Ministry at HDC ~ by Alicia Kanode

We were excited to return to the Harrisburg Discipleship Center on Thursday night! The YES teams will be heading out to their various outreach locations after Thanksgiving, so we were glad for one last time to be able to minister to them.

Austin and Lauren Ritz led the worship band for the evening. We spent over half an hour worshiping our Savior, and then Sean and Jen Achey taught about the Holy Spirit. They shared parts of their testimonies and their own experiences with the Spirit. Sean then invited everyone to stand up and hold out their hands in a position to receive. The ministry team, led by the Achey’s, prayed for the participants individually, that they would receive the filling and fullness of the Holy Spirit!

The group then split up into their teams, talking and praying for each other as they waited for the ministry team to come around and pray over them. As a ministry team, we split into two groups, in order to pray for the 4-5 teams. There were YES teams headed to Albania, China, Guinea-Bissau and Venezuela. It was a joy to be able to pray for and encourage each team.

One of the girls on the Venezuela team had broken her finger. After we prayed for her finger, she said that the pain had left completely! She still did not have complete movement after we prayed for her a second time, so we encouraged her team to continue to pray until she experienced complete healing.

Sean also asked any individuals to stay who still wanted prayer. Numerous people stuck around, hungry to receive all that God had for them! One girl spoke in tongues for the first time! Many others were encouraged in their destinies and their walks with the Lord. All in all, it was after 12:30 am before we left! We can’t wait to hear what God is going to do through these teams in each of their respective ministry locations!

Camp Hebron 30 & Older Singles Retreat ~ By Jen Achey

This weekend Firestarters went to Camp Hebron in Halifax, PA, to minister at a 30 & older singles retreat. Brian Hock, the leader of the 30 & older singles ministry at The Worship Center, organized the retreat. People came from a variety of places including Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Maryland... There was also a variety of ethnic backgrounds represented including people from Germany, Peru, Singapore, China... etc. There were 20 people who attended all together.

On Friday night, during the first time of worship God spoke to Jen Achey, telling her to invite people to receive prayer for healing. Various people were prayed for and healed. What a great start to the weekend! It really set the stage for the group to expect God to show up and change lives.

One man, Mark Cragle from Wilkes-Barre, PA, was on crutches due to a serious knee injury in which ligament was torn and cartilage was damaged and due to nerve damage in his ankle. He was healed and no longer needs the crutches or knee brace. He says "I am now walking better than I have in 8 years!"

Another lady, Hanne Palmer from Palmyra, PA, was healed from childhood abuse. In her own words, "I was abused as a child and during counseling I was encouraged to visualize myself as a child. I always saw her sad with her head down sitting under a tree. After praying for healing during the following worship session, I saw (the child) dancing in the grass, twirling, (in a) colorful flowery dress, flowers, with lots of colors and feeling free and joyful!"

God did more things during this retreat than we could ever put on this blog entry. Many people were encouraged and healed and left ready to take testimonies of God's love and power back to their families and friends.

HDC Ministry Night ~ by Alicia Kanode

The Firestarters team had an amazing time at the Harrisburg Discipleship Center on Sunday night! We were able to teach, lead worship and minister to the HDC staff and the YES (Youth Evangelism Service) teams who are currently in training at the center. We gathered in the carriage house and Chris Epp, the director of HDC, opened the evening with prayer.

After some introductions, Jen taught on God’s call on our lives and the different ways in which we can discover it. One way she said we could hear God’s calling was through a prophetic word. She went on to explain that prophecy is just God communicating with His people. After teaching about how we should respond to prophecy, Jen led us in worship. She invited any YES participants who play an instrument to join her and we had an instant worship band, with everything from guitars to djembes to a mandolin! During worship, Jen also encouraged everyone to listen to what God might be speaking to them and released the ministry team to pray for and prophesy over the HDCers.

At one point, Sean and Jen invited anyone gifted in the arts to come forward. We prayed over those individuals and Sean encouraged them to release their gifts, not just keep what God had given them to themselves. In addition, a couple girls were released in dance during worship. One shared that she had danced before in secular venues, but not in times of corporate worship.

