SURGERY FEE AUTHORISED

A sister asked for prayers for her insurance company to pay for her X-ray and knee operations. She rang to thank God because the insurance company later wrote to authorise her knee operation. She also wanted to thank the Lord for her appointment for surgery.

020 8799 2199 GRAPEVINE magazine • Issue 65 • December 2013 / January 2014

“THE LOST ARE FOUND”

A woman called for prayer because her brother, who is mentally ill, had gone missing. Praise God, he was later found in Luton, and the cab driver that brought him back to London did not demand any money.

SURGERY CANCELLED

A sister rang the Prayer Centre regarding her daughter, who was going into hospital for surgery to remove polyps. On examination, the doctors could not find any, but they took biopsies just in case, and gave her painkillers.

The surgery was cancelled.

Glory be to God.

FINANCIAL BLESSING

A sister has been calling the Prayer Centre with requests for God’s financial provision. She is an unemployed, single mother, and is finding it very difficult to make ends meet. Also, her son needed a place at a school. She wants to thank God for answered prayers. God has placed a burden on a Christian sister’s heart to bless her with a huge sum of money, which is far in excess of her needs. She has asked for prayers for God’s wisdom to be a good steward of this financial blessing. Also, her son got a place in a school of her choice.

BOILER

A lady called for prayers because her daughter’s boilers had stopped working. Enquiries with British Gas indicated it would cost a lot to repair, and the person who prayed with the lady decreed that it would cost her nothing.

A friend came to have a look, and the boiler is now working perfectly, and it cost her nothing. Praise and thanks be to God.

ENCOUNTER

A sister called the Prayer Centre for prayers for a job and that God would make a way for her financially, so she can go on the Encounter. She later called to thank God for answered prayers; she got a job and was now able to go on the Encounter.

JOB SAVED

A woman called the Prayer Centre as she was scheduled to meet with her manager at work, and she wasn’t sure what the outcome would be regarding her job. She later called in to say everything went well, and her job is safe. What a mighty God we serve.

PRAYER DIARY for

JANUARY 2014 HEARING, LEARNING AND DOING

J

esus always taught his disciples both by word and by example, which is always the best way to teach. They would listen to what he was saying to them; watch and learn as he put his words into action, and would then start doing those things themselves.

In these two chapters, seventy-two disciples are sent out to put into practice all they had learned from Jesus. He tells us that there is nothing wrong with harvest. The only problem is with the amount of workers to go out into the world. All power and authority has been given to Jesus, which he has delegated to his Church. We do the talking, witnessing, preaching and ministering to people; he brings the results by saving them, healing them, changing them and delivering them from evil spirits.

In these chapters, we learn important lessons. We have been given authority to cast out demons and heal the sick, which we must do as a normal part of sharing the Gospel. But the most important thing we must focus on is not the power that can work through us, but the fact that we are saved, and our names are written in Heaven.

In these two chapters, we see Jesus instructing his disciples in spiritual warfare. We have been given authority to overcome the powers of darkness. There are times when we need to bind the ‘strong man’ before plundering his goods. So Jesus instructs us in how to pray regarding our daily lives. But it is also essential to be steadfast and persistent in prayer, and we must keep on asking, seeking and knocking until we have won through and seen the breakthrough we desire. This is especially true of receiving the baptism in the Holy Spirit, so that we can move in all the gifts of the Holy Spirit. God is more than willing to give such a gift to his children, but is looking for those who sincerely and determinedly seek God. With his pronouncement of ‘woes’ (great sorrow and distress) on those who reject Christ, and those who trust in religion alone, we see the serious plight of the lost. This is why it is essential that workers are raised up to go out in the fullness of the power of the Gospel, with a compassion that transcends all barriers and reaches out even to those who are natural enemies, as the parable of the Good Samaritan shows. In addition to prayer, the place to grow in spiritual understanding and power is at the feet of Jesus, as Mary learned, and not by being distracted by things that may seem important, but which really rob us of opportunities for developing spiritual intimacy with Jesus.

As we pray through these chapters, we are seeking to hear, learn and put into practice, the fullness of the abundant life of Christ, as, led by the Holy Spirit, we do the things that Jesus did and wants his Church to continue to do, amongst a huge harvest field all around us.

1st - Luke 10:1-2

Ask for more workers

1. Lord, we know the spiritual harvest is plentiful, so please raise up more workers from amongst us.

2. Give us hearts that are willing and eager to serve you amongst the unsaved, seeking to bring them to you, O Lord.

3. Burden our hearts with the need all around us, O God, of a backslidden generation, who are largely ignorant about the Gospel and need for salvation.

4. Raise up from amongst us missionaries short-term and long-term - who are willing to take the Gospel to other nations.

5. As we ask you to raise up more workers, O Lord, let your work start with me.

2nd - Luke 10:3-7

Go

1.Give us the courage and the desire to go to all we are able to, being a witness to them through actions and words, we pray.

2.Help us to remember to consecrate each day to you, O Lord, so we are ready and willing to be guided by you at any time and for any purpose.

3.We pray that, in all our evangelistic outreaches, you would give us ‘divine appointments’, guiding us to those ready to receive the Good News about Jesus.

4.We pray for all our missionaries and the lands and ministries they are engaged in, that through them many will be saved and lives radically changed.

5.Here I am, Lord, send me.

3rd - Luke 10:8-12

Preach and minister

1. Holy Spirit, enable us to understand the Word of God well, and to be able to explain it clearly and simply with everyone we have the opportunity to do so.

2. Holy Spirit, give us the right words at the right time to be able to minister to people with your compassion and through your Word.

3. Give us the boldness and courage to pray for the sick and to see them healed in Jesus’ Name wherever we are, we pray.

4. Help us to be effective for you, Lord, outside the four walls of the church building, just as you intend for us to be.

5. Cause us to grow in confidence, in living out lives as ambassadors for Christ.

4th - Luke 10:13-16

When God pronounces a ‘woe’

1. Help us to be highly motivated, O Lord, to reach those who are as yet unsaved, as we understand you are a God of judgment, as well as a God of love.

2. Move us with compassion for the unsaved, O God, who will experience the consequences of your ‘woe’ against them, namely judgment, unless they are saved.

3. Have mercy on the unsaved people we know, O Lord, and help us to bring them out of a place of being under your judgment, to safety in Christ.

4. Have mercy on our nation, O Lord, who have brought themselves under your ‘woe’ by continuing to reject you; cause many to turn back to you.

5. Open the spiritual eyes of those around us, who are blinded by unbelief, and enable us to see them experience the joy of salvation, we pray.

Bible Readings and Prayer Points for Individual and Church Spiritual Growth

Luke Chapters 10 and 11

5th - Luke 10:17

Overcoming the powers of darkness

1. Since all power and authority in Heaven and earth has been given to you, Lord

GRAPEVINE magazine • Issue 65 • December 2013 / January 2014

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PRAYER DIARY for

JANUARY 2014 Jesus, help us to live boldly and confidently as your followers.

2. Enable us to recognise and use the authority we have in Christ, not being intimidated in any way, but instead standing firm.

3. Keep us prayerful, O Lord, so that we do not remain ignorant and blind about the schemes of the powers of darkness, but clearly see and understand all they are doing.

4. We pray that the Church in this land will become discerning about the plans and works of the powers of darkness, and so become effective in overcoming such plans.

5. Cause your Church to rise up fully and powerfully in the ministries of spiritual warfare and deliverance, we pray.

6th - Luke 10:18-22

Getting the right focus

1. Help us always to remember that satan is already a defeated enemy, so that your Church is not intimidated in any way by his actions and followers.

2. We thank you for your authority that you have given to us, your Church, O Lord, and may we use it wisely and effectively.

3. May our eyes not become so fixed on what the powers of darkness are doing, O God, that we lose sight of your all-powerful supremacy.

4. May the constant remembrance that our names are written in Heaven be a constant source of joy, strength and motivation to live daily for you, O Lord.

5. Rise up in our midst, O Lord, and have your complete and perfect way amongst us.

7th - Luke 10:23-24

The blessings of ministering

1. Bless and anoint us with power every time we witness, preach or pray for people and, as we continue in boldness, give us the joy of seeing much fruit, we ask.

2. We pray for all our Discipleship Cells, their leaders and members, that they would continue to grow in strength, power and effectiveness.

3. Enable us to experience the joy of the Lord, as we minister through our financial giving, we pray.

4. Help us not to become so self-focused or so busy that we are unable to minister on a daily basis to you, O Lord, and to others in every way possible.

5. We pray that you would make us a people who experience the joy of the Lord through constantly worshipping you with all we are and all we have.

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8th - Luke 10:25-28

Love God with our all

1. Help us to love you, O God, with all our heart, soul, strength and mind.

2. Enable us to love you by our actions, O Lord, choosing always to walk in your righteous ways.

3. Help us to love you by spending time with you in personal devotions with your Word and in our prayers.

4. Help us to love you by speaking only those things that are pleasing to you, in all our conversations.

5. Holy Spirit, help us to develop every aspect of the fruit of the Spirit, as we learn to follow our spiritual nature and not our old fallen nature.

