1. Session 7: GOOD PRACTICE IN THE HEALING MINISTRY
Aim is to offer healing ministry in such a way that others are enabled to flourish.
Notes page 43.

2. Good Practice in Ministry
Reading:
1 Thessalonians and
1 Thessalonians 3: And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, just as we abound in love for you. 13 And may he so strengthen your hearts in holiness that you may be blameless before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.
1 Thessalonians 5: See that none of you repays evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to all. 16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 19 Do not quench the Spirit. 20 Do not despise the words of prophets, 21 but test everything; hold fast to what is good; 22 abstain from every form of evil.
23 May the God of peace himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do this. 25 Beloved, pray for us.

3. Prepare the ground before developing a healing ministry in our churches
Review of church life - Personal
Vocational Discernment
Personal Spiritual Growth
Review of church life - Relationships
Between Members
Between Churches
With the community
Is our desire for healing ministry in our churches to do with a growing personal conviction among members? Are people being called? Or is it just a good idea, or something we feel we “ought” to do?
As healing is about peace and transformation, if we are not living this personally and corporately, the healing ministry will never flourish.
If there are deep seated hurts, then make use of Healing Wounded History by Russ Parker

4. Preparing the Ground Review of church life - Mission
Welcome
Willingness to change
Integrated part of the church’s mission and ministry
Prayer and listening to God
Every context is different
What is right here, now?
Is our welcome and hospitality good enough? Ask an outsider to test it!
Are we willing for the healing ministry to be integrated within our ministry or is it just an add-on?
Don’t try to emulate another church’s methods. What does God want here? Now?

5. How to begin a ministry of healing
Start an interest group
Small but open
Invite people with experience
Involve doctors & nurses etc
Talk and pray
Visit / Learn from other churches
Run a basic teaching course
Sermon series
The Growing a Healing Ministry course from Acorn is ideal. It doesn’t need to be taught but can be used as a self-discovery course in small groups.
Growing in Wholeness is a second-stage course to be taught.

6. Discussion with Leadership Team or Church Council
Discern appropriate methods
Intercessions in Sunday Worship
Link with Pastoral Care
Listening Ministry
Laying on of Hands
Anointing with oil
Sacramental confession

7. Discussion with Leadership Team/ PCC
Discern appropriate methods
Public and/or private ministry
Ministry to the sick & dying (home/hospital)
Deliverance Ministry
Ecumenical
Ordained and lay
Oversight?
Methods need to be appropriate to the tradition and context of the church.
Ideally lay and ordained leaders of the church should be involved

8. Making a Start Use a Prayer Board or Book Start a Prayer Chain
Confidentiality
Close the loop to ensure accuracy
Start a Prayer Group
Clear purpose – listening & praying
Time limited, structured meetings
Keep prayer boards/books up to date, eg start afresh each month.
In prayer chains and groups, avoid gossip and unnecessary detail at all costs!

9. Making a Start Identify a Healing Ministry Team People you trust
Open to learn
Growing spiritually
Don’t need to be needed too much
Will work under authority
Discernment of Gifts
Gender / cultural / age balance
Don’t just ask for volunteers.
Most members should be mature, respected “elders” of the church, but try to get some new/young/gifted people to work alongside them.

10. Making a Start Form a Healing Ministry Team Start small
Learn / train / pray together
Collaborate with others
Review, Reflect, Plan
Accountability, Reporting
Ring the Changes – people and method
Start small
Once you have got going, try new methods/approaches to avoid getting stale.

11. Before helping others…
Sawdust and planks (Mt 7.3)!
Our needs or their needs
Never think you are indispensable!
Receive and give
Collaborative not solo!
Be true to yourselves
Pray as you can, not as you can’t!
Be open to Supervision / Spiritual Direction
Be careful to explore our motivation.
We will be blessed through being involved in prayer ministry but that is not the point. Our desire must be more for others than our own benefit.
All who offer ministry must also be willing to receive it.

