Luke 5:17-26
" Everyone was gripped with great wonder and awe, and they praised God, exclaiming, 'We have seen amazing things today!'"
Purpose: The purpose of this ministry is to encourage, strengthen, and build a ministry-bond for saints being equipped for ministry and prepared for slaying the enemy of our souls to the glory of Jesus Christ our Lord through reading narrative Scripture, sharing, and prayer. Remember, this is how the New Testament Church operates going from house-to-house (ACTS 5:42).
Requirement: While anyone can attend, persons in credentials or educational programming must attend on session a month or more during their programming. This program is also coordinated with the Ministry Limited Believers who cannot attend a normal weekly worship service.
Narrative Scripture: These are the parts of the Bible principally in story-form. Narrative Scripture also lends itself to the participant's personal discovery about the attributes of God, life principles, Bible personalities and events.
Pastoral Lead: This is the person who assigns and schedules the Pastoral facilitator.
Pastoral-FaciIiltator: Because this is primarily a narrative reading ministry, a facilitator who reads well and has a warm, mature, and encouraging spirit is required. While Bible knowledge is always acceptable, it is not required. Facilitators can learn and discover as they read.This is not for the person who desires to lecture or has a personal conviction to demonstrate personal Bible knowledge.
The greatest virtues of the facilitator are the abilities to demonstrate a spirit of care, concern, and facilitating mutual sharing. The facilitator must not insist on persons sharing or reading, and is particularly sensitive to the fact that everyone does not or may not have the ability to read.
Facilitator Covenant Period: The facilitator will participate for a predetermined period. The facilitator must open the line 10 minutes before the start time.
Facilitator Absence: The facilitator must inform the Pastoral-lead at least 24 hours in advanced. It is understood that emergencies occur. However, generally speaking the facilitator must be conscientious about this responsibility.
Each session must not be bogged down. So good flow is always a concern. Finally, the facilitator has doctrinal flexibility. The facilitator must not emphasize any doctrine. While doctrinal issues may arise from a participant, the facilitator must not attempt to teach any denominational dogma. The key phrase to respond to anyone asking questions about denominational doctrine: " No single text can completely describe any doctrinal position. Every person has the right to believe as desired.
We hope that there is a thorough study before any participant reaches a decision on doctrinal beliefs based on this program."
Recommended Bible: Facilitators need to have a contemporary Bible. The preferred reading Bible is the New Living Translation. Other similar reading Bibles: New International Version, Amplified Bible. Participants can have any acceptable version: King James, New American Standard Bible, etc.
Communicating and Participation: The sessions are held by conference call. The Facilitator will provide the number, and passcode. Participants should limit background noise and distractions. A computer is not necessary, but the facilitator can use the Vyew platform, or other A3CEES web-based facilities so participants can see the facilitator. This is an option and not required.
Cost: Each participant is responsible for the cost related to the phone call or computer time where applicable.
Volunteering: Adult-students and credential candidates are required to attend once monthly. Participants are not required to attend. Attendance is open to all comers. All participants are subject to the policy in this guideline, and should arrive on time.
Time Sessions: Sessions will last one hour in duration. The reading period is usually about 50 minutes and prayer period 10 minutes.
Prayer Requests and Prayer Limitations/Etiquette: Due to the limit of time, the facilitator will ask for prayer requests. The facilitator will ask for volunteers to pray. Persons praying must avoid praying about the details of anyone's personal life. Examples of too much detail and unnecessary disclosure:
Example 1:John and Mary Doe have marital difficulties. "Dear Lord you know we pray that John will stop beating Mary like he did last night."
All that is necessary is to pray for the healing of the marriage.
Example 2: A wayward son or daughter. "Lord we pray for Jane. She's living as a prostitute." All that is necessary is to ask that Jane be delivered from her life style.
Example 3: The Jones family is having a new home built. This does not mean the Jones' should not be in prayer, but we want to safeguard against persons who want to indirectly indicate their status or material possessions. Save this kind of prayer for yourself and personal friends.
However, if the Jones' don't have a home, and they seek a place to live by all means this is a matter the group desires to collaborate in prayer.
Example 4: Mary is given a terminal prognosis. "Dear Lord we pray for Mary. Her family does not care. There's no money to bury her..." Lord, we pray for Mary. You know the doctor's conclusion. You know the family support for her. Lord guide me on what I need to do.
The bottom line is that you can pray all the detail you desire when you are alone. But when the prayer is shared before others we need to use discretion. We do not desire to gossip through our prayers. We do not desire to enable materialism. The most mature prayers are those emphasizing kingdom building, support for persons working in ministries and preparation for ministry.
Other Limits and Liabilities: Every person who participates, willingly participates according to this covenant. Each person promises to operate according to this covenant and indemnifies A3CEES and A3CEES assigned pastors, teachers, and others from errors, omissions, liabilities, or encumbrances from any facilitator or participants in the program. As a result, A3CEES information will never request any personal information other than email addresses. We do not recommend any participant giving any information other than an email address, and it is the complete responsibility of the participant should the participant provide any information beyond the policy in this covenant.
Typical Session Activities:
-Welcome
-Announcement of Scriptures for the evening
-Begin reading...
-Ask questions apparent in the reading.
(Example: In the Beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Question: So based on the Scripture, who created the earth?)
-Once an assigned text is read, ask what are some of the facts or principles we discover?
-Move on to other assigned reading passage
-End reading after 50 minutes.
- Share praying...
Time:
Monday nights: 8:00 pm Central starting with Exodus 11 and John 6
Thursday nights: 7:00 pm Central starting with Genesis 31:17 and Luke 14:15
Phone number: 213 226 0400 passcode: 807512
Note: Adult-students, Credentials Applicants cannot be late to fulfill the monthly requirement. Please take this very seriously. You are provided 5 minutes of grace and mercy. At 7:06 it is too late. The facilitator has the time. Be sure to sound-off your name and give the name of your assigned administrator or program mentor.
A Ministry of the Association of Christ-based Clergy, Counselors, Educators and Educational Systems (A3CEES)