GVC - MINISTRY TEAM MANUAL

GVC - MINISTRY TEAM MANUAL

MINISTRY TEAM

 “ And God gave some apostles, prophets, evangelist, pastors and teachers for the equipping of the saints for the works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up..."       Ephesians 4:11 - 12

A. THE PURPOSE OF THE MINISTRY TEAM:

 Is to assist the moving of the Holy Spirit in the meetings. Under the direction of the Team Leader, the Ministry Team’s goal is to release God's Love, Power, Healing, Refreshing and Anointing to those individuals who indicate a desire for prayer. The team member is to edify, exhort and comfort them while being a "midwife" in assisting the Holy Spirit to give birth to whatever He wants to within each individual. (To minister means to serve).

 B. WHAT MINISTRY TEAM STATUS IS NOT:

an in-depth ministry involvement.
a license to issue rebukes of any kind.
a license to issue corrections or directions of any kind.
a license to give counsel of any kind.
an authorization to perform deliverance of any kind without checking with team leaders.
a life membership - you may be asked to step down for a season of personal renewal.

C. WE EXPECT YOU TO:

have the heart motivation of a SERVANT.
submit any specific prophetic words to team leaders first.
be accountable to team leaders.
commit yourself to specific scheduled meetings and inform team leaders if you can't be there.
attend pre-scheduled ministry sessions.
attend on-going training modules when offered.
come 15 minutes ahead of meetings for preparation and prayer.
complete a curriculum that we are involved in researching (suggestions are welcomed).

D. THE COMMITMENT OF A MINISTRY TEAM MEMBER

Personal Holiness

a. Prayer

1. Pray each day for the meetings that you know are scheduled.
2. On the day your team is serving, you must be at the meeting 15 minutes early to prepare your own heart and intercede for the meeting.

b. Obedience

1. Make extra-ordinary effort to avoid sin. Watch for: (a.) distractions in your mind and emotions, (b.) Personal conflicts. 
2. Cheerfully submit to requests and correction of GVC leaders.

c. Service

1. Make every effort to be at the meetings when your team is serving,
2. Be prepared to stay as long as people want ministry.
3. Keep on guard for physical and emotional attacks which will be aimed at convicting you that you should not work on the team. 

E. PRAYER TEAMS

a. Make-Up of Teams

1. Each team will be made up of released people who are notified before-hand (we hope).
2. Husbands and wives do not have to be on the same team. However, it is useful if they are available to work together.
3. Members of different churches may join the home ministry team during renewal meetings.

b. Facilitators

1. Make sure all team members receive all important communications.
2. Make sure all team members are present on the day/night of their assigned service.
3. Try to insure that no unauthorized people minister in your area of the sanctuary. Monitor the situation carefully if an unauthorized person begins to minister.
4. Keep a lookout to make sure everything is going smoothly.

F. THE VITAL QUALITIES OF A MINISTRY TEAM MEMBER

In order to serve on the Ministry Team for ministry times during services and special meetings, each member must exhibit certain qualities in their lives and agree to minister within the guidelines established by the GVC leaders.

  1.  Born again.                                                 
        - John 3:3; Romans 6:23
  2.  Spirit-filled                                                                                 
        - Ephesians 5:18
  3.  Exercising the gifts of the Spirit                              
        - 1 Corinthians 12
  4.  Manifesting the fruit of the Spirit                           
        - Galatians 5:22-25
  5.  Considers the way Jesus "walked and modeled living"
        - John 2:25; 1 Samuel 16:7
  6.  Willing to receive ministry as well as give it
        - Proverbs 3:11; 12:1; 13:1; 15:32
  7.  Well-versed in the Scriptures
        - 1 Timothy 4:6,7;  2 Timothy 2:15; 3:16
  8.  Active member of this church or released guest
        - Hebrews 10:25; Romans 12:4-5
  9.  Denominationally neutral in ministry if a guest  
         - 1 Corinthians 3:3-11
10.  100% committed, ready for anything, wholly available to the Lord
         - Hebrews 12:1,2; 2 Timothy 2:3-6; Romans 12:1
11.  Obedient to the Holy Spirit                                         
         - Romans 12:2
12.  Walking in forgiveness as a lifestyle                     
         - Matthew 6:14,15
13.  A person of prayer
         - 1 Thessalonians  5:17; Romans 8:26-27; Ephesians 6:18
14.  Know who you are in Christ
         -  Romans 8:1; 1 John 4:4; Ephesians 1:19-20
15.  Trust the Holy Spirit for the anointing to perform the task at hand
         -  2 Timothy 1:6-7

G. ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS FOR TEAM MEMBERS

1. You must already be faithful in ministry the Lord has given you.

2. You should be free from ambition and the desire for recognition.

3. You should demonstrate a servant's heart.

4. You should sense a call from God in your life to serve in this capacity.

5. You should be recognized by your peers as a Godly person.

6. You must be released by the pastoral staff to minister (submission and authority).

7. If married, your desire to minister must be confirmed by your spouse (needs of the home to be met first before ministry)

8. Who you are and what you do is more important than what you say.

9. You should not be in need of a "physician" yourself.

10. You must be willing to submit to the model for prayer and ministry established by this church’s pastoral staff. You must be willing to lay aside your own pattern of ministry if necessary when serving on the GVC team. It can bring confusion to the one receiving ministry if you express a different set of values, ministry style or theology than that of this church.

11. You should minister out of overflow. You need to be filled yourself.

In a very real way individuals who sign up for ministry teams are enlisting for front line duty in spiritual warfare. In seeking to bring the Kingdom of God into people's lives we are effectively acting as a liberating army whose aim is the freeing of individuals from their oppressor, Satan. Just as an army of liberation establishing a beach-head in enemy territory will meet with resistance, so too must we expect Satan to strike back at us in direct or indirect counter-attack. 

He will attack the works of salvation, healing and deliverance as he sees us take what he considers to be his turf. It is therefore essential to be on guard, to ensure that we have a right relationship with God and our fellow man and to understand that Satan doesn't play fair. His strongest attack will be at our weakest point at the most unexpected time.  

Remember to “dust off” or to pray for God to break off anything you may have picked up from the prayee.  However, remember that we have responsibility to keep ourselves clean since “an undeserved curse will not light.” (Proverbs 26:2) We should always examine ourselves to see if we have given place to the enemy and not just assume that we have been “cursed.” Our goal is to function in a healthy way in order to enable us to bring health to the rest of the body.

GVC has a relational model of ministry. At no time would we promote acting or speaking in a way that encourages "religious" behavior. Religious Posturing is to be a Hypocrite, a play-actor. Christianity is then seen as "just another religion" by the non-Christian world.


H. MINISTRY OVERVIEW

1. MIDWIFE MINISTRY

a. We are to help people be engaged with the Holy Spirit.
b. We can't initiate it.
c. We are just delivering the mail. Illustration: UPS driver 
d. We are part of a team ministry not a one man show.

2. BE SENSITIVE AND CARING

a. People who want prayer are exposing their vulnerability. 
b. "Does God really love me?"
c. Try to remember what it is like to go up to strangers asking for prayer.
d. Pray for others, as you would have them pray for you.
e. Remember that you may be praying for people with communicable diseases. Be wise but not fearful.

3. GENERAL NOTES

a. Stay aware to act naturally supernatural. Be yourself. Don’t act or speak with religious behavior or language. Don’t pray by rote. Stay focused. Pay attention to what you are speaking and doing.

b. Make the prayer time an opportunity to make sure they are saved. If prompted by the Spirit – ask.

c. Pray in English as much as possible. Let them hear what you are asking God for them. Use good manners.

d. Pray in the Spirit softly - when possible.

e. Don't just shake in front of them. Avoid hand movement close to their head. Your goal is give prayer without distraction - if possible.

f. Be aware of spiritual attack.

"If you forgive anyone, I also forgive him. And what I have forgiven--if there was anything to forgive--I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake, in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes."
2 Corinthians 2:10-11, NIV

I. BASIC PRAYER and MINISTRY MODEL

The Five-Step Prayer Model

1. The Interview

a.Conducted on two planes: Natural and Spiritual

b.This is not a medical interview

c.The interview is complete when:

1]. You know the cause of the condition
2]. God has told you what to do

2. The Diagnostic Decision

a. Is it a natural condition?
b. Is it a spiritual condition?

