The Importance of Certifications

The Importance of Certifications

Introduction

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Dr Kennedy used to say, 'people do what is inspected, not what is expected'. It is therefore incumbent upon EE National Offices to review each completed semester and to ensure that all the requisite work has been completed and is of a high standard.  When this review is satisfactory, then EE certificates may be issued to the qualified participant.

National Offices should never give out blank certificates without first ensuring that this review process has been completed.  This will only cheapen their value. To further enhance the value of EE certificates, academic credits might be applied for those who have completed the EE training which would be evidenced by them receiving a properly signed and attested certificate issued by the National Office.

A proper certification process is important to the EE national ministry for the following reasons:

1.    Data Collection. 

Request For Certification Forms (sample attached) helps in the data collection.

Type of Data Collected:

-       Trainee’s Names and Contact Details

-       OJTs/CAs reports for Ministry Reports

-       Ministry Stats e.g. No. Trained and Professions, for Donor Giving

-       Teachers’ Records for promotion to future Clinic Teaching

-       Local Church Implementation

Information requested in Standard Format makes compilation of National Statistics easy.

Data collected can be compared with other churches as well as with past performances.

Makes submission of reports simple and standardised.

2.    Quality Control

Acknowledgement that the clinician/trainee has satisfactorily completed the required training and are qualified to lead the ministry in a local church.

Maintaining minimum standards of excellence.  E.g. number of OJTs/CAs, passing mark for oral and written check ups, quality of personal testimonies.

People do what is inspected, not what is expected.

Enabling the reproduction of quality from teacher to trainer to trainee, even years down the road.

Biblical precedent for quality control – Leviticus 22:17-25.  (Sacrificial offerings were to be flawless.)

Luke 10:1-17 – Jesus set forth specific guidelines for the 70 who he sent forth to witness.  Then, as they returned to report to Him, He evaluated carefully their effectiveness in completing these assignments. 

1 Thessalonians 1:6-8, Paul sent a written statement acknowledging that the believers there had followed his and Timothy’s example and had reproduced a quality ministry of evangelism throughout that part of the world.

3.    Advanced Levels Courses and Progression

Levels of Certifications – progression from trainees to trainers and teachers/facilitators.

When records are kept, qualifications of participants for advanced courses can be ascertained.  

Those qualified to attend abbreviated Crossover Trainings, eg XEE Crossover from Classic EE can also be ascertained.  This is to reduce learning time and make the course more attractive.

4.    Concluding the Local Church Semester Training

The certification process provides the means to conclude the semester training.  Usually the training activity trails towards the end when the balance of the OJTs/CAs need to be completed.  

Decisions will need to be made as to who can be certified and who cannot.  This is achieved via completing the Request For Certification Form.

5.    Graduation Ceremony – Recognition and Awards

To the good and faithful servant, Jesus says, “Well done! Enter into the joy of your Master.”  Conducting a Graduation Ceremony allows those who have gone through the equipping process to be recognised and rewarded.  

The graduation ceremony usually takes the form of a sermon on encouragement and motivation to witness, the presentation of the certificates and the opportunity to pray for the graduands. This is often followed by a celebratory meal. 

The graduation event allows us to celebrate the things that heaven celebrates i.e. the salvation of souls and the faithfulness of the believers to be equipped to witness.  Due to the often discouraging nature of this ministry, we need to devote more effort to celebration and motivation.

When the certificates are presented by the National Director or some other national leader, it becomes an opportunity to meet and encourage those who have completed their training.  He or she is often given the opportunity to share about EE’s vision and mission especially for their nation and this helps to develop ownership of the national vision.

We can further add value to the certifications by arranging for accreditation from the local seminaries for our EE training.  Then students with EE certification will enjoy exemptions for their course work.

6.    Contact Information: Trainers and Trainees can be approached to be donors to the national ministry.

The data collected for the certification process can be used in a variety of ways.  Foremost is that the contact information of all trainees and trainers form a valuable database to share the national vision and to solicit for financial support to accomplish that vision.

Other uses of the contact information database include sending motivational and encouraging emails on evangelism and discipleship, making strategic announcements on staff recruitment, national conventions and equipping clinics.

7.    Statistics for the Local Church as well as for the National Ministry.

When we have a certification culture and consequently a culture of data gathering, we will be able to see trends in our ministry over the years.  Some of the important trends might be:

·      The growth or decline of a certain type of EE.

·      The changes in profession rates over time.

·      The different profession rates between different language mediums for a similar type of EE.

·      Demographics of EE participants.

These statistics when analysed and presented in a helpful way will help our ministry to be more effective.  Many donors review statistics when making decisions on giving.