12. Good Practice Don’t minister alone or when tired Set boundaries
Keep learning
Be accountable
Ask for help / refer to others
Stay in touch (discreetly)
Equip others to develop the ministry

13. Good Practice Welcome people - make it easy to receive ministry
Don’t abuse or embarrass them
Seek consent
Pray in male – female pairs
Use light touch if appropriate
Don't accuse others of lack of faith
Listen, don't assume
Don’t embarrass people – some may wish to come forward very discretely. Is the place of ministry obvious (not in a back room)? Is it easy to get to (no steps or obstacles)?
Ask permission before laying on hands or touching.
Can help to touch the place of pain but avoid sensitive parts.
Always listen to the person and God before praying. Don’t assume that you know what the problem is.

14. Good Practice Gender/Cultural/Disability issues
Keep confidences, don’t gossip
Beware of collusion
Pray now and later
Release responsibility to them and God
Share testimonies, but not too quickly
Be sensitive to cultural differences.
Don’t assume that disabled people are coming for prayer for that disability.
Avoid flattery “you are the one to pray for me – you understand me – you are so in tune with God”. Keep an objective distance from those you are praying for.
Pray now if you can to save you forgetting later.
You are not responsible for the person – pray for them and support them, but release the responsibility to them and to God.
Invite simple testimonies – “God really helped me last week because…” Avoid dramatic testimonies until the healing has matured.

15. Standards and Policies
Children and Vulnerable Adults
Prepare a policy document
Confidentiality & Good Practice
Handling emergencies
What records are kept
Complaints Procedure
Health & Safety
Denominational Standards
Insurance
Decide how to minister to children. Parental involvement if possible. Ask a Sunday School leader (approved and DBS checked) to be present. Avoid private ministry.
Generally there is no need to keep records, except perhaps for cases where referrals are made or external advice has been sought.
Make sure you consider your Diocesan/Denominational Guidelines
Most church insurance covers healing ministry if carried out under the authority of the leadership. But check your situation.

16. Deliverance: House of Bishops’ Guidelines
Deliverance is to be carried out:
By experienced and approved people
In the context of prayer and sacrament
In collaboration with medical resources
Followed up with pastoral care
With minimum publicity
Always get advice and support
Anglican guidance on deliverance/exorcism ministry:. The House of Bishops’ Guidelines for Good Practice in the Deliverance Ministry 1975 (revised 2012)
It is better to ask for advice unnecessarily than to wait until you have been sucked in too far!

17. Staying Healthy while Helping Others
If your output
exceeds your input
then your upkeep
will be your downfall
Self-care is never a selfish act – it is simply good stewardship of the only gift I have, the gift I was put on earth to offer to others.
Parker Palmer
Parker Palmer, Let your life Speak, Jossey Boss, 2000, p30

18. The Sabbath
‘For one day a week, the Sabbath is a reminder that we are dispensable to work and the world, but not to our families, community and God. We need to set an example and by our use of our precious time, show that God is Lord`.
J John “Ten”
Keep an eye on your rhythms of life: daily, weekly yearly. Are we in balance?

19. Toki Miyamisha’s version of Psalm 23
The Lord is my pacesetter, I need not rush,
He makes me stop and rest for quiet intervals.
He provides me with images of stillness, which restore my serenity.
He leads me in ways of efficiency through calmness of mind.
His guidance is peace.
Even though I have a great deal of things to accomplish each day, I will not fret.
For his presence is here, his timelessness, his importance will keep me in balance.
He prepares refreshment and renewal in the midst of activity
by anointing my head with oils of tranquility.
My cup of joyous energy overflows.
Such harmony and effectiveness shall be the fruit of my hours,
For I shall walk in the peace of the Lord
And dwell in his company for ever. Amen.

20. Resources The report A Time to Heal Acorn Christian Foundation:
Christian Listening Courses
Growing a Healing Ministry
In Search of Wholeness (St John’s Extension Studies)
Francis McNutt Healing
Russ Parker’s books

21. Any Questions?

22. The End … … let the journey continue