Reactivating the Missional Church - New Book Excerpts

The Forgotten Ways

+ reactivating the missional church

by Alan Hirsch

Brazos Press Grand Rapids, Michigan 2006

A church which pitches its tents without constantly looking out for new horizons, which does not continually strike camp, is being untrue to its calling.

...[We must] play down our longing for certainty, accept what is risky, and live by improvisation and experiment.

Hans Kung, The Church as the People of God

The truth is that the twenty-first century is turning out to be a highly complex phenomenon where terrorism, paradigmatic technological innovation, an unsustainable environment, rampant consumerism, discontinuous change, and perilous ideologies confront us at every point. In the face of this, even the most confident among us would have to admit, in our more honest moments, that the church as we know it faces a very significant adaptive challenge. The overwhelming majority of church leaders today report that they feel it is getting much harder for their communities to negotiate the increasing complexities in which they find themselves. As a result, the church is on massive, long-trended decline in the West. In this situation, we have to ask ourselves probing questions: "Will more of the same do the trick? Do we have the inherited resources to deal with this situation? Can we simply rework the tried and true Christendom understanding of church that we so love and understand, and finally, in an ultimate tweak of the system, come up with the winning formula?"

I have to confess that I do not think that the inherited formulas will work anymore.

Even much of the thinking about the so-called emerging church leaves the prevailing assumptions of church and mission intact and simply focuses on the issue of theology and spirituality in a postmodern setting. This amounts to a reworking of the theological "software" while ignoring the "hardware" as well as "operating system" of the church. In my opinion, this will not be enough to get us through...how did the early Christians do it?

• They were an illegal religion throughout this period.
• They didn't have any church buildings as we know them.
• They didn't even have the scriptures as we know them.
• They didn't have an institution or the professional form of leadership...
• They didn't have seeker-sensitive services, youth groups, worship bands, seminaries, commentaries, etc.
• They actually made it hard to join the church.

What is becoming increasingly clear is that if we are going to meaningfully reach this majority of people, we are not going to be able to do it by simply doing more of the same. And yet it seems that when faced with our problems of decline, we automatically reach for the latest church growth package to solve the problem - we seem to have nowhere else to go. But simply pumping up the programs, improving the music and audiovisual effects, or jiggering the ministry mix won't solve our missional crisis. Something far more fundamental is needed.

Statistics...indicate that the vast majority of the church's growth comes from "switchers" - people who move from one church to another based on the perception and experience of the programming. There is precious little conversion growth. No one really gets to see the problem, because it "feels so right" and it "works for me." In fact, the church is on the decline right across the Western world, and we have had at least forty years of church-growth principles and practice. We can't seem to make disciples based on a consumerist approach to the faith. We plainly cannot consume our way into discipleship.
All of us must become much more active in the equation of becoming lifelong followers of Jesus. Consumption is detrimental to discipleship.

Strictly speaking one ought to say that the church is always in a state of crisis and that its greatest shortcoming is that it is only occasionally aware of it...

And if the atmosphere of crisislessness still lingers on in many parts of the West, this is simply the result of a dangerous delusion. Let us also know that to encounter crisis is to encounter the possibility of truly being the Church.

David Bosch, Transforming Mission

No one looking at the situation of the church today can say that over the last century or so things have not fundamentally changed. The reality we deal with is that after around 2,000 years of the gospel, we are on the decline in just about every Western cultural context.

Much ink has been spilled in trying to analyze the situation. But seldom in these assessments do we hear a call for a radical rethink about the actual mode of the church's engagement - the way it perceives and shapes itself around its core tasks. Rarely do we hear a serious critique of the often hidden assumptions on which Christendom itself stands. It seems that the template of this highly institutional version of Christianity is so deeply embedded in our collective psyche that we have inadvertently put it beyond the pale of prophetic critique.

I am now convinced that one of the major blockages... is our adherence to an obsolete understanding of the church.

People now identify themselves less by grand ideologies, national identities, or political allegiances, and by much less grand stories: those of interest groups, new religious movements (New Age), sexual identity (gays, lesbians, neofacist, eco-rats, etc.), class, conspicuous consumption (metrosexuals, urban grunge, etc.), work types (computer geeks, hackers, designers, etc.), and so forth. On one occasion some youth ministry specialists I work with identified in an hour fifty easily discernible youth subcultures alone (computer nerds, skaters, homies, surfies, punks, etc.). Each of them takes their subcultural identity with utmost seriousness, and hence any missional response to them must as well.

Speaking of the Alpha course, this remarkable evangelistic tool has been used to bring many to the faith. I understand that up to 3 million people have participated in Alpha courses in the United Kingdom alone. The way it is generally used by churches is as an evangelistic tool to contribute to the church's numerical growth. The interesting thing is that in the United Kingdom, Alpha is most successful among what has been called the "dechurched" rather than the genuinely unchurched - in other words, those who came within the m0-m1 framework. And in spite of its evangelistic power, viewed from a broader perspective it has not substantially added to church growth. There are certainly not 3 million new church members in the United Kingdom as a result of Alpha. In fact, the church there is still in serious decline. As such, Alpha, far from being an effective missionary tool, actually serves as a good example of how we don't reach very far beyond ourselves at all.

How can this be? A major part of the problem is that although largely dechurched people do come to faith in Jesus through Alpha, it seems that they still don't want to "go to church." It's that darn "Jesus, yes. Church, no" phenomenon again. People will come to faith in small, intimate communities of friends but generally don't want the organized-religion part of the deal. This swapping of agendas has sometimes been perceived as a "bait and switch" strategy, which is generally considered unethical in the commercial world. So we have now reached the vexing situation that the prevailing expression of church (Christendom) has become a major stumbling block to the spread of Christianity in the West. Applying the grid of Apostolic Genius, I find myself asking the question "What if instead of just being a church growth tool, Alpha became a church multiplication movement - a new church emerging out of the original Alpha group and reproducing itself from there?" My guess is that with a different paradigm driving it, it could really take off. It has so many elements of Apostolic Genius latent in its structure but is hindered by a more institutional understanding of church. Here we see the clash of the paradigms in stark form.

When all their external reference points are removed, when most of their leaders and theologians killed or imprisoned and all access to outside sources is cut off, they are somehow forced through sheer circumstance to unlock something truly potent and compelling in the message they carry as the people of God. The result is a Jesus movement unparalleled in history. What is going on here, and what can we in the West learn from this?

...in order to survive in the context of persecution, they also have to jettison all unnecessary impediments, including that of a predominantly institutional conception of ecclesia. But perhaps even more significantly, they have to condense and purify their core message that keeps them both faithful and hopeful.

Therefore all unnecessary complexities are extracted, and in the process a miracle happens - the people discover their true message, and the movement is born. Faith is once again liked in utter simplicity to Jesus, the author and completer of the faith.

But something else is unleashed in this recovery of simplicity, namely, the capacity to rapidly transfer the message along relational lines. Freed from the philosophical density of the academy and from dependence on the professional cleric, the gospel becomes profoundly "sneezable." This reference to sneezing is not just whimsical. We know from the study of ideas that they spread in patterns very similar to that of viral epidemics. We also know that in order to really take hold and become an "epidemic," they have to be easily transferred from one person to another. And to do this they need to be profound and yet simple - easily grasped by any person, and in many cases illiterate peasants.

The greatest proof of Christianity for others is not how far a man can logically analyze his reasons for believing, but how far in practice he will stake his life on his belief. T. S. Eliot

C.S. Lewis rightly understood that the purpose of the church was to draw people to Christ and make them like Christ. He said that the church exists for no other purpose. "If the Church is not doing this, then all the cathedrals, clergy, missions, sermons, even the Bible, are a waste of time."

For the follower of Jesus, discipleship is not the first step toward a promising career. It is in itself the fulfillment of his or her destiny.

Church growth exponents have explicitly taught us how to market and tailor the product to suit target audiences. They told us to mimic the shopping mall, apply it to the church, and create a one-stop religious shopping experience catering to our every need. In this they were sincere and well intentioned, but they must have been also totally ignorant of the ramifications of their counsel - because in the end the medium has so easily overwhelmed the message. Christendom, operating as it does in the attractional mode and run by professionals, was already susceptible to consumerism, but under the influence of contemporary church growth practice, consumerism has actually become the driving ideology of the church's ministry.

The very shape of the church building gives us away (refer to the diagram of the church building in chapter 1). Ninety percent or more of the people who attend our services are passive. In other words, they are consumptive. They are the passive recipients of the religious goods and services being delivered largely by professionals in a slick presentation and service. Just about everything we do in these somewhat standardized services and "box churches," we do in order to attract participants, and to do this we need to make the experience of church more convenient and comfortable. It is the ultimate religious version of one-stop shopping - hassle-free. But alas, all we are achieving by doing this is adding more fuel to the insatiable consumerist flame. I have come to the dreaded conclusion that we simply cannot consume our way into discipleship. Consumerism as it is experienced in the everyday and discipleship as it is intended in the scriptures are simply at odds with each other. And both aim at the mastery over our lives, only in marketing it's called brand loyalty or brand community.

How have we moved so far from the ethos of discipleship passed on to us by our Lord? And how do we recover it again?