Jen also invited people to come forward who felt they needed a revelation of the Father heart of God. A number of girls quickly responded to the invitation, but none of the guys moved. Josiah shared his testimony of how God revealed His Father’s heart to him and then he, Jason and Sean prayed for each of the girls. Jen then asked any guys who felt they needed the same thing to come to the front of the room. All but a handful came to receive prayer! It was awesome to see God touching His children as the ministry team prayed over each individual and ministered God’s hear t to them.

After everyone had been prayed for, we ended with one last worship song before dismissing. A few people stayed to continue worshiping, to talk, etc. A couple Firestarters team members continued to minister to those who needed it. As we left, we all agreed that it had definitely been a fun night! We look forward to returning to HDC next month!

Ignited ~ By Alicia Kanode

Firestarters, ACTS Covenant Fellowship and Threshold Church joined together to hold the first IGNITED event this past Friday night. The worship band members and intercessors began to arrive at ACTS around 5pm, followed by other volunteers around 6pm. It was awesome to see the unity of God’s people as individuals and families from all three churches/ministries joined together to prepare for the event, which would begin at 7:00.

Around 6:30, as the worship band was practicing, we faced an unexpected obstacle. Jen Achey (co-director of Firestarters and the worship leader for this event) had a seizure, even as she was leading the practice time. Band members, intercessors and other volunteers quickly surrounded her and began to pray. In Sean and Jen’s words, “…for the past 3-4 months Jen has had a handful of unexplained seizures. Since June when this started doctors have done every test imaginable and they say Jen’s brain is ‘completely normal,’ but it was found by a chiropractor that there is a vertebra in her neck that has not been aligned correctly and it is likely that this has caused some seizure symptoms. She is getting chiropractic treatment and it seems to be helping.”

Because Jen had been seizure-free for some time, her seizure on Friday night came as a shock to many, if not all, of us. Sean took her home and one of the Backdraft (intercessory) team members stayed with her when Sean returned to the event later in the evening. We continue to stand with Sean and Jen in prayer for complete healing for Jen. However, we are also praising God that Jen has recovered from this seizure much more quickly than from any of the previous ones she suffered. She also has experienced no memory loss, as she had in the past.

We also give God honor, glory and praise for the wonderful time of worship and ministry that occurred that night, despite the enemy’s attempts to thwart it. The prayer that kept coming to my mind that night was, “God, You’re bigger than this!” He certainly proved that as the worship band pulled together and flowed together despite the unexpected circumstances. One band member shared that she felt we went to a high place in worship that night. Many of those in attendance shared that they felt God’s presence among us.

Kelly Lapp, one of the worship band members who stepped up to lead, offered the microphone to anyone who felt that the Lord was laying something on their heart to share with the group. A number of people shared words that the Lord had given them. One young lady said that as she was worshiping, she began to weep and felt very broken. She felt the Lord saying to her that there were people there that night who felt so broken, that they didn’t think the Lord could touch them. She encouraged us to remember that no one is beyond God’s reach. Another word that was shared was about finding our identity in Christ. The man who spoke said that we first need to open our eyes to see God, before we can see who we are in Him. After these words were shared, a time of ministry was offered for anyone who felt these words were for them. The ministry team prayed for and ministered to those who went forward, while the band continued to lead in worship.

Sometime toward the end of the night, Sean Achey returned and closed the night by sharing that as God’s people, we are all family. His words really summed up the night, as it had been one of intense unity. Praise God! May He continue to bring His church together!

Ministry to Harrisburg Discipleship Staff ~ By Jen Achey

We had a great time at the Harrisburg Discipleship Center tonight as we ministered with the staff and some team leaders there up on their third floor "prayer room". I, Jen, led a time of worship and then Sean and Jen did some teaching about prophetic ministry. The goal was to see this gift of prophecy released more in the group by the group, and this goal was definitely reached! By the end of the night I think everyone without exception had prophesied, whether they knew it or not!

We had each staff member and/or team leader take a turn sitting in the middle of the group and the group spent some time listening for things God wanted to say to that particular person. During this time the group was coached through how to discern what they sensed God was saying and how to submit appropriate things to the person being prayed for.

