encouraging the work of the holy spirit

Opening Comments: Framing The Discussion

 

1.  Becoming Conservative:

It is a concern by many that the Vineyard has become a bit too conservative when it comes to life in the Spirit.  This conservative impulse comes from several sources:  First, we have lost ourleader, John Wimber, and there has been somewhat of a loss of focus when it comes to the Spirit’s work among us.  Second, we have, as a Movement, undergone quite a bit of criticism by those who see the Vineyard as a place which accommodates and encourages unhealthy expressions of lifein God (example:  Toronto excesses).  And third, as many Vineyard pastors move into middle age, there is a temptation to take less risks in the Spirit and to become comfortable in those biblical values (like teaching & counseling) in which they can control.  My concern, at this point, is that this conservatism will be passed to the next generation of leaders.  They won’t be as willing to risk as we were.  Our prayer should be that we continue on in the things of the Holy Spirit and that our leadership would inspire young men and women to continue to be passionate about experiencing God’s presence and in seeing Him move in power.

 

2.  The Issue Of Seeker Sensitivity:

There has also been a very distinct shift among some Vineyard pastors toward a “seeker targeted” approach to doing church (example:  shorter worship, no ministry time etc).  The value seems to be this:  In order to reach the lost, we will no longer intentionally invite the Holy Spirit to do His work in our midst, because if He pours out His power, it will abort the salvation process.  Thus, in these churches, the hope is that the Spirit will do His work in a “covert” way and not cause any seeker to become uncomfortable at church.  And beyond this “genetic code shift” on Sunday mornings, there has been a spillover into every area of the local church.  This vision for doing church can squeeze the work of the Spirit out of small group life as well as other contexts where the Lord desires to make Himself known.

 

3.  Questioning The “Conference” Model:

Several pastors I spoke with commented that when it comes to moving in power, they had been shaped by Wimber’s conferences which focused on inviting the Spirit to move in power.  This model was incorporated into the Sunday morning experience and the results were, to many, unsatisfying. 

 

A new model must be considered. There needs to be a way to welcome the Spirit and His work which is more natural and relational; a way which considers the needs of unbelievers and yet nourishes the spirit of believers

 

4.  Finding The Balance:

While some Vineyards have pulled back in terms of the work of the Holy Spirit, others have really focused on God coming in power on Sunday mornings .  The result has been equally unhealthy.  When the Holy Spirit becomes the central value in a fellowship, then church becomes an unsafe place for most members to bring their unsaved friends to. Members may love the focus, but they will typically not risk bringing others to a service which is unpredictable and even frightening tomost pre-christians.  Our goal, it seems, is to bring a balance to the local church; a balance which invites the work of God, but in a way which makes Jesus attractive to everyone and which rejoices in the confidence that the Holy Spiritis at work in allwe do.

 

What we have sought to do in this paper is to offer a list of practical ways to welcome the Holy Spirit in powerful and fruitful avenues, without aborting the work ofevangelism. Our thanks to all the Vineyard pastors who have contributed to this collection of ideas.

 

Ways To Welcome The Holy Spirit In Our Churches

 

1.  It All Backs Up To Leadership!

If we desire to see more healing, more prophecy, more of God’s power in our fellowships, then it will be the Vineyard pastors themselves who must be committed to take the lead.  We have got to stay “in the trenches” of praying for the sick, casting out demons, hearing God’s voice, and welcoming the Holy Spirit.  If we pull back or get comfortable, we will quench the Spirit’s activity among us.  We simply cannot lead others to a place we are not personally willing to go.  Being a Vineyard pastor who’s on the cutting edge of life in the HolySpirit is prerequisite to any other discussion about how to welcomeHim.

 

2.  Rethinking Our Practice

Especially on Sunday mornings, the consensus was that the Vineyard needs to continue to make the changes necessary in order to welcome God, equip and nurture His people, and attract pre-christians to the church.  If we replace the conference model with a more “naturally supernatural” approach, then good things will continue to happen.  For instance, it’s one thing to stand in the pulpit on Sunday morning and have people stand up in the congregation as you prophecy over them (causing great fear in many that their sins will be exposed, not to mention making unbelievers very suspicious) it’s quite another thing to talk to the group in their own language, relating issues that God wantsto do thatmorning.  It’s about rethinking how to make the Spirit of God accessible to the “uninitiated” who come to our churches looking for God.

