This private forum is for those whose are passionate about ministering Spirit Baptism for empowered witness and ministry.
If you have found this site, you have been invited to participate in the dialogue.
Would you each take a moment and introduce yourself and your ministry (please provide a website address too).
Tim Enloe here...
ReplyDeletewww.enloeministries.org
We've done "Holy Spirit Conferences" for almost 18 years now.
Allow me to begin the discussion by briefly introducing myself. I am Denny Miller an AGWM missionary to Africa. I head a ministry called the Acts in Africa Initiative (www.ActsInAfrica.org). Our mandate is to work with our 50 national AG churches in sub-Sahara Africa in calling for a powerful new Pentecostal awakening in our churches resulting in the greatest evangelism, church planting and missions in the history of the African church. Our primary initiative to help bring about this result is the Decade of Pentecost (www.DecadeofPentecost.org) launched by the Africa Assemblies of God Alliance (AAGA) last year. The goal is to see 10 million new believers baptized in the Holy Spirit and mobilized as Spirit-empowered witnesses. Other goals involve evangelism, church planting, indigenous missionaries, and unreached peoples. I am excited about this blog and hearing from and getting acquainted with people of like-minded passion.
ReplyDeleteNate Ruch
ReplyDeleteNorth Central University & Center for Youth and Leadership www.northcentral.edu and www.youthandleadership.com
I've been preaching and teaching to teenagers and youth pastors for the last 20 years. I currently speak in AG youth camps and conventions both in the US and Canada, as well as work with emerging church leaders at our school.
I'm Bill Juoni, an Assemblies of God evangelist and the name of our ministry is Fresh Fire Ministries. After pastoring Assemblies of God churches for 20 years as a Senior Pastror, 12 years ago God called us to travel as evangelists. The main emphasis of our ministry both here in the States and overseas is the baptism in the Holy Spirit and living the Spirit-filled life. Our ministry Website is: www.billjuonifreshfire.com
ReplyDeleteMy name is Ron Auch. I am the pastor of Prayer House Assembly of God in Kenosha, WI. I am very burden for the lack of Spirit Baptism and Spirit life in our churches. I travel as well teaching a conference called, The Jesus-Sensitive Conference www.jesussensitivechurch.com which challenges pastor to go back to making a priority of praying for people to receive this gift.
ReplyDeleteHi. I am Dick Gruber. I have worked with children since the spring of 1975 and currently serve as the Children's Ministries Specialist at Valley Forge Christian College in PA.
ReplyDeleteMy Wife, Darlene and I have preached in A/G and other kids camps for the last 30 years. We have taught on, assisted and witnessed many children receiving the Baptism in the Holy Spirit. Check me out at www.dickgruber.com, www.cmuo.com, or www.childrensministrytalk.com. I am excited about this forum. Billy Burns should be invited to participate. He runs the Ignite conferences. God bless.
Dick, please send the link to Billy Burns.
ReplyDeleteGary Grogan here, lead pastor at Stone Creek Church in Urbana, Illinois Wanting to be Spirit-led more than ever!
ReplyDeletePastor Don Smith here from Fort Worth, TX and we are seeking to see every member of our church not only having been filled with the Holy Spirit baptism, but actively living under Holy Spirit influence and involved in Spirit-led ministry!
ReplyDeleteWelcome everyone...so far! I sent out invitations to all of the contributors to the "Helping Others Receive the Gift" book and a few others that are passionate about ministering Spirit Baptism.
ReplyDeleteI will be sending each person an invitation to become an author on the site, that will enable you to post and begin discussion threads. It only takes a minute to accept and sign on. Then, feel free to post.
The goal is to make this a clearinghouse of information about ministering Spirit baptism in diverse venues and to be a source of encouragement.
"billy@billyburnsministries.com"
ReplyDeleteShane Wilson...Life Groups Pastor at Christian Life Assembly in Camp Hill, PA. Hungry for CLA to experience MORE of the power of the Holy Spirit!!!!
ReplyDeleteswilson@christian-life.com
ReplyDeleteKen Cramer...Senior Pastor at Lighthouse Worship Center in Hayes, Va. We have served Lighthouse for 20 years and have preached in over 20 nations. We have a passion to see people live Spirit empowered lives of significance. kfcramer@gmail.com
ReplyDeleteChris Foster....Lead Pastor of New Life Church in Lancaster PA. I pray God rocks us!
ReplyDeleteThis issue of pastors not preaching on the baptism in the Holy Spirit is very important to me. In Africa we are seeing a decreasing percentabe of our members being filled with the Spirit. Recent statisticas reveal that only about 16% of those coming to Christ are being filled with the Spirit. This, I am convinced, is because most of our African pastors are simply not preaching on Spirit baptism and praying with their people to receive. It is my experience, after having preached on the subject hundreds of times in 30 countries in Africa, that when the message is preached and people are given an opportunity to receive, many are immediately filled with the Spirit.
ReplyDeleteA primary goal in the Acts in Africa Initiative is simple: we seek to get each of our 65,000 pastors to preach regularily on the baptism in the Holy Spirit and then pray with their people to receive trusting God for the results. If this will happen, millions of Africans in our AG churches will be filled with the Spirit.
So, why are they not preaching the message? Here are some of the possible reasons. I would love to hear more discussion on some of these possible reasons:
1) Lack of understanding concerning the purpose value, and necessity of Spirit baptism (see my previous comments).
2) Lack of confidence in Jesus' promise that he would give the Holy Spirit to those who asked (Luke 11:9-13). Preachers doubt that people will be filled, so they don't bother to preach on the subject.
3) Spiritual dullness (on the part of both preacher and congregation). The Spirit is not actively working in lives.
4) Fear. This includes fear of "closet non-Pentecostals" in the congregations and fear of failure. We fear that if we minister on Spirit baptism and none are filled, we will look less competent, less spiritual, etc.
5) We simply don't know how to effectively pray with people to receive the Spirit, so we avoid the subject. www.DecadeofPentecost.org
Gerry Stoltzfoos, Lead Pastor of Freedom Valley Worship Center in Gettysburg, PA, a church planting church. www.freedomvalley.org
ReplyDeleteHi Marshall Eizenga, Lead Pastor of Waterloo Pentecostal Assembly in Waterloo Ontario Canada. www.waterlooassembly.org.
ReplyDeleteI believe since the early church was Pentecostal every Christian should want to be Pentecostal! My desire is to see people in my church appreciate the presence and the power of the Spirit of the Lord, seeing His impact through their lives on a daily basis.