9th - Luke 10:29

Recognising our neighbour

1. Teach us how to grow in compassion for others, as you have compassion on people, O God. 2. Help us to be able to make the choice to forgive those who have hurt us, O Lord, just as you have forgiven us for all we have done that hurt you.

3. Teach us to love our enemies, and to pray for those who wrong us, so that we can grow in Christ-likeness.

4. Make us a people, who are willing to give and to help those around us who are in need, to the best of our ability, we pray.

5. Give us a burden to pray for the salvation of all people around us, especially those who seem far from you, O Lord.

importance of storing up treasure in Heaven.

3. Help us to learn the spiritual principle that if we sow generously we will reap generously, but if we sow sparingly we will reap little.

4. Help us to experience the truth of your words, O Lord, that it is more blessed to give than receive.

5. When it comes to anything you want us to do, may we be willing always to pay the cost, in whatever form that may take.

12th - Luke 10:37

Praying for the enemies of the followers of Jesus

1. We pray that in all governments of communist countries which persecute Christians, you would cause the ‘underground’ Church to rapidly expand.

2. We pray that in all those Islamic governments which persecute Christians, you would move in power, Holy Spirit, saving many.

3. For those countries that have dictators or brutal regimes which persecute Christians, change them through the testimony of your people’s suffering for Christ.

4. We pray that in those countries, where liberal ideas and political correctness are seeking to strangle the Church, your people would rise up in boldness and strength.

5. We pray that in those countries, where followers of other religions are persecuting the Church, you would send a great revival.

10th - Luke 10:30-34

13th - Luke 10:38-40

1. Help us not to have a deaf ear to those in need around us, whom we have the ability to help, we pray.

2. Keep us free, we pray, from the trappings of an outward religion that is devoid of the true life of Christ within.

3. Lord, show us the situations we should get involved in because we have the ability to bring a helpful solution, and cause us to achieve our best.

4. Help us to grow in the practice of being unselfish, O Lord.

5. Cause us to grow in the ability to show pity to those who cannot help themselves, and to be moved to help them, we pray.

1. Keep us from being distracted away from you by ungodly distractions around us, O Lord.

2. Keep us from being distracted away from you by things that seem to be important but, in reality, are not.

3. Teach us how to prioritise the way we complete our daily tasks, in a way that is godly and spiritually beneficial to us.

4. Holy Spirit, give us the mind of Christ, so that we can order our lives in the most profitable way possible.

5. Let nothing distract us away from the personal time of devotions we need to spend with you each day, O Lord.

Love in action

Avoiding distractions

11th - Luke 10:35-36

14th - Luke 10:41-42

1. Teach us to be a generous people, O Lord, who understand the blessings of financial sacrificial giving.

2. Give us the understanding that enables us to keep a light hold on our worldly possessions, realising the present

1. Give us a heart that longs to be in your presence, Lord Jesus, we ask.

2. As we sit at your feet, Lord Jesus, open our minds and understanding to the deeper truths that you want us to know and experience.

Paying the cost

GRAPEVINE magazine • Issue 65 • December 2013 / January 2014

Choosing the better way

PRAYER DIARY for

DECEMBER 2013 LEARNING TO LIVE AND MINISTER LIKE JESUS

I

n this important chapter of Luke’s gospel, we see Jesus instructing his followers both by word and by example, which is always the best way to teach. The Chapter begins with his instructions for his disciples to go out and preach the Gospel in power, demonstrating its truth by healing the sick and casting out demons. But they would not be doing this in their own power; indeed they could not. But Jesus delegated his power and authority to them, so that they would minister in his Name, using this delegated power and authority.

They were to exercise a faith that could believe that God would provide all their needs as they put his Kingdom first. Jesus demonstrated the use of the gift of faith by feeding the five thousand. And he questioned them closely concerning who they really believed he was. Whilst others had different opinions, Peter had true spiritual insight to confess that Jesus was the Christ, the Messiah long-promised in the Old Testament. Upon such a confession, Jesus could reveal the plan of salvation, which was through his impending death and resurrection.

The stakes for each individual are high. It is all or nothing. Either a person gives his or her life in seeking to gain all they can in the world from this temporary life and, in so doing, lose their souls. Or, they seek to gain an infinitely greater prize which is eternal life through faith in Christ. This may well entail losing or giving up everything in this life, but the rewards are measureless and last forever.

But to give up selfish gain in this world by surrendering all to Christ, leads to receiving far more than this world can give. Jesus demonstrated, at the Mount of Transfiguration, the power of the Kingdom of God that can work through a human being, the power that can command the sick to become well and the demons to flee. This requires the faith, not of a great and learned theologian, but that of a child, who simply trusts his father’s words and promises.

And Kingdom values are directly opposite to the world’s values. To become great in the Kingdom of God requires an attitude of servant leadership. To receive these great rewards comes at a cost. It is necessary to follow Jesus, being prepared to have little, to forsake things in life that may hold us back and, once having made the decision to follow Jesus, never looking back.

Nothing has changed regarding Jesus and his followers. He is the same yesterday, today and forever. His commission to go and preach the Gospel with signs following, using his delegated power and authority, remains the same. We are praying this month that we will do all he has commanded us to do.

1st - Luke 9:1-2

Using the delegated authority of Jesus

1. Lord, we thank you for delegating your authority to the Church, and we pray we will use it effectively.

2. Cause us to be bold in sharing the Good News about Jesus and, as we do so, to see much fruit from our labours.

3. We pray that our deliverance ministry would continue to be powerful and effective, bringing total freedom to those we minister to.

4. Help us to be bold, as we use the authority of Jesus to minister healing to the sick.

5. As we seek to live out a life like yours, Lord Jesus, help us to bring glory to you in all we do.

2nd - Luke 9:3-5

Trusting God

1.Help us to trust you for our financial needs, O Lord, not failing to give our tithes and offerings out of the income we have.

2.For those among us, who are in need of jobs, a change of job or a new job, as we

seek first your Kingdom and righteousness, provide our needs, we pray.

3.For those who are sensing you are calling them to take a step of faith in a particular area, help them to trust you to provide all they need, O God. 4.As we give to you and to others, O Lord, may we experience the blessings that come from such acts of willing obedience.

5.Lord, help us to trust you completely to guide and provide for us in every area of our lives.

3rd - Luke 9:6

Preaching and healing

1. We pray for every outreach we engage in, O Lord, that you would enable us to sow seeds of the Gospel that lead people to Christ, either there and then, or subsequently.

2. Help us just to be natural witnesses for Jesus, recognising and taking the opportunities you give us in our day-to-day lives, we pray.

3. Each time the Gospel is preached in our services, we pray for a mighty anointing to be present that sees many come to

salvation in Christ.

4. As we pray for individuals we come across in day-to-day circumstances who are sick, anoint us as we pray for them with boldness and success.

5. We pray that all our healing meetings would continue to see many healed from all kinds of pains, sicknesses and diseases as we minister boldly in faith.

Bible Readings and Prayer Points for Individual and Church Spiritual Growth

Luke Chapter 9 and verses from Philippians

4th - Luke 9:7-9

Not discerning God’s ways

1. Lord, help us to hear your voice, so that we can discern what you are doing in our circumstances even when things seem perplexing.

2. Help us be a voice of clarity into the lives of unbelievers who are blinded by the ‘god of this age’, who prevents them from understanding the reality of the Gospel.

3. Keep us from being deceived by any lies of the enemy, but always to have a clear understanding of all spiritual truths, O Lord.

4. Give us ears to hear what the Spirit is saying to us as individuals and to the church, we pray.

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PRAYER DIARY for

DECEMBER 2013 5. Help us to operate in the gift of discernment, Holy Spirit, so that we are not caught unawares by any spiritual opposition.

5th - Luke 9:10-11

Reaching out to the masses

1. Give us strategies as to how we can effectively reach out to our communities with the message of the Gospel, we pray.

2. We pray that all the DVDs that are given out to Muslims, Catholics and others, will be used to bring salvation through faith in Christ to those who know nothing other than religion.

3. We pray for all our missions in Asian, African and South American countries to be powerful and effective in reaching those nations for Christ.

4. We pray for the short-term mission trips that go out from the church will always be effective in bringing Christ to those nations.

5. We pray that our Sunday services will be a time that many unsaved people will be brought in, hear the Gospel and be saved.

6th - Luke 9:12-15

Feed the people

1. We pray that every practical outreach to the homeless, that we are engaged in, will not only meet their physical needs but be a means of meeting their spiritual needs also.

2. Help us to be people who know the Word of God, so that we can feed the spiritually hungry.

3. We pray for all our Discipleship Cells to be places where men, women and youth can grow rapidly in discipleship and understanding of God’s Word.