My most memorable part of the evening was when I, Jen, spoke a prophetic word over a young leader saying, "God is going to give you the Father's heart and you are just going to overwhelmed with the emotions of God the Father." And he broke out in tears that exact moment! I was thinking it would be one of those "someday this is going to happen" - prophecies as prophecies are - but this one was fulfilled immediately!

It was a precious time and we always are encouraged to see the HDC volunteers' passion for God and their dedication to serve Him with their lives. We look forward to going back soon!

You're Invited to Get IGNITED!

Hey guys! Alicia here. I just wanted to let you know about Firestarters' next upcoming event on Friday, September 18. IGNITED will be a night of worship, ministry and fun connections with others who are passionate about God, His church and His world! It will be held at ACTS Covenant Fellowship at 7:00pm. These events will be replacing the Fire Station events at the Upper Room. So if you were with us for those, you have a good idea of what to expect! For everyone else, you can expect lots of music and worship, healing and deliverance, peace and hope, vision and encouragment.

IGNITED events will be geared towards generations X and Y (those born 1965-1995), but anyone interested is welcome! Feel free to dress casually and be yourself. There is no cost for the event, but snacks and drinks will be available for purchase. We have found that events tend to run late when God starts doing life-changing things. We often have an informal dismissal around 9 or 9:30pm, but it is common for many people to stay later. As always, you are welcome to leave whenever you like.

Again, IGNITED is being held on September 18th at 7:00pm at ACTS Covenant Fellowship (1927 Wheatland Avenue, Lancaster, PA 17602). For more information, visit Firestarters website at www.godsfirestarters.com. Any questions, feel free to call or email: 717-653-6412 or info@godsfirestarters.com. Hope to see you there!

Ministry to HDC Staff ~ by Alicia Kanode

A small group of us (comprised of Sean, Jen, Joanie and myself) met with the staff from the Harrisburg Discipleship Center on Tuesday at the Amos Herr Park in Landisville. Our time with them was part of the “re-entry day” for staff members who have completed their terms and are moving on. HDC’s administrator, Chris Epp, was with us, as well as six other full-time staff and volunteers.

We sat under some trees and it was awesome to be outside, in the midst of God’s beautiful creation, as Sean and Jen led in a refreshing time of worship. We focused on the songs, “Inside Out” and “Presence.” Sean then offered to pray for the staff members and we spent the rest of the morning praying for and ministering to each one individually. Jen and Joanie took turns worshiping in the background, which created a wonderful atmosphere in which to minister.

Joanie also shared a word of knowledge and scripture that she felt the Lord laid on her heart. Each staff member was built up and encouraged as they received prayer ministry and prophecies. The Lord spoke to each one and brought guidance, healing and freedom, among other things. We thank the Lord for using us to bless these Kingdom workers!

Firestarters Street Ministry Night ~ by Alicia Kanode

On Friday night, a group of about ten of us gathered at Sean and Jen’s home for a night of ministry on the streets of Mount Joy. We began with a time of prayer and listening to what God was saying. During this time of listening, Kathleen had the idea to go to a certain shop in Mount Joy. When she later shared this idea, Bonnie said that she had heard the name of the shop’s owner. That was a neat confirmation of God’s leading! Jen also received the name of an individual she didn’t know.

After the prayer time, we split into three teams. One stayed at the Achey’s to intercede, while the other two teams hit the streets! One team visited the shop to which the Lord had directed us. Kathleen had the chance to talk to the owner and bless her. Meanwhile, Jason and I met a mutual friend outside of the shop. She introduced us to two of her grandchildren and we realized that her grandson’s name was the name given to Jen during our prayer time! We got to talk to him and although he didn’t want us to pray with him, we prayed for him as we continued to walk. We are thanking the Lord for the way He moved in that situation to bring us together and move us to pray!

After talking to this family, Jason prayed for a man who had a knee injury. By the end of their interaction, the man’s knee was completely healed! Meanwhile, on the other team, Josiah was praying for another man who had problems with his feet. He also experienced God’s healing! Praise the Lord!

