WHAT WE DO

What do we do in our meetings? We begin all our meetings with prayer, pleading for the Lord to renew the operation of the blood of Jesus in our lives and in our midst, because we recognize that Jesus’ blood is what gives us access to the throne of God, and is what makes our prayers and worship effective and powerful.

We sing a few songs together, usually a mix of classic hymns (”Amazing Grace,” “How Great Thou Art,” “Holy, Holy, Holy,” etc.) and contemporary praise songs (usually Psalms set to music). Intermingled in this brief time of worship are periods of prayer, where we intercede for needs of the group members, for more of God’s love and revelation in our midst, for outreach efforts, and for needs of foreign missionaries and ministries in the developing world.

Then we spend about 25 or 30 minutes learning from the Bible, focusing on the spiritual meaning beyond the letters on the page, and how to apply the lessons in our lives. The younger children present take turns reading portions of the Scripture chapter aloud, and then a pastor or leader shares some comments about it. Children actively participate in our meetings; we encourage people to bring their children to the Bible study.

We conclude the meeting after one hour and then have a time of informal fellowship and food. There is also an opportunity during this time for people with urgent needs or a crisis in their lives to receive prayer privately with the leaders. Many of the people who attend keep in touch with each other during the week to share prayer requests, to meet for coffee or lunch, and to encourage one another in their daily lives.

We never collect offerings or tithes in our meetings. We can send a full explanation of this if anyone requests it. We have never taken an offering or asked for money in all the years of our existence. Our leaders do not need it; they work very hard to supply their own income apart from their ministry.

WHAT WE BELIEVE

What do we believe? We hold to the classic truths of the Christian faith (including a belief in the Trinity, the Deity of Christ, Inerrancy of Scriptures, the importance of a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, the Baptism in the Holy Spirit, the imminent return of Christ, and active participation in the Body of Christ). Our focus is on fostering individual spiritual growth, learning to have God direct our lives, and working together as the Body of Christ. On the other hand, we do not require or even expect agreement with these points from those who attend - we welcome people from any background or viewpoint in our meetings. Those hosting and leading the meetings, however, share these common beliefs and faith.

Our meetings typically do not focus on discussions of doctrinal topics. Instead, we spend our time learning together from a passage of Scripture, letting it speak for itself. Our desire is to have people experience the living Christ in a more complete way as we look at Him through the Living Word. Members of our group also write for and maintain the website www.maranathaglobal.org, where you can find helpful sermons, articles, and essays about every book of the Bible.

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