The answer to the first question is that Western Christendom was so deeply influenced by Greek or Hellenistic ideas of knowledge.

The assumption in Hellenistic thinking is that if people get the right ideas, they will simply change their behavior. The Hellenistic approach therefore can be characterized as an attempt to try to think our way into a new way of acting.

So what is that better way? You will not be surprised to find out that it is found in the ancient art of disciple making. Disciple making operates best with the Hebrew understanding of knowledge in mind. In other words, we need to take a whole person into account in seeking to transform that person. The way we do this, indeed the way Jesus did it, is to act our way into a new way of thinking. This is clearly how Jesus formed his disciples.

...[T]he most probable assumption is that no currently working business theory will be valid 10 years hence...And yet few executives accept that turning a business around requires fundamental changes in the assumptions on which the business is run. It requires a different business.

Peter Drucker,"A Turnaround Primer"

...religious institutionalism happens when in the name of some convenience we set up a system to do what we must do ourselves so that over time the structures we create take on a life of their own.

In order to remain truly missional, established organizations need to be very aware of the dangers of institutionalization. Harvard's David K. Hurst (Crisis and Renewal - Cambridge: Harvard Business School Press, 2002) talks about the shifts in emphasis that take place in institutionalization in the metaphor of moving from being hunters to becoming herders. In his analysis the marks identifying this transition are that

• Mission becomes Strategy
• Roles become Tasks
• Teams become Structure
• Networks become Organization
• Recognition becomes Compensation

Walter Henrichsen points out that "the reason that the church of Jesus Christ finds it so hard to stay on top of the great commission is the population of the world is multiplying while the church is merely adding. Addition can never keep pace with multiplication." (Walter Henrichsen, quoted in N. Cole, Cultivating a Life for God (Elgin, IL: Brethren Press, 1999),22

It is the unknown that defines our existence. We are constantly seeking, not just for answers to our questions, but for new questions. We are explorers...

Cmdr. Benjamin Sisko, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

Although we often hear about successful attempts to revitalize existing churches, the overall track record is very poor. Ministers report again and again that their efforts at organizational change did not yield the promised results. Instead of managing new, revitalized, organizations, they ended up managing the unwanted side effects of their efforts. At first glance, this situation seems paradoxical. When we observe our natural environment, we see continuous change, adaptation, and creativity; yet our church organizations seem to be largely incapable of dealing with change.

A lot of energy (and money) is put into the change program, with all the usual communication exercises, consultations, workshops, and so on. In the first few months, things seem to be changing, but gradually the novelty and impetus wear off and the organization settles back into something like its previous configuration. The reason for this is simple,though often overlooked - unless the paradigm at the heart of the culture is changed there will be no lasting change.

I discovered this time and again while working with my denomination. My aim was to try to cheat history by recovering a missional mind-set and a movement ethos as the central paradigm of the denomination. On reflection, we managed to get the missional part of the equation into the center, but we were not able to instill a movement ethos because of a deeply entrenched institutional paradigm at the heart of the organization. The problem is that most people see the church as an institution and not an organic movement (a living system), in spite of the fact that the Bible is replete with organic images of church and kingdom (body, field, vine, soil, etc.). In such a situation, all efforts at other changes are doomed to failure. The structures just revert back to default once the pressure of change is alleviated. The fact remains that for this very reason the vast majority of Christian institutions throughout history never renew and change. The institutional systems story informs so much of what we do. Machiavelli was right: "Nothing is more difficult to carry out, nor more doubtful of success, nor more dangerous to handle, than achieving a new order of things."

Ivan Illich was once asked what the most radical way to change society was; was it violent revolution or gradual reform? He gave a careful answer. Neither. Rather, he suggested, if one wanted to change society, then one must tell an alternative story.How true. We need to retell the story of the church and mission in light of the organic living systems perspective if we are to evolve into a genuinely missional church.

A note of warning for those leading in established churches: what Western Christianity desperately needs at the moment is adaptive leadership - people who can help us transition to a different, more agile, mode of church. Such leaders don't necessarily have to be highly creative innovators themselves, but rather people who can move the church into adaptive modes - people who can disturb the stifling equilibrium and create the conditions for change and innovation. By and large, many leaders in church organizations, particularly those with strong caring and teaching gifts, can exhibit a tendency to avoid conflict and too easily soothe tensions. Left unchecked, this can be lethal, because it caters to equilibrium and therefore ultimately to death.

Most churches start from dynamic and exciting adventures in evangelism and church planting, and at the end of their organizational life cycle they are usually miserable, static, institutions. And it appears that an essential part of the process is the movement form the early, more unstable, disequilibrium to that of a stable envionment of equilibrium. The early days of most churches or parachurches are experienced as unpredictable and wild but at the same time seem to filled with a kind of spiritual energy.

The history of missions is quite clear about this: Christianity is at its very best when it is on the more chaotic fringes. It is when church settles down, and moves away from the edge of chaos, that things go awry.

By and large, churches are very conservatine organizations, and after they have been around just a few years they can quickly become institutional...

...their primary orientation is often backward to an idealized past rather than forward to a new vision of the future. As such they are classic, often inflexible, institutions that enshrine an inherited tradition.

Here is the deal: the basic Christendom mode of church is simply unable to respond, because it was not made for this kind of fluidity. Most churches are too institutional, and therefore too clumsy in their inherited form, to be able to adapt and respond adequately to this missional environment. A useful comparison is between a supertanker and a speedboat. The tanker takes many miles just to stop or turn, but the speedboat maximizes on responsiveness. Our situation requires agility and adaptation and not solidity and fixedness. It's the age of the speedboat-style church. And it is happening ... a new species of Christian community is being born, and to use the technical phrase of this chapter, it is emergent as well as adaptive. Interestingly, the same process is happening in the corporate world. Tom Peters (Thriving on Chaos: Handbook for a Management Revolution, London: Pan, 1987, 355) notes that excessive, unwieldy structure is "management's time bomb" in a rapidly changing, global environment. The smaller, more responsive organizations are the ones that will thrive in the new millennium.

Signs of City Transformation

By Luis Bush

Mission as transformation has emerged as a new paradigm at the beginning of the twenty-first century. We are living in a fallen, deformed world needing to be transformed. Individuals are being called to be conformed to the image of Christ. Churches are being challenged to be renewed and reformed to align with God's greater purposes. Cities and nations are being transformed.

What are the telling stories of transformation?
The stories grow daily. There are sixty transformation venues in Fiji alone. Tribal leaders are being reconciled, denominational leaders have coalesced in heart, mind and vision, the Prime Minister begins the day early seeking God, the governmental cabinet seeks to do what is right and the regenerative work of God is becoming evident in nature itself. God is demonstrating His approval all over the islands through regenerating coral reefs, returning fish, growing fruit on plants that had ceased to bear for decades. Torch lights carried village to village by enlightened Fijian government officials symbolically impart revival to catalyze other venues.

Transformational city-focused prayer initiatives have been taking place since 1989 in Indonesia. More than 350 cities currently have interchurch and intermission prayer committees offering seminars for facilitators
trained for enabling transformational initiatives.

In Africa annual transformation prayer days have grown exponentially over recent years. On May 2, 2004, more than 400 African stadiums in fifty countries will open their gates to allow God's people to come in for
several hours of fervent, united prayer. A week of bounty precedes the prayer day in Africa when God's people give generously to bless communities, cities and nations. Positive changes are being reported by
secular newspapers.

In Latin America, city-wide transformational initiatives have been taking place for well over ten years in Argentina. The Cali, Colombia, story on video is about a city where 60,000 Christians jam the municipal stadium for all-night prayer vigils every 90 days; where a multi-billion dollar drug cartel has been brought to its knees.1 In Almolonga, Guatemala, video footage tells the story of city jails closed for lack of crime. The
presence of God is claimed by more than nine of ten people and agricultural production beyond imagination.

What are the major transformational streams?
Four major transformational streams are flowing across the world: the revivalist stream, the church growth stream, the city-reaching stream and the stream engaged in the transformational development of the poor. These overlapping, diverse transformational streams converge into the same "transformational river." This comprehensive movement to bless the nations includes many emphases:

• Marketplace transformational initiatives seek to bless nations in tangible ways.
• Transformational leadership engages a new generation in participatory leadership with current leadership.
• Missional initiative among the last and the least prioritizes the spiritually needy while integrating the physically needy without leaving any country out of "focus."

We are being called not to dilute, adulter, temper, water down, reduce, weaken or pollute that which the Spirit of the living God is purifying and gushing forth on this dusty plain we call Earth.

Convictions, commitments and coordination
Christian leaders around the world made their voices heard through the World Inquiry, calling for the whole Church to take the whole gospel to the whole world. Mission as Transformation global events have been
scheduled for Indonesia in 2005, India in 2006, Korea in 2007, Brazil 2008, Africa in 2009, the Turkic World in 2010, Beijing 2011, Monterrey, Mexico, in 2012. Approaches to transformation vary, including.

• Transformational development of the poor through community development
• Saturation church planting
• Emphasis on divine visitation and revival. God acts on the Church bringing revival and He acts on society bringing spiritual awakening.
• Obedience to God as an apostolic people with an apostolic mission to
• transform peoples, places and the culture within which the Church lives.

