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Conferences
Ignite 'GLIMPSES OF HEAVEN' Conference
‘Glimpses of Heaven’
- Friday 20th June - Tunstall, Stoke on Trent (see below) and 27th June (Southampton) with Miguel Escobar from Chile, Scott McDermott & Perry Dalton from USA - Miguel, Scott & Perry have spoken at Ignite events before and are used by God in both teaching God’s word and ministering in the power of the Spirit. This will be a great opportunity to be refreshed in faith and equipped for mission
VENUE CHANGE! Please note we have switched venues for the Stoke on Trent conference – it will now take place at TUNSTALL METHODIST CHURCH, Queens Ave, Tunstall ST6 6EE.
Travel details:- By car, best route is to take A50 signpost off A500 (to Kidsgrove & Tunstall). At top of hill (by KFC roundabout), turn right towards Tunstall, straight over 1st roundabout, straight over 2nd roundabout but get in left hand lane, turn left by Tunstall swimming baths (old building), Methodist church is 500 yards on left. It is a bigger facility and has better parking at rear of church.
Previous Conferences
"Look to the Heavens" - European Methodist Prayer Conference - 27-30th November 2007
Kursalon Centre - Piestany - SLOVAKIA
(Individual talks are accessible on the Resource Page) A group of about seventy Christian leaders from ten nations gathered for this strategic prayer conference in the spa town of Piestany in Slovakia. We had four days together to worship, pray and enjoy a time set apart to be with God. We know that there is a growing prayer movement worldwide. Within the Methodist movement, international prayer conferences in Singapore and England over the last three years have stirred intercession for a fresh outpouring of the Spirit. This conference drew people together who had a similar heart to pray for the continent and to be renewed in the Spirit. An international team from USA, Singapore and England provided the teaching programme and the times of worship were shared in both English and Slovakian. The local organising group were a small team from the Methodist churches in the area. Everyone pulled together as we arrived to serve and create a place where we could encounter the Lord’s presence. From the outset there was a natural flow of worship, teaching and times of prayer which drew people to Jesus, and the anointing of the Spirit, in the times of meeting, increased throughout the four days.There was a united heart of everyone there to worship God together, asking for Holy Spirit revival in this continent, for churches to grow and spread the gospel and for thousands to find faith in Christ. The teaching was around the theme of ‘looking to the heavens’, and focused on getting a clearer vision of God, seeing our privileged place in prayer, being challenged about becoming agents of kingdom transformation, and looking to the future 2nd coming of the Lord. There were many opportunities for personal prayer ministry and many of us were renewed in faith and filled afresh with the life of the Spirit. There were testimonies of healing, new vision for ministry, the confirmation of specific prophetic words and experience of the power of the Spirit. We know, from what was shared and from people’s faces, how much God did in many individual lives. The times of strategic intercession also felt ‘weighty’ and very significant. We prayed specifically for the ‘new’ European nations represented, that God might bring greater spiritual breakthrough in their churches and countries.
It was a privilege to lead a team which had such a united, God-seeking and humble heart, preferring each other above ourselves. We wait over these next few months to see the outworking of the prophetic words and fresh calling on people’s lives, as well as to see what further ripples/ future possibilities emerge from the conference. Below is just a sample of people’s testimonies: For me, this conference was a time of encouraging. God lifted me up, and made me to feel myself worthy for His work. He opened my eyes to see how He uses me in his work in a wonderful way, and that revival is coming in our country. I feel myself renewed, strengthened and prepared to continue in His work with a new strength.I have appreciated the workshops on ‘prayer’ very much. At this conference I have discovered many ways churches are praying – many ideas I hadn’t even thought of or heard of. So I am excited as I have many ‘new ideas’ to suggest to my new ecumenical prayer group. Throughout the conference God has been reminding me that the single most important thing in my life is my relationship with Him. The ‘call to intimacy’ spoke to me deeply and God said to me so clearly that the only qualification for my ministry was to be able to answer with Peter ‘Lord, you know that I love you’. God is calling me back to that place of intimacy with Him – everything else will take care of itself! I came to the conference with serious questions about my future as a minister. I have received prayer and ministry and revelation that has now answered all the questions. But God has spoken powerfully into my heart, making clear what my priorities should be and how I should see what is happening. God’s call to intimacy is foremost and I know that he holds me in the palm of His hand. It has been wonderful to be part of this event. I have been blessed mightily, God has confirmed that I am on the right path in prayer. I felt as though my heart was being ripped out as I felt the pain of the people in my own town on Wednesday evening. In order to intercede for my community I am being called to lie prostrate in the churches and plead for God for them in words and tears. It has been a privilege to be here and humbling to meet people. During my time at the conference I have experienced many things from God – physical healing, affirmation, encouragement, renewed vision and purpose and increased hope and expectation. Alongside that a wonderful closeness to God and a desire to readjust my priorities to ensure I press in to the intimate places of God. I have a greater heart for the needs of Europe and a desire for His Spirit to move in mighty power and I have made contacts that I believe God will grow and use for the future. I am yet to fully appreciate the impact of this conference and the ways in which it will have positive consequences for the kingdom once I return home. Having come with a bad back, it took several sessions to reveal and recognise a problem that has been ongoing for several years. It is gone! In the process two evenings of being ‘in the Spirit’ a sense of ‘running’ and ‘flying’ was a liberating and exhilarating experience. There was such laughter and fun and at the same time respecting the deeply spiritual side of the conference experiences.
