The Healing on the Streets model is a simple, but beautiful way, to reach out to the lost and hurting on the streets of your town or city. It enables you to connect with your community every week, powerfully expressing God’s love in the market place, whatever the weather. We simply invite people to sit on chairs so we can pray for them.
This gentle ministry works within a loving, and compassionate environment, full of the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. It is marked by a true sense of peace. Amongst the hustle and bustle of busy shoppers, walks the Prince of Peace. Stillness falls; passers-by begin to slow and stop, as the presence of God draws their hearts…
Over time we build relationships, creating stepping stones for people to come to Jesus, and be healed along the way.
DISTINGUISHING MARKS
The Presence of the Holy Spirit
We want shoppers and passers-by, to experience, and enter into His presence. They are drawn by the Holy Spirit. Our total reliance is on the Holy Spirit, we can do nothing without Him. He is our partner on the streets
Peace
Jesus is the Prince of Peace. In the busiest of places we create a sanctuary, a safe place, an oasis where people can experience his peace. We pray from the place of rest.
Gentleness
The streets are full of broken, hurting people. We minister with gentleness and sensitivity.
“He will not quarrel or cry out; no one will hear his voice in the streets. A bruised reed he will not break, and a smouldering wick he will not snuff out, till he leads justice to victory. In his name the nations will put their hope.” (Matthew 12: 19-21)
Love
The ‘compelling love of Christ’ propels us out into the marketplace. Whether they are healed or not, people who come to the chairs for prayer should be left in no doubt afterwards that God loves them, and that here are a group of Christ passionate people who truly care and show love.
Compassion
We are a compassionate people clothed, and moved by his compassion for the lost, hurting, and broken. Compassion is expressed through our words and action.
PRACTICAL TIPS FOR HEALING ON THE STREETS
Location
Try to position yourself where you will get the most amount of human traffic. In the few hours you have on the street you want to be able to contact as many passers-by/shoppers as possible. You will need space so that you're not causing an obstruction when a crowd gathers.
Equipment
Banner. A banner with just the word “HEALING” printed on both sides. The word "HEALING" and your logo is all you need on the banner. The less religious the look the better. The 5.3m Wind Dancer Maxi banner is ideal. You can print a modern eye catching design on it. (A resource pack including designs, is available for our partners. You can contact us by e-mail (info@causewaycoastvineyard.com)
Portable PA. I recommend the Mipro MA101. It's a tiny portable wireless amplifier with a hand held mic (don't get the clip on mic). It's small, but it's powerful enough. An mp3 player to connect to the amplifier, to play gentle, mellow, worship music (soaking instrumentals are ideal). A Heavy-Duty mic stand (2+ metres minus the boom arm. This is not your standard mic stand but a thick, tall, heavy metal one with a wide tripod base.) to keep the pa off the ground, and above head height. We use a thick heavy metal stand that is stable and is not easily knocked over. (A clear waterproof plastic bag to cover the PA in the event of rain.
Hand held Mic This is not for public preaching but for crowd control, and in revival situations. We don't preach.
Six chairs. The chairs need to be sturdy enough taking health and safety into consideration. The chairs need a good straight back to allow a person to sit "square" in the chair. Six is a good starting number. If you have the space keep an extra six on stand by. Only have less if there is no room. Invest in good quality chairs. A fold-up hardwood garden chair (long back, no armrests) looks so much better than a tacky plastic one. (Check out B&Q's wooden garden chairs)
Umbrellas, Plastic storage containers and Bad Weather. Make sure there are enough umbrellas for the team, and anyone who is coming for prayer. Paper kitchen towels to dry seats. Plastic storage containers with lids are excellent for keeping literature dry and in order (try Homebase). Always be prepared for bad weather and don't allow it to put you off! If the weather is cold make sure you are well insulated and dressed for warmth (thermals rule!). Flasks of hot coffee and tea really help!
Leaflets. Leaflets advertise who you are and what you are doing. It should contain a contact number and info on Sunday meetings and the next Healing Meeting. When doing a leaflet for Healing make it specific. Don't allow guesswork. As an example it might say "Healing" on one side and on the other something like this:
Need Healing?
Do you suffer from... Back pain? Cancer? Arthritis? Fibromyalgia? Depression? Allergies? Addiction? Crippling Disease? ...or any other sickness?
We'd love to pray for your healing right now!
We are Christians from the Causeway Coast Vineyard church, who believe God loves you and can heal you today! Please take a seat. It won't cost you a thing, just a moment of your time. You have nothing to lose... except your sickness!
Follow-up Letter. This is a letter given to every person we pray for. The letter explains who we are, with details of the church and services, what we did, why we did it, and what they should now do. The letter is in an A5 envelope with a "Why Jesus", and a personal invite to the church. . Make sure you have spare Bibles and booklets for anyone who comes to Christ.
Core Team
The team consists of committed Christians regularly connecting with the life of the church. They must be part of a small group, and have the ok from their small group leader that they are of sound mind and character, i.e. they're not flaky. There has to be accountability as this is a very visible ministry and we need to protect the church and the public. The team will be committed to regularly praying for the sick on the streets, every week, or at least twice a month. They are trained, equipped and released to go. We do not allow strangers or outsiders to minister with us. This will save you from a multitude of problems that can arise later on.
Training
Training is essential, that's what the HOTS manual is about. Anyone wanting to be part of the team must meet the above criteria (see Core Team), and every prospective team member must go through this training. This ensures this model for healing on the streets remains strong. When you have gone through this training, refresh yourselves with the notes from the HOTS manual from time to time. Please contact the Causeway Coast Vineyard office, if you wish Mark Marx to come to you for a weekend of training and launching out. You can contact us by e-mail (info@causewaycoastvineyard.com)
Record Significant Healings
When there are significant healings take down the details in a loose leaf binder, while it is still fresh in your mind. Confer with your team to make sure you have all the details. Info should include the date of prayer, details of the person who was prayed for, what their condition was, and who prayed for them. What sickness or pain were they experiencing. Try to capture the spirit of the moment and include details which give a better understanding of the person's condition. What happened after prayer, and generally anything that will honour God, and encourage everyone further. Recording ensures testimonies don't become like Chinese whispers, where the story gets further away from the truth.