8.    Clinic certification is modelling for Local Church Semesters.

When certificates are presented at the conclusion of the training of pastors and church leaders there is great celebration and elation at their achivements.  This is good and should become a model for the local church semester training.  

We celebrate great events in our lives e.g. birthdays, weddings, graduations.  The Book of Revelation speak of the celebration at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb.  The world celebrates temporal events but we try to celebrate what heaven celebrates.  

In Jesus’ parable of the Lost Sheep, Lost Coin and Lost Son, there was a great celebration when what was lost was found.  We celebrate the salvation of souls as we conclude each local semester.

Touching the Heart of God

Touching the Heart of God

36 There was also a prophet, Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, 37 and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshipped night and day, fasting and praying. 38 Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem. 

(Luke 2:36-38 NIVUK)

Old aunt Anna was a godly lady. She is a picture of a praying woman, a woman who knows God. She is elderly, has spent most of her life faithfully serving the Lord and she even stays in the church, often fasting and praying day and night. You and I will probably not find a better example of a spiritual woman of God.

However, the other side of Anna is less known. The Scripture records that she "spoke of Him to all ..." She is just as adept and willing to share her faith with others. What an evangelist although we may not think of her as one.

As Anna spent time in prayer and fasting, I believe she touched the heart of God, the shepherd-heart of God. The heart of the Shepherd that leaves the fold to seek the lost sheep. Anna touched the heart of God that is broken with sadness because mankind is lost in sinfulness, in bondage to the chains of idolatry, oppression and materialism. Anna's own heart became broken too as she cried and prayed for those around her who needed deliverance. Bob Pierce, the founder of World Vision once echoed similar sentiments, “Let my heart be broken by the things that break the heart of God.”

I once invited a sister to participate in one of our EE trainings so that she can be trained to share her faith. However, she declined, stating that her ministry was in prayer and that she did not have the ministry of evangelism. Perhaps she and others like her need to learn about Anna and about others who ministered to the Lord.

Peter the leader of the apostles took time to share his faith with Cornelius and with the crippled man at the temple gate. Philip shared his faith with an Ethiopian eunuch and Paul shared with the Philippian jailor, King Agrippa, Lydia and many others. Even the Lord Jesus took time to share with Zacchaeus, Nicodemus, the Samaritan woman and many others.

How dare we say that our ministry is only in prayer and not in evangelism? Where may I ask is your prayer leading you, if not to the heart of God. One cannot touch the heart of God if one will not allow his heart to be broken with the things that break God's heart.

My friend, you need to do both. You need to pray and then you need to go and share. Then only will we know for sure that you, like Anna, have touched the heart of God.

Prayer requests from Wuhan

Prayer requests from Wuhan

(From a pastor of an EE church)

In recent days, people in my circle of friends have been circulating various news reports. Some are rumors, some are so-called epidemic prevention methods, and some are chicken soup for the soul. People have become expressive, irritable, and afraid. Personally, I believe that as a Christian, this should not the case. I should show great faith in God and demonstrate social responsibility.  And also to wait quietly and prayerfully before God. I would like to list some items for your intercession:

1. I pray for my country, for Wuhan, for wherever you are, and for peace for our leaders and medical staff at all levels of the civil service! May God bless them and give them faith and wisdom, and seek the best ways to heal the disease and prevent it from spreading.

2. Secondly, pray for active cooperation with the government's current epidemic prevention work.  Pray for the believers, that they will seize the opportunity to preach the gospel and witness to God to their family members; ask God to have mercy on the believers.

3. Seek God ’s blessings, not panic or fear, and do not ask God to give to us greatness like other people without hope. Faith is a humble dependence on the Lord.

4. Ask God to heal those with viral pneumonia, comfort them, and give them confidence in life and the respect for life.

5. Pray that God will stop sin and plague, and let people leave evil deeds, know the true God and return to the Lord Jesus, and pursue holiness.

6. Ask God to inspire believers to desire God, to be close to God and to love God.

7. Ask God to prepare medicine and supplies needed to stop the epidemic. Yesterday, some believers reported the lack of food for poor believers.

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A pastor of an EE church from Zhengzhou started having worship services online so people don’t have to gather in the church building.

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Another sister asks for prayer because some of the hospitals are already full and the patients have no where to go.

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Brothers and sisters, pray for us. 

1 Thessalonians 5:25 NIV

#7 – Feasting in the Kingdom.

#7 – Feasting in the Kingdom.

Scripture: “Many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 8:11)

The king’s presence is often associated with feasting (Esther 1:3).  There is drinking and entertainment.  Joy is the operative word (Psalm 16:11).  Blessed indeed is the man who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God (Luke 14:14).

In instituting the Lord’s Supper, Jesus declared that He will not drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when He drinks it anew with His disciples in His father’s kingdom (Matthew 26:29).  Earlier He had said a similar thing regarding the Passover (Luke 22:16).