Back at the house, the intercession team received a number of words and pictures. One person saw the picture of a boat slowly turning. We later realized that the town of Mount Joy was named after a boat. The sense was that the boat was a symbol of the town and that although it was turning slowly, it was turning at the right speed. Another word that was received was that there are “Josephs” in this area. Considering the impact that Joseph had on the world of his day, this is very exciting!

We all returned to the Achey’s home around 9:00pm to share stories and testimonies. The intercession team also shared words that were given for the individual members of the ministry teams. All in all, the night was very encouraging and fun! We praise God for all that He did and is doing among us! May He continue to be glorified in this place!

Firestarters Lead Hinkletown Mennonite Church Worship Retreat - By Jen Achey

We were excited to have the opportunity to lead a worship retreat for Hinkletown Mennonite Church this weekend. The retreat was from May 15-17. It was at a beautiful cabin in a place called Waterloo.

The theme of the weekend was "A New Thing" and the theme verse was Isaiah 43:19. Jen did most of the teaching for a change since she is a worship leader and this retreat was focused on worship. She taught a lot about being ready to perceive the new things God is doing, about recognizing and learning from what God has done, but not getting so stuck there that we miss what God is doing right now. We dove into the context surrounding our theme verse to see these very concepts clearly spoken in this prophecy.

Jen taught about various spiritual aspects of worship leading and team leading. She also taught on practical things like music theory, team dynamics, and "techie stuff" like sound systems and projectors (Sean led that part!)...

Then on Saturday night we had a time of "hands on" learning and experience in "Inspirational worship". Everyone in the group got a chance to do something new and perform it for the rest of the group to inspire others to worship. It was fun!

Sunday morning was our last session and Sean spoke about God's ramah and logos words. We ended with a time of inspirational worship and individual listening for God's ramah words. Then we went around the group and welcomed everyone to share any ramah words God spoke to them during that time. Every single person in the group shared a ramah word God had given them. Some of the words were significantly life changing and led to release of spiritual gifts. There was ministry and prayer and a wonderfully sweet spirit there that morning.

We left encouraged about the good work God did in and through us this weekend and we also were glad for the new friendships we formed!

The Fire Station ~ By Alicia Kanode

We gathered together on Friday night for the last Fire Station at the Upper Room. We had another wonderful time of worship! Jen encouraged us to let go of all the things we were carrying from the week and to just focus on God and on worshiping Him. There was a wonderful atmosphere of freedom as we all came before the Lord together!

Sean then spoke briefly from 1 Kings 18, which is the theme passage for Firestarters. The chapter tells the story of Elijah on Mount Carmel, when he built an altar and asked the Lord to send the fire. Sean commented on verse 33, where Elijah says to the people, "Fill four large jars with water and pour it on the offering and on the wood." They did so three times - and this was during a drought! Sean said that sometimes we need to lay it all on the table, holding nothing back. "Then the fire of the Lord fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench" (verse 38). Sean said that when the fire of God comes, it comes not just to take the "sacrifice" - whatever we are offering - but to take it all! He also said that when we make room for Him, God wants to show up!

After Sean shared, he invited anyone who was there to give testimonies of how God had met them through Firestarters. There were numerous testimonies of healings, financial provision, release in worship, etc. Dean Benner, owner of the Upper Room, also shared what a blessing it has been to him and his family to have been able to host the Fire Station in their building for the past nine months. We are very grateful to them for allowing us to use their facility and especially to God for meeting us in this place every time we have gathered to worship Him!

Even though the Fire Station, in its current form, is now ending, we are excited to see what else God has in store as we seek to keep in step with His Spirit!

The Fire Station - By Joanie Nissley

Breakthrough, deliverance, testimonies, intimacy with God...that's what this Fire Station was about! During worship, there was a time of sitting at Jesus' feet, seeking him, and receiving his love and grace washing over us. Some had a picture of a river flowing all around us, or sitting under a waterfall, letting the water rain on us. It was an intimate experience with God and we were touched by His manifest presence.

Jason shared a testimony of praying for someone at Lowe's who had arthritis in her knee, and she experienced God's goodness and His healing touch! We are witnesses to healings that happen at Fire Station and want to take it out to others around us, wherever we go.

