Dear Church Family,

Thank you for your prayers, generosity, and flexibility as we go into this next phase of construction. I am excited to see, not only the transformation of our building, but of our ministries as well. Praying for a great unifying worship experience this Sunday. I want to thank our tech team, our first impressions team, our worship team, our custodial staff, and all our volunteers who have put in lots of work to make this a reality.

I found this today and thought it might bless you:

Q: What is the significance of “Maranatha” in the Bible?
A: “Maranatha” appears in 1 Corinthians 16:22, where Paul writes, “If anyone has no love for the Lord, let him be accursed. Maranatha!” It is an Aramaic expression written in Greek letters, meaning “Our Lord, come!”

Q: What is the linguistic origin of “Maranatha”?
A: Though written in Greek (Μαράναθα), it comes from Aramaic, where Mar means “Lord”, and ʾătāʾ means “come.” Scholars debate whether it should be read as Maran atha (“Our Lord has come!”) or Marana tha (“Our Lord, come!”), but the latter is more widely accepted.

Q: What does it mean to pray “Maranatha”?
A: To pray “Maranatha” is to call upon the Lord Jesus, asking for his return—both in the present and in the future.

Q: In what ways do Christians ask Jesus to “come”?
A:[1] Come now – As the church gathers around the Word, Baptism, and Holy Communion (1 Cor. 11:26).[2] Come soon – As promised in Scripture: “Behold, I am coming soon” (Rev. 22:7, 22:20).[3] Come again – To resurrect the dead, renew creation, and establish the kingdom forever.

Q: How does “Maranatha” reflect Christian hope?
A: It expresses the deep longing for Christ’s presence now, his return soon, and his eternal reign forever, fulfilling the promise to make all things new.

Press on,

Mark