An effort to define a comprehensive approach to transformation must be "rooted in the theology of the mission of the Kingdom of God and seeks to express the Lordship of Jesus over every aspect of life, economic, religious, personal, political. It does not give priority to any area of life as an area for mission . . . but this change will be effected whenever people address issues of life directly, rooted in a gospel
perspective."2

As the head of the church Christ initiates and His body responds - as one body. Transformation associates are now gathering to contemplate then seek to cooperate with the beauty of God's movements. The basic idea behind "transformation coordination" is that, not only can we do more together than we can separately, but we move to a new ministry realm which operates on entirely new laws of input and output. Like the gushing forth of the waters the love of God through the people of God unleashes multiple mission initiatives in which divine resources are channeled through willing servants to meet human needs to the glory of God.

The ultimate vision of transformation is for the power, the presence and the peace of God experienced by all. Shalom-Salaam embrace. The power of God shows. The peace of God rules. The presence of God fills the earth.

Love and faithfulness meet together; righteousness and peace kiss each other. Faithfulness springs forth from the earth, and righteousness looks down from heaven. Psalm 85:10,11 (NIV)

How do we express this mission of transformation?
"Transformation is a concept rooted in the New Covenant (see John 4:14; Romans 12:2; II Corinthians 3:18, 5:17; I John 3:9). The term itself derives from the Greek word "metamorphoo" which means to change from one degree of glory to another, with ever increasing glory. It is the spiritual equivalent of a caterpillar being metamorphosed into a butterfly. Unlike reformation, it does not merely tinker with society, it
changes it from the inside out. It operates at the heart level." George Otis, The Sentinel Group

Transformation is the progressive and ongoing measurable supernatural impact of the presence and power of God working in, through and apart from the Church on human society and structures. In the church, this is characterized by increased holiness of life, reconciliation in relationships, and appetite for prayer and worship. Through the Church this is characterized by accelerated conversion growth, mobilization of
gifts and callings, and an increased relevance to and participation in greater society.

In the culture, this may be characterized by pervasive awareness of the reality of God, a radical correction of social ills, a commensurate decrease in crime rates, supernatural blessing on local commerce, healing
of the brokenhearted (the alienated and disenfranchised), regenerative acts of restoring the productivity of the land, and an exporting of kingdom righteousness.

"To this end, a catalytic core of saints typically embrace a lifestyle of persistent repentance, humility, and sacrificial servanthood that attracts the favor and presence of God, and breaks the predominating influences of the ruling power structures of human flesh and negative spiritual forces." Tom White, Prayer Summits

"Transformation involves seeking positive change in the whole of human life materially, socially and spiritually, by recovering our true identity as human beings created in the image of God and discovering our true vocation as productive stewards, faithfully caring for our world and people." Bryant Myers, World Vision

Transformation is the change from a condition of human existence contrary to God's purposes to one in which people are able to enjoy fulness of life in harmony with God.

According to the biblical view of human life, then, transformation is the change from a condition of human existence contrary to God's purposes to one in which people are able to enjoy fulness of life in harmony with God (Jn. 10:l0; Col. 3:8-15; Eph. 4:13). This transformation can only take place through the obedience of individuals and communities to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, whose power changes the lives of men and women by releasing them from the guilt, power and consequences of sin, enabling them to respond with love toward God and towards others (Rom. 5:5), andaking them "new creatures in Christ" (2 Cor. 5:17).3

"City reaching is the ongoing process of mobilizing the whole body of Christ in a geographic area to strategically focus its resources on reaching the whole city with the whole Gospel, resulting in the
transformation of the city and its societies.

Dedication to mobilizing the whole Church requires the initiative be inclusive of every believer in its approach. Commitment to the whole city requires that the initiative be comprehensive in its scope to include all peoples, problems, and conditions that affect community life. The whole Gospel requires methods that are holistic in nature requiring a balanced integration of proclamation and incarnation. A city reaching initiative by definition must be inclusive in approach, comprehensive in scope, and holistic in nature.

Transformation is a reference to two points of time in a city's history; where the city is now and where it once was. For a growing number of cities the language that best describes the degree of societal change
occurring between those two historic points is transformation. Deep and profound change is possible in human beings and is equally possible for the social organisms that we call cities and communities."
Jack Dennison, CitiReach

"It is less important where a city is on the transformation continuum than where it is compared to where it was." George Otis, The Sentinel Group

What are the principles for transformation?
We are being called to seek God in all His holiness, to humble ourselves as did Isaiah of old, to respond to God with a "yes" when he asks "Whom shall I send?" to seek the unity of God…s servants and to cultivate
creative transformational community initiatives to bless the peoples and the nations.

Principles emerge in response to the question "What will it take to achieve the vision for transformation?" Some of the proven principles include the following: 4

Spiritual Vitality Laying the foundation for ministry through corporate
spiritual growth

Experiencing the holiness of God with other leaders leads to repentance,
humility, and deeper life commitment to Christ and His mission in the
world.

Relational Priority Fueling momentum for ministry through loving
relationships

Reconciling, forming and developing relationships of mutual love, respect,
and trust enables leaders to work together for the common good of their
community.

Compelling Vision Aligning transformational efforts by maintaining vision
for the completed task

Ongoing clear, compelling and comprehensive vision casting that involves
everyone in the project brings about shared vision, values and strategy,
common language and goals, urgency to act and a bonded team.

Empowering Leadership Identifying leaders and initiating a process for
community transformation

Empowerment thrives from a growing base of committed leaders and no barriers to keep them from doing a good job. Effective leaders shepherd people and processes putting together the structures and strategies to
carry out God…s vision. Strategy results from the prayerful planning of leaders who recognize the activity of God in the community and make the large-scale adjustments needed to join Him in that activity.

Thorough Research Increasing understanding of the current realities of one's community
If the Church wants to be relevant and effective in the community, it needs good information that describes the community's people and need, the condition of the church; and the spiritual forces which influence current reality. The Church must see the city as it truly is; not just what it seems to be. These data will show leaders God's top priorities and highest leverage (greatest results per effort) ministries that will bring about
the most impact and lasting results.

Loving Service
Enacting high leverage opportunities to minister to the community. Building bridges through acts of service and kindness establishes relationships of trust and credibility with the community. People open their lives to those who genuinely care about personal and community needs
and more often will open their heart to the One who empowers loving service.

Intentional Learning
Making a fresh commitment to individual and corporate learning around needed skills and effective ministry models. Constructing the right structures and steps to work together effectively means we must use the assets God has given us to their fullest extent - committing ourselves to training and ongoing learning. Finding out what the Church needs to learn to bring about greater impact is crucial to achieving its goals. For many of us, community transformation means a shift in our underlying philosophies, as well as learning new skills. Building the Church…s ability to facilitate change in the city requires a community of learners who are committed to discover news ways to achieve God's plans and purposes.

What are the signs of transformation? 5
Jesus did more than preach the Kingdom; he demonstrated its reality with "signs of the kingdom," public evidence that the Kingdom he was talking about had come. These "signs of the kingdom," are the same as signs of transformation.

Since "the reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work" (I John 3:8), he inevitably came into collision with the prince of darkness. The signs of the kingdom were evidences that the devil was
retreating before the advance of the King. As Jesus put it, once the strong man has been overpowered by the Stronger One, his possessions can be taken from him (Matt. 12:29; Luke 11:22). Similarly, signs of transformation prompted by God-initiatives often through transformed individuals and the Church which is the body of Christ also evidence the advance of the King of Glory in the twenty-first century.

The first sign of transformation was (and still is) Jesus himself in the midst of his people (Lk. 17:21; Matt. 18:20), whose presence brings joy, peace, and a sense of celebration (John 15:11; 16:33; Mk. 2:18-20).

The second is the preaching of the Gospel. There was no Gospel of the Kingdom to proclaim until Christ arrived. Now that he has come, however, the Good News of the Kingdom must be preached to all, especially to the poor (Lk. 4:18,19; 7:22). The preaching of the Kingdom points people to the Kingdom itself.

The third sign of transformation was exorcism. Although the "principalities and powers" may have a reference to demonic ideologies and structures, they are evil, personal intelligences under the command of the devil. Demon possession is a real and terrible condition. Deliverance is possible only in a power encounter in which the name of Jesus is invoked and prevails.

The fourth sign of transformation was and is the healing and the nature miracles - making the blind see, the deaf hear, the lame walk, the sick whole, raising the dead (Lk. 7:22), stilling the storm, and multiplying
loaves and fishes. We all agree that these were not only signs pointing to the reality of the Kingdom's arrival, but also anticipations of the final Kingdom from which all disease, hunger, disorder and death will be for
ever banished. We also agree that God is still free and powerful, and performs miracles today, especially in frontier situations where the Kingdom is advancing into enemy-held territory. Some Christians think we
should expect miracles as commonly as in the ministry of Jesus and his apostles (e.g., John 14:12), while others draw attention to the texts which describe these miracles as authenticating their unique ministry
(e.g., Heb. 2:3, 4; II Cor. 12:12).

