• In the church ministry, your operational BASE also known as your headquarters should be strong, before you make any attempt of having branches—satellite churches
IF you want the effect of your ministry to be FARTHEST, you must pay attention to your Base.
• Prophecy to spread:
I met a pastor some years ago, the first Sunday I worshipped with them, in his church, he was not in the service.
WHEN we met some days after, I told him, the church, his church, is like a Church that has no pastor; and I asked him, WHO supposed to be the resident pastor?
HE pointed at a young man, one of his associates.
ON another Sunday service while I was with them, I heard him saying, they will start to plant branches, that there is a prophecy as regards that.
AFTER the meeting, I told him, you cannot have branches without building your base—the headquarters.
ALSO, you cannot have branches without training the Men, the people you want to send out (Mark 3:13-15).
• TRUTH
- If your operational Base, the apostolic base, is not well grounded, do not attempt to spread.
- It is practically impossible to send the people out, in order to plant branches, without training them.
- I do not care about the prophecy given to you, you need to plan, and train your people before you started sending them out.
- I believe in prophecy, however, for prophecy to be fulfilled you have a part to play, you do your part, for God to do His own part.
• Your base is very important
- There was another minister I met who also desires to have branches strongly.
THIS man took me to his house, showed to me the chairs and instruments he had bought for the new branch he wanted to plant.
THE man in question is still having his church services in a classroom in one public school.
I told him, Your goal now should not be about having branches, it should be about getting a land for your church, and move out of that classroom in a public school.
AS at the time I was talking to him, he has been in that classroom for a number of years.
I also told him about training his people especially those whom he intends to send out.
About a year after our discussion, the government of the land passed a law that government schools should not be used for religious purposes again.
AFTER the law was enacted, I did not see him again. - If you want the light of your Church or ministry to shine the farthest, you must build a strong base.
• Pay attention to training
- Your ministry cannot be rooted without training.
- If God has given you crowds, or you have the prophetic gift that attracts crowds, you need to tame some of the crowds through trainings.
- When people are impacted, they submit willingly, they make themselves available and are eager to serve: “YOUR PEOPLE SHALL BE VOLUNTEERS [willing] IN THE DAY OF YOUR POWER..." (Psalm 110:3).
- Willingness to serve is always there, when people see the demonstration of God's power.
- God would want and be delighted if you, through wisdom, change those crowds to the vessels of gold and of honour in His hand—those who can build His kingdom (2 Timothy 2:20,21).
- God has given you the crowds in order to equip them for the work of ministry.
- “And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers,
- FOR THE EQUIPPING OF THE SAINTS FOR THE WORK OF MINISTRY, for the edifying of the body of Christ.”
Ephesians 4:11,12 (NKJV)
• You as a minister, the set man for that matter, should equip the saints for the work of MINISTRY and build them up—edify them
- The twelve apostles whom JESUS trained in His earthly ministry spread the work after His ascension (Acts 6:7).
- The people you trained are the ones who will run with your vision, announce the vision and the WORK and spread it.
“Then the LORD answered me and said: “Write the vision And make it plain on tablets, THAT HE MAY RUN WHO READS IT.”
Habakkuk 2:2 (NKJV)
- You teach the people under your leadership, the things God has taught you: “AND THE THINGS THAT YOU HAVE HEARD FROM ME among many witnesses, COMMIT THESE TO FAITHFUL MEN WHO WILL BE ABLE TO TEACH OTHERS ALSO"
(2 Timothy 2:2).
YOU also can collaborate with a teaching ministry to join hand with you in order to equip them.
• Remember, there are:
I. Formal training
The Training in a classroom setting.
II. Informal training
THIS is the training of the people by exposing them to the practical aspect of the work, and give them opportunities to serve.
• By training your people, it makes them available for the work, because through the trainings they got to know the importance of what they are doing (2 Timothy 3:18,17)
THE Trainings make them effective and effectual.
- For your light, the light of your ministry, to shine the farthest, your Base must be strong; and what makes your Base strong is the capability of the people working with you.
• You will not fail in Jesus' name.
Peace!