Manna Family,
Our annual Reach Out Celebration (ROC) is always an exciting time for me as a pastor. If we truly believe that “Outreach is the Heartbeat of Church,” this is our chance to look back and assess our health as a church body, as well as dream big about the future God is calling us to. I’m blown away by what you’ve accomplished in 2024 through your praying, giving and going. This year’s ROC is going to equip us to do even more to advance God’s Kingdom here in Okaloosa County and beyond.
Our theme this year is “Harvest,” and it’s certainly not original. Jesus made it very clear to His disciples that “The Harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.” Jesus’ words are louder than ever today, in that there are plenty of people waiting to be reached with the gospel, yet not nearly enough Christians ready to be a part of the reaching. So what about you?
I encourage you to be at each ROC Sunday this month. We’ll show you what we’ve done this past year, we’ll equip you to reach your Harvest in the days ahead, and you’ll get a sneak peek into our future “Home for the Harvest” as we update you on our building renovations. We’ll also ask you to pray about your ROC offering/pledge, as we’ll need our biggest ever to accomplish everything God has shown us in 2025. Manna Church, let’s change the world!
Thank you for your faithfulness,
Mark Your Calendars
LOVE GOD
Baptisms
We are thrilled to share that over the past three months, our church has celebrated more than 20 baptisms! Each one marks a significant step in the faith journey of individuals who have chosen to publicly proclaim their commitment to Christ. It has been a joy to witness their enthusiasm and love for Jesus. This incredible milestone reflects our community’s growth and serves as a reminder of the transformative power of faith. Let’s continue to support and encourage our Manna family as they continue to grow in their walk with Christ!
If you want to be notified about the next Baptism opportunity, please register using the button below.
Manna Kids
Partnering with Parents
Did you know you can follow along at home with what your kiddos are learning in Manna Kids? Click the link below for this month’s curriculum, learn more about KonnectHQ (Elementary) and Bible Adventure (Nursery/Preschool), and find valuable parent resources.
Love Each Other
SERVE Team Christmas Party
Have you served with a team or at an outreach in 2024? If so, register to join the SERVE Team Christmas Party! This year, we will have a large family-style dinner in the Niceville Children’s Park. Come enjoy the beautiful decorations, fellowship, fun contests, and food! We will be located in the large pavilion within the children’s park. This will provide a large space for fellowship and fun at minimal to no cost!
What to bring: Please bring your best side dish!
Manna will provide everything else. All you need to bring are the sides.
Contests:
1) Everyone will have the opportunity to vote for the best side dish.
The winner will take home a prize.
2) Wear your ugliest sweater! Whoever has the most votes at the end will receive a prize.
Activities:
Along with your side dish, please bring a Homemade holiday card with you. There will be a table where you can ‘leave one & take one.’
In your card, share a prayer, a joke, or a fun picture to brighten another Manna friend’s day!
Small Groups
Our Fall Small Groups cycle is underway, with nearly 200 people connecting with others each week. We’re actively hearing and gathering stories of life change. If you’ve been positively impacted, please share your experience with Pastor Donnie at Donnie.Hatcher@manna.church.
We’ve got a great team of Small Group Coordinators praying for and encouraging our Small Group leaders. If you’re leading, know you’re not alone – we’re here to give you the support you need!
Growth Track
The Manna Church Growth Track is a series of Small Groups designed to facilitate your growth as a healthy, effective follower of Jesus Christ. Wherever you are in your journey, the Growth Track can equip you to fully experience your calling in God and your part in impacting your world.
Currently, 30 people are attending our FirstStep, NextStep, and LeaderStep Small Groups. The good news is that we’ve got new groups starting the first Sunday in November, and we have room for you! If you’re new to Growth Track, start with FirstStep.
November will be the last chance in 2024 to participate in Growth Track. We will take a break for the December holiday season and restart in January 2025.
Check out what some recent Growth Track graduates are saying about their experience!
“I feel like this group helped me take another step in the right direction of establishing my faith. To sit in a different environment but still be vulnerable/share good news and feel welcomed is amazing.”
“I felt like we all connected really well and the leader helped orchestrate and keep us on a path through amazing conversations.”
“I’m just so grateful for meeting people who love Jesus so authentically. It truly meant so much that they prayed over us this week for our wedding that is happening next week.” – FirstStep Graduate
Manna Stu
Life change happens in the context of small groups and that change is helping the next generation through Manna STU.
“Being connected to to a STU small group has allowed me to develop a better relationship with friends through the open conversations that the small group allows us to have” Trand Scott
“Being connected to a STU small group has made me more passionate to talk about the Lord even if people don’t agree with me. It has made me more outgoing and more likely to talk about Jesus because he brings me so much joy” Sierra Busby
Love The World
Local Outreach
November is the month for ROC! If you’re new to Manna, ROC stands for “Reach Out Celebration”. This is Manna’s opportunity to report on this year’s outreach/mission efforts and outline the upcoming strategy for 2025.
This year’s theme is ‘Harvest – The people God plans to reach through you’. In 2025 we will expand our ROC to include both applications in our value to Love The World.
We will continue to fully support those who GO OUT and share the Gospel throughout Okaloosa County and the world while also supporting our home as we BRING OTHERS INto the new building God has given us.
Check out the ROC Booklet linked below to learn more.
C.I.F.C.
For October, the Check-in for Change partner is R.U.N.
Since its founding over 30 years ago, God has enabled Reaching Unreached Nations, Inc. (“RUN Ministries”) to come alongside first generation Jesus followers and launch multiplying church planting movements from within the unreached world. Providing culturally sensitive discipleship models, evangelistic media tools, and practical skills for their ministries to become self-sustaining, today RUN provides spiritual leadership and care to more than 58 million believers who speak 796 languages, and are growing in their faith in Christ in over 3 million house churches.