A fifth sign of transformation is the miracle of conversion and the new birth. Whenever people "turn to God from idols, to serve the living and true God" (I Thess. 1: 9, 10), a power encounter has taken place in which
the spell of idols, whether traditional or modern, and of the spirits, has been broken. God's power for salvation is displayed in the Gospel (Rom. 1:16), and converts who have been rescued from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God (Acts 26:18) are said to have "tasted ... the powers of the age to come" (Heb. 6:5).

A sixth sign of transformation is the people of the Kingdom, in whom is manifested that cluster of Christlike qualities which Paul called "the fruit of the Spirit." For the gift of the Spirit is the supreme blessing of the Kingdom of God. Where he rules, love, joy, peace and righteousness rule with him (Gal. 5:22,23; Rom. 14:17). Moreover, love issues in good works. Thus, if the Gospel is Good News of the Kingdom, good works are the signs of transformation. Good News and good works, evangelism and social responsibility, are once again seen to be indissolubly united.

The seventh sign of transformation is suffering. It was necessary for the King to suffer in order to enter into his glory. Indeed, he suffered for us, leaving us an example that we should follow in his steps (I Pet. 2:21). To suffer for the sake of righteousness or for our testimony to Jesus, and to bear such suffering courageously, is a clear sign to all beholders that we have received God's salvation or Kingdom (Phil. 1:28,29; cf. II Thess. 1:5).

A Conclusion
"The good news is that God wants to visit our communities. Indeed He desires to make them His habitation. But He will not be comfortable in our midst until we remove offending spiritual roots and cultivate an appetite for holiness, unity, faith, humility and prayer. In the end, divine visitation is as much our responsibility as it is God's." George Otis, The Sentinel Group

The word transformation and its cognates have emerged as an expression of mission throughout the Christian world today. For example, representatives from seventeen Christian relief and development organizations met in February 2004 and agreed on a statement that expresses their vision as a
collective association that the whole Church become a transforming and transformed sign of Christ's Kingdom among all people.

Different transformational streams, each with its own approach, are flowing into a river of transformation. As the river of transformation moves across the earth individuals, churches, communities, cities and nations are being transformed by the power of God through the people of God for the glory of God.

Christians are engaged in a transformational mission at the beginning of the twenty-first century. A cyclical pattern is emerging of those getting involved. It begins with a fresh awareness of the holiness of God which
leads to greater humility. The humility of the servants of God makes way for a spirit of unity. Greater unity leads to the cultivation of a transformed and transformational community sensitized to discover, embrace
and become servant catalysts on His mission of transformation.

How can you join in?

References
1 George Otis, Jr in Transformations.
2 Vinay Samuel and Chris Sugden, eds., “Introduction”, Mission as
Transformation, Regnum, 1999.
3 Wheaton ’83, sponsored by the World Evangelical Fellowship, provided a
platform for further clarification of the response to human need among
evangelicals. In the book containing the presentations made at the
“Consultation on the Church in Response to Human Need,” edited by the co-
presenters of the topic “Evangelism and Social Responsibility” a year
earlier, Vinay Samuel and Chris Sugden, the final document titled
“Transformation” reflects, by its very name, the call for societal
transformation (Samuel and Sugden 1987:254-265).
4 Jack Dennison, CitiReach
5 Adapted from Evangelism and Social Responsibility, written during the
international Consultation on the Relationship between Evangelism and
Social Responsibility, held at Grand Rapids, Michigan, June 19-25, 1982 in
which the term transformation replaces kingdom.


* HilldaleCC.org
* UprisingChurch.org
* back40outreach.com
* RodsCalvaryWebsite.com
* NashvilleRedCross.org
* DCAnet.org
* HCCFamily.com
* BrentwoodHills.org

* Open Forum

CARE ~ Catalyst Groups: A New Strategy

What is a Catalyst Group?

Catalyst- One that causes an event or process

Overall Purpose

We seek to honor God by striving to improve our community through positive change based on Christian values and ethics. We serve, influence, and lead by providing vision and resources in synergy with others as we value our past and guide our future.

The Premise to a Catalyst Group

If a group of 12 to 15 equal people with a common interest will meet for 36 hours per year around a purpose in a structured program, they will achieve three significant cooperative successes in the first two years.

Catalyst Group

Groups of people with like interests who meet to learn together and from each other, share ideas, assist each other in the improvement of their leadership skills, and cooperate in the implementation of programs and ideas that exemplify God’s love, serve others and support the chosen mission

The Elements

Periodic meetings and communication including

A centered purpose around a vision, goal, or mission

Committed and qualified

Long term

An outpouring of ones self

Passion for the purpose

Many different possible interests

A collection of talent based on diverse perspectives

A coach or mentor

Commonality

Meeting rules or an agreed upon process

Confidentiality

Balanced participation

Participants

Entrepreneurs

Community leadership

Young emerging impact individuals

Volunteers

Values role models

Combination

Member criteria could include

Willing to be vessels of Gods will

Positive thinkers

Doers

A willingness to serve others and the community

Regular attenders

Values oriented thinkers

A vested community interest

Interested in the future

Seeking personal growth

Willing to teach

Understanding of the leadership culture

Must add diversity to the group

Strong character

Credible

No self serving initiative

Participation Rewards-Individual

Understanding the cumulative knowledge and experience of the group

Growth and continued effectiveness of participant

Build future leaders

Train future mentors

Education of participant

New voices of leadership

Mentoring

Coaching

Positive community change

Growing circles of influence

Propagation of the organization

Cooperation

Friendships

Participation Rewards-Organization

1. Growth and continued effectiveness of the organization
2. Lead others who need lead
3. Propagation of the organization
4. Further the purpose
5. Education
6. Coaching
7. Positive Community Change

Improve community quality of life

Community service prevalence

Economic growth

Expanding community programs

Vision and build the future

Cooperation

God’s way of ensuring the right fit with participants

1. Project failures
2. Unbalanced participation
3. Lack of trust or confidentiality
4. Impatience
5. Disengagement
6. Wrong fit
7. Personal Agenda
8. Schedule conflict

Success Meeting Elements

1. The group must develop a purpose statement that supports the Overall Purpose Statement
2. Coaches or mentors must be organizers, repositories of information, and guardians of the purpose.
3. Group size must be manageable.
4. Members must share a common passion for the purpose.
5. The meeting must include prayer for guidance, wisdom, and any other pertinent requests and thanksgiving
6. A short leadership lesson based on Christian values should be included in the agenda
7. Confidentiality must be adhered to when appropriate
8. Participation must be balanced and respectful
9. New ideas are more valued than critique. Consistent method of prioritization.
10. Regular attendance

Implementation

1. Strategic

2. Identify resources

Divide and conquer

3. People

4. Documentation

Replication

Improvement

Historical learning

Feedback

Some thoughts about community leadership.

1. Leaders model Christ’s example of leadership
2. Leadership is dependent on character.
3. Leadership is teaching, and often times involves asking for faith from those around the leader
4. A leader isn’t always necessarily out in front. They may play an encouragement role.
5. Leaders must understand first, and then serve, in order to lead.
6. Leaders have similar traits not the least of which is listening.
7. Leaders command respect.

History of Catalyst Groups

The Catalyst group is a spin off of another group that met for many years. That group was formed with the idea that committed people acting as humble servants to the community through their common beliefs and circle of influence could accomplish great things. Unknown and unsung they had some great successes. They got the east end of Shepherd of the Hills Expressway finished. They initiated the renaming of the Springfield- Branson regional airport…just to name a couple.

Built on that foundation a new group was formed, the Catalyst Group.

This new group of people was structured based on peer group research from as far away as South Africa. The outcomes, processes, membership, and facilitation were all guided by the research and adjusted based on personal growth and the specific situations. A mentoring aspect was added to the structure to facilitate personal growth in leadership.

The purpose guides the efforts. Meetings are held twice per month at lunch for an hour and a half. Mentors are responsible for organization, the repository of information, and keeping the group true to the purpose. Members have a common passion for the purpose and the discussion subjects which are picked by the group.

A model exists for the meetings. They are all begun with prayer. The leadership of each meeting is rotated, as is a short leadership lesson. Someone is always responsible for dessert. Participation is balanced and ideas are not critiqued until all ideas and discussion are on the table. We commonly use what is lovingly called the dot method of prioritizing issues and ideas.

How did we journey to the present?

Over the past 20 months, an initiative was developed along with the cooperation of the Keeter Center for Character education at the College of the Ozarks to survey the community of Stone and Taney county to determine what areas the community would like to see more time spent on in the future. The choices were Transportation, Healthcare, Housing and Community Design, Environment, Healthy families, Business/Economic Development, Employment, Education, Emergency Response and Preparedness, and Community Ministry.

These choices were the result of review of Springfields Vision 20/20 initiative. A Taney County Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats analysis and the City of Branson’s Common Thread Project. Jerry Henry from the Herschend Family Entertainment Corporation helped us design the survey. The survey was distributed through pastors and local churches in both Stone and Taney County. Almost 400 responses were tabulated.

Four items surfaced as clear winners of the community’s attention: Healthy Families, Education, Healthcare, and Employment.

