WORKSHOP OFFERINGS

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Grounded by a scriptural and theological framework for how God communicates with humans, participants learn about and practice hearing/discerning God’s voice. Part class and part lab, participants will practice listening to God together and will consider the role hearing God’s voice plays in prayer ministry, revival leadership, prophetic ministry, intercessory prayer, and discipleship.

In 1 Corinthians 14, the Apostle Paul tells the Corinthians to “follow the way of love and eagerly desire gifts of the Spirit, especially prophecy.” We do well to heed Paul’s instructions, especially in a season of spiritual decline and deadness. Prophetic gifts and ministry are needed to activate God’s people and stir them to spiritual life. But in many of our churches, prophetic ministry is understood little and practiced even less. Participants will learn about and practice prophetic ministry, including a Biblical framework, helpful guardrails and guidelines for how to practice and test prophecy in a way that is decent, in order, and edifying to the church and its members. 

Perhaps no concept is more essential in a post-Christian secular moment than revival or, in the words of Tim Keller, “gospel renewal.” Participants look at revival from a theological, Biblical, and historical perspective and discover why seeking God today for revival is critical in our time. Participants will also receive practical tools for preparing for and stewarding revival in their own lives, families, and churches. 

Participants will learn the art and technique of prayer ministry—how to pray for physical healing, inner healing, and deliverance in a ministry context. Part class and part lab, participants will receive prayer ministry as part of the training.

Revival is nothing if not a breach of the spiritual status quo. Leading in a revival, therefore, is very different from the kind of leadership that maintains the status quo. This workshop will prepare leaders for some of what they can expect to see in a time of revival. Participants will learn about tools that will help equip them spiritually and tactically to lead in revival. 

As in the story of Elijah in 1 Kings 18, we need God to show up in our time of spiritual decline. Only God can send fire from heaven. But as with Elijah, it is our job to build the altar on which the fire falls. We do this through prayer and creating cultures and communities and spaces of extraordinary prayer in our churches. One challenge we face is that so many of our prayer meetings are rote and boring. Prayer meetings that are boring to us are probably boring to God as well. How do we build a culture of prayer and altars of prayer on which the fire of Heaven can fall? This seminar will equip leaders in prayer leadership and facilitation to do that. 

Walter Wink wrote: “History belongs to the intercessors who believe the future into being.” If there is any task or discipline we are called to in a time of spiritual decline and deadness, it is intercessory prayer. The church needs to activate members of its body who will stand in the gap between the life of heaven and the deadness of our age and wrestle in prayer for the spiritual authority to call down heaven on to the earth. This workshop is half class and half lab. Participants will understand the Biblical basis for intercessory prayer, learn about the intercession U curve, and practice interceding together with debrief and learning at the end.