4. We pray that the ministry of our Bible school will be powerful and effective in equipping people to serve the Lord.

5. Anoint all our preaching, O Lord, as we seek always to speak the uncompromising truth, in love, at all times.

7th - Luke 9:16-17

Miracles

1. Help us to believe that we can see miracles in our lives, and to pray for them with a believing heart, O Lord.

2. May we see miracles happening in our midst whenever we come together, O Lord, we pray.

3. Holy Spirit, distribute amongst your Church the gift of miracles in an increasing measure, we ask.

4. We believe you are a God of miracles, O

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Lord, but help us in our times of unbelief, we pray.

5. Help us to see the greatest miracles of all, O Lord, that of people being born again through faith in Christ.

8th - Luke 9:18-21

Acknowledging the Lordship of Jesus

1. Lord Jesus, may we make you not only our Saviour but Lord of every part of our lives, we pray.

2. If there are any parts of our lives that we have not yielded to your lordship, help us to recognise them and submit them to you, Lord Jesus.

3. Be Lord of our finances, our plans and our ambitions, we pray.

4. Be Lord in our families, our jobs and our businesses, we pray.

5. Lord, we now surrender our all to you; take us up and use us for your glory, we pray.

9th - Luke 9:22-23

Deny yourself

1. Teach us how to be self-sacrificial in all our ways, just like you, Lord Jesus.

2. Help us to learn how to prefer one another, recognising their interests and not just our own, we pray.

3. Help us to learn how to take up and carry our cross daily, O Lord.

4. Help us to live for you and not for ourselves alone, O God. 5. Help us, Lord, to see you more clearly, love you more dearly, and follow you more nearly, day by day.

10th - Luke 9:24-25

God - our first priority

1. Lord, cause us to understand the need to make you first priority in our lives in all things.

2. Give us the wisdom we need to order our other priorities well, with you first, family second, and all other things third.

3. As we submit to you, O Lord, help us to achieve all our plans and ambitions in life, in a way that is always submitted to your perfect will.

4. Help us to recognise and live out our lives in a way that demonstrates that our foremost calling is as ministers and ambassadors for Christ.

5. As we put you first in our lives, O God, cause us to be effective influencers of others around us whom we meet on a daily basis.

GRAPEVINE magazine • Issue 65 • December / January 2014

11th - Luke 9:26

Not ashamed of Jesus

1. Help us never to be ashamed of you, Lord Jesus, no matter how hostile people may be towards us because of our faith in you.

2. May we not hide our light under a bushel, but live wisely and openly for you, Lord Jesus.

3. Cause us to live as disciples of Jesus, not just on Sundays, but on every day of the week, we pray.

4. Lord, may our lifestyles and daily choices always be of a nature that you would not be ashamed of what we have done or failed to do.

5. As with other believers around the world today, help us to overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony, not loving our lives so much as to shrink from death.

12th - Luke 9:27

The power of the Kingdom

1.Anoint us afresh with the power to spread the Good News about Jesus, O God. 2. Help us to pull down, through the power of prevailing intercession, every wicked spiritual stronghold that opposes us, O Lord.

3. Cause the spoken spiritual gifts of tongues, interpretation and prophecy to be ministered through us in power, we pray.

4. May we be able to minister with the revelatory gifts of words of knowledge, wisdom and discerning of spirits, O God. 5. Release through us the power gifts of miracles, faith and healing, we pray.

13th - Luke 9:28

The mountain top

1. Lord, cause us to seek after you in order to have our own ‘mountain top’ experiences in your close presence.

2. Give us the desire and the opportunities to set aside time to come into your presence to seek your face, O Lord.

3. As the deer pants after streams of water, may our hearts and spirits pant after you, O God, until we are filled to overflowing with your streams of living water.

4. As we come into your presence, O Lord, may we emerge from it with a new anointing to live for Jesus.

5. May our lives not become too busy to find time to seek your face and wait upon you, O God.

PRAYER DIARY for

DECEMBER 2013 14th - Luke 9:29-31

The power and glory of Jesus

15th - Luke 9:32-33

Thinking before we speak

1. Help us to think before we speak, O Lord, so that we do not end up saying things we later regret.

2. Give us wisdom to know when to speak and when it is better to remain quiet, we pray.

3. Set a guard over my mouth, O Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips, and let not my heart be drawn to what is evil.

4. Help us remember that the tongue has the power of life and death, so that we use our words in a godly way.

5. Help us to keep our minds filled with your thoughts, O Lord, so that when we speak, we speak righteously and sensibly.

16th - Luke 9:34-36

Listen to God’s Son

1. Lord, when we know what is the right thing to do in any given situation, give us the grace to do it willingly and wholeheartedly.

2. Knowing that you have said, ‘Obedience is better than sacrifice,’ cause us to be obedient to you, O God, and never give in to pressure to compromise.

3. Make us people devoted to reading the Bible, through which we may get to know your will, O God, and so put it into practice.

4. When you speak to our spirits though our conscience, Holy Spirit, cause us to be quick to respond to your promptings, we pray.

5. May we always be in the right spiritual frame of mind to be able to say, ‘Speak Lord, for your servant is listening.’

Always being prepared to be able to minister

1. Keep us in a place of spiritual readiness, so that whenever the opportunity arises to minister by word, deed or prayer, we are always spiritually ready, we pray.

2. We pray for each member of the church, to deepen our prayer lives, so that we never find ourselves in a situation for which we are not spiritually prepared.

3. Help us to understand - and to be able to use boldly and effectively - the delegated authority you have given to us, Lord Jesus.

4. We pray for every area and ministry in the church, which helps each believer to be equipped to serve, asking for your anointing with power on each ministry.

5. We pray you would use each one of us to usher in a great revival in our church, our borough, our city and our nation, O Lord.

18th - Luke 9:41

Lord, help our unbelief

1. When our faith wavers, because of trials and difficulties surrounding us, help us to resist unbelief and, instead, to allow trials to cause our faith to arise.

2. We pray for all we know, who have backslidden and whose faith is weak, to turn back to you and be restored, O God. 3. For all unbelievers we know or have been witnessing to, we pray you would break the spirit of unbelief holding them back, so that they may hear and believe the Gospel.

4. Cause us to be faithful to you at all times, O Lord, and not to be like the perverse generation we live in.

5. Cause us not to try your patience with our actions or inactions, O Lord, but to be pleasing to you in all we do.

4. We take authority over and pull down, in Jesus’ Name, every spirit of addiction in our community.

5. We break the power, in Jesus’ Name, of every spirit of witchcraft that seeks to bind or destroy individual believers and each church seeking to accomplish the work of God. 20th - Luke 9:46

Countering self-promotion

1. May we be a people, who are grateful for the great grace you have already extended to us through the cross, O Lord, and who do not seek to grasp what you have not given us.

2. Help us to learn the example of Jesus, and to put into practice the power of true servanthood.

3. Give us the grace to seek to promote the interests and ministries of others, rather than promoting ourselves, we pray.

4. Help us to learn the spiritual power that you can release through a heart of humility, O Lord.

5. Let Christ be seen in us, we pray.

21st - Luke 9:47-48

Servant leadership

1. We pray that all our pastors will continually have the grace to lead through servant leadership.

2. We pray that all the elders in the church will always lead through servant leadership.

3. We pray that all the heads of departments and ministries in the church will always minister through servant-heartedness.

4. We pray for all the Discipleship Cell leaders to exhibit and lead through servant leadership.

5. We pray for all our national leaders, that they would always demonstrate servantheartedness in their leadership.

Bible Readings and Prayer Points for Individual and Church Spiritual Growth

1. As we seek to grow closer to you, O Lord, let your glory shine upon us and through us.

2. Whenever we gather together in your Name, Lord Jesus, cause us to always lift up your Name and to exalt you in our midst.

3. May the knowledge of the splendour of your power and glory and coming Kingdom always motivate us to press on, no matter what difficulties come our way, O Lord.

4. Lord, let your Kingdom come and your will be done on this earth, as it is in Heaven, we pray.

5. Rise up, O Lord, and let all your enemies be scattered!

17th - Luke 9:37-40

22nd - Luke 9:49-50

Working together

19th - Luke 9:42-45

Overcoming the powers of darkness

1. We take authority, in Jesus’ Name, and pull down the spiritual strongholds of every wicked spirit that seeks to oppose the work of God we are doing through the church.

2. We take authority over and pull down, in Jesus’ Name, every spirit of unbelief, atheism and religion that blinds the eyes of those we are witnessing to.

3. We take authority over and pull down, in Jesus’ Name, every wicked spirit of lawlessness, violence and immorality in our community.

1. Teach us the value and power of unity, O Lord, and give us the determination to ensure we always achieve it.

2. Give us one heart and mind, centred upon your Word and your will for our lives, we pray.

3. We pray for the anointing of the Holy Spirit that flows when we live together in unity of spirit.

4. Teach us how to recognise and value true believers in Christ, even when they may be so different from us, so we can maintain the spirit of unity.

