What is a Manna-Fest Meeting?
Written by Larry Schoonover

When I answered the phone, the voice on the other end was that of a well-respected man of God.  I was surprised to say the least, having little previous interaction with this man.  His second statement surprised me even more.  “Some other brethren and I are going to meet for a week of prayer and fasting with teaching on spiritual warfare and Apostolic ministry.”              Wow, did he just really say that?  Yes he did.  After being involved in the ministry for over fifteen years, this was the first time, I had ever been asked by another minister to join in a prayer meeting of this specific kind.  There were twenty-five ministers in that first meeting, and we fasted and prayed for five days.  This is something I knew I would never accomplish on my own, so I said, “Count me in.”
             My background was in business as I had built and managed several.  Later in my business career, I was involved in the ministry for several years also.  When I received the invitation, I was Pastoring my second church.  What I did not realize at the time of receiving the invitation was that I was on a path to building a church, pretty much like I would a business.  I was relying on business management skills, people skills, and strong personality.  To complicate matters, it seemed like many of the leadership books I obtained at Christian book stores agreed with that concept.  As a Pastor, my approach in building a church was to simply build and manage another business (I mean church).  See, that was the problem.  I saw them as very much the same.  Looking back to that time; however, I get the feeling I am not alone in my ministerial plight.
             The first revelation I got while attending a Manna-Fest meeting was that if I was going to participate in the church that the Lord was building, or have a part in Apostolic ministry in these end times, it would not come from my business expertise but rather a personal intimate relationship with the Lord Jesus developed through prayer, fasting and meditation of His Word.  For me, it appeared as though I was faced with starting all over again.  This revelation did not come from the words of a man, but these were the words that I heard through the voice of God's Spirit while others were speaking.  Once again, I was faced with the scripture, “If you will lose YOUR life for my sake, then you will find it.”

             The next three years were spent practicing just that.  I worked at emptying myself of ME, so that, as a conduit, God could flow through me.  The change this brought to my ministry was remarkable and of course has transformed the body of Christ where I pastor.  This change has also touched every area of my life.  Where I used to spend hours in preparation and building MYSELF up to be used by God and do a work FOR him, I now spend more time emptying myself and getting in alignment with God so that I can be a “worker together WITH him.”
             That first Manna-Fest meeting was a pivotal time in my life and ministry. It brought me to a necessary place of change and set a new course and direction.  I find greater pleasure and satisfaction in my study of the Scripture than ever before.  I no longer look to the self-help books for direction and inspiration, as I now look to that old book, the Bible, to find answers from God.
             In the Old Testament, the priest had to tie the sacrifice to the altar. The tendency was for the sacrifice to slip off the altar.  In the past, I had made many personal attempts at extended times of prayer and fasting with little success.  My sacrifice would always slip off the altar.  So when the invitation came to join with other ministers of like precious faith in extended days of prayer, fasting and teaching on apostolic ministry, I could not pass it up.  Today, I feel indebted to those that made the sacrifice and invited me to participate in that first meeting.  Now there are several meetings hosted around the country and other parts of the world.  I have participated in several in hopes that I might help someone who has reached the end of themselves, like I had.  Up to the time of that first meeting, all that I had produced for the kingdom had been through my own strength and ability.  Yet I knew deep within that there was a deeper place in God, where He was the source of all empowerment.
            The format of a Manna-Fest meeting is not regulated by a set schedule, nor are the speakers or subjects determined ahead of time.  Each day has a start time, but breaks and ending times are dictated by the flow of God’s Spirit.  Consequently, one might find himself in extended hours of teaching or praying or involvement in personal ministry one to another.
            These meetings are overseen by a group of elders who supervise and are accountable for what is done in the meetings.  The elders include Brother William Sciscoe, Brother Franklin Howard and Brother Chester Wright.  At the commencement of the first meeting, the blessing of our General Superintendent, Brother Urshan was sought and given.  It has been my experience that there is equal emphasis on the Spirit and the Word.  Having been personally involved, I thought it appropriate to give a first hand account.
              Let me extend a personal invitation to join us in the next meeting.  A list of future meeting dates and locations can be found at www.manna-fest.com

Written by:
Pastor Larry Schoonover
New Life Pentecostal Church – Puyallup, WA
www.newlife-apostolic.com