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Statement of Faith
The College of Prayer fills the need for more systematic training for pastors, their wives and others who are distinctly called to serve a growing prayer movement in the local church. This vision of the College of Prayer has several essential elements.
Mentor
The kingdom of God is extended through relationships. We in the College of Prayer are committed to fostering life-giving relationships. Each campus of the College of Prayer is led by servant-leaders who have years of experience in prayer-revival and church ministry. We believe that God has been raising praying people all over North America and beyond. It is our desire that through the College of Prayer, we can link these people together and fan our common passion to reach a lost world through a revived church. Each campus and module of the College of Prayer is designed so that participants can become catalytic in each other's relationships in prayer.
In addition, some of the foremost prayer leaders in the world are teachers during each module, These leaders, who have years of experience in mobilizing prayer and praying for revival, will provide strategic methods to participants to implement in their respective ministry settings.
Christian Leaders
God's method is to work in people so that He might work through people. God's women and men are His method. In this sense, everything God does is relational ... working through people. While we certainly recognize that Christian leaders include lay men and women, parachurch prayer mobilizers, and other Christian leaders and intercessors, our primary focus is on mentoring pastors. We are convinced that God's primary agent of redemption in this world is His local church and pastors are the key. "We are constantly on a stretch if not a strain, to devise new methods, new plans, new organizations to advance the Church and secure enlargement and efficiency for the gospel . . . Men are God's method. The Church is looking for better methods; God is looking for better men . . . The Holy Ghost does not flow through methods, but through men. He does not come on machinery, but men. He does not anoint plans, but men--men of prayer." (E.M. Bounds' 191 1 classic The Preacher and Prayer - now Power in Prayer.)
Reach a lost world
Our purpose is not simply to come together and learn about prayer; our purpose is to reach a lost world. That is our mission. If God only intended us to get together and pray, we could all go to heaven and do that much more effectively. However, God's redemptive plan is not so simplistic. He wants to empower us by prayer that we might more effectively reach our world with the gospel of Christ. In some modules, we emphasize fullness -- receiving revival in our own inner lives and in our churches. In others, we emphasizes fulfillment -- Christ carrying out His redemptive plan through us in the reaching of lost and needy people. In several modules, we focus on a particular facet of prayer ministry including deliverance (or warfare prayer), family prayer, missional, community, evangelistic prayer and others.
A Revived Church
North America is suffering at the hands of a lukewarm church community. For the past thirty years we have demonstrated what man can do with the church through management, leadership, promotion, publicity, fund raising, cell groups, bus ministry, and an endless list of other programs. What we have not seen is what God can do through a revived church. Revival, however, is God's agenda; it always has been and always will be. He promises, "In the last days I will pour out my Spirit " (Joel 2, Acts 2). That is His promise and He will do it.
The College of Prayer desires to be intentional in moving towards revival. In each module we desire to be:
- Catalytic in our relationships (Heb. 3:12-14)
- Strategic in our methods (Eph. 3:10; 6.12)
- Local in our actions (Acts 1:8)
- Global in our thinking (Matt. 28:19)
- Inclusive in our fellowship/partnership (I Cor. 12:27)
- United in our purpose (Eph. 4:3-6,11-13)
- Specific in our mission: "Mentoring Followers of Jesus Christ to Reach a Lost World Through a Revived Church"(Rev. 2:4-5, Acts 1:8, Matt. 28:19-20)
The College of Prayer is designed to link designed to link pastors, intercessors, church leaders and lay people with the future leaders of the church. The interaction of Bible College and Seminary students in our modules has been very encouraging.
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