5. Where there are differences, we pray for the spirit of reconciliation to be strong

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PRAYER DIARY for

DECEMBER 2013 among us, O Lord, bringing healing to any rifts.

23rd - Luke 9:51

Serving God resolutely

1. Give us a heart to follow you, Lord Jesus, that is as resolute as yours.

2. Having taken the step to follow you, Lord Jesus, enable us to resist anything that would try to stop us following this pathway, or even to deflect us from it.

3. When trials come our way, cause us to remember, O Lord, that the suffering of this present world is not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed.

4. When trials come our way, help us to see them as character-building, sent to make us stronger, and so resist any thought of turning back.

5. Help us to remember, O Lord, that, though we walk through the valley of death, we will fear no evil, because your rod and staff comfort us.

24th - Philippians 2:5-7

Having the attitude of Christ

1. Give us the same mind and attitude as you, Lord Jesus, that grasps at nothing, but rather is prepared to give up all for the sake of others.

2. Keep us from finding our identity in our status, but rather to find it only in our relationship with you, O God. 3. Help us to be able to make ourselves nothing, O Lord, but instead to allow you to make us who you want us to be.

4. Enable us to put self to death, so that selflessness and our new nature in Christ may rise.

5. Draw us close to you, Lord Jesus, until we become changed and transformed fully into your image, we pray.

25th - Philippians 2:8

Christ, born to die

1. We thank you, Lord Jesus, with all our hearts, that you were born in full knowledge that you would go to the cross for our sakes.

2. We thank you, Lord Jesus, that you were prepared to exchange the glories and riches of Heaven for the poverty of a manger and a carpenter’s home.

3. We are thankful, Lord Jesus, that in your full humanity you were nevertheless completely without sin, so you could become a sin offering for our sakes.

4. Thank you, Lord Jesus, that, because you took on full humanity, you can understand us fully in all of life’s struggles.

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5. We say, “Thanks be to God for his indescribable Gift!”

26th - Philippians 2:9-11

Christ exalted

1. We rejoice in your resurrection, Lord Jesus, and worship you as our risen Saviour and King.

2. Thank you, Lord Jesus, that you defeated all powers of darkness, sin, death and satan through the cross, making a public spectacle of them.

3. We bless you, Lord Jesus, that at your Name everything that has breath will have to acknowledge you are Lord over all creation through all eternity.

4. We praise you willingly and with thankful and grateful hearts, Lord of all Heaven and earth.

5. We acknowledge you, Jesus, as our Lord and our God. 27th - Luke 9:52-55

Pray for your enemies

1. Give us the grace to pray for those who treat us badly, O Lord, remembering how much you have forgiven us.

2. Help us to carry out effectively our Godgiven role as peacemakers whenever the need arises, O Lord.

3. Insomuch as it rests with us, O God, help us to live at peace with all men and women, for your glory, we ask.

4. If we are carrying resentment, bitterness or unforgiveness, help us to lay it aside through the power of Christ within, we pray, so we may be totally free.

5. Forgive us our trespasses, O Lord, in the same proportion as we have forgiven those who trespass against us.

28th - Luke 9:57-58

The cost of following Jesus

1. Having counted the cost of following you, Lord Jesus, may we embrace the life you lead us into wholeheartedly, no matter what it may bring.

2. Make us a people, who are prepared to pay the full cost that will make us greatly effective servants of yours, O God. 3. May our service for you always be governed by the joy of the Lord, and never for any perceived selfish gain.

4. Help us to keep a loose hold on all we possess, O Lord, so that if we lose it, it will not be a burden to us.

5. Lord, may we boast in nothing except in the cross of Christ our God. 29th - Luke 9:59-60

The living Gospel

1. Keep us free from the dead ways of religion, O Lord, but instead to live out fully

GRAPEVINE magazine • Issue 65 • December 2013 / January 2014

life as expressed through the relationship we have Christ.

2. Keep us close to you, O Lord, so that we can truly experience and express the abundant life in all its forms that we receive in Christ.

3. Free us from every form of religious practice that does not carry the life of Christ and, instead, may we be free in the Holy Spirit.

4. May people around us see, O Lord, that indeed we no longer live, but Christ lives in us.

5. May our lives be living examples of the new life in Jesus that comes from hearing, believing and receiving the Gospel of Christ.

30th - Luke 9:61

No time to waste

1. Help us always to redeem our time, knowing that the days are evil and every moment counts.

2. Cause us to remember that we have a set amount of days to live and, as each day passes, it is one fewer, so that we may use our time profitably, we pray.

3. Holy Spirit, help us to know your will for our lives each day, and lead us so that we will accomplish all you want us to.

4. Help us to remember that you created time, O God, and it is your gift to us, so may we live our lives in gratitude for each fresh day you give us, and use it wisely.

5. Cause us to plan as though we will live a long time, but to live each day as though it is our last, we pray.

31st - Luke 9:62

No looking back

1. As one year passes and another begins, O Lord, may the days ahead be more fruitful than the days that have passed.

2. Keep our eyes fixed on the finishing tape ahead of us, O God, letting nothing cause us to waver to the right or the left.

3. Help us to keep growing in Christ as each day passes, no matter what experiences we may pass through, we pray.

4. By your grace, guard our hearts, our lives and our thoughts, O Lord, so that we remain fit for service in the Kingdom of God. 5. As we put on the full, spiritual armour of God, may we never be in need of any armour to protect our backs, because we will always be facing and moving forward, O Lord.

PRAYER DIARY for

JANUARY 2014

15th - Luke 11:1

A people of prayer

1. Lord, teach us to be a people of prayer.

2. Teach us how to wait on you, Holy Spirit, so that we can learn to understand what you want us to pray.

3. Help us to learn how to pray powerfully and effectively, in a way that sees great answers to prayer.

4. Teach us to learn how to use the gift of speaking in tongues effectively, so that you can pray through us, Holy Spirit, all that you want us say in prayer.

5. Raise up within the church a great army of intercessors, who can overcome in prayer through spiritual warfare, and pull down every stronghold of the enemy.

16th - Luke 11:2-4

The Lord’s Prayer

1. Heavenly Father, may we always hallow your Name by living out our daily lives in the fear of the Lord.

2. Use us to bring your Kingdom to unbelievers and, as they are saved, to see your Kingdom take its place in their hearts and lives.

3. We pray for our needs for today, confident that, as we seek you first and your Kingdom, you will add to us all that we need.

4. Forgive us, Lord, for those times when we have failed to live up to your righteous standards, and help us to learn from our mistakes.

5. Lord, we now forgive any who have hurt us, and we will not allow the devil to have a foothold in our lives as a consequence.

17th - Luke 11:5-10

Persistence in prayer

1. Give us the determination in prayer to keep on asking, seeking and knocking in prayer, until we see the breakthrough, O God. 2. Since we are wrestling not against flesh and blood, but against spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms, give us the determination to be overcomers in prayer.

3. Like Daniel, who prayed constantly for three weeks before he saw an answer to prayer, enable us to pray by faith and not by sight, O Lord.

4. Give us insight into your spiritual strategies, Holy Spirit, so that we can pray accurately until such time as we see the answer unfold.

5. Cause us to be people who can pull down evil, spiritual strongholds in prayer, that seek to come against the church or against individual believers.

18th - Luke 11:11-13

Seeking the Holy Spirit

1. Holy Spirit, reveal more of yourself in and through us.

2. Holy Spirit, develop more of the fruit of the Spirit within us.

3. For those amongst us who are not yet baptised in the Holy Spirit, may they keep asking, seeking and knocking in prayer until they are.

4. Distribute your gifts amongst us, so that in the church all are in operation.

5. Give us the confidence and boldness to step out in faith, and to use the gifts of the Spirit, we pray.

19th - Luke 11:14

Signs and wonders

1. May we see more of your healing power at work amongst us, O Lord, as we step out in faith.

2. May signs and wonders in your church be signposts to point people to the true destination, which is Christ.

3. Help us not to doubt or be reticent, O Lord, but rather to live out the Christian life in all the power and authority that you want us to.

4. May the salvation of souls and healing of the sick be common whenever we meet together as the body of Christ, we pray.

5. As we grow in faith and grow in confidence in Christ, cause us to see greater signs and wonders amongst us.

20th - Luke 11:15-16

Not testing God

1. May we never sin against you through doubt and unbelief, O Lord.

2. Cause us to hold complete confidence in your Word and in your power, O God, even when things happen that we do not understand.

3. Teach us to recognise your ways, O Lord, so that even if you are moving in a way that we have not seen before, we would not speak or act against it.

4. Have your way completely with us, Holy Spirit, so that we would allow you to do anything in us or through us, without resisting what you are doing.