 

3.  Believers Meetings

Several Vineyards have gone to a Sunday evening format in order to really focus on God’s presence and power.  This meeting is understood to be a time for believers to move in the gifts, hear God’s voice, worship, share a word, and have plenty of time for power ministry.  The Cleveland Vineyard has done this meeting twice a month on Sunday nights for more than three years and there has yet to be a time when the Spirit didn’t showup in real power!

    

4.  Conferencing

Inviting male and female speakers to your church who move in God’s power is a wonderful way to “stir the pot” in encouraging our people to do the stuff.  Deposits of the Spirit’s work are left behindin the fellowship long after the speakers have gone.  And it is really helpful to be strategic in the conferencing arena.  It’s a good idea to plan conferences over a couple years which will highlight different areas of life in the Spirit.  That way you can showcase different topics, as well as gifted men & women who will consistently encourage your members to walkin the Spirit.

 

5.  Training Centers

Equipping classes on issues of the Spirit can be very effective, especially if you leave plenty of time to demonstrate what you are teaching.  For instance, if your 3 or 4 week class is on the topic of healing, then leave time to pray for the sick in the class.  The Word, followed by the Works is always more encouraging and powerful for your members.

 

6.  Consistent Encouragement For Small Group Leaders

One of the things I’ve noticed over time is that small group leaders tend to struggle most often in the area of moving in the gifts of the Spirit.  It’s so helpful for the small group overseer in your church to meet with each leader periodically in order to gauge his/her effectiveness in this area and to help inspire leaders to continue to risk in the things of God.  Additionally, it is helpful to train and encourage leaders occasionally in the Leaders’ Meeting format.  Leaders repeat.  And coming back to the issue of life in the Spirit over and over again will go a long way towards having small groups and ministry groups which truly dependon the Holy Spirit.

 

7.  Clandestine Meetings

One of the things we do at the Cleveland Vineyard is offer a periodic meeting we call “Desperate”.  This is a meeting at the senior pastor’s home and the word gets out in an informal way; that if you are truly desperate for God, then come.  The house is always filled up and we run hard after God.  No holds barred.  Demons are cast out, people are healed, people fall out in the Lord for hours, etc.  It has been very powerful and fruitbearing.  There’s no particular structure nor format.  Lots of worship and lots of waiting on the Lord.  And He comes!

 

8.  Seeing The Bigger Picture

If we are to have fellowships which are truly alive in the Holy Spirit, we must challenge each person to live all their life by the leading of the Spirit.  It’s not enough to meet with God for two hours a week at church meetings. There’s another 166 hours left in the week. We need to teach our people how to be Spirit led in their home, at work, in their personal life, and in the marketplace.  “Lord, should I buy this new car?” is just as important as being touched by the Holy Spirit duringa Vineyard service.

 

9.  Healing Services

Having meetings which are devoted to praying for the sick communicate to our fellowships that we depend on a God who is stillin the business of healing.  It’s always a good idea to have worship and a brief talk on healing before prayer begins.

 

10.  Worship & Intercession

One of the key ways our fellowships can welcome the work of the Spirit without creating an unsafe atmosphere for seekers is to develop intercessory teams who meet before each service in order to ask God to move in the worship service with great power.  Additionally, having quarterly times of intercession for the entire church not only communicate to the Lord that He is very welcome in all that we do, but regular times of intercession help each member stay focused on dependence upon God for everything.

 

11.  Prayer Room

Something that VCF Columbus is doing that is very helpful in ministering to people on Sunday mornings is that of a prayer room.  Having a room off the sanctuary, manned by a couple pastors and pastoral interns, is perfect for the people on Sunday mornings who need to be prayed for in a deeper, more time-intensive way than the normal prayer ministry up front can afford.