Four groups were formed

Prayer Ministry Operations Manual

Prayer Ministry Operations Manual

Prepared By Pat Allen

Hillcrest Church

Dallas, TX

Introduction

We are living in unprecedented times. Never in the history of man has the Spirit of God moved through prayer as He has in the last 35+ years. More information and revelation of prayer, it’s importance and it’s literal usage in the broader Body of Christ has manifested in heretofore unknown quantities.

Everywhere we look today, church after church, denomination after denomination, are establishing Prayer Departments, Houses of Prayer and Prayer Pastors on staff to allow their congregations to participate at new levels in this most important area. Para-church prayer ministries abound in our Western Civilization, crossing every known ethnic, socio- economic and denominational description. Through the miracle of the internet, even the most remote and smallest of prayer ministries, can now linkup on the web to network around the world with cutting edge technology to retrieve information for prayer.

We are seeing a redefining of prayer. No longer is it relegated to the “blue-haired ladies” in the back of the room. Prayer has become a major part of every department in the church.

No longer can we do “business as usual”, by forming a committee to decide our paths, then asking God to bless it. Seeking God first, asking for His agenda, then waiting on the Lord for His answer is the ‘schedule’ for modern day believers.

Prayer is the hottest, newest craze for teens. They have discovered the secret of the

“prayer closet.”: the “power center” of the Holy Spirit. Many are praying “onsite with insight” in their schools, combining evangelism, Bible study & prayer to form powerhouses on campuses across the country.

Men’s groups and individual men are taking back the night in “prayer watch” gatherings that are popping up across the landscape. “Moms in Touch” prayer groups are meeting in local schools to take back territory given over to the “world system” just one generation ago. Families are “prayer walking” their neighborhoods to “talk to God about their neighbors, before talking to their neighbors about God.”

God, by His Spirit, is moving across the face of our earth, and if we want to be in tune and on the cutting edge of what He is doing, we must make available places of prayer, teachings on prayer and “prayer opportunities” for our congregations. This simple booklet is one attempt to do that.

In the pages following, you will find a collective listing of the “how to’s” of one such prayer place, the Prayer Center of Hillcrest Church in Dallas, Texas. Not to be taken as the one and only way to achieve a place of prayer, but one example of how believing God with a handful of families in a thriving metropolitan/urban setting, a pastor raised up a prayer ministry that now serves a church of over 5,000 attendees.

Not an overnight wonder, this current Prayer Center was birthed in a lowly house trailer on a raw piece of land, donated to the fledgling church. Over the next 18 years, with building programs and a vision to fulfill destiny, the church took the bold step of making prayer the basis and foundation of all it did. From leadership meetings to times of crisis during the first “Gulf War”, congregation members found prayer to be the backbone, the very fiber and foundation for all it’s decisions and actions.

From the “prayer trailer”, Hillcrest’s next phase of prayer was housed in the House of Prayer, a combined three room facility that housed prayer activities upwards of 18 hours a day for the next 10 years.

Then in 2001 with a shift of going into the “new of prayer” in a prophetic way, the Elders of Hillcrest completed the building of a new Prayer Center, which is devoted exclusively to prayer. It is in this space that we find the most complete and complex availability of prayer materials and opportunities for prayer to date. Open to the public 18 hours a day, and having men in secluded prayer for the remaining 8 hours during the night, the Prayer Center fulfills the dream of having prayer available onsite at this location 24 hours per day, 7 days a week.

However, as fulfilling as this accomplishment seems, we are stirred in our hearts that God has more for us as a church, and for the “Church” in Dallas in the days to come. So, it is

with that expectancy that we look to the future for more “God ideas” of prayer for our

church, city, state and nation.

As the Director of Prayer at Hillcrest, it is my prayer and hope that this booklet will expand the possibilities of what you and your church can do in prayer as the Lord leads you. These are but mere suggestions for your consideration as you develop prayer in your area.

Questions? Please feel free to call 972-392-3992, or write to:

Pat Allen

Hillcrest Church

12123 Hillcrest Road

Dallas, Texas, 75230

We look forward to believing the Lord with you for all He has in store in the near future.

Goals and Objectives

The goals and objectives of today’s prayer ministry is multi-faceted, but the main outcome should be to give our people a “lifestyle of prayer.” By infusing the idea that

“You, too, can Pray”, we remove the fear of not being spiritual enough, and quite truthfully, the fear of being in the presence of God for long periods of time because we don’t know what to say or do.

I like to call this “de-mystifying” prayer. The ability to take God and make Him user friendly, showing there is no certain way to approach the Ruler of the Universe, because if there were, we would probably miss it.

God has made Himself so available and open, we can pray anytime, anywhere. He is a God that lives in the streets as well as the pew. He is a God of our today and our tomorrow. He cares about your rent, your job, your retirement and your kids. There is no problem too LARGE or too insignificant, He is more than able to cope and understand where you are coming from, and DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT !!!

My challenge to new members is to ask if they pray and most shake their heads no. I tell them they are wrong, because if they live and drive the freeways of Dallas, I know they pray !! Point ? “God help me get on this rain slick, crowded, 5:30 freeway and get home for supper on time for a change.” Hear the plea, the need, a halfway serious cry for help? Halfway expecting God to hear and halfway afraid He just might?

When asked about their prayer life, most men tell me they pray while going to work in the mornings, almost waiting for me to criticize them that this does not measure up somehow. I say “Good ! Great! Now, can we expand that somehow?” I suggest they get a worship tape to go along with that 5 minutes of prayer and sing a little while driving to their first appointment of the day. How about taking a Bible or discipleship book with them to look over at lunchtime? Is there a Bible study group at the office? At the right time, would they consider starting one? I offer to get a couple of booklets on prayer for the office to help get things started off.

How about those moms at home with 3 kids wrapped around her knees all day? Is there one day a week we can offer free childcare for a couple of hours to allow her some quality time with the “older women teaching the younger women?” How about offering a Sunday School class designed for young parents, teaching them how to pray for the family God is giving them to raise?

For all our attempts, programs and meetings to pray, are we hitting the mark for people’s lives as they really are? Our Prayer Ministry has to honestly look at the prayer needs and see how to meet them. The Prayer Ministry has to engage the members of the church.

ALL of the members of the church, or we are not successful.

The Prayer Center is a focal point and a real, tangible entity that says “Prayer R Us.” It is a refuge, a place of information and a visual of what prayer CAN look like. But, it is only the beginning. There is so much more we have to provide to make the difference that is needed, and to reinforce the existence of having a Prayer Center in the first place.

I have found that once someone is introduced to prayer in another area of the church,

they are 10 times more likely to visit the Prayer Center and give it a try. Then, they are enriched and have their prayer borders expanded through that experience.

Let’s empower our congregants through prayer events like conferences, Sunday Schools and special times of mentioning prayer from the pulpit. Pastor, they will notice your involvement more than anyone’s, so if you can model a life that value’s time spent with God, you have hit a home run.

Enlist yourself in a weekend closeted away from the family, phone and church, and tell them what you are doing. Let them in on the secret hide away with the Lover of Your Soul: Why is that satisfying? What are the benefits? Is it worth the expense and sacrifice?

The Prayer Center is like the soil where all of this prayer ministry can grow and be watered. But, like a good farmer, we share the fruit of our labors, sending it out into the marketplace for distribution and consumption.

At first, some people may be hesitant to come to a Prayer Center to pray, but through vision casting and instruction, they soon discover the ease and benefits to having prayer a major part of their life.

How can we facilitate that small seed of prayer to grow and bloom? Let’s look at the possibilities and see what may work in your church.

Prayer Ministry Government and Operations

Every entity has a head and prayer ministries are no exception. In fact, it is a must. Proper administration and oversight are critical to the healthy success of the ministry as well as those who participate.

In our early stages, the basic leadership came from a volunteer based group, with one person designated as the Prayer Ministry Director under the leadership of our Senior Pastor. Since that time, pastoral oversight has now been transferred to a staff pastor, whose main focus is prayer and spiritual development for the congregation. All prayer activities flow under that administration.

A “Prayer Council” was established as the ‘government’ of leaders who actually coordinated the prayer activities in all areas of the church, as well as represent different departments of the church back to the Prayer Council, giving a two-way effect of prayer to departments and vice-versa.

Not limited to administrative duties, the Prayer Council also serves as a group for targeted prayer concerns on an all-church interests.

Through this Prayer Council, operations of the Prayer Center are overseen.

One group of volunteers assists in securing “pray-ers” to take one hour

commitments to pray weekly. When a campaign to recruit is launched, this team takes the task of contacting congregation members who fill out forms indicating their interest in prayer. This same team visits the new members class to pass out prayer literature and recruit as well. They also maintain the schedule board,which lists names of those taking a “prayer watch”.

A separate group is in charge of the Prayer Booths. Each Booth has a

“Booth Captain” assigned to it to maintain the Booth and keep information fresh. Fresh information for prayer is critical or those who come to pray not only loose opportunities to pray anew, but they will loose interest and eventually not return. Some Booth Captains are actually volunteers from the

various departments of the church. For example, our Missions Department already had someone interested in praying for missions, so a perfect match was made.