5. May our faith in you come through simply trusting in your Word, without needing to be bolstered by outward signs.

21st - Luke 11:17-20

Overcoming demons

1. We take authority over and bind, in Jesus’ Name, spirits of unbelief and of religion that operate over the lives of those we are witnessing to, preventing them from being saved.

2. We take authority over every spirit of immorality that seeks to operate within the church, and bind it in Jesus’ Name.

3. In the Name of Jesus, we take authority over every spirit that seeks to bring family breakdown in the church, and bind it.

4. We take authority over every spirit of lawlessness, drugs and violence that operates over the streets around the church, and bind it in Jesus’ Name.

5. In the Name of Jesus, we break the power of every demonic attack against the church.

22nd - Luke 11:21-23

Overpowering the strong man

1. Since greater is Christ within us, than the devil who is in the world, help us to learn how to use our authority in Christ to defeat every attack of satan.

2. Cause the prayer that goes up constantly from our church to overpower and bind every evil spirit that seeks to frustrate the church from moving forward, O God. 3. Give us the boldness to trample on every spiritual snake and scorpion that you have given us power over, Lord Jesus.

4. Make us fearless when confronting the defeated power of satan and his fallen angels, O Lord.

5. Help us to plunder hell and populate Heaven, we pray.

Bible Readings and Prayer Points for Individual and Church Spiritual Growth

3. Cause us to hunger and thirst after righteousness, in a way that will tolerate nothing getting in our way.

4. As we grow in Christ, may we also grow in effectiveness in every way, as servants of the Lord, we pray.

5. Revive us, O Lord, so that we can live in the full power of the abundant life you want to flow in and through us.

23rd - Luke 11:24-28

Staying clean

1. Keep us close to you at all times, O Lord, so that we can always resist any plan of the enemy against us.

2. May our thoughts, attitudes and actions remain Christ-like, so that the devil has no chance to gain a foothold in our lives in any way.

3. Enable us to put on and use every aspect of the spiritual armour you have made available to us, O Lord, and help us to ensure there is no chink in our armour.

4. Cause us never to return to any aspect of sin that we have forsaken, but rather to remain clean before you.

5. Help us to maintain good company and spiritual fellowship to help us grow, so that, when we are mixing with unbelievers, we can maintain a strong, godly influence.

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PRAYER DIARY for

JANUARY 2014 24th - Luke 11:29-32

A wicked generation

1. Lord, we pray for the generation we live in that is forsaking you, and ask that you would cause them to turn to you.

2. We pray that in our nation, you would raise up godly teachers of religious education who can bring the light of the Gospel to students in all our schools.

3. We pray that you would bring a complete change of heart and mind to the successive leaders who are leading our nation into sin and ungodliness.

4. We pray that the rising generation would not follow the example of the current godless generation, but instead see the emptiness of life without spiritual meaning.

5. Move in revival power in our nation once again, O Lord.

25th - Luke 11:33

1. Since we have been saved through the operation of the Holy Spirit in our lives, help us to continue to live life in the Spirit, we pray.

2. For those amongst us still striving to get right with you through their good works, enlighten their minds to the folly of thinking they can please God through their good works alone.

3. May our good works be many, but flowing solely from the knowledge we have been saved by grace, through faith in the finished work of Christ on the cross.

4. Help us to be free of all dead religious works, and instead live freely in the power of Holy Spirit.

5. Help us put to death our old fallen nature, and instead allow our new spiritual nature to grow, develop and mature, we pray.

Shining out

28th - Luke 11:42-44

26th - Luke 11:34-36

1. Help us to always live and practise what we preach, O Lord.

2. Put your finger on anything within us that is not in conformity with what you desire, and help us to change, Holy Spirit, we pray.

3. May we be living in a continual state of reflection and self-examination, O God, to ensure we are living our lives as you want us to do.

4. Cause us to be people, who always leave a good mark and influence on the lives of others, because we are following in your footsteps, Lord Jesus.

5. Enable us to be transparent in all our dealings with you, O God, since you can already see and know everything about us.

1. Let your light shine in and through us at all times for people to see, Lord Jesus, we pray.

2. Guide us to places which are dark through the lack of the Gospel, O Lord, and enable us to shed your light there.

3. Cause us to shine in our places of work, school or college, O Lord, simply through our godly attitudes, words and behaviour.

4. For those among us, who live with unsaved family members, help our light to shine for Jesus in a way that causes them to desire to know Christ.

5. May we not seek to hide the light of Christ within us, even when we have to operate in difficult conditions, or are under pressure from unbelievers around us.

Guarding our eyes

1. Cause us to be careful with what we choose to see and watch, avoiding anything that will cause us regrets later.

2. Make us discerning with the things we choose to watch on TV, or read in books, magazines or the Internet, so that we do not bring darkness into our mind and soul.

3. Cause us to be devoted to reading your Word, O God, so that your light within us can keep increasing.

4. May we not allow ourselves to look at anything that we would be ashamed of, if we knew you were standing by our side, Lord Jesus.

5. Help us always to look up in expectation and joy, O Lord, because we know that the day of our complete redemption is drawing very near.

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27th - Luke 11:37-41

Works verses Spirit

Hypocrisy

29th - Luke 11:45-46

The folly of trusting in religion

1. We pray for all sincere men and women we know, who are seeking to get right with God through the Muslim religion; save them by your Spirit.

2. Open the eyes of all Catholics we know, who are trusting in good religious works to please God, to the need of salvation through faith in Christ alone.

3. We pray for all Hindus and Sikhs we know, who are trying to get to Heaven through doing good works, and help us to lead them to Christ.

4. For all those we know, who are seeking enlightenment though Buddhism and other Eastern religions, help us lead them to the true Light of the world.

5. For all those we know, who are in cults, or who believe New Age practices will

GRAPEVINE magazine • Issue 65 • December 2013 / January 2014

lead them to God, deliver them from the deception of the devil, we pray.

30th - Luke 11:47-52

Those who reject God’s messengers

1. We pray for all those we know, who claim to be humanists, atheists or agnostics, that you would open their eyes and save them, O Lord.

2. We pray for all those we know, who are misled by the Theory of Evolution, and whose understanding is blinded to the truth of a Creator God; save them, we pray.

3. For all those we know from other religions, who reject Christ and the Gospel, cause them to realise their serious error, and believe in you, O Lord.

4. We pray that you would frustrate the plans and purposes of all those authorities, who are seeking to push the Gospel out of public life through political correctness.

5. We pray that you would frustrate and halt the plans of those who are trying to stop school Christian assemblies and the teaching of the Gospel in schools.

31st - Luke 11:53-54

Opposing Jesus

1. We pray that you would frustrate every plan of our national and local governments that oppose or are contrary to the Gospel, O Lord.

2. We pray that you would strengthen and protect all your people who work in the National Health Service and other public bodies that oppose mentioning Christ or prayer.

3. We pray for an ‘open heaven’ whenever we go on the streets to witness about Jesus, which enables many to be saved.

4. As opposition increases, cause your Church to grow stronger, more powerful and more effective.

5. In the midst of rising opposition to the spreading of the Gospel, send a great revival in our nation, O God.

CAPPUCCINO COMMUNICATIONS

by Rev John Glass Send your email address to sharon.millar@ elimhq.net to be added to the mailing list

EVANGELISM & PRAYER @ ECC “Evangelism without intercession is like an explosive without a detonator.”

- Reinhard Bonnke

TUESDAY NIGHT EVANGELISM

24/7 PRAYER CENTRE

Please note: No Tuesday Night Evangelism until Spring 2014

Call our confidential prayer line for ANY need 24 hours a day 7 days a week

EVANGELISM EXPLOSION

020 8799 2199

in front of ECC Last Wednesday of each month

12noon to 2pm

Please note: NO MEETING IN DECEMBER! Wednesday 29th January

BOROUGH-WIDE EVANGELISM 11am to 1pm

Saturday 7th December Location WEST EALING Saturday 11th January Location EALING BROADWAY For all those wanting to take part in Evangelism, there will be meetings in the Auditorium on: Sunday 1st December - after 2nd service Sunday 5th January - after 2nd service

DAILY REVIVAL PRAYER MEETINGS Monday to Friday

Morning meetings 10.00am to 11.00am - Annexe Room 2* EVENing meetings 6.00pm to 7.00pm - Foyer

PLEASE NOTE: NO MEETINGS Monday 23rd December to Friday 3rd January inclusive Resume Monday 6th January

WEEKLY TUESDAY NIGHT PRAYER EXPLOSION

LIGHTHOUSE EVANGELISM

7.30pm to 9.15pm - Foyer PLEASE NOTE: NO MEETINGS Tuesday 24th or 31st December

11am to 1pm

MONTHLY

in front of ECC Third Saturday of each month Saturday 21st December Saturday 18th January

ALL ARE WELCOME TO JOIN THE TEAM

POLISH FELLOWSHIP Elim Springs Every Sunday @ 2:30pm in the Auditorium (Please use side entrance)

ALL-NIGHT PRAYER MEETING

Last Friday of every month 10.00pm to 5.00am A night of intercession, celebration, thanksgiving and praise NO MEETING in December Friday 31st January

DELIVERANCE MEETINGS

ECC Japanese Fellowship Every Sunday @ 2:30pm in the Foyer For details, please contact AOGU & CHISATO TATEYAMA

info@eccj.org.uk

For ECC attenders: Before coming for deliverance for the first time, please make an appointment to speak to Pastor Rajinder NO MEETING in December Saturday 18th January For non-ECC attenders: Please contact ELLEL MINISTRIES on 01252 794060

PRAYER & HEALING MEETINGS Second Sunday evening of every month 6.30pm Sunday 8th December Sunday 12th January Receive personal prayer and hear powerful testimonies of God’s provision and healing

GRAPEVINE magazine • Issue 65 • December 2013 / January 2014

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WHAT’S ON AT ECC

PICTURE: Olga Dias

A fresh look at our 6.30pm services in 2014...