 

12.  Developing A Team Approach To Prayer Ministry

One of the things which many Vineyards are committed to is taking teams to every conference or short term missions trip in which the church is involved.  Teams learn to risk more, prepare for these times in a much more serious way, walk in their gift mix, do ministry together, and debrief & rejoice together as a team when the ministry is over. Teams also bring great faith for power ministry back to their church and begin giving it away in the days andweeks whichfollow.

 

13.  Prophecy

One way to move in the prophetic during Sunday morning services is by having the pastoral team, as well as other key leaders/Council members be sensitive to hear what God is doing on any particular Sunday morning.  All prophetic words can be given to the speaker who will share these words to the congregation.  Prophetic words about the direction of the church should be e-mailed to the senior pastor for him to pray over.

 

14.  Holy Spirit Weekends

The idea here is to have a group of believers who want to spend time worshipping and welcoming the Holy Spirit in a very focused and intentional way.  A Friday night/Saturday context at a hotel or conference center works really well.

 

15.  Renewal Services

VCF Columbus, for example, holds quarterly renewal services for members to come together and be refreshed in the Lord and receive inner healing as well as impartation.

 

16.  Small Groups

One of the key ways any church can strategically stir up and maintain the coming of the Holy Spirit is through the small group network in the church.  Every group should be regularly encouraged to be involved in a range of Holy Spirit activities such as:  going on Holy Spirit weekends with their kinship, learning to listen to the voice of God together (with ministry times following), and inviting leaders who move in power to visit the group, teach on aspects of life in the Spirit, and who will model power ministry.

 

17.  Developing A Brochure Focusing On Life In The Spirit

A really good idea is to develop a brochure entitled something like “Experiencing The Holy Spirit” which briefly shares who the Holy Spirit is and what He desires to do in our midst, followed by a list of all the events and activities that people in the church can participate in.

 

18.  Sharing A Series On The Holy Spirit

A Sunday morning series on the Holy Spirit can be of real value because they, by definition, take an in-depth look at whatever topic is being examined.  A series on the Holy Spirit is so helpful because we have the time to pin all our values and practices to the Scriptures, thus helping our entire church think through the obstacles in their lives which hinder the work of the Spirit in and through them.

 

19.  Testimonies

Few things are as powerful in the life of a church than hearing first hand how the Holy Spirit made Himself known to an individual.  It’s a really good idea to take time periodically in our services for people to testify how God has moved powerfully in them.

 

20.  Holy Spirit E-Mails

Another way to help members think more about life in the Spirit is by having your  pastoral staff/leadership team take turns writing e-mails to the church, relating specific incidence of the Spirit pouring out healing, deliverance, impartation, power for evangelism, etc.  This builds faith in the church that God is on the move!

 

21.  Thinking About Change-Agency

People in our churches who are not particularly open to the work of the Spirit typically have reasons for pulling back.  They have fears or concerns when it comes to God’s power.  I believe every Vineyard pastor should take these concerns seriously and find ways to address these concerns (through teaching, Holy Spirit weekends, etc.) and help our people through the obstacles which are in the way to a more dynamic, Spirit-led life in Christ.

 

22.  Alpha Course

Part of the Alpha package involves taking an “up close” look at the Holy Spirit, including having a Holy Spirit weekend.  This can be a natural way for seekers to begin to open their lives to the work of God.  Many churches report wonderful fruit being born from this context.

 

23.  Planned Spontaneity

The idea here is that on Sunday mornings there will be times (contexts) for God to do something fresh in the life of individuals.  For example, a planned time might include an open mike segment.  As someone shares something personal and how God has been meeting them in it, the pastor might use this time to speak a work prophetically to the individual, he might pray for them in the moment, whatever the Spirit is prompting at the time.  This spontaneity very much speaks to the postmodern person who will be drawn in by the reality of people caring for one another in the moment (community).  Another example of planned spontaneity is that of washing one another’s hands.  That is, after communion, people who desire this can come up front, confess their sins to a pastor and he/she will wash their hands from a basin and pronounce forgiveness.  Pastors who are doing this report that God is really in it.  Planned spontaneity really just involves looking for opportunities for us to respond to the Holy Spirit in the moment.