A third group of designated volunteers open the Prayer Center each morning at 6 a.m. and get the day started. Some of these same “openers” retrieve phone-in prayer requests from the voice mail system and requests from the email system. Other volunteers are assigned additional office duties, including the same voice and email retrieval at other times of the day.

The office of the Prayer Center houses normal office paraphernalia to carry out regular duties of the volunteers. Included is the computer used to retrieve email prayer requests and emails from para-church ministries giving prayer points for the prayer booths, i.e. the Texas, United States and Israel Booths.

One important aspect of the office usage is in connecting to the “computer generation” in that we now have an “emergency prayer request” email string. Whereas in the past, churches had “phone trees” or some other “phone” list for emergency prayer requests, we now have the wonderful contact tool of email strings.

At this writing, Hillcrest has 350+ volunteer pray-ers on it’s string, which means at anytime of day, we can send out a request of life and death nature to our pray-ers for their next available prayer opportunity. Requests are usually of a medical nature of someone in our congregation or their immediate family. However, there have been a few times when the request focused on emergency situations involving a portion of the Dallas community, or a citywide event, i.e., the Billy Graham Mission in the fall of 2002.

A suggestion for guideline purposes would include the sparing usage of this string, as well as being faithful to provide follow-up results of the situation. Nothing encourages people who pray like seeing a miracle answer to those prayer requests. Follow-up also establishes credibility with your volunteers as they can count on updates or final resolution and remove this item from their prayer lists.

At Hillcrest, maintenance staff personnel secure the entire complex at night, therefore locking all outside entries, including those to the Prayer Center.

One door armed with a push-button entry code provides entrance after closing hours to the men assigned for night watch sessions. This provides extra security for all participants, while allowing access in a controlled fashion.

Other areas of involvement for the Prayer Council include:

*Conferences on Prayer

*Sunday School teachers on prayer

*Group and Corporate Prayer Leaders

*Intercession Training – Onsite and Mobile Teams

*School of the Prophets, a meeting facilitating the gift of prophecy

*Altar Rail Ministry / After Service Prayer Counseling

*Prayer Publications

*Pre-Service Prayer Coverage to pray for the Sunday services

*Prayer Retreats

Layout and Design: Where to Start?

Prior to making selections on design and layout of a Prayer Room, House of Prayer, Prayer Center, or whatever you want to call your new ‘Prayer Place’, it needs to first be determined what the specific needs of the congregation are and how those are best answered in your new facility. All of your design and choices will be greatly determined by the size room you have been given to work with. As stated before, there is no right or wrong way to design your ‘Prayer Place’. Meeting the needs of your church and allowing the most flexibility are your basics to build upon. With every decision, remember to always have in mind that you want to make your ‘Prayer Place’ the most comfortable and user friendly it can be. Looks or function are not important to an empty room…..

Questions and ideas to consider and to ask would include:

1. Does the congregation move in prayer as individuals more than in groups? In other words, is meditative prayer a priority in a prayer room usage? This will determine information needs as well as furniture needs. In both our Chapel and Prayer Center, we have tended to err on the side of inclusion for both types of prayer where the furniture selection is concerned. See Item # 3.
2. Whether your congregation is more inclined to individual or group, you then have to ask if the pray-ers are more of a quiet nature, or do they tend to be more vocal, requiring individual space and noise control? Usually set off to the side or to the back of the main room, in some prayer centers, noise proof “closets” are built for individual usage. One I observed would have occupants set their shoes outside the door to indicate that particular room was taken. However, should the “closets” not be deemed appropriate, if you are given a large area to work with, you might choose to set apart a couple of smaller rooms to handle about 15 or less people, leaving one larger room , dedicating either area for individual prayer.

3. If there are dedicated times in your schedule for group prayer, how large is the group and what kind of square footage and furniture could best suit this need? In our church, we are blessed to have padded seating chairs for individuals available for use. At times, aluminum folding chairs were another option. Point being, movable, individual chairs are a must for group times upwards of 30-50 people.

Large, bulky furniture is not feasible unless it is in a dedicated area for groups of 15 or less. We have two such dedicated areas with “pit group” seating that are made up of 2 couches each with comfortable chairs much like recliners at the ends. In this configuration, additional individual chairs can be pulled up to expand the group. This “pit group” area works well for individuals, couples or groups up to 12-15 people. Lamps and tables round are included here.

4. As most people will be in a prayer room for upwards of an hour or more, or if in group settings you might have all night sessions, restroom facilities and water fountains are a must. When we started our Prayer Center, for security reasons, the rest of the church was locked at night, so we needed to have one restroom available for those staying on to pray. When in a design stage, if you do have choices available to you, I would suggest some type of large sink area be built as well since it gives options for communion preparation, coffee area for all night sessions, a place to water and maintain plants in the prayer area and a place to facilitate foot washing.

5. If private, meditative prayer is more popular in your congregation, you will want to provide places for intimate, quiet prayer times. We have found that even though there were five people praying individually and quietly in a room, they did not sit close to each other, choosing to be seated with distance between them, giving “buffer space.” Sound absorbing screens provide needed buffering and are not necessarily expensive. But you will want to choose their placing ahead of time and the number needed be determined. Plants and high backed furniture give visual “buffer space” without adding costs. And if you decide on having “Prayer Booths”, discussed in a later chapter, these can add an element of buffering, too.

6. What about music ever being used in your Prayer Center? Electrical outlets and sound system needs are considerations you will want to make now in the layout time. Costs will be determined by the music needs. If you anticipate having a band play in group times, your monitor requirements, speakers and their placement will be vastly different than if one guy with a microphone and guitar pickup will be used. And you may want to use instrumental worship CD’s to play during individual prayer times adding to your “buffer space” and requiring only a CD player and appropriate speakers for the room size.

7. Lighting considerations are important. Prayer people are people of the “Word”, people who want to pray over requests and information provided from around the world. They are going to need proper lighting! However, having said that, prayer people are often ones who dim the lights and snuggle up in a corner to be in the Lord’s presence by themselves, too!! Overhead lighting is great to read by or even use for group settings. But, the ability to dim those overheads will come in handy in the not too distant future, believe me. And, even turning those off and having the choice to use lamps is even better. Mix it up and provide both table and floor lamps in appropriate relationship to your furniture. You will find that both are used and appreciated.

8. Air. In Texas, good air conditioning often determines how long one can stay in a spirit of prayer……..or not. If you want to give your pray-ers the most time you can to be in the Lord’s presence, try to have an individual thermostat provided in your “Prayer Place”. What temperature was good for the 6 a.m. guys will not work for your afternoon Ladies Group. And by nightfall, you can freeze out the late-night lockup bunch pretty quick. Individual thermostats with a note reminding it needs to be turned off, or at least with a suggested temperature setting at the end of the day, keeps everyone happy and coming back often. If you do find you have a central controlled air system to work with, room fans and light weight individual throws are appreciated a lot. Even in the summer, there are ladies who need a light cover after sitting for 30 minutes.

9. Include in your design choices colors and fabrics that are attractive and comfortable. Don’t get anything people are afraid to touch or mess up. Lighter colors are more uplifting, yet show stains. Darker colors are more practical, but tend to put a somber mood in the room. We found with our new Prayer Center, a combination of both works well. Light walls, warm wood armoires and tables and cozy fabric on couches and padded chairs, keep it uplifting and yet warm for all seasons. Don’t hesitate to ask for professional help by an interior decorator or two for input. We have several in our church, so our “Decorating Committee” met with different ones to get input and even discounts on selections prior to making final decisions. Due to the size of our room, one decorator came up with three sets of 36-inch round marble-top tables with four high backed chairs each. Never would we have thought of such, but the guys love to use these for a “word” study, laying out a Bible, a dictionary, two resource books and a concordance all at the same time. Often, two men will sit at these tables, praying together during their prayer watch time. And there are some who prefer to sit at a table, taking their Bible and a few prayer requests from the prayer booths to work on.

10. Walls. I love walls, so don’t exclude this wonderful space from your design plans, covering them up with furniture, pictures or mirrors. Should you not choose to have prayer booths, walls can provide creative space for display of needed prayer information without additional budget considerations. Maps, prayer lists, pictures of foreign missions projects, space for shelving and cork message boards are all great on a blank wall. It is like having a huge prayer booth with no additional costs attached.

In a small departure from our prior House of Prayer, in the new facility we created a “Missions Hall of Fame”, by putting pictures and bios of all the missionaries Hillcrest supports in the entry hall of the Prayer Center. This again uses available space, with no real “room costs” to it, save for the expense of putting the pictures and bio information in 8 x 10 inch picture frames. It creates a fabulous entry that is unusual and functional at the same time. Adding international flags in the display, gives the entry that “world outreach” feel, and helps to keep the missions interests before your congregation. This also provides the intercessors, or pray-ers, a vehicle for in-depth information for prayer purposes.

In our current Prayer Center, one huge wall looks back at you as you enter the room. It is an odd wall. It is actually a 9’ high x 24’ wide fire wall that sits out in the room, not attached to the other walls. Behind it is a fire escape. This gave our decorating committee a challenge, but we turned lemons into lemonade with the help of our volunteer interior decorators by finding a wall sized map of the world from Mapsco in Dallas. Actually the map came in a tube in 4 sections and is applied like wall paper with paste. We took this one step further by nailing

sheet metal to the wall before applying the ‘map’, which allows you to put magnets on the map afterwards. We had our missionaries pictures put on small magnets, then placed them on the map for our pray-ers to be able to visualize

their geographical location. This has been a very popular addition .