Sunday Nights at

THE CENTRE

W

e are re-structuring our 6.30pm Sunday evening services in 2014 to enable people to anticipate what the services will look like for any given Sunday in the month. They will cover all the important aspects for spiritual life and growth, and will take the following format:

1st Sunday in the month WORSHIP AND THE WORD Starting the month by entering God’s presence through worship, we will then have a time of looking at God’s Word in the form of a Bible study, with the opportunity for questions and answers. In this way, we can grow spiritually in our knowledge and understanding of different biblical topics and themes.

The Bible is God’s Manual for Daily Living. It is the Creator’s instructions on how to live life abundantly. As Jesus said, “I have come that they may have life and have it to the full” - ie. more abundantly (John 10:10).

When we know God’s Word and put it into practice on a daily basis, we will learn how to live life to the full, as Jesus intends us to do. We will be looking at topics that have relevance to our daily lives as followers of Jesus.

2nd Sunday of the month REVIVAL AND HEALING MEETING

3rd Sunday of the month HOLY SPIRIT MEETING Here, we begin with a time of worship, inviting God’s presence to be manifest, followed by a word of encouragement from the Bible. We then invite and allow the Holy Spirit to move amongst us, encouraging the use of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and for people to be ministered to by God for any and every need or situation, including salvation and baptism in the Holy Spirit. For some, it is just a fresh touch of the Holy Spirit they are seeking.

We want individuals to have the opportunity to draw closer to God in these times, and to know Him speaking and ministering to them and touching them in many different ways.

These faith-inspiring evening meetings have been continuing for many years. They begin with a time of worship, and include many testimonies of the amazing miracles and answers to prayer that are taking place continually in ECC. Testimonies come from our 24/7 Prayer Centre, where people phone in for prayer from around London, around the country and from overseas. People then often phone again later, reporting back the many remarkable answers to prayer they have received.

Testimonies are also given live in the meeting, by people who have been healed or whose lives or circumstances have changed significantly through the power of prayer. As the Ministry Team pray for the sick, people are healed at each meeting - some instantly and others partially (as healing can be a process). God never fails to amaze us.

We have seen the crippled healed, poor eyesight become perfect, the deaf hear, long-term pains and injuries instantly healed, short arms and short legs lengthening, HIV/AIDS disappear, a blighted ovum (where there is no baby) turn into a living baby appearing in the womb, and ectopic pregnancies suddenly become normal pregnancies. When we believe God for the impossible, anything is possible.

A salvation message is always included, so that unsaved people who attend have the opportunity to give their lives to Christ. And many do so, making it an excellent meeting to invite unsaved friends and relatives to.

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GRAPEVINE magazine • Issue 65 • December 2013 / January 2014

4th/5th Sundays of the month EVENT EVENING These are evenings that include water baptismal services; meetings where the Gospel is presented through African or Caribbean or Asian styles; family services with baby dedications; services taken by the Youth Ministries and sometimes an inspirational film evening or ministry evening.

You will be able to pick up a ‘Sunday Night at the Centre’ flyer, available at the beginning of each quarter, which will give details of the services for the next three months. Events will also be published in the Grapevine magazine.

WHAT’S ON AT ECC

SUNDAY SERVICES at a glance 9.00am, 11.15am, 6.30pm DECEMBER 2013

JANUARY 2014

PRAISE & COMMUNION Speaker: Pastor Richard Buxton

PRAISE & COMMUNION Speaker: Pastor Mark King WORSHIP & THE WORD The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit Speaker: Pastor Richard Buxton

AM PM

CELEBRATION SERVICE Speaker: Pastor Richard Buxton

AM PM

1st 8th 15th 22nd 29th

BAPTISMAL SERVICE Speaker: Pastor William Anane-Forkuo CELEBRATION SERVICE Speaker: Pastor Richard Buxton REVIVAL & HEALING MEETING Speaker: Pastor Rajinder Buxton CHRISTMAS FAMILY SERVICE Speaker: Pastor Richard Buxton FILM SHOWING “Finger Of God” CELEBRATION SERVICE Speaker: Pastor Rajinder Buxton CHRISTMAS CAROL SERVICE Speaker: Pastor Sam Blake CELEBRATION SERVICE Speaker: Pastor Richard Buxton

NO EVENING SERVICE

AM PM

5th

AM PM 12th

REVIVAL & HEALING MEETING Speaker: Pastor Rajinder Buxton

AM PM 19th

CELEBRATION SERVICE Speaker: Pastor Ruth Trbojevic

AM PM 26th

CELEBRATION SERVICE Speaker: Trevor Hyman

AM PM

HOLY SPIRIT EVENING Speaker: Pastor Mark King

CELEBRATION & MINISTRY EVENING Speaker: Pastor William Anane-Forkuo

AM PM AM PM

CHRISTMAS DAY SERVICE 10.30am to 11.30am

NOTICES

JAN

DEC

CHRISTMAS/NEW YEAR OFFICE HOURS

Mon Tues Weds Thurs Fri

23rd OPEN AS USUAL 24th closes at 1.00pm 25th closed 26th closed 27th closed

Mon Tues Weds Thurs

30th OPEN AS USUAL 31st closed 1st closed 2nd OPEN AS USUAL On Monday 28th October, Her Majesty the Queen hosted the Commonwealth Reception at Buckingham Palace. Roy McEwen, part of the ECC family, was invited to the Palace. He was representing IsisMas, a community arts organisation.

GRAPEVINE magazine • Issue 65 • December 2013 / January 2014

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FELLOWSHIP & COURSES

CAP Money Course “MANAGE YOUR MONEY, MANAGE YOUR LIFE” We are hoping to host a Money Management Course, run by Christians Against Poverty (CAP), which will take place in January/February 2014 (date to be confirmed). Please look out for information about this life-changing course.

KEEP FIT CORNER

WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON FELLOWSHIP

This is a three-session course to get you back in control of your money. For more information, please contact Sharon Grant in the Church Office.

Meetings start @ 2pm

4th 11th 18th 25th

1st

8th 15th 22nd 29th

DECEMBER 2013 Pastor Lindie Celebration NO MEETING NO MEETING JANUARY 2014 NO MEETING Brother Rudy Merle Aqui Prayer and Praise Merle Aqui

MONDAYS 12.00pm to 1.00pm STAY ACTIVE 4 LIFE with fun, fitness and flexibility ONLY £2.50 - at ECC THURSDAYS 12.00pm to 1.00pm LOW IMPACT AEROBICS Inspirational moves and grooves (please bring a mat) ONLY £2.50 - at ECC PLEASE ASK YOUR INSTRUCTOR(S) ABOUT CHRISTMAS/NEW YEAR

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GRAPEVINE magazine • Issue 65 • December 2013 / January 2014

SOUP KITCHEN DATES

The next Soup Kitchen dates are:

Saturday 1st February Saturday 29th March Please see Sharon or Sherine in the Church Office for more information.

0-10 Parenting Course EVENING PARENTING COURSE

Start date: Wednesdays from 15th January to 12th February (incl) for 5 weeks Time: 7.30pm to 9.30pm

DAYTIME PARENTING COURSE

Proposed start date: Thursdays from 6th March to 3rd April (incl) for 5 weeks Time: To be confirmed Please speak to Sharon Grant for more info

EVERGREENS MONDAY 13th January FILM MATINEE 1.30pm to 4pm Bring & Share lunch MONDAY 10th February “TIME FOR LOVE” 1.30pm to 4pm Cost: £3.50 for lunch

RM

elationships inistry

MARRIAGE PREPARATION COURSE Start date: Friday 31st January Time: 7.30pm For further details, speak to Chris or Missa on 07715 524962

COURSES

Course Dates

HTB MARRIAGE COURSE

MARRIED FOR LIFE COURSE

Start date: Wednesday 19th February Time: 7.30pm Venue: ECC

Start date: Thursday 9th January Time: 7.30pm

For further details, contact Henry on 07951 154190 or Mercy on 07961 901235

For further details, contact Clive or Beverley on 07803 187713 or 020 8578 1551

Details of next LOUNGE event to be advised

Classifieds Classifieds Classifieds EALING CHRISTIAN CENTRE does not in any way endorse any advertised company or products, and cannot guarantee rates, levels of service or workmanship Advertising space is offered on a first come, first served basis. ECC reserves the right to publish the advert where space is available, and not necessarily on the Classifieds page. ECC reserves the right to alter any advertisement to improve reproduction quality. ECC excludes liability for any loss due to noninsertion or any errors in the advertisement. ECC reserves the right to refuse publication of any advert that it does not deem suitable for Grapevine magazine; the Editor-in-Chief's decision is final.