Sean taught on unbelief, which is a lack of faith, trust and obedience. Belief is the exact opposite. Almost all of us have some kind of unbelief, and you may even be believing that God will do something for others, but not for you. There are two types of unbelief. First of all, unbelief that is without expectation; looking at the logical and not experience. The second type is unbelief that has expectation, and having a desire to believe. (like in Mark 9: 17 -24 where the father of a demon possessed boy told Jesus 'I do believe! Help me overcome my unbelief.') Unbelief with expectation leads to an experience with God. The world is ready for people who live what the Bible says! Let's take God at His Word!

Fire Station ~ By Alicia Kanode

We experienced an amazing time of worship led by Jen and the band on Friday night! God’s Presence was real among us and He spoke to a number of us. As Karen said later, Worship is just enjoying God’s Presence, which is what we were doing! Sean said he knew God was smiling down on us!

After this intense time of worship, Karen spoke to us about Finding Joy in the Face of God. She shared that during worship she had seen an open heaven and a horse and rider coming on a cloud with the angels behind them. The rider was holding a banner, but it was folded. The Lord said to her, “I am the Banner who goes out before you.” She asked Him why the banner was not unfolded and He said that it would be unfolded as we receive it.

As Karen spoke about joy, she reminded us that it is one of the fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22). Some synonyms for joy: Bliss, celebration, delight, happiness, rejoicing – all words that convey a sense of freedom! His exceeding joy is our strength! Karen brought up many good points…Here are a few:

If there’s fear, you’re listening to the wrong voice.
We were created for the purpose of intimacy (Psalm 139). God wants to restore the intimate relationship that He had with Adam.
We will encounter God to the degree that we open our heart to Him.
Spending time in God’s Word, fellowship and prayer are all forms of worship. Worship is the way to God’s heart.
Whatever we focus on will consume us.
Wherever He has Lordship, His Kingdom has come.
When the anointing of the Spirit comes, all things are possible and no sacrifice is too big.
We need to be living from the realm of what we know is true. Faith is not what is, what is promised.
What does the face of God look like to you? ...
Jesus is the face of God.

Karen shared many other things as well, but these were some highlights! Afterward she, Jen and Sean prayed for various people for breakthrough and healing, while various band members led in worship. Thank You, Father, for all that you did and are doing among us!

Fire Station ~ By Alicia Kanode

Deanna led us in worship on Friday night, singing amazing songs like “God of this City,” “Consuming Fire,” and one she wrote herself called “Prepare.” We are continually blessed by the new worship songs that God is birthing among us! We truly believe that “greater things have yet to come,” as Chris Tomlin says in “God of this City.” After worship, a couple people shared pictures and words that they felt the Lord gave to them, as well as numerous testimonies of healing and of God’s goodness!

Then Sean and Jen led a Question and Answer time, during which anyone could ask questions about revival, healing, deliverance or the gifts of the Spirit. We ended up focusing mostly on healing and spiritual gifts. A number of questions were asked and answered. I will try to summarize some of those as best as I can.

Q: Why doesn’t everyone get healed?
A: We don’t always know. We do know that everyone who came to Jesus was healed. There are numerous examples of this, including Matthew 8:16 and Luke 4:40. However, there were also times when a lack of faith prevented this: “He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. And he was amazed at their lack of faith” – Mark 6:5-6, NIV). Sometimes, but NOT always, sin issues prevent healing. Other times, it may be that we simply have not pressed in enough. Jen shared a story from Mozambique where God told someone to go and pray for a person who had died. They were raised from the dead – after seven or eight hours of prayer! How often do we continue to pray until we see the answer? Jen said, “When I see it [healing, answer to prayer], I’ll praise God. When I don’t see it, I’ll keep pressing in.”

