Summer Newsletter

Dear family and friends,

Welcome to the summer e-newsletter from Father’s House Trust. We have had a very busy and productive few months, and although the infamous ash cloud prevented us from making it to America in April, we have completed a packed schedule of speaking engagements all over the UK, including Scotland, the Channel Islands, Norfolk and Bristol. The father has taken us North, South, East and West, sharing the message of His love and we’ve been so blessed by all the healing and breakthrough we’ve witnessed.

Taking part in Release 2010, with LoveBristol and Bill Johnson, was a real honour for us. Seeing 1500 passionate people of all ages come together to be changed and inspired – even to learn about the practicalities of raising the dead! – then to take to the streets to pray for healing was amazing. Bristol was an especially significant event for us, because of the vision to change a city. We feel more and more that we are being called to take part only in strategic conferences with wide reaching or significant mandates. Up until now we have spent a lot of our time on the road, letting people know about the existence of Father’s House Trust and ministering to individual churches. This has been an important and foundational time for us, and key in establishing FHT, and we have seen the Father move in powerful ways every time, but we are aware that new directions await.

Doing this has also meant that lots of the other projects we have wanted to start up have had to wait. However, in recent days the Father has been revealing what He wants us to do next, which means less travelling and more time spent at our home base in Watford. As you may appreciate, this is a huge step of faith because much of our income has come from speaking engagements. But we know the time is right, and I want to mention some of the many opportunities that are emerging, so you understand our aims in this new season and can support us in the transition.

INFLUENCING THE INFLUENCERS
Doors are opening for the Father’s House in the political arena in London. People in the greatest positions of influence are beginning to focus on the radical and toxic impact of what they call ‘father absence’ in the UK. We are seeing doors opening in the most strategic places for the Father’s House to impact policy in promoting fatherhood and combating fatherlessness. We want to engage fully and effectively to see fatherlessness eradicated.

IMPACTING THE PRISONERS
In the Bible God is revealed as a father to the fatherless who leads forth the prisoners with singing (Psalm 68.5-6). Doors of opportunity are opening into the UK’s prisons where something in the region of 85% of our prisoners are fatherless. We now have the real possibility of developing a large scale project introducing the Father’s love to prisoners, and we believe this will have national impact.

HELPING THE CHILDREN
Recently, we have been approached by teachers, Christians and non, who have asked for our help. Fatherlessness is a huge and growing problem in our schools. We take this very seriously and one of the ways we want to help is to plan a range of high quality resources for young people which will help them through difficult times. We want to have a series of seeker-friendly booklets that will be designed to bring healing to wounded hearts and to introduce the nation’s young people to the love of the perfect Father. The first two are in development – one is about what to do when a father walks out; the other is about how to respond when a dad dies. We hope there will be more to follow.

CHANGING THE NATIONS
In 2007 the most powerful and influential monarch in Uganda said to me, ‘Mark, anything I can do to help you alleviate the orphan plight in my country I will get right behind and support’. I am daily conscious of two things: first, of the significance of that promise and second, that in the early stages of FHT we haven’t been able to give this our full attention. I feel now is the time to start maximising the potential of the King’s invitation and to begin to consider how we might help to bring an end to the heartbreaking problem of fatherlessness in Uganda. We want to create a model there that can impact other African nations as well. This is a huge ambition, but one which we believe the Father has given us.

CREATING KEY RESOURCES
We have seen a tremendous response to the books and CDs currently available on our website. A huge amount of work, research and development goes into the production of each, and I am genuinely touched to receive testimonies of healing and restoration from people who have used them. We want to continue to spread the message of the Father’s love throughout the world and engage with leading experts and the latest research into the effects of fatherlessness physically, emotionally and spiritually, to speak out against fatherlessness with authority and credibility.

LEAVING A LEGACY
Not long ago I read a great quote from John Wesley. He said if he could find 100 people who loved Jesus with all their hearts and who hated sin with an equal passion, they would together turn the UK upside down in one generation. Well, he did find them and they did change the nation! The Father spoke to me out of all of this and told me that he wanted me to raise up 100 young people to be ambassadors of the Father’s love and carriers of the revelation that I’ve been given. These 100 ambassadors will be in all sorts of walks of life: not just church but youth, politics, international justice, missions, music, education, business, etc. I want to spend time investing in this company of 100 young men and women so that the legacy of the Father’s House continues long after I have gone, until the Lord returns. If these 100 people influence another 100 people each, imagine the effect that this will create!

These are just some of the open doors of opportunity that lie before us, and we are very excited. This is a key season for us, and a time of great change. Old doors are closing. New doors are opening that none can shut. Your support is crucial to the work of FHT as we go forward – in prayer and in finance. As we move away from our old way of working, I pray many of you will feel prompted by the Father to join with us so that together we can see the vision of the Father’s House Trust fulfilled, and future generations changed.

I’d like to conclude with a story that highlights why FHT exists. Recently we ran our first ever FHT conference in Watford. A man came along who had been deeply depressed, suicidal and had even considered harming himself just the week before. After the conference, someone sent us his testimony. During one of the sessions, about hiding and resting in the Father’s love, his life was completely transformed. He says that while soaking, the Father came to him and took all the anger out of his heart, helped him to forgive those who had hurt him, and gave him a peace that no drug or drink could ever give. Just in half an hour. One week on he was still euphoric (to use his own word) and has continued telling others about the Father’s love, including a group meeting he attends. His life is changed. This is why we do what we do. Because Abba’s love transforms people, churches, towns and nations and we want to see change. Thank you so much for partnering with us. We’re so excited about what is coming next!

In the Fathers Love