A searchable, downloadable PDF of the original article appears below. The Rev R. Carter Blaisdell is National Coordinator, Spirit Alive, and Associate Director, Presbyterian & Reformed Renewal Ministries International, Black Mountain, North Carolina.
Spirit Alive is unique in the Presbyterian and Reformed world. It is the only congregational renewal program which has a multi-year approach for assisting congregations to come alive for Jesus under the inspiration and power of the Holy Spirit.
Biblical Basis
The biblical basis for Spirit Alive comes from Paul’s journeys with other believers to establish and strengthen churches. Paul’s traveling teams testified to their faith and experiences with the risen Lord Jesus Christ, encouraging and edifying the believers and offering hope to non-believers.
Spirit Alive works on the same principle of sending teams to churches to testify, teach and pray with members in order that the Body of Christ might be built up in faith and witness.
Teams teach, witness and minister
Visiting team members share their life’s struggles and their victories in Jesus Christ. Each team will reflect a variety of backgrounds, ages and experiences to meet the unique needs of a congregation. No team has ever been the same for any of the 82 Spirit Alive missions conducted over the past eight years.
This is not textbook theology. It is Jesus Christ alive in his people through the presence and power of the Holy Spirit.
During a Spirit Alive mission church members hear through team visitors Jesus Christ calling them to search within and without, to repent, offer and receive forgiveness, restore and celebrate his redemption. They often witness the finger of God touch a life.
Since the team has but a few days, they stick to the basics of the faith and are also available to listen and minister to those drawn to them.
There are a lot of wounded people in the Church. But spiritual, mental and emotional growth and healing begin to occur as people hear other lay and clergy visitors share their struggles and victories in Christ.
This is not textbook theology. It is Jesus Christ alive in his people through the presence and power of the Holy Spirit.
Prayer is paramount
Even before the Spirit Alive team visitors arrive, church members will be anticipating what God will do during their mission. They will have heard how God had been answering the prayers of their prayer committee during the six-month preparation period.
When visitors pray they often convey the love and power of God to those with whom they pray. Church members can open up to a visitor without fear of it going through the church’s grapevine.
The topics raised during a Spirit Alive are seldom discussed in church life, but are often pondered privately. Barriers go down and spiritual growth is possible when people know they are loved and they see hope for their own life situation.
Christians learn by doing. Each mission is a learning, living laboratory of Christian discipleship.
National Coordinator’s convictions
Having been raised, and for 14 years, a pastor in the Presbyterian Church (USA) before being called to this ministry twelve years ago, I have a deep concern for the spiritual health and vitality of our Church.
My passion is to see the Church come alive for Jesus Christ to proclaim his Lordship with power, to minister to the spiritual hunger of people, and to restore the Church’s credibility and leadership in society.
Instead of losing thousands of members each year, I envision the day when thousands are added and restored to the membership of our Presbyterian and Reformed churches each year.
Having traveled across the U.S. and Canada to coordinate 43 Spirit Alive missions the past six years, I am encouraged. One of the healthiest signs is that Presbyterian and Reformed pastors, elders, and members are gathering together for corporate prayer, often through the night, repenting and saying “Use me, Lord, for the renewal of your Church.”
My pastoral experiences taught me much about the joys, fears and frustrations of the pastorate. They also made me aware that spiritual renewal is a process that takes time to build a house of prayer, study and obedience.
Approach to renewal
Spirit Alive is designed to come alongside a congregation to discern with the leaders what God is doing. We honour where a congregation and its members are spiritually and encourage a step of faith from wherever that may be. Each three to five-day mission is developed in close consultation with the pastor and church leaders and is carefully shaped to be appropriate for the congregation.
However, I have yet to see where the theme of the Lordship of Jesus Christ the first year and the Person and Work of the Holy Spirit during a second year were not appropriate.
The name, Spirit Alive, is a recognition that the Holy Spirit is the renewing agent for each congregation. We provide focus and impetus to a congregation’s renewing process.
We have high standards for Spirit Alive. Team visitors receive training at PRRMI’s Dunamis Project retreats, and Coordinators have special training retreats and are guided by our Coordinator’s Manual.
Spirit Alive brings the mountain-top experiences of a conference or retreat to the congregation. We believe the congregation is the most important context for renewal.
Gifts of the Holy Spirit
We believe it is important to keep the inner work (fruit) of the Holy Spirit and the outer work (gifts) in balance. No one gift is of higher importance than another.
While I have not personally been given the gift of tongues, other gifts have been evident in my life: exhortation, teaching, administration, and others as the occasion demanded and the Lord by his grace provided.
We agree with the guidance of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA) and the General Synod of the Reformed Church in America reports that validate the appropriate use of the gifts for today.
Through prayer God guides us to perceive his wisdom, to know what to say, and what to do. This means he inspires our preaching, teaching, prayer ministry and outreach to others.
Spiritual breakthroughs
There is nothing as awesome as when we wait on the Lord in prayerful expectation and then see him act… whether this is seeing someone come to the Lord Jesus Christ for the first time with a confession of sins and an acceptance of his forgiveness; or seeing a person’s eyes light up with joy after he or she receives a healing touch from our Lord; or seeing a couple reconciled to each other or to the church family.
Often at the heart of these spiritual breakthroughs are repentance and forgiveness. Jesus promised that he would be with us always, and through the Holy Spirit we are guided and empowered to do his ministry.
Praise reports
Letters of thanksgiving and brief testimonies come to me and to other team visitors for weeks after a Spirit Alive mission. We regularly hear pastors and members say that Spirit Alive far surpassed their fondest hopes or expectations.
The months of preparation are worth it all when I hear pastors say that their Spirit Alive mission was the greatest experience they’ve ever had in all their years of ministry.
Praise be to God for having given us his Church as the means for the world to hear and experience the joyful news of the Gospel.
This article highlights the Spirit Alive program of Presbyterian and Reformed Renewal Ministries International. If you wish more information please write or phone our Toronto office. One other program encouraging the involvement of lay people is Pastoral Care Services. Dr. Mel Steinbron has brought this program to at least ten Presbyterian congregations in Canada. Contact us for information on this program as well.