Q: How should we respond to friends, especially unbelievers, who have lost loved ones and are looking to us for answers?
A: Jen pointed out that when something bad happens, we tend to point at God, but we don’t often acknowledge Him for all the good things in our lives. We often hone in on one difficulty, instead of seeing the good. None of us would even be alive without God giving us breath. She also said that our friends don’t always need the “right” answers as much as they need to see God’s loving care in us. Sean talked about how God gave us the ability to choose between Him and evil. Sometimes there are natural consequences – either from our actions or the actions of others. As Sean said, if God had taken away our ability to choose evil, He would also have removed our ability to choose Him. Finally, Jen shared a revelation that God had given her, that death is not the worst thing that could ever happen to a person. She told us about one of the Firestarters board members who lost both her husband and son. As she was heavily grieving, her son actually appeared to her and told her, “Mommy, stop calling me back! I love it here!”

Q: You seem to say that anything bad is from the devil. What is the difference between what you are teaching and prosperity theology? How do we classify what is “bad”?
A: Jen said that many people accept any hard situation, illness, etc. as being “God working” in them. She referred to this as a fatalistic mindset. She also said that because many people don’t see healing, they try to create a theology to explain why. Her take is that if our experience level doesn’t match a Biblical level, we still need to keep our theology at a Biblical level. As she has done that, she has seen her level of experience rise. However, she was quick to say that not everything is a demon and mentioned how sometimes when she prays, “God, heal me,” she gets a response like, “You’re not taking care of yourself.” Sometimes, there is a demonic attack that we need to rebuke and sometimes there is a natural cause that we need to address through lifestyle change, etc. Jen and Sean clarified that they do not believe in some of the extremes taught as prosperity theology, but they also want to leave behind a poverty mindset. As believers, we are to set our standards high – “Our Father in heaven…your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:9-10, NIV).

Other questions dealt with the gifts of healing and prophecy. After the discussion was brought to a close, Sean and Jen offered a time of prayer and personal ministry for anyone who wanted it. God truly used the evening to bring truth and build faith! Praise Him!

Fire Station ~ By Diane Kanode

WORSHIP, AUTHORITY & POWER

Worship, worship, worship…sing praises to our Lord! Worship of the Lord at Fire Station is deep, pure and free. God is constantly surprising us with new songs and gifts to give back to Him. How awesome and mighty is our God! We are so excited to see God constantly bringing new people to join us each time as well as many who return regularly to get “fired up” for God!

We received teaching on Friday from Jason Nissley about our God-given authority, our legal right in Christ to use this authority and our responsibility to ask and call forth the will of God. We are to press into God, agree with the reality of what is true in heaven and understand that our circumstances can rise to those in the heavenlies! To do this, we must renew our minds, change the way we think, remove the lies and allow God to bring revelation and revolution to our hearts and minds.

We need to understand who Jesus is and who we are in Him. We are to proclaim the kingdom of heaven and destroy the works of the devil. God’s desire is for us to continue the works of Jesus through His Spirit, to pray His kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven! We need to listen for the Father’s voice and do the things we see the Father doing, just as Jesus did when He was on earth. We are kings and priests and need to walk in the authority and power of our inheritance through Christ. We are Christ’s ambassadors appointed to declare His will. We are mandated to use Jesus’ authority and power to advance and enforce the Kingdom of God.

We need to break any agreements we have made with Satan with regards to sickness, depression, worry, lies, etc. We need to combat his lies with God’s Word of Truth. We must ask God to change the way we think, help us to walk in the truth and turn away from sin. We must focus on the truth of God versus the natural reality that our eyes see. We need to live from the unseen realm. Faith takes and believes what is our legal right in Christ. Faith is the avenue that brings the realities of heaven to earth.

After receiving this teaching from Jason, Sean led us to take authority in prayer for the areas of our lives where we have given Satan access, authority and/or have agreed with his lies. He declared that Christians were never designed to live under bondage, but should have lives that show forth the evidence of God’s Kingdom at work. All were invited to come up for prayer, as they felt led.

How amazing it is that He, the God and Creator of the universe, loves us so intensely and has given us authority to continue the ministry of His Son on earth.

Fire Station ~ By Diane Kanode

Yesterday I was singing “Come Into His Presence Singing, Alleluia.” As I reflect on our latest Fire Station event, I believe this song sums up much of what we experienced on Friday evening. Most of the evening was spent in worship and just soaking in the presence of God, delighting in Him delighting in us.