3. The Prayer Selection

a. Intercession to God

b. Communication from God

1]. Command
2]. Pronouncement
3]. Bind/rebuke/expel demons

4. The Prayer Engagement

Prayer ministry

1]. Keep your eyes open and look for supernatural phenomena.

a. Ask questions

"How are we doing?"

b. Stop praying when:

1]. The prayee indicates it's over.
2]. The Spirit tells you it's over.
3]. You can't think of anything else to pray.
4]. You don't seem to be gaining any ground.


5. The Post Prayer Directions

a. Possibly a scripture verse

example: "Go and sin no more."

b. Don't lay a guilt trip on anyone

J. Five Common Ways to Get A Word of Knowledge


a. You see a picture or hear a phrase.
b. You see a newspaper-like headline.
c. You may feel or experience a physical sensation (e.g. sympathy pain).
d. You may have a general impression.
e. You may hear yourself speaking things you don't know. (You say something out loud before you think it.)

K. A Ministry Model

1. Try to pray in teams of two or three.

a. There are more people to help hear from God.

b. More than two or three prayers can be overwhelming.

c. Avoid one-on-one unless . . . 

1]. There are too many people who need prayer.
2]. It is a close friend of the same gender who has something very personal to share.

2. Never pray alone with someone of the opposite sex.

This means off by yourself with no other people around. If you do pray for someone of the opposite sex, please make sure that someone else can hear what you are praying for the safety of everyone involved. As a reminder, personal prophetic words should be submitted to team leaders first before being given.

3. Don't make inappropriate physical contact. Touch only head, tops of shoulders, outside of arms and hands. Ask permission before praying over any other areas. Have prayee place their hands over area first.

4. Make sure that the prayee is treated with respect.

5. Anything prayed for is to be held in confidence unless you have permission to share.

6. Don't give a lot of advice.

7. Do give a lot of love and acceptance.

K.  TIPS IN PRAYING FOR PEOPLE

1. When praying for individuals, watch closely what the Spirit is doing (John 5:19). If  no manifestation of the Holy Spirit comes within a few minutes, it is often wise to simply allow that person to "soak" and come back later. We have found it is even advisable to say something like this: "I want you to soak a little while, and I will be back to you later." (“Soak” means to rest in God’s presence.) Meanwhile, others will pray for them, or you can come back when you are done with the next individual. When possible, let the Spirit lead you to who to pray for next. This may not be possible if you are working down a line or people have formed a line in front of you. It’s okay to tell someone you are being led to pray for the person behind him or her and that you will pray for them next.

2. When people fall in the Spirit (called "resting in the Spirit"), keep praying for them. We do not value falling down for the sake of saying someone fell down but note that sometimes it becomes too hard to keep standing. If the prayee seems to be afraid of falling suggest that they sit down on the floor before continuing to pray for them. It seems that everyone wants to get up way too quickly. God continues to do work even when we are down on the floor. Sometimes it will be noticeable and other times it might be quiet and inward. People getting up too quickly seems to work against what the Lord wants to do. Suggest they stay and enjoy His Presence as long as they wish.

3. Generally, it is helpful to have people stand to receive ministry. This seems to allow the Holy Spirit more freedom to move. A standing position is a more active posture that a sitting position. (C. S. Lewis once said that the position of the body may express the attitude of the heart.) Be sure to put someone behind the person receiving ministry to catch him or her.

4. Be careful not to push people over. This is offensive and will backfire by causing people to grow resistant to the real thing. Try laying “fingers” on their head or forehead. Keep your touch light.

5. Don't force ministry. If the Spirit is not doing something, relax and remember that there will always be another opportunity.

6. Some groups speak of a "backwash phenomena". This means that the anointing is not received by the individual you are praying for and can actually come back on you.  Our jury is still out on this one, but is included for your information in dealing with others in renewal ministry.

People on our teams have sensed pain in their hands or parts of their bodies when touching a prayee. It appears there may be an area that is resisting the Spirit’s presence. The prayee may be unaware of such an area. Try asking the Lord to reveal areas of thought or emotions which do not line up with the Scriptures.

