THE BANKS
OF THE RIVER

This is the eBook version of the chapter in the booklet
Revival - The Battleplan.

Back to CONTENTS of Revival - The Battleplan

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Following the writing of my first book in 1993 I woke up one day with a 'vision' of a National Administration Centre to serve the whole Church. This was awesome and I had no idea as to how this establishment could be brought about, but I believe it as an important facet of what God desires to see in place prior to His release of a mighty outpouring of His Spirit in Revival: the downpour envisaged will be so huge that the present streams and pools on their own will be too small to prevent wastage. The streams themselves will, whilst within, be able to retain their particular general flavouring / identity / character / traits, but:

The Lord wants to pour his rain - He wants a deluge - but not for it to be received in a quagmire or marshland or run off to oblivion.
He wants the downpour and the bulk of the rain to be accommodated on a river bed - with banks to guide it along - He wants to fill the streams that as they overflow, the banks of the river will accommodate the needs of the catchment for the expansions needed. There are actual millions that God wants to bring into these streams (and pools) in this river.

God's timing involves the formation of banks
for the river to flow into first.

This involves the setting up of an administrative team to steer the services needed of/for all the constituent members. It is a coordinating body matching up the needs with the giftings and resources. The banks of a stream are too narrow and constrictive to facilitate the needs and demands of a river:

The Centre will help to facilitate the linking of streams, nets (i.e. networks) and many functions such that where there are needs they will be linked to where there are giftings to meet those needs. This in practise will be enabling banks to be built for the river, increase the effectiveness of the downpour and spread life continually to all it touches.

In an effort to do something to help this vision become a reality in November 1993 I discussed the need for such a centre with Clive Calver of the Evangelical Alliance. Without realising it at the time I had begun to restrict this vision by giving it a name and focusing on the needs of Charismatic Evangelicals. I named it a Federation of Charismatic Evangelicals. I did express however that the information and linking facilities would be open for all to use.

It was not until the beginning of 1995 that I received further insight into how this vision is to become a reality. It was not necessarily by starting from 'the top' i.e. nationally, but by working from the bottom, at the local level. A name which properly reflects the activities and which encompasses the whole Body of Christ was also coined: Church Services Centre. Following the launch of a Church Services Handbook in every locality, a Church Services Centre in that locality set up and run by local 'lay' co-ordinators would continue and increase the pooling and diffusing of information and resources as well as grow themselves as facilitators for that whole Christian community. I also believe the youth of the churches will be greatly used to make it happen.

Initial contents of the Handbook would include all the basic details about every regular Christian gathering/body in an area - maps would be included to pinpoint the where-abouts of venues, leadership, housegroups and unused gathering places. Basic counselling expertise and other particular giftings of each church would be included.

The co-ordinators would:

As the centre developed in 'leading' the whole local Church by serving it, a team made up of the local constituent 'servants' representing the distinct 'family groupings' would be set up. This would be done by invitation (as seen presently) and possibly on a fixed term basis so all the differing sections of the Christian community end up being justly represented over a time (a rota system perhaps). Not forgetting that irrespective of these times of service all other local church parties are worked with and alongside.

Throughout, any centre whether local or national is to be a body
without domineering/control factors
nor exclusive and isolationist practises.
For they are servants to the whole Church.

The centre (national), as its basis for existence, has a major role to play in linking up the various nets around the country. The many streams and groups as well as individual fellowships and churches exist now to cover particular geographical locations and/or sets of people. Each represent a type of net or catchment facility for that area. The Centre will enable linking up of nets everywhere so that prior to the mighty downpour a big 'fishing net' will thus exist to cater for everyone desiring to come in.

Another way of seeing all this is the building of a common wall like that of Nehemiah's around Jerusalem. Every clan or family were involved in building a particular section of wall (Nehemiah 3). It does not matter that they build slightly differently or look a bit different (that, is to be encouraged). But, not all would have had expertise in their midst in cement mixing or brickmaking etc. The coordinating centre would enable the sharing of expertise and of labour and any other things needed, like particular materials one group may have more than another and thus all giftings and resources would go where the need was greatest (within the desire of all those involved; according to the willingness of the parties).

Other benefits of such cooperation in the locality: any dangers arising from the enemy would enable fast rallying because of the communicating contacts established (Nehemiah 4); the inherant factor of sects and cults to be exclusive and isolationist will make them stand out, such that not only the local Christians would be more aware of their existence, but this will be more apparent to the whole community and mark out the genuine Body as God's Church.

For far too long the divisions within the Church have dishonoured Christ's Name and prevented His blessing to be poured out as expressed in Psalm 133. For where brothers dwell together in unity, there the Lord commands a blessing. How can He command a blessing when they are not dwelling together in unity?

As the believers of localities begin and increase their love and working together, God's blessing on them will be increasingly visible. They will be lights rising up in that area of the country. As these grow from community to community and fuse together the whole nation will be caught up in the radiance and warmth of Christ's love.