I have been part of the Causeway Coast Vineyard "Healing on the Streets" ministry since its inception. I have been literally on the streets every Saturday since the team was established in April 2005, except for a few weeks when work commitments would not allow me to attend. I can't think of a more rewarding way to spend my Saturday.
When it was announced in church one Sunday morning that a team of people was being set up to go into the town centre, my wife Carole and I looked at each other. We knew instantly that we would like to be involved.
We attended the training sessions where we learnt biblical principles on healing, and the practical issues involved in actually praying with people.
The first Saturday was exciting, yet at the back of my mind was the thought that I was going to be standing in the centre of Coleraine, in front of hundreds of shoppers, and would have to pray for people in such a public area.
The team has become part of the streetscape now, and it seems so natural to be there, and to see people come willingly for prayer, many of them traveling up to one hundred miles to receive prayer and healing from a merciful God.
We have people who come regularly, and they also bring family members and friends in need of prayer. We have established friendships with both local people and visitors to the area, and have been blessed with a team of people who have seen the Lord move in their lives in a powerful way.
I now arrive each Saturday expecting that great things will happen, that we will see people healed and set free from pain, addictions, depression and many different types of sickness. That people will sense and experience God's presence and accept Jesus as their saviour.
This is an ideal opportunity to show God's love, and to extend His Kingdom.
Being on the streets also gives me an opportunity to talk to people, and to share my faith, and offer support if needed. It is an ideal place to be, in relation to building your own faith, and gives you an opportunity to serve the Lord, and to impact your community, and the country as a whole.