The map is terrific during the week for prayer, but presented a challenge for it’s

looks on the weekends when our pastoral staff wanted to use that same area for serving communion. Once again, faced with a challenge, our decorating committee came up with a beautiful set of drapes hung on a rod to pull closed and cover the huge map for the communion times. They placed a light weight cherry wood table to hold communion elements in front of the curtain with a large cross placed in the middle for atmosphere. One of our male volunteers is good with wood working and built 6 portable 4’x 4’ kneeling rails that form a semi-circle around the map area, giving definition for communion times. These rails stay placed during the week and provide yet another place and way for prayer in the Prayer Center. Many people from a liturgical background find the rails a comfortable and appropriate place for personal prayer. Also, the prayer rails are great for personal ministry time during group or ‘corporate’ prayer times.

One more note about Mapsco in Dallas. They have world maps and globes in

various sizes as well as state and city maps for virtually any location in the world. And they have some flags available as well. They are one great resource center for prayer ministries.

11. How to keep up with the volunteers who come to pray? A “Prayer Watch Schedule Board.” I have seen these done very well on dry erase boards, either permantly attached by hanging on a wall, or placed on an easel, which allows you to take it with you for purposes of recruiting. I have designed two of these myself at different points, and if I can to this, anyone can.

At the office supply you will find different sizes of the dry erase boards available,

there are even some with wooden frames that can be ordered. You will also find a product that is a small roll of “Geo” tape that affixes to the board and makes lines to divide the time slots and days. There are also alphabetical letters made from the same material, which you can affix to your board to show days and hours. With patience, you can create a “Prayer Watch” board in a couple of hours. By using the dry erase markers, when people change their times, which happens often, you can update your schedule easily and quickly.

Using this large, readable, public display also allows people to see their name and the commitment they made. When you leave the marker and eraser next to the board, it give others the chance to signup at their convenience, and encourages everyone that they are part of a larger “army”, and not the only ones coming to pray.

12. Sign in book. You will want to set apart a place for this. The prayer leadership which governs the Prayer Center, sensed it was a good idea to have a sign in book for everyone to use upon entering. This has provided somewhat of a barometer for usage, although not everyone remembers to sign the book!

For security reasons, should there be any kind of incident, there will be a record of those attending at whatever hour might be in question. This could provide valuable information if ever needed.

Also, it shows the habits of the volunteers in their coming at peek times of the day, showing what times are the most popular. This helps in recruiting, since you invariably get the question of “what time is good to come and pray?”

And, it is a place to put any “emergency” information. Since we have so many choice of prayer booths of different types, the sign-in book is the only place most everyone visits. If there is an emergency prayer request, or notice of an impromtu prayer emphasis meeting, this is a place you can put this information and are pretty sure most visitors to the “Prayer Place” will see it.

13. General Information ? Keep in mind that every church and prayer ministry has events, classes or conferences that have posters and flyers that need to be displayed. Some kind of bulletin board or display sign (we actually have both, and one that is free standing) to put a poster on is ideal. A rack on the wall that can hold brochures or flyers is also handy to dispense information. You may want to put all this in one area with your sign in book, creating a ‘brain center’ for your ‘Prayer Place’, having all general information displayed in one central area.

What to do with your bulletin board or display sign at odd times? We have found that having a general sign with the various prayer meetings listed is a big help. One, it is a reminder to everyone about the regularly scheduled group times. Two, for new attendees, it provides welcome information in a readily available fashion.

What about citywide prayer events? Your leadership will need to determine guidelines about promoting outside events. There are pros and cons either way.

But, if the sponsors are people you and your church are in relationship with, there usually is not a question to displaying a poster concerning outside prayer events. This can serve as a relationship building exercise for your prayer ministry and at the same time, give your prayer attendees fresh prayer challenges and expand their ‘prayer experiences.’

14.Office? Depending on the amount of space you have, an office is of great help, but not always possible. At Hillcrest in the earlier House of Prayer, an office was not available so we made do with a closet with a lock for a place to store a phone, filing cabinet, and shelving to hold various office materials.

In the current configuration, there is an office which is used for the administration of the prayer ministry and the Prayer Center as well as housing the ministry’s computer and phone system. As the ministry grows, so does the paperwork and other duties. In a later chapter, the usage of this office is discussed in detail.

15.Prayer Booths? A relatively new concept for prayer rooms in churches, prayer booths are an excellent choice to display all kinds of information. For purposes of layout and design, you have to look at costs and square footage, because these can take up your resources. The type of booth may vary, but if you have the option, you will want to take it. See a later chapter where more detail is provided.

16. How about a Prayer Garden of some kind? Prayer gardens are another great way to give more choices and use space that is already in the church complex, needing only a few ‘outside furniture’ additions and possible landscaping. Often, you will find avid gardners who will love to start and even maintain a garden area or flower bed as a gift of their talents to bless the church.

We have one devoted saint, who for years, has donated the large three foot wide pots and all the plants and fertilizer for year round “potted gardens” at the entrance to one side of the sanctuary. Wooden benches were set next to these “potted gardens”, and instantly a type of “prayer garden” was created, providing endless hours of open space for people to come seek God.

Later, through donations from congregant members, another secluded prayer garden with a running fountain was created in a different portion of the church grounds. Lots of trees, bushes and flowers attract various wildlife and give a serene feel to the place.

17. Another aspect of the Prayer Center involves spending time in the Lord’s presence while doing Biblical research and word studies, or simply reading the Bible. As simple as this may seem, given a good Concordance, other word study tools, or journals such as “Pray Magazine” in the prayer atmosphere will benefit many people. Consider budgeting each year for resources that provide more understanding of prayer practices and Biblical concepts. There will need to be book shelves or storage of some kind to house these reading materials also. Remember, you are looking for every occasion to expand vision for the blessing and need of prayer in everyday life.

Email Source: Pray Magazine: www.praymag.com

Prayer Booths

A relatively new concept, prayer booths are very popular with people who like to pray over lists, maps and information from around the world.

You can choose a modest approach which works very well by using tables marked off with tape. One room I visited had obtained 6’ tables that were originally used in a school cafeteria. Every two feet was sectioned off, allowing 3 “booths” per table with wooden

chairs from a library set at each booth. The back wall the table was pushed up against was used to hang various maps and information pertaining to that booth. Bookends held

folders full of information, giving each booth plenty of room for seating and usage in a functional way.

A larger prayer room I visited was built like a sanctuary and had the same 6’tables, but used an entire table for each booth. This gave lots of space for creativity, giving the booth administrator artistic license to be original in presentation of information for prayer. Among their tables, they had 3-D displays of foreign missions, the compassion ministry to the hospitals and family needs for the indigent, including an anti-abortion group.

Or you can go more defined and coordinated with your interiors by ordering from an office supplier the modular office units. We had that option with the newer Prayer Center. Each modular unit, or “booth”, has a 3’ wide desk-top surrounded by 3’ deep and 6’ high padded walls. In a room that has high ceilings, the height of the padded walls is not out of place, and the height provides added sound barriers and gives the user more privacy. The padding on the walls of the modular unit allow for hanging information or pictures with push pins.

At the Hillcrest Prayer Center there is a Booth Administrator assigned to each of the

16 Prayer Booths. The various departments of the church are given a booth to display their information for prayer and are encouraged to work with each administrator to keep information current and relevant. The remainder booths are assigned topics of interest

to go along with what we feel is the call to reach “Jerusalem, Samaria and the uttermost”,

which for us is to reach “Dallas, Texas, the United States and the world, or Misisons.”

So, here is a list of our booths currently:

1.Prayer Center Information: This booth is a catch all for any pertinent prayer information that does not fall into another booth, basically. But, the primary use is to house prayer requests from congregation members. And this is a good place to remind prayer volunteers to use this information for prayer purposes only, not as information to share with their friends.

Whether personal, individual, family or business related, we have a single holder that keeps the requests for a week, then they are rotated out weekly and new ones added. The prayer request forms are available at this location and in weekend services to fill out as well. It does not have personal contact information listed as our experience has found that can result in complications or misuse.

We also encourage people to follow up with Praise Reports from requests submitted in prior weeks. This is a great encouragement to those who pray and are able to see results from those prayers.

This booth also gives instructions on how a visitor can use the rest of the Prayer Center. Additionally, unusual information of a church-wide nature is placed here in order to reach as many members as possible with urgent information for prayer purposes.

Email Sources:

Dr. Terry Teykl, a terrific speaker and source for general “prayer tools”: www.renewalministries.com and www.prayerpointpress.com

National Association of Local Church Prayer Leaders:

www.nalcpl.org

2.Family and Friends: This booth’s focus is requests for prayer for salvations, hospital visit lists and family & friends needs. The salvations are written on a small 3” x 3” square sheet and placed in a “Birthing Book” which is a photo album with sticky sheets that hold the requests.

The hospital visitation lists are provided to us by the Pastoral Care Department of the church.

