Gym members booking in for prayer sessions

God can achieve”

In our previous issue, we introduced you to the Station Gym in Manor, a more deprived area of our city.

The gym has now been open for about six months, and is a hub of community, connection, and spiritual exploration. With the staff team solidly in place and membership goals exceeded, a sense of welcome envelops the place, an outcome fervently prayed for. Tom Lee from City Church - one of the owners of the Gymsaid, “It's a gym for everyone, regardless of background or aspirations - something only

Andy and Wendy Lawley, who stumbled across the gym during an Arise prayer walk, run an Alpha course there. Also, the gym serves as a venue for Ask sessions: an opportunity for individuals to explore their questions about God, and prayer meetings, both bookable through the gym's app for all members. These sessions are proving fruitful. Members are not only attending but actively requesting prayer. One such tale is of a member's son, whose transformative dream of repentance led him to faith. This unexpected journey left his father perplexed, prompting him to seek answers at an Ask and Pray session, where he found made a commitment to follow Jesus within minutes. The story didn't end there. The Alpha course is growing and includes those curious and a few exploring their way back to faith and some seeking a relationship with Jesus for the first time. Among them was the partner of the man who found faith through the Ask and Pray session, another person on a journey towards Jesus.

Messages of encouragement and prayers from social media users, aware of the gym's Christian ethos, provide added uplift. Intriguing stories of meditations hijacked by visions of Jesus keep emerging from ordinary Gym go-ers, showcasing God's irresistible Grace.

Through all the highs and lows, the exhilaration and the stresses, Phil and Tom, the custodians of the gym, remain firm in their belief: God is the ultimate boss of this gym. Join us in praying for their continued guidance, rejuvenation, and blessings as they cultivate a haven of hope in Manor.

More and more local believers connect through Arise

Believers who connected after being seated together at the Arise:March Launch event have been meeting up to pray together regularly ever since.

Arisers from a variety of S6 churches set up a WhatsApp prayer group, organised a group prayer-walk, and met up in peoples' houses to pray together throughout Arise:March, encouraging each other with stories of connections made and prayer needs discovered.

Another table at the Arise:March Launch connected believers from S12, who are also beginning to meet together in the Hackenthorpe area.

In addition to the wellestablished S17 group - a meet-up has started in S7, which sees more believers attending every meeting.

If you would like to connect with one of these groups, or if you would like support to start a group in your local area, get in touch with Arise: hello@arisesheffield.org