Ordinary People doing the Extraordinary with God

It always amazes me how Jesus chose such a rough bunch as His disciples… just ordinary guys, doing their ordinary jobs, living their ordinary lives, and then He calls them to do extraordinary things with Him.

And really, not much has changed since that time.  He still calls the ordinary person to set time outside of their ordinary lives to do extraordinary things with Him.  This is one of the reasons I love my role in Ellel because I see our prayer ministers, who come from all walks of life, setting aside their ordinary lives to be a part of what He is doing in someone else’s life.  What a privilege!

It would be easy to think that these people who minister to others are some kind of super-Christian, have reached some level of faith or trust in God that sets them apart, or that they are ‘spiritual enough’ to be a part of what God is doing.  Yet, that isn’t the model Jesus used and it isn’t the model He uses now.

All our prayer ministers have experienced the healing power of God in their own lives and they want to share with others what God can do for them too.  That’s why they do what they do. And that is why God wants them to be a part of His work in other people’s lives.  Not because they have it all together and have reached a level so they can look down on someone in need, but because they can come alongside knowing something of the journey and, more importantly, the faithfulness and love of God.

Balancing the heart of wanting to help others and the need for training is a major part of how Ellel operates.  We take our training seriously, because we take the privilege of helping others seriously, and we want to get it as right as we can. We are not perfect, nor are our prayer ministers, but we work hard to ensure that our guests have a positive and safe experience.

Add to the mix the cultural complexities and geographical differences of an international organisation, it became evident that we needed a more standard approach to how we minister.  An approach that incorporates all of the insights and principles the Lord has taught us through the many years of Ellel Ministries.  So last year we introduced the Best Ministry Practice (BMP) and recorded some training to accompany it.  This training has been used all over the world to bring clarity to the way we minister.  We are really encouraged that our prayer ministers loved the teaching, and many have shared how helpful it has been and how much more confident they feel about their role.

But what about you?  Have you ever considered joining the Ministry Team? We are always looking out for those who would love to share God’s heart with others and be willing to be trained to do so.  You may think you are not the right kind of person, or not academically qualified enough, or you are not ‘healed’ enough.  I am fairly sure Jesus’ disciples felt that way too, but they answered His call and the rest, as they say, is history!

You can read more about being on our Ministry Team on our website or feel free to contact the Ministry Manager of your nearest centre to talk it through.

Associate Ministry Team – Ellel Ministries UK