The fellowship aspect of the kingdom was highlighted when Jesus said, “I confer on you a kingdom, so that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom …” (Luke 22:29-30).  And we will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ (2 Peter 1:11).

Indeed, blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb (Revelation 19:9).

Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

 - Matthew 6:10

Prayer:  

1.     Pray that your relationship with the Lord will grow ever stronger. In the midst of the busyness of life and even serving Him, don’t forget to spend time to know and enjoy Him.  

2.     Pray for our church leaders, that they too will find the Lord more and more real day by day.  Pray that they will minister out of a relationship with Him.

High Quality EE Training

High Quality EE Training

EE Training has been around since 1962.  Its success is due to its ability to meet the following goals consistently:

a.    Those trained become soulwinners and are able to share their faith.

b.  Those trained progress to become trainers of other soulwinners.  They reproduce themselves in the other believers, thus multiplying themselves.

c.   Those churches who implement EE correctly and consistently will grow and keep on growing.

Full Gospel Tabernacle Seremban, like many other such EE churches grew from 5 members 30 years ago and many of those who were saved and trained since have gone on to be pastors, church leaders and church planters.

At the heart of the EE training is the “On-The-Job Training” (OJT) or “Connect Activity” (CA).  In order to ensure the success of the training which should result in multiplication of the congregation, the OJTs or CAs must be of a very high quality.  This is especially true for OJTs conducted in relation to clinic training for pastors and church leaders since they will go back to their own local churches to implement the EE training after their certification.  The pastors and church leaders will reproduce what they have experienced from the OJTs at the clinic.

Quality tends to drop over time and if we do not start with the highest quality, the OJTs at the end of several generations of reproduction will be ineffective.  In order to have high quality EE training that would meet all its goals, we must have high quality OJTs.

Some guidelines for high quality OJTs are:

1. An OJT team should comprise an experienced trainer with only 2 students.  Having more than 3 persons in a team will overwhelm the potential prospect. The team of 3 persons should preferably be of mixed gender so as to be involved in different topics of conversations.  By experienced trainer, we are referring to someone who has gone for at least 20 OJTs (2 local church semesters).  Trainers at clinics should have led teams at local church training for at least 2 semesters.
2. Each team member should recruit 2 prayer partners who will pray for them in private daily and together in a group on a weekly basis.  The team member will advise his or her prayer partners of items for prayer.  
3. Visitation guidelines for home visits and at other venues should be taught and adhered to.  Students should be taught how to make appointments with prospects.
4. Report back sessions are important teaching occasions and should be held after each OJT.  Lessons from the OJT experience should be shared with the whole group for instruction, intercession and inspiration.
5. Those who professed faith must be followed up quickly/diligently by the team or other believers who have been trained to do personal follow up and discipleship.
6. Students should be taught to reach out to their friends, relatives, family members, associates including sharing with strangers.

When these guidelines are followed, the local church implementing EE would grow strong and experience multiplication.  This will encourage all those involved to continue implementing the next semester and experience even further multiplication and reproduction.

When churches multiply using EE, they become important partners to the national EE ministry, often providing teachers, staff and financial support.

VYW:20200113

#6 – Inheriting the Kingdom.

#6 – Inheriting the Kingdom.

Scripture: “Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God?” (1 Cor 6:9)

The church looks ahead to the kingdom as an inheritance (Matthew 25:34).  Believers are heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ provided they also share in His sufferings (Romans 8:17).  This suffering arises from obeying His commands (1 Peter 2:19-21).  When we walk according to His commands, we will be ridiculed and persecuted (2 Timothy 3:12). 

Like our King, our motivation is the joy set before us (Hebrews 12:2).  Fixing our eyes on Jesus, we can endure the cross and scorn its shame.  He who overcomes will have an inheritance (Revelation 21:7). 

Those who live according to the desires of the flesh will not inherit the kingdom (1 Corinthians 6:9-10; Galatians 5:21).  No immoral, impure or greedy person has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God (Ephesians 5:5).

It is God our Father who qualifies those who would share in the inheritance (Colossians 1:12). Although the world may count us poor, we who live by faith and obey His commands can trust in His promise of an inheritance in His kingdom (James 2:5).

Those who suffer according to His will be counted worthy of the kingdom of God (2 Thessalonians 1:5). The King Himself says, “'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world (Matthew 25:34). And we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken (Hebrews 12:28).

“Well done, good and faithful servant!”

 - Matthew 25:21

Prayer:  

1.     Pray for the grace to suffer for doing what is right as we strive to live a life of obedience. 

2.     Pray for the church to be faithful to the Lord’s commands in the face of adversity and suffering.