We have included here books of prayers for family and friends; books that remind us of the importance of relationships and what healthy relationships look like. We find in the younger generations a sense of family and what that looks like is missing and many have questions we hope will be answered here.

3.Children: Obviously this booth is about the children of the church. The information is provided by the children’s department to the Booth Administrator, who is also a volunteer in the Children’s area as a prayer leader. This area ministers from birth to 12 years old, which is a large department and lots of kids.

Information here includes all their activities from plays, musicals, summer camp, Vacation Bible School, etc. One caution here. Even though we may have lists with names from time to time, we never allow names with pictures or do we have contact information listed. Due to the society we live in, we cannot risk personal information getting into the wrong hands.

4. Junior High: At this age, we find they are really open to write down requests and turn those in for prayer. Don’t be shocked at the incredible depth and urgency of some of the requests ---from drugs, to unusual personal relationships, extreme family issues, these requests are real and from the heart. As with all prayer requests, discretion is key, so it is good to always remind your praying volunteers, what is prayed here, stays here.

5.High School: Much the same as Junior High, but more intense in personal requests for those you do get. We have not had the volume of requests from this group as with younger ones. But their activities are far more ranging since they do drive cars, and their youth group activities reflect this same range. This age group gets more involved in evangelism, so the prayer coverage is more intense. Be sure to let your Youth Pastors and volunteers know their prayer insights are needed and welcome, and that your team will take that to heart and cover it.

6.College and Career: Because of our location close to several college campuses, we have a good-sized group of college and early career members of

our church. This aged group puts their regular requests in with the other adult members of the congregation in the Prayer Center Information Booth. What they have asked from us is to put their events that are outreaches into the college community, and to cover in prayer their summer missions trips, which last year were about a dozen with 12-20 members on each team going overseas.

7.High Timers Adult Group: This is the mature adults group in our church and they are a large contingent of the pray-ers in our Prayer Center. This booth focus’s on their interests and activities to pray over. They help as volunteers in the church and do get involved in assisting the hospital calls and ministry to families in the loss of loved ones. A needed team of dedicated people in our church family.

8.Fine Arts Department: This booth showcases the praise, worship and drama areas of our membership. As the leaders of worship times, it is crucial to cover these group in prayer on an ongoing basis. All their productions complete with crews, are an outreach for evangelism in the greater Dallas community. Holiday times are of special interest since many family members who are unsaved come to those events.

9.Pastors and staff: The leadership of our church and their families have a special place in the hearts of the prayer teams at Hillcrest. We have a special book with their pictures and bio’s to give complete information for prayer. The Booth Administrator had an idea to place a basket with river stones the size of a $. 50 piece for us to take one and put it into our pocket or change purse as a reminder to pray for our pastors and staff daily when we are away from the Prayer Center.

10. LifeGroups/ Home Cell Ministry: There are a couple hundred groups in this department that meet in homes across our “Greater Dallas Area” providing relationship building opportunities, personal prayer and outreach ministry in a home setting. Another tool to reach neighbors, these groups facilitate the Acts model of going from home to home to minister. Hillcrest has a publication listing these meeting locations and details that serves as the basis of prayer information in this booth. Pictures with names and job descriptions of the leadership are also placed on a ‘chart’ in the Booth.

11.Lighthouses of Prayer & the Badge of Honor: Two in-house ministries that reach out into the city. Lighthouses of Prayer are the members’ whose homes and offices are the base of operations for prayer-walking neighborhoods to effect a change in our city.

The Badge of Honor, a prayer ministry started at Hillcrest but spreading to other churches and cities, is dedicated to help church members adopt a Police Officer or Fire Fighter to pray for daily. These emergency personnel have submitted their names to the Badge program for inclusion. Badge pray-ers are also given any personal information about their officer, including birth date, as well as his family status if he chooses to share it. The Pray-ers send cards and even birthday greetings to their adopted officer to encourage them and let them know they are prayed for daily.

Annually we host a prayer breakfast honoring the officers and their chiefs, expressing our love and appreciation for their dedication and faithfulness in the ministry they have been called to.

If you would like information about starting a Badge of Honor program in your city, please contact my office and we will forward information asap.

12.Dallas: The Booth Administrator here collected pictures of the city and displayed them on the Booth walls to help pray-ers to visualize their town while praying. Also included are various lists of governing officials from Dallas, i.e., the Mayor/City Council and Dallas County government officials. One creative innovation was placing the church section out of the yellow pages. This lists every church in our area that has a phone !

There is a map of the school district in Dallas on the wall next to this booth. It shows what schools cover which city blocks, including high schools.

Newspaper and magazine articles are especially informative and easily obtained. The City of Dallas has a website that offers information occasionally.

13.Texas: Once again, different booths taking us from “Jerusalem, Samaria, to the Uttermost”. Decorated with Lone Star Flags and easily recognized

state maps, many email sources and lists of state officials and department fill this booth for prayer info. Again, newspapers and magazines are a great place to find information for prayer on the state level. For those of you in another state, check with your historical societies or state chamber of commerce offices at the state capital, they may connect you to state sources of info.

Email Sources: Texas Almanac: www.texasalmanac.com
Free Market Foundation ( Texas Prayer Issues): www.freemarket.org
Texas NDP website: www.nationaldayofprayer.com
Texas Statewide info: www.texas.gov
Texas history source: www.tsha.utexas.edu/handbook/online

14.United States of America: The national level has several email sources dedicated to it. Mostly giving governmental leader information, this booth reminds us to “Pray for those in authority over you so that you may live in peace.” You can let your imagination take you places here since our nation is so large and such an influence in the world.

Email Sources: Intercessors for America at: http://ifa-usapray.org

National Day of Prayer: www.ndptf.org

Presidential Prayer Team: www.presidentialprayerteam.org

Capitol Hill Prayer Partners: http://www.prayeralert.org

15.Missions: Even though we have an entryway full of information about missionaries we support, you can never have too much included on this department that basically touches the world. Our particular church has upwards of 30 teams going out annually to overseas destinations for evangelism and prayer. Whether you have those kinds of involvement or not, your church can cover those who do go. Every denomination and para-church organization has literature and maps available to you for inclusion in this Booth.

16.Israel: We felt this nation, set aside by the Lord for His people, deserved it’s own Booth. This has been a wonderful place to put historical and background information, both of the customs of the Jewish religion, as well as the brief history of this tiny nation that stirs many in the world. Again, email sources abound with details for prayer and maps exists for all the different

campaigns that garnered land in it’s growth.

Email sources: Bridges for Peace: www.bridgesforpeace.com
The Jerusalem Prayer Team: www.jerusalemprayerteam.org

Barbara Richmond Ministry: www.foryourglory.org

Maoz in Tel Aviv: intercessors@maozisrael.org

Prayer Tools

Every church has it’s own DNA and it is critical for the leaders to discern specific needs and styles of communicating prayer needs and how to handle

even emergencies as those arise.

One such need we found is in late night emergency prayer requests.

Call Late, I’ll Pray (CLIP)

Once in a while, there is an emergency situation that demands immediate attention in prayer. This ministry of prayer was started at our church when a family was involved in a car wreck and 2 members were facing life and death situations. At that moment, midnight when I got the first phone call, I called a few intercessors that I knew kept late hours or would not be bothered with the late phone call for prayer given the emergency status.

The next day, we sent out an email asking for volunteers who would serve in this emergency function and then organized those respondents in a “Prayer Chain” for after hours call for emergency prayer.

In 2004 we activitated this CLIP team when our missions pastor flew to

Banda Ache to survey the Tsunami catastrophe and called at 4:30 am for prayer about a difficult situation he and his team were facing. Again, praying in “real time” for needs that are life and death, which cannot wait til the

“office opens” so to speak.

Tent Stake Teams

Through our own prayer time in the Prayer Council, the Lord gave us a vision to create teams to surround our pastors and departments in targeted, specific prayer each month.

These Tent Stake Teams come from the knowledge that we as a church had

expanded our tent, lengthened our cords, but had not pounded our Tent Stakes into the ground, which meant praying over our pastoral staff and their departments in a consistent, deliberate fashion once or twice monthly.

Methodically, we have established a team of 3-5 people that are assigned to a pastor. They build relationship with that pastor, request specific needs for prayer from that pastor, including personal requests for their families as well.

We encourage these teams to meet with their pastor and spouse annually for a time of sharing a meal, getting to know them on a more personal level. This time is important to building relationship and getting to know one another as well. It also serves to build trust with the team, which as anyone knows who has served in military/combat situations, when we are “under fire” it is good to know who is covering your back!!

Pre-Service Prayer:

This is a small team of hand selected “pray-ers” that meet about 30-45 minutes prior to services to pray and cover that time of worship.

We sense this is important to help support our senior pastor in bringing the message the Lord wants given, as well as to pray for our congregation to

receive that word.

After a time together, this team moves to two different areas and continues to pray.

First, half of the team move into the sanctuary and walk through praying over the seats and areas where ministry takes place in the front of the room.

Second, the other half go to the stage, behind the curtains and prays with the choir, worship team and pastors for the service.

Again, both these areas being covered in prayer is for support and preparation for what the Lord wants to accomplish in these services.