 

24.  Expectation Of The Spirit

I personally believe that the worship and teaching components of Sunday morning should not be overlooked nor underestimated in terms of welcoming God’s power and life.  Worship leaders should be regularly encouraged to go beyond their musical talents; beyond their ability to lead a team; beyond their abilities to deliver a set of worship songs to the people. and Worship leaders should be encouraged to go deeper in “seeing what the Father is doing” during worship.  The sky is the limit if the worship leader is truly being led by God’s Spirit.  The second aspect is like the first.  Teaching.  Vineyard pastors are either going to be about accomplishing the task of bringing a great message to God’s people, or we’re going to have a higher goal in mind.  I believe that goal is to not only traffic in sound, practical biblical truth, but to be sensitive to the moving of the Holy Spirit before, during and following the message.

 

25.  Developing A Team Approach On Sunday Mornings

One pastor we talked to is trying to seriously think through the implications of 1 Corinthians 14:26, which says, “What then shall we say, brothers?  When you come together, everyone has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation.”   What this pastor is being led to do is to call his key pastors/council members/leaders together weekly to envision them to all be participants during the Sunday morning service time.  That as a team, they would be sensing what God is doing in the place and would speak that at the appropriate time during the service.  This pastor envisions an ebb and flow to the service as one leader brings a word, another has prophetic insight about the word, another leader leads worship while another has a sense from the Lord that he/she provides.  Of course, this could lead to confusion, distraction, and real subjectivity, but on the other hand there could be merits.  If we had a small team who loved God, loved each other, and who demonstrated real gifting in the Spirit, this team may well be able to break up the “same old, same old” feel that can lay on a fellowship which has grown soft in the things of the Holy Spirit.

 

26.  Gift Discovery Class

Many christians in our churches are fairly unaware of who God is making them to be in the Kingdom.  Gift discovery classes help younger believers recognize and begin to use their Spirit-given gifts for the building up of the Body and the release of the Kingdom in the community.

 

27.  Spurring Counseling To The Next Level

It’s been my experience over 20 years that christian counselors tend to rely much more on ingrained psychological systems and skills than they do on the Holy Spirit.  Many christian counselors are not even laying hands on their clients, asking God to go deeply and heal or deliver or break a pattern of sin.  Most counselors I’ve known are pretty unprepared to cast a demon out when needed.  I think one of the jobs of the senior pastor/pastoral staff is to work with the christian counselors in their care, encouraging and modeling a more dynamic and Spirit empowered approach to the healing arts.

 

28.  Power Evangelism

One of the things that Todd Hunter shared one time has stuck with me ever since.  Commenting on a discussion Todd has with a Fuller Seminary professor, the question was asked to this professor, “Do you think power evangelism was a failed experiment?”  And the man’s response has haunted me.  He replied, “I don’t think power evangelism was a failure, it hasn’t been tried yet!”  Imagine the results we could have in the lives of the lost if God’s people would be open to the work of the Spirit in the moment of opportunity.  To encourage our churches to be listening to God when they are out and about in the marketplace, hear a word about someone they encounter, and then have the boldness to speak God’s heart to the person, would be to bring the Kingdom crashing into this world in a way we don’t typically see.

 

29.  Ways To Encourage Pastors In the Vineyard

Below are some specific and doable ways for APC’s & RO’s to encourage Vineyard pastors to press into the power of God:

• Roundtable Events:  These periodic roundtables, conducted in different areas  of the Region, would bring together the pastors in the area to talk through a host of issues over time, including life in the Spirit.

• Regional Conference On The Holy Spirit:  One of our upcoming regional conferences should address life in the Holy Spirit, sharing much of what is      included in this paper.  We could have workshops on key areas touching the      work of the Spirit, have different speakers talk about practical, inspiring topics in general sessions, and we should leave plenty of time to do power ministry at all sessions.

• Area Conferences:  It is a good idea to bring all area Vineyards together and      have an area conference on the Holy Spirit which could be enjoyed by all members of the participating churches, as well as by “friends of the Vineyard”.  This kind of conference really stirs the pot and welcomes the Spirit to pour out His presence and make Jesus real.