7. If the person has trouble receiving, you might help them do the following:

a. Help them to deal with a tendency to rationalize, with their fears, or with a loss of control.

b. Calm their fear of loss of control by helping them know what to expect. For example, let them know that they will have a clear mind, that they can usually stop the process at any point if they want to.

c. Encourage them.

d. Help them to stop thinking so much, measuring what God is doing with the mind. Tell them to let God minister to them.  They can think about the ministry time later.

e. If they are praying under their breath ask them to stop and receive. Tell them that this is their turn to be a receiver and to let the team be the givers. You may have to stop them more than once from working.

8. Pray Biblical prayers such as some of the following:

a. “Come Holy Spirit”
b. “Let the kingdom of God come on earth as it is in Heaven"
c. Ask for an outpouring of the Father's love for them and for others
d. “A deeper revelation of the Father's love in Christ”
e. Anointing for service
f. A release of the gifts and callings
g. “Bring the light and expose the darkness”
h. Note: "More Lord" is just a shortened form of blessing what the Father is doing from John 5:19

9. If you are getting "words of knowledge", pray Biblical prayers related to those words.

10. Some people have "fear of falling" issues. Help them to sit down or to fall carefully, especially if they have back problems, pregnancy, or fear of falling.

11. It's OKAY to talk to the person as you minister. However, watch out for breaking into teaching, overly explaining an issue, or getting away from what the Spirit wants to do. 

12. If your hand/body is shaking, pray with hands slightly away from the person so as not to distract them. Don't shake in front of their face.

13. Don't project what God has been doing with you on to the person for whom you are praying. For example, if you have been laughing, don't pressure them to laugh. Find out what God is doing for them and bless it.

14. Encourage the people you pray for to put testimonies in written form.

15. No directional prophecy or correction without a pastor or team leader present.

16. Renewal prayer ministry is not counseling or deliverance.  Heavy deliverance is often not necessary.  If there is a demonic manifestation, take the person out of the room with a pastor or team leader to minister to them. Remember, the Holy Spirit does the work.

17. No inappropriate laying on of hands. Be careful when ministering to the opposite sex. You can pray in the spirit (tongues) quietly, but be sure that they receive prayer in English to edify and build them up.

L. Additional Notes


1. TIPS FOR CATCHING PEOPLE

a. Please do not push or pull anyone over. Again, we do not value falling down, but we do recognize it happens often during our ministry times.

b. Do not hold anyone by grabbing their shoulders or upper back.

c. When laying hands on people, do just that. Do not rub or do other things that might be annoying.

d. When catching someone, put your hands in the small of their back. This gives people confidence that you are behind them and does not interfere with the prayer process. Made sure to slide them down, don’t try to catch their weight! Keep your elbows close to your sides as you slide them. Pay attention, some will fall very quickly with no warning. Note that SOME FALL FORWARD.

2.TIPS FOR RECEIVING MINISTRY

a.Come humble and hungry. Forget preconceived ideas and what has happened to others.

b. Experience it before trying to analyze it. It is something like worshipping God which has no rational explanation. A natural illustration is “kissing” which is more emotional than analytical.

c. Face their fears (don't be forceful but lead them):

1].  The fear of deception
2].  The fear of being hurt again or not receiving at all
3].  The fear of losing control. (This can often be seen when people try to step backward rather than fall.)

d. Focus on the Lord, not on  having manifestations like falling. Give the Holy Spirit permission to do what He wants to do. You may or may not have an outward experience. Look for the fruit of the Spirit to come in your life starting as soon as you are prayed for and in the coming days.

3. SPIRITUAL ATTACK

Spiritual attack often comes in the aftermath of ministry. It is not uncommon for team 
members to find themselves in a state of depression soon after the meetings end. This is sometimes no more than the result of returning to “normal” living. 

We have also observed that another common arena of spiritual attack is against other members of the families of team members. It is therefore important to be on the look out for one another and be prepared to give support to any team member who may find himself/herself under attack. 

13 then I stationed men in the lowest parts of the space behind the wall, the exposed places, and I stationed the people in families with their swords, spears and bows. 14 When I saw their fear, I rose and spoke to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people : "Do not be afraid of them; remember the Lord who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives and your houses." Nehemiah 4: 13-14

Source Material: From having an opportunity to minister on the team at Catch The Fire Conferences October 1995 and 1996 hosted by Toronto Airport Christian Fellowship