ADVERTISE YOUR GOODS OR SERVICES Contact ECC Office for details on 020 8840 7508 or email sd@ecc.org.uk GRAPEVINE magazine • Issue 65 • December 2013 / January 2014

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ECC Attendance and Finance Statistics September / October 2013

Children Children ATTENDANCE 9.00am 9.00am 11.15am 11.15am 6.30pm FINANCE SEP OCT 01 Sep 2013 255 35 409 95 88 Tithes & 08 Sep 2013 221 37 408 90 124 Offerings £56,459.28 £42,572.82 15 Sep 2013 261 42 401 87 85 22 Sep 2013 268 47 425 77 122 Building 29 Sep 2013 214 25 455 71 97 Fund £80.00 £300.00 06 Oct 2013 247 31 434 75 72 13 Oct 2013 240 36 360 73 121 Standing 20 Oct 2013 236 37 446 84 70 Orders £13,556.72 £13,710.12 27 Oct 2013 298 35 420 76 495 GIFT AID RECEIVED FOR PERIOD APRIL TO JUNE 2013 WAS £28,996.49

THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR GIVING TOWARDS KINGDOM WORK!!!

D

A NOTE from the Treasurer: Praying Over your Tithes and Offerings

id you know that before you pay your tithe or give your offering, you should separate yourself and spend time with God over that money? God sees your tithe and your offerings as a sacrifice. That money represents your hard work and your sweat.

He does not take lightly your obedience to the Word in paying your tithes and your offerings.

Before you drop them into the church bucket, or before you mail them off to your favourite ministry, there is a time of worship that should be observed over that sacrifice.

Please find below a couple of prayers you may wish to declare

over your tithe and offering. There are also Scripture confessions for you to meditate on: Prayer 1: “Dear God, please make me a cheerful giver of all my tithes and offerings. I choose to receive all of Your promises and blessings as I am obedient to Your Word.

Help me to remember the poor, knowing that I am lending to You and You will repay. Let me give with an attitude of gratitude and worship. I have nothing without You, and I will take nothing out with me - only souls. I love to give! Help me to hear the exact amount and to whom to give of my offerings. In Jesus’ Name.

Amen.”

Prayer 2: “Dear Father, I know that it is Your will to bless me. I know that as I am faithful to pay my tithes and give to Your work, You will bless me. You said that as I give, it shall be given back to me, good measure, pressed down, and shaken together. Your Word says that You love a cheerful giver.

Help me to be sensitive to Your Spirit, and help me to be obedient to give as You instruct me. Give me wisdom and understanding that I might be a good steward over all that You have given me.

Help me to use discretion in my spending habits. Let me be practical, sensible and intelligent in all my buying decisions.

Give me creative ideas and new

insight to create income for my family. Help me to be productive and diligent in my job. Give me favour with my employer. I thank You, Lord, that increase and promotion come from You. I thank You that my family and I are blessed. Let us be financially successful, so that we can be abundant givers to Your work and a blessing to others. In Jesus’ Name I pray. Amen.”

SCRIPTURE REFERENCES: Malachi 3:8-12, 2 Corinthians 9:6-15 Luke 6:38

Sandra Dawodu

PLEASE NOTE: You can now pay your tithes and offerings through the ECC website at www.ecc.org.uk

WHAT WE BELIEVE - Elim Pentecostal Churches 1. THE BIBLE: We believe the Bible, as originally given, to be without error,

the fully inspired and infallible Word of God and the supreme and final authority in all matters of faith and conduct.

2. THE TRINITY: We believe that the Godhead exists co-equally and coeternally in three Persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit and that these Three are one God, sovereign in creation, providence and redemption.

3. THE SAVIOUR: We believe in the true and proper deity of our Lord Jesus Christ, in His virgin birth, in His real and complete humanity, in His sinless life, in His authoritative teaching, in His substitutionary and atoning sacrifice through His shed blood, in His bodily resurrection, in His ascension to the right hand of the Father, in His heavenly intercession and His second advent to receive His Church.

4. THE HOLY SPIRIT: We believe in the deity of the Holy Spirit Who proceeds from the Father and the Son and the necessity of His work in conviction of sin, repentance, regeneration and sanctification, and that the believer is also promised an enduement of power as the gift of Christ through the baptism in the Holy Spirit with signs following. Through this enduement the believer is empowered for fuller participation in the ministry of the Church, its worship, evangelism and service.

5. MANKIND: We believe in the universal sinfulness of all mankind since the Fall, rendering man subject to God's wrath and condemnation.

6. SALVATION: We believe in the necessity for salvation of repentance towards God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ by which the sinner is pardoned

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GRAPEVINE magazine • Issue 65 • December 2013 / January 2014

and accepted as righteous in God's sight. This justification is imputed by the grace of God because of the atoning work of Christ, is received by faith alone and is evidenced by the Fruit of the Spirit and a holy life.

7. THE CHURCH: We believe in the spiritual unity and the priesthood of all believers in Christ and that these comprise the universal Church, the Body of Christ.

8. THE MINISTRY: We believe in the ministries that Christ has set in His Church, namely, apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers, and in the present operation of the manifold Gifts of the Holy Spirit according to the New Testament.

9. THE ORDINANCES: We believe in the baptism of believers in water in obedience to the command of Christ and the commemoration of Christ's death by the observance of the Lord's Supper until His return.

10. THE COMMISSION: We believe that the Gospel embraces the needs of the whole man and that the Church is therefore commissioned to preach the Gospel to the world and to fulfil a ministry of healing and deliverance to the spiritual and physical needs of mankind.

11. THE COMING KING: We believe in the personal, physical and visible return of the Lord Jesus Christ to reign in power and glory.

12. THE FUTURE STATE: We believe in the resurrection of the dead and in the final judgment of the world, the eternal conscious bliss of the righteous and the eternal conscious punishment of the wicked.

W

e embrace Christmas because of everything the season brings, and particularly for what it signifies for us as believers: the agapé love of God demonstrated through Christ.

Christmas is also the time for quiet reflection of the past, as we look forward to a new year. I am glad to report that, for us as ECC men, rather than a song of lamentation, we raise up a banner of praise for what God has helped us to achieve in 2013.

When it comes to assessing men, the Church universal has often focused on the negative, neglecting the positive. We lament the dearth of committed men, and judge the quality of their spiritual state from the perspective of our human expectation of what men’s involvement in the church community should be.

But, as the year comes to an end, it is heart-warming to witness the tremendous working of the Holy Spirit on ECC men, and the positive ways in which God has quietly worked on individuals. We are encouraged, therefore, that when the manifestation of God’s promises for ECC blossom, men will be included and not excluded.

Throughout the year, we witnessed how men have quietly contributed to every aspect of God’s ministry here at ECC. For example, many have ‘silently’ - but with great commitment - contributed to evangelism at the corporate level, through Cell, and at the personal level, when nobody sees them.

We witnessed the passion some have for mentoring, in order to forge a vibrant link between the young and the adults.

We witnessed the commitment of others to establishing a Cell group for newlymarried young men, to ensure that young marriages prove successful.

It is heart-warming to witness the tremendous working of the Holy Spirit on ECC men

MEN’S DISCIPLESHIP

A salute to UNSUNG HEROES There are many more examples of the often-unvoiced contributions of men to the work of ministry here at ECC, and we salute all the unsung heroes working quietly for God. May God continue to enlarge the coast of your influence and your ministry.

In the last edition of Grapevine, we gave an account of how God had visited, and the open and ‘unmanly’ way in which the men welcomed Him at the Encounter Weekend. It is good to see that men continue to be open to the leading of the Holy Spirit in a way that God’s Name continues to be glorified!

I end this piece with a summary of a wonderful testimony of how God is using seemingly ordinary men for His glory.

Festus is a self-employed, ordinary member of ECC. One of his customers is a Somalian Muslim woman, who comes calling once a week. In October, she came into the shop, as she would normally, but was unwell with breathing difficulties.

As the weeks went by, her condition got progressively worse, until she arrived one day with machines attached to her body to help her breathe. She announced that she was now required to pay regular visits to Charing Cross Hospital, and was due again the following day.