Sean spoke on God’s desire just to be with us…His desire for us to come in to His presence. He referenced how Joshua stayed in the tent of meeting in the presence of God, while others just stood at the door of their tents. God wants us to have a deep relationship with Him. He wants us to “leave camp” and seek out His presence.

Joshua knew the presence of God. He knew God would do what He said He would do. Joshua wasn’t afraid to march around Jericho seven times if that was what God told him was necessary. Being in God’s presence will change us. Moses’ face shone with the radiance of God from spending time in His presence. People will see the difference in those who spend time in God’s presence. The world is waiting for a life-changing encounter with God. We owe the world such an encounter, a personal experience with the God of life!

We are to be the light of the world…a city on a hill that cannot be hidden. Jesus is our light and His light is to be reflected in us. Light dispels darkness and makes vision possible. Are we leaving the world in darkness or bringing life-giving light into it? We find our identity in the presence of God. It is in His presence that we get charged up like a light bulb and can go out with something to give. The closer we get to the Light, the more we will shine.

So what are you waiting for? Go spend time with the Light of the World! Soak in His presence, delight in Him and then go out and let your light shine in this dark world! Spread His Light, His Kingdom and His Glory wherever you go!

Fire Station ~ By Alicia Kanode

The Firestarters band led us in worship with songs like “Fire of God” and “Consuming Fire.” During worship, Jen invited people to raise their hands if they would like prayer. Sean received a word of knowledge and prayed for the person who responded to it. Many people received prayer for healing even while the worship continued.

Sean then spoke about a Biblical foundation for healing. He opened with 1 Corinthians 2:1-6, where Paul says, “My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power” (v. 4). Paul laid down the wisdom he had gained from years of study in order to move into the realm of supernatural power that goes beyond human wisdom. Sean transitioned from that verse to focus specifically on physical healing, which is a demonstration of the Spirit’s power. He said that healing is a gift God has given us to take to the nations. He also talked about the two types of healings that we see: miraculous, instantaneous healings and those that are progressive. He encouraged us to give God the glory for every step forward.

Sean gave many examples of Old Testament Scriptures that speak about healing, including Exodus 15:26, Psalm 103:1-5 and Isaiah 53:2-5. He also spoke about Luke 9, where Jesus gave his followers “power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases.” In Matthew 10:1, Jesus also gave his disciples “authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.” Sean said that the word “authority” means a “legal right.”

After this time, the teaching was put into practice as Sean encouraged us all to contend for healing or breakthrough in our own lives, while the ministry team also prayed for people. We heard one testimony of an instantaneous healing that night and many others are continuing to trust God for healing in various areas.

Firestarters Appreciation Night ~ By Alicia Kanode

Sean and Jen hosted an "Appreciation Night" tonight to thank those who have volunteered with Firestarters ministry or supported Firestaters ministry in some way in 2008. Koser Jewelers in Mount Joy generously agreed to let us use their building and we gathered on the second floor to enjoy delicious desserts and hear exciting testimonies and updates about Firestarters. Sean and Jen invited all Core staff members to introduce themselves and gave them each an opportunity to share a favorite memory or testimony from a Firestarters event.

Then the entire Firestarters band led in a time of worship, singing songs written by Jen Achey, Austin Ritz and Lauren Ritz. Following this, we watched a PowerPoint presentation that Lauren put together which showed pictures from various Firestarters events throughout the year of 2008. It was so encouraging to be reminded of the many amazing ways in which God has been working among us!

Finally, Sean gave an overview of where Firestarters has been in the past year and where we hope to go from here. He used the metaphor of building a house, saying that this last year was a time to lay the foundation in order to prepare for increased growth in the coming year. When Sean was done sharing, Jen surprised him by presenting him with a birthday gift of $925 which the Firestarters board members and staff secretly raised for him to use to purchase a laptop for Firestarters ministry. It was fun to be able to surprise and bless Sean in this way! All in all, it was a wonderful night!

