Article by Teresa Chang
Structure can sound like a swear word to many people, especially those church leaders who love the presence and power of God. We tend to pit the idea of structure against the idea of spontaneity when, in actuality, there is no battle between the two. It’s like drinking a cup of coffee—we have to have a structure (the cup) in which to hold the coffee and convey it to our mouths. Without that structure, we wouldn’t be able to enjoy the coffee. Jesus used the term wineskin to describe such a structure and said we needed new wineskins for new wine. As a church leader, if you are trying to bring a greater expression of God’s presence and power to your church, you need to build “wineskins” that will support it. This is key for church health.
Begin to think strategically, asking, “What kind of groups do we need? What kind of ministries do we need?” At its core, prophetic growth on a church-wide scale looks like new prophetic ministries that allow you to bring the presence of God more effectively and tangibly to your congregation.
At the same time, however, try not to build specialized prophetic groups until you have integrated the prophetic into the general ministries of your church. The two primary venues for general prophetic ministry are your large weekly public meeting and your weekly church small group gatherings. Be sure to provide ongoing training in supernatural prophetic ministry in both settings.
Suggested Prophetic Ministries
1. Build a bullpen of worship leaders and musicians.
One key prophetic expression is worship. Worship leaders help us engage God’s power and presence; therefore, much of our energy should go into cultivating not just a worship team but a worship community. Build a “bullpen” of worship leaders and musicians, and then on a semi-regular basis (every quarter, for instance), meet with those people, hear the voice of God together and set your prophetic goals for that season.
2. Understand the importance of intercession, and raise up your intercessors.
A second important prophetic ministry is intercession. Some church cultures don’t put much value in prayer meetings, but until every soul is saved, we have reason to pray and contend. Until every body is healed, we have reason to pray and contend. Obviously, we are not contending against God; we are contending with Him against circumstantial and demonic forces that are hindering the full expression of His Kingdom. That requires an intercessory process, for the “effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much” (James 5:16).
We have a role to play in the intercessory world: We get to partner with God for outcomes.
Prayer does two things: It truly does shift the heart of God, but it is also the crucible in which our desires are refined. As we seek the Lord, we become more like Him and, therefore, more in tune with Him and what He is doing. Worship and intercession are two ministries Pastor’s Coach encourages every church to replicate.
3. Build prophetic teams and a prophetic community.
We also encourage churches to build prophetic teams and prophetic community, both of which can assist people who want to grow in their prophetic gifts. Prophecy can spill over into other ministries at your church as well, such as inner healing; deliverance; and counseling to help individuals overcome past hurts, addictions and other kinds of life-controlling problems. Each of these ministries depends strongly on the prophetic gift.
The key to maintaining prophetic growth is reinforcing the vision for it again and again.
Tell your church, “These are our values. We are creating culture and a lifestyle that correspond with our values, and we’re making prophetic growth a primary purpose of our gatherings so we can experience more of God’s presence, power and divine purpose. This will help us become the thriving church He created us to be.”