Prompted by the Holy Spirit, Festus prayed with her for healing and wished her well.

A week or so later, she came in to declare that, after Festus had prayed with her, the

doctors at Charing Cross had declared her completely healed - without explanation.

She came with thanksgiving and gifts for Festus who, of course, refused the glory and the gift, and pointed her instead to Christ, the real Hero.

We salute all the unsung heroes working quietly for God God will use anyone if we let Him. So as 2014 commences, let us resolve as men to be tools in His hands, in bringing freedom to the oppressed and healing to the sick.

Merry Christmas and a Spirit-filled New Year.

Akinpelu OSUNTOKI

GRAPEVINE magazine • Issue 65 • December 2013 / January 2014

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CHILDREN’S MINISTRIES

TEACHERS’ TRAINING DAY with Phil Moore O

n 19th of October 2013, the Children’s Ministry volunteer workers participated in a very engaging and interactive two and a half hour Teachers’ Training Day, led

by Phil Moore, Training Manager and Leader of Capital Kids London City Mission.

“It was a really good session. We can benefit more from a longer session.” – EO

The Training Day covered two important topics on the following: Interactive Bible Stories o Develop the Art of Play o Storytelling Skills Interactive Ways of Learning the Bible o Memory Verses o Bible Overview o Prayer Ideas o Bible-based Games

of the ideas.

“I liked the variety used to be y sil They can ea es. I also ag all of e os engage th ne io d that liked how he ment ur group’. yo we should ‘ know ful.” lp he ry Overall, ve

“From today’s session, I have learned the various ways that I can teach Bible stories to children, so that they can better understand them and find them more beneficial.”

viding “Very useful session, pro thods me ive examples of effect age all to s rie sto le to convey Bib ting rac inte of ys wa od groups. Go d. ate with the class demonstr d an n sio Interesting ses to it.” VJ appropriate time given

And here’s what some of the participants had to say about the event: “This was a really good teaching session. I have learned a lot, and will use the tips in my teaching.”

“The training was very creative and interesting.” – AA

“Today’s Children’s Ministry training was so good. It was fun and interactive, and I have gained a lot of good ideas to help me teach the Word of God to young children. ” – IN

“Very educational session… creative ideas on how to teach children of all ages, and how to tell Bible stories to your kids. Uses the Word of God in a simple way for younger kids.” – RI

“The training session was very educational, and has given me great ideas.

A very helpful session.

Phil is brilliant.” – JG

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“I enjoyed the training.

It was very interesting learning about the different ways one can tell a story.” – JK

GRAPEVINE magazine • Issue 65 • December 2013 / January 2014

“Coming to the training session today, I have learned to communicate with children at their level, and also to ensure that communication should consist of words that are relevant to them.” – HD

“I found the Capital Kids training course really useful, funny and very creative.

Interesting method to teach our children. My pleasure to join the course.” – LJ

by ANN KO

YOUTH MINISTRIES

GRAPEVINE magazine • Issue 65 • December 2013 / January 2014

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WOMEN’S ENCOUNTER

M

onths of preparation, recruiting women for the Encounter, and preparation time - spent in prayer and fasting paid off, as the Encounter team did a sterling job in teaching and ministering to the Encounter delegates.

The power of the Holy Spirit was awesome, as He started to move on the very first evening. What a joy it was to see ECC sisters liberated in so many ways, as God met them individually. Read the powerful testimonies below.

‘Through this Encounter Weekend, my faith has really grown, and I have come to listen to the small Voice inside me which is the Holy Spirit. God loves me, and there is nothing that can take us from the love of God when we put all our trust in Him.’

‘I kept praying that the Holy Spirit would not pass me by when, all of a sudden, I started to experience this surge of power. I was on the floor. God has great plans for me according to His Word in Jeremiah 29:11.’

‘I came to the Encounter not knowing what to expect, but I actually got the rest in God that I needed, and I feel that everything the Lord said and did on this Encounter will help me connect with God more in my daily life.’

‘I thank the Lord because He has opened my eyes to things, and also because He has delivered me.’

‘I give thanks to the Lord for His mercy; the Lord has delivered me from fears.’

To avoid disappointment, please take note of the date of the next Encounter Weekend in 2014 below.

Pastor Rajinder Buxton

‘I was battling with witchcraft that someone was harming me, punching me in my stomach. So, when the chance came for deliverance and encounter, I jumped at it, putting my trust in God to lead me. The Encounter brought me close to God, and I see change in my life.’

‘The Lord is continuing a work that He started in me at the Encounter, as I am going home with answers and directions for further praying. I feel I have reconnected with the Lord and I’m ready for the next chapter of my life.’

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‘God showed up powerfully and delivered me from my fears. I am so grateful to God because, once again, I have confidence to believe the Lord’s promises towards me, and His love endures forever.’

‘I was healed from shoulder and elbow pain. I have been referred to a physiotherapist, and had an X-ray which couldn’t detect anything, but after ministry the following morning I noticed the pain was gone, and I can now do what I couldn’t do before.’

‘At this Encounter I have made a decision to stand firm without wavering.

I have experienced deliverance, revelation, peace and the joy of the Lord. What else would I want?’

GRAPEVINE magazine • Issue 65 • December 2013 / January 2014

‘My encounter with the Lord has amazing; it was above my expectation.

The Holy Spirit has worked wonders with me, as my batteries are recharged.

I have acquired more knowledge and wisdom. I prayed about some personal issues, and I am confident that my prayers will be answered.’

‘I thank the Lord for the powerful deliverance and teachings during the Women’s Encounter. I came believing God for the gift of speaking in tongues, and I received that and more than I expected.’

‘Before this weekend, I was a stagnant Christian, stagnant in my spiritual growth and development. This Encounter has given me a start to grow and develop spiritually and to serve God.’

WOMEN’S ENCOUNTER ‘Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is there is freedom.’

2 Corinthians 3:17

T

his Scripture perfectly encapsulates what had happened at Encounter this year. It was such an Encounter like we have never had before.

The Lord showed me an endless line, which represented God’s endless love for us that does not waiver or turn to the left or to the right. Just like the line, we must turn neither to the left nor to the right, but be on track with God to receive our breakthrough.

I shared this with the group, and what was to follow demonstrated not only God’s perfect love for us, but also that the Holy Spirit was working amongst us and doing His perfect work.

For each session, as the women stayed on track with God, there was something new for each woman to experience, and the love of God was felt throughout the weekend. There was an impartation of God’s love, joy and peace, as the women sought first His Kingdom and His righteousness, and this began to chip away at the bondages and distractions that threatened to block what God was doing in the lives of the women. As God ministered to each woman, each one received His ministry in different ways; this led to the breakthroughs and testimonies of God’s goodness.

The Encounter Ministry Team, which consisted of the Guides: Veronica Antoine, Minette Thomas, Lucia Barreiros; the Worship leader, Heather Trail; and the Administrator, Colleen Barry-Austin, ministered according to God’s Word and with determination. As they did so, God’s love was shown and the Holy Spirit did His perfect work.

The beautiful grounds, excellent weather, and time to reflect on what God was doing helped to make this weekend unforgettable for those who took part.

‘This weekend has been an amazing experience for me. The power of Holy Spirit was my first experience, and I feel totally different. I feel that a lot of burden has been lifted from me. I feel loved and wanted.’

‘I recognised that I can’t use my strength, but need to seek the Lord, through fasting and praying to know His ways. This weekend has been a turning point for me. As I seek more of the Lord, I will watch and pray that He will draw my family and relatives closer to His Kingdom.’

‘I felt all pains and my fear disappear, and I felt well and peaceful. My painful right eye felt better. I thank God for giving me understanding and knowledge of faith and trust in God through all the Scriptures being ministered to us.’

‘God reminded me that He loves me, not because of who I am but because of who He is, and that He was with me and protecting me and blessing me even before I knew it. I allowed God and gave God permission to work in me.

Fear and anxiety no longer have a hold over my life, because God has set me free and He is in control.’

If you have not been on an Encounter, and want to experience the fullness of God’s blessing, register to book your place. If you are a Christian and not in a Discipleship Cell group, it is time to experience your breakthrough and to allow God to show you more of His blessings. Join a Cell group and book your place for 2014 today.

Stephanie Antoine Team Leader

‘Prior to the Encounter Weekend, I felt far from God. I was not putting in time to spend with Him in prayer and reading the Bible. I knew how important this was but I allowed the busyness of life to take over. Also, I was taking God for granted and perhaps testing Him. I received a lot of answers and reassurances from God.’

Encounter Weekend 2014

takes place on Friday 5th – Sunday 7th September 2014. Book your place early to avoid disappointment.

GRAPEVINE magazine • Issue 65 • December 2013 / January 2014

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CHRISTMAS & NEW YEAR at ECC

CARIBBEAN EVENING 2013