On the first of each month, Gospel Faith Mission International – The Overcomers, a Dublin-based Pentecostal churc, holds a special service open to members of any denomination.
This service, called Appointment With Jesus, was started by Pastor John O Fasan six years ago as a forum for people from any faith to find miracles and prayer.
“Irrespective of your colour, your background, your religion, we come together on the first day of every month to pray,” says Pastor Fasan.
The three hours includes multiple sessions of prayer and worship, singing and dancing, games and ministration.
According to the pastor, it differs from a usual Pentecostal service in that the regular programmes and protocol are absent from the proceedings.
“In Appointment With Jesus, we just go to the purpose, which is to pray, which is to bless people,” he says.
Despite the title of the service, the focus on personal and group prayer is intended to include all faiths, allowing a diverse group to attend.
“Appointment With Jesus is interdenominational, inter-religious,” says Pastor Fasan. “We have Muslims coming here, they don’t come to judge us – they come for the opportunity.
“Everybody prays. If you are Muslim you pray, if you are Islamic you pray. So the programme is a prayer session; everybody comes to pray.”
Despite this, all attendees must accept the focus on Jesus as the means for receiving miracles, as prophetic blessings and testimonies of miracles play a central role in the service. But the pastor stresses that no one is encouraged to do anything contrary to their faith.
“Those who want to, they come; those who don’t, they stay and join in the prayer,” he says. “We give the opportunity to people to give their life to Jesus, but not to force them out of their faith.”
Pastor Fasan says he started the service after God called upon him during prayer to create a gathering for people of all denominations. He adds that he delayed starting the service for three years after the initial conception out of concern that no one would attend.
“I was thinking it would be very awkward. The first day is random; if it is a Monday, who will come? If it is a Tuesday, who will come?” he says.
But since the first appointment with Jesus, Pastor Fasan claims there is an increase in attendance every month, and reports that the last service welcomed more than 320 attendees.
Appointment With Jesus takes place from 6pm on the first of every month at The Overcomers Centre in Unit 4 Darthmouth House Industrial Centre, Kylemore Road, Dublin 10.
