We meet every Thursday, at 11.00 am.
At Sacred Heart Church, Shanklin
South Wight Parish Charismatic Prayer Group is open to Christians of all denominations.
We exist to provide support and fellowship, finding joy together in joining to praise God and encouraging each other with love, prayer and intercession. We aim to grow in faith and be of service to the Church and the wider community by sharing the love of God through the gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit:
The spiritual gifts of 1Corinthians 12:8-10 are wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, miracles, prophecy, discernment, tongues and interpretation of tongues.
The fruits of the Holy Spirit of Galatians 5:22-23 are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
All members of the prayer group have received the ‘Baptism of the Holy Spirit’ and through this experience have discovered a deeper commitment of prayer, Scripture and a renewed love of the Sacraments.
Baptism in the Holy Spirit
“Whilst ‘Baptism in the Holy Spirit’ does not appear in scripture it is adapted from the verbal phrase “baptize in the Holy Spirit” which occurs six times in scripture. The promise that Jesus will “baptize you in the Holy Spirit” is one of the most frequently repeated prophecies in the New Testament, announced by John the Baptist in all four Gospels (Matt 3:11, Mark 1:8, Luke 3:16, John 1:33) and by Jesus himself in Acts 1:5 and recalled by Peter in Acts 11:16.
Baptism in the Holy Spirit is a life-transforming experience of the love of God the Father poured into one’s heart by the Holy Spirit received through surrender to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. It brings alive sacramental baptism and confirmation, deepens communion with God and with fellow Christians, enkindles evangelistic fervour and equips a person with the charism for service and mission. ” (Doctrinal Commission ICCRS, Baptism in the Holy Spirit, New Life Publishing, 2012)
Pope Francis recently addressed 1,000 priests in Rome and requested they share the ‘Baptism in the Holy Spirit’ with their congregations. He also told the Catholic people who are already ‘Baptised in the Holy Spirit’ to give away to others (Baptism of the Holy Spirit) and don’t cage in the Holy Spirit.
What happens at a typical prayer group meeting?
Greeting
We are always glad to see visitors, regular and not-so-regular members.
Praise and worship
Usually with contemporary worship music; this is often lively and free and sometimes involves singing ‘in the spirit’, which is a beautiful way to praise God.
Silence
We have a time of silence to listen to The Lord, after which we share what we sense God is saying to us as a group; often through scripture passages, pictures, thoughts or a sensation. The group then works together discerning and praying into what we feel The Lord is saying.
Read and Explain Scripture
One of the gifts of the Holy Spirit is the renewed thirst to read the scriptures. We usually share scripture passages in the group and discuss them or someone will give a short teaching.
Testimony
Group members will sometimes share with the rest of us something that God has done – an answer to prayer, or some other event which helps to build faith and encourage the others.
Prayer for Healing
If anyone is sick, we pray for them, sometimes with the laying on of hands.
Intercession
Our meeting always ends with a period of intercessory prayer – for the sick, for our families and always for our priests, pastors and ministers who need our support.
We would be glad to welcome you any Thursday, at 11.00am
if you have any questions please call Tom - 07503 171 957