Steven Anderson has been involved in a wide range of Christian leadership roles for 35 years: pastoral and teaching; healing and prophetic; from local to national and international. Presently based at Glasgow City Church, Steven and Helen share the heartbeat of his latest book, Equipped: Activated and Released, and their Kingdom Mentoring course, to develop mature disciples of Jesus Christ who are released effectively into the mission of the kingdom of God.
The Lord is calling for a resetting in his people, a resetting for harvest.
What does this mean? What will it take? What do we need to do?
When Jesus declared that the harvest is plentiful, he highlighted the need for a release of workers (Matthew 9:37-38). God will work through his people, as many as will get on board, believing in his sufficiency for us and his power at work in and through us. It is not a time to look for a select few ‘anointed ones’, but to realise widespread anointing for those who believe in Jesus.
From 2004 we witnessed the birthing and spreading of Healing Rooms across Scotland. A major key was equipping those who caught something of the vision to release healing as a sign of the kingdom of God in our land. Hundreds of volunteers received some simple training, got activated through the anointing of the Spirit of God, and were then released to go and heal the sick while proclaiming the good news of Jesus. They developed and grew as they practised the commands of Jesus.
God is doing something fresh, something more, something beyond! It is time to get ready.
God is doing something fresh, something more, something beyond! It is time to get ready.
EQUIP: We need to be a people ready to go with the wind of the Spirit as he directs us in changing and unpredictable times. The ascension gift ministries of Christ are to equip the saints, that is the Greek term Katartismos. It means much more than to teach or train, but to make fit for purpose in every way. It is a work of the heart and the renewing of the spirit of our minds. It is relational, with Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and with one another. It is enabling and empowering.
Katartismos means to make fit for purpose in every way.
ACTIVATE: We can be trained and equipped but still need something more. We can easily remain in the manner we have been accustomed to even if we now have more knowledge and understanding. There needs to be an activating by the Spirit as this is a work in partnership with the Holy Spirit. How does this happen? The Lord can bring this however he chooses, but Scripture and experience teach us that it is often through two key practices: prophecy and the laying of hands (see 1 Timothy 4:14). Prophetic fuel and an apostolic thrust launch people into effective prayer and empowered witness to the good news of Jesus Christ.
Activation by the Spirit is often through two key practices: prophecy and the laying of hands.
RELEASE: Equipped and activated to go, but where, when, who with, to do what? There needs to be a deliberate and directional sending that releases people effectively into the Lord’s harvest field. This releasing gives permission. It releases from restriction letting go of any unnecessary control. It lets life multiply as it gives opportunity to the Spirit-filled potential of every saint. It shifts from serving the forms of our church life to sharing the substance of our life, that is Christ, with those who need to encounter him.
Release shifts from serving the forms of our church life to sharing the substance of our life, that is Christ, with those who need to encounter him.
To reset for harvest, we must see our people equipped, being disciples who make disciples. There is potential for several ‘Ephesus style’ (Acts 19) equipping bases around the country, pulling resource and serving a regional move of new births of people and churches. There is a need to then activate and release thousands of believers to carry the seed of Christ, the word of God, that it might spread rapidly (see, for example, Acts 19:20). As the Lord’s harvest increases, we will need simple, reproducible gatherings of these believers that they might not only be established in their faith, but also equipped to go and bring in an even greater harvest.
There is potential for ‘Ephesus style’ (Acts 19) equipping bases, pulling resource and serving regional moves of new births of people and churches.
Ascension Forum 
May God bless you both in this work. You are providing the infrastructure for His word to be shared among His people. You are enabling the saved to save the world! Praise God for enabling your enabling!!
My prayers go with you in amazing work.
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