• Holy Spirit E-Mails:  Our Regional Overseer could be responsible to occasionally e- mail all regional Vineyard pastors with updates on what the Holy Spirit has been doing in the region.  All pastors would be encouraged to communicate with Rich’s office any current stories of God’s power and then Rich could relate these events to all of us via e-mail.
  
• Area Overnighter:  Some of our pastors have shared that it would be very helpful for all the area pastors to come together at a hotel for a couple days and chase hard after the Lord.  It’s so important to be running on full if we are going to welcome the Holy Spirit on a regular basis.

30.  Encouraging The Work of the Spirit in our Children 

As with any other centered-set value which Vineyard holds, it is important to teach, model, and encourage the work of the Spirit in the lives of our kids.  Children are incredibly open to the Holy Spirit and if our Children’s Ministry leaders & teachers are properly envisioned, our children will learn to trust the leading of the Spirit throughout their lives. Ways to welcome the Spirit would include: worship times for kids, taking time to pray for children (laying on of hands), teaching them to pray for each other, and also helping kids hear the voice of God.  Youth groups should regularly be seeing the power of God in their midst. And if they’re not, why not?  Life in the Spirit always backs up to good leadership. 

   

31.  Healing Training Times:

Barry Long’s church, for example, trains those interested in how to pray for the sick (Wimber’s healing model, updated) every 8 weeks throughout the year.  Emphasis on being led by the Holy Spirit is included in the course.

 

32.  The Gospel Of Wholeness Seminar

Many Vineyards in our Region have invited Danny Meyer to come in and teach his Gospel Of Wholeness material.  This seminar is perfect for inviting the Holy Spirit during ministry times, asking God to heal specific areas of brokenness and shame.

 

33.  Worship Training Sessions

Dave Allen’s church holds periodic worship training sessions helping emerging worship leaders recognize God’s presence while in worship.  They do free guitar classes and all musicians must go through these sessions in order to lead worship in any setting.

 

34.  “The Watch”

Dave Allen’s church also holds a once per month meeting called “The Watch” which is a Friday night service which welcomes spontaneous worship, dancing, intercession, communion, fasting, and moving in the prophetic.  All prophetic words are recorded and kept so as to hold people accountable for the words spoken for individuals and for the fellowship as a whole.

 

35.  Welcoming The Spirit During Baptisms

Water baptisms are wonderful times to pray for new converts to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit.  Baptisms are holy moments; they’re times when people are open to God.

 

36.  Reading Widely

One of the ways to stir up the things of the Spirit among the uninitiated is by encouraging them to read thoughtful, biblical, practical, and inspiring books on the subject.  Jack Deere’s stuff, for example, has been very helpful for people to make the paradigm shift into life in the Spirit.  Our church bookstores should have a variety of helpful books on the Spirit, obviously starting with Wimber’s materials.

37.  Newcomer’s Classes

John Lieb’s church takes the time during newcomer’s classes to pray for each person.  This has been a very encouraging time for new folks to receive from the Holy Spirit for, perhaps, the very first time.

38.  Taking Time For The Relationship

There is a verse at the end of 2 Corinthians from which I cannot personally afford to stray.  Paul finishes this letter by writing, “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.  Amen.” (2 Cor. 13:14)

 

Sometimes it feels like being a pastor can profoundly get in the way of loving God.  We juggle so many balls in the air at any one time.  There’s warfare, difficult people to care for, so many decisions to make, staff to consider, leaders to envision and nurture.  The list goes on.  What really scares me are those times when I feel myself becoming “a professional”, a CEO of my church, holding it all together and yet feeling empty;  the very kind of person I swore I’d never become.  It’s at those times I feel the gentle hand of God calling me to be a son again.  Not a teacher, not a counselor, not a Leader of Leaders, but a son.  For me, all of life’s joys and blessings come out of the relationship I have with God; to know the Father’s love and to enjoy a life hidden in Christ, and to regularly have fellowship with the Holy Spirit.  If we are to be the pastors we have always desired to be, we will enjoy regular and passionate times of reconnecting and being filled up by the Holy Spirit.  And not because we can then move in power, but because God has become our life and hope and joy.  It will be out of this wonderful relationship that we can inspire others to walk with the Spirit always.