I just came to sing, but from the first service I was touched and encouraged by God´s word. When we prayed, one brother from the States was praying for me personally and he had God´s Word for me. Then on Thursday one sister encouraged me with God´s word. It was very powerful for me because I felt like a broken dish. God was renewing me. We Slovaks, received a lot. Some ideas were for us new, some strengthened our beliefs. We felt great with you. You accepted us as you would have known us for 100 years. Thank you for encouragements, prayers, and your willingness to come to Slovakia. We love you! Come again! June 2006 - International Prayer Conference - "Glory in the Nations" took place last June 18th-21st at Victoria Hall, Stoke on Trent, Midlands UK. It was the second International Prayer Conference for Methodists In Renewal, and followed on from the success of the previous year in Singapore. It was a significant global opportunity to seek God for the future of the Methodist Church, with international speakers. See the September 2006 "Newsletter" on the Newsletter page for a report of the conference. OCTOBER 2005 RENEWAL CONFERENCES
These were awesome times with John & Carol Arnott leaders from theToronto Airport Christian Fellowship, and Scott McDermott Senior Pastor of Washington Crossing United Methodist Church , Pennsylvania, in the last week of October, for the Methodist Church entitled "Touch the Father's Heart" at Burslem and Westminster Central Hall
John and Carol have experienced 11 years of continuous leadership in the midst of outpourings of the Spirit and came with that experience and anointing. They came because they have a heart for the Methodist Church to enter more deeply in renewal and so they set aside this time to share with us. Fresh Expressions Singapore Prayer Conference
International Prayer Conference for Wesleyans in Renewal, Singapore
- 16 - 19th June 2004, report by Rev William Porter In June 2004 a group of UK Methodist delegates travelled across to Singapore, to share in an international call to prayer for Methodists worldwide. 1000 people attended the conference for Wesleyans In Renewal. Over twenty nations were represented, including bishops, pastors and evangelists. Singapore is a great place for such a conference, with lively, growing churches, a burgeoning Christian youth movement, being also a major hub of international tourism and cross-cultural networking. The man behind the conference was Rev Dr Isaac Lim, President of the English speaking Trinity Annual Conference of Singapore. A man of great pastoral experience and a passionate faith, he has spent a long time preparing and planning for the conference. Five years ago, whilst praying for the renewal of the Methodist Church in Singapore, God placed on him a burden for the global Methodist family. He said: " I believe God wants to do a new thing amongst a people called Methodists. If God could raise John Wesley to change the texture of 18th century England, He can use the Methodist people today to change the communities we represent in every part of the world'. The overall theme was 'Restoring the Wesleyan Flame', with speakers from Singapore, Chile, USA, India and Britain. The primary focus of the conference was corporate intercession. Dr Lim has used his presidency to inspire and draw Methodists all over the world who have been praying for renewal of their churches and the Methodist Church globally. Time was given to pray for the world, situations in crisis, and the churches represented there. Dr Lim said: "Whilst what is on the outside looks respectable and enviable, we need a transformation from within. We need the Holy Spirit to change us from the inside. We need to cry to God for the dawning of a new day. We need the outpouring of the Holy Spirit to draw us closer to the bosom of God. We need to live holy lives. We need a Methodist Pentecost". UK delegates felt there was great clarity about this Wesleyan Flame - the core of God's anointing on the Methodist movement. We felt in partnership with others around the world in pressing in to this call to pray in our nation. God is birthing a new season of prayer around the world!
Report by William Porter
The next IPC will be in USA in 2008. Further details when available
Graham Horsley reported in the October 2005 Newsletter that, at Lambeth palace on 22nd September, Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury and Tom Stuckey, the President of the Methodist Conference shared in the commissioning of the Fresh Expressions team. Fresh Expressions is an ecumenical agency committed to promoting a mixed economy – advocating new forms of church alongside the best of the traditional. Fresh Expressions began last year with the appointment of Steven Croft as team leader and has now grown to a team of ten. One of the team, Rev Peter Pillinger is funded by the Methodist Church to work for Fresh Expressions and will be developing networks to accompany churches and Christian groups developing or wanting to develop fresh expressions of being Church.
Since the commissioning, we have learned that Rev Andrew Roberts, District Evangelism Enabler for Wolverhampton and Shrewsbury District will be working part-time for FE developing their discipleship program and that the Methodist Council in October will be asked to confirm the appointment of Rev Howard Mellor as the Methodist member of the Fresh Expressions Board.
