Hold All Things Loosely

School Culture School Structure

As leaders, it’s important to make plans. Leaders take big goals and break them down into smaller goals and actionable steps, and prepare for anything that comes along. Leaders look at where they want their students to be and create a plan for them to get there by the end of the year. While making a plan is important in a school of supernatural ministry, it’s equally important that there is room for the Holy Spirit to have His way.

Below, we are going to outline the importance of both having a plan as well as making room for the Holy Spirit to move.

Make a Plan

It’s important to have a plan for your school overall and for each time you meet. Planning lessons, worship times, and activations are the areas in your school that are going to create growth in your students. We always tell our school leaders to start with the end in mind. What do you want your students to look like at the end of the year? From that vision, create a plan to get your students to that place. It’s the Holy Spirit Who is going to propel your students into acceleration and from glory to glory. 

Sometimes, making a plan means you schedule a time where you don’t do anything in school except wait on the Holy Spirit.

This can look like having a worship night or just having an extended time of just waiting on the Lord. There does not have to be a particular way that encounter time has to look in your school. 

At BSSM, we have had encounter days in school, and we have had encounter days outside of school. During encounter days in school, we have generally had a worship band playing. Different pastors and leaders lead throughout the day. Some leaders have a time of prayer, some have a time of soaking, and others place more of an emphasis on worship.

BSSM also has encounter days outside of school, initially because of room scheduling. During these days, we encourage our students to spend time with the Lord in whatever way is best for them. Some spend time quietly soaking in their room, some go to Bethel’s prayer chapel, and still others find their strongest connection with the Lord while they are outside hiking. All of these ways are great ways to connect with the Lord, and there is no wrong way to connect with Him. 

We encourage you to have encounter days outside of school (with a testimony time about those encounter times later in school) so your students learn how to connect with the Lord once school is finished.

Just note, that when you do plan encounter times with the Holy Spirit, you will more than likely have students that have a difficult time with the concept. Many students are used to doing something, and spending an extended amount of time in worship or doing “nothing” during an encounter time can be difficult. Be prepared to minister to these students and remind them that spending time with the Father, even if it looks like doing “nothing,” is extremely important to an intimate relationship with Him. 

Let Holy Spirit Have His Way

A lot of school leaders ask, “If I make a plan, how can Holy Spirit have his way?” It is important to have a plan, but it is just as important to hold that plan loosely so He can move.

We encourage you to make plans, but still allow the Holy Spirit to have His way in your school. Be open to allowing Him to change your plans if He directs. If the Lord is really moving during worship, ask Him if you should continue worship or move on