Fire Station ~ By Alicia Kanode

The entire Firestarters band led us in worship at the Fire Station last night as a practice session for the Appreciation Night coming up tomorrow. We sang a number of amazing songs written by members of the band. At one point during worship, Jen encouraged us to take time to receive from God. Afterwards, she asked us to share testimonies of what God has been doing in our lives with those around us.

Kim had been prayed for during worship and shared her testimony with all of us. She was in a car accident eight years ago and God brought healing to her back last night so that, for the first time in eight years, she could bend down and touch her toes! Praise the Lord!

That was a wonderful prelude for the movie we saw afterward. We watched portions of the “Finger of God” movie, which gives testimony to many amazing miracles – everywhere from right here in the US to Mozambique and Turkey. After being encouraged by this movie, we then moved into a time of ministry and prayer for healing for various people. We thank God for the many new people that He continues to bring each week!

Firestarters at the Worship Center ~ By Jen Achey

Thanks to a fun reconnection with a long lost friend, Brian Hock, Firestarters got to help out at the Worship Center tonight. Brian just became the leader of the 30 & older singles ministry there and they needed someone to lead worship on short notice. Since Brian had just visited the Fire Station a few days before he knew about Firestarters and asked if we could come to lead the worship for them. We were glad to come help in this way and we had a meaningful time of worship and hang out together.

At first when the worship night started we were not sure people were engaging in the worship much, but we kept pressing in and by the end of the night, the group had experienced some very special time with God and each other. In response to a word of knowledge, one lady experienced healing in her knees from pain and stiffness caused by athritis, and various people requested prayer and had meaningful experiences with God.

Brian shared from Romans 12:1&2 about finding contentment in God. This was cool because two of our Firestarters staff members who were there had Romans 12:1&2 already come to mind during the worship.

To end we "stayed" in the song called "Word of God Speak" for quite a while. Some of the words of this song are: "Word of God speak. Would You pour down like rain. Washing my eyes to see Your majesty."

God has been bringing up the theme of his "Rhema, breathed, alive" word lately.

Fire Station ~ By Alicia Kanode

The night after New Year’s Day, we gathered for another Fire Station. It was a night of New things and Fresh words from the Lord. Jen, Deanna and Russ led us in worshiping the Word (John 1:1). Jen saw a picture of dancing occurring as we worshiped and asked Bonnie to lead some dancing in the middle of the room. Four of us danced together for a short time, before spreading out around the room again. For me, at least, that was the first “new thing” as I have normally stayed at the back of the room in the past. There was truly a sense of freedom as we worshiped that night!

A couple people then shared words that they felt the Lord had given them. One was that all we truly need to worship is a heart of worship, not a worship band or other outward trappings. With that in mind, we took time to worship on our own, without the band leading us. Another word was then shared that although we don’t need worship leaders to enable us to worship, it edifies us when we hear the testimony of others. That is why it may often be easier to enter into worship as we hear others declare the goodness of the Lord. Although the two words showed two different aspects of worship, both were right on.

Sean then spoke about the two Greek words used for “word” in the Bible. Logos is the word John uses when he is speaking about Jesus in the beginning of the first chapter - “In the beginning was the WORD and the WORD was with God, and the WORD was God. He was with God in the beginning” (verses 1 & 2). Rhema refers to a literal, spoken, fresh-breathed word from God. This is the Greek word used in Matthew 4:4 – “Jesus answered, ‘It is written: “Man does not live on bread alone, but on every WORD that comes from the mouth of God.”’”

Sean also shared two different versions of the verse that says, “Where there is no vision, the people perish” or “Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint” (Proverbs 29:18a). The word “vision” or “revelation” in this verse refers to a divine prophetic revelation. Sean said that without God’s revelation, we do whatever we think is right and often miss what God wants us to be doing. Instead, we should be seeking out God’s word for us each day, just as the people of Israel gathered fresh manna each day and as Jesus consistently spent time with God, receiving directions from the Father (John 5:19, 8:38). Finally, he reminded us that we cannot only read the word of God; we must know the God of the word.

We then took time to sit in silence before God and invite Him to speak to us. After a time, people began to share words and pictures that the Lord had given to them. It was a very meaningful time, followed by a time of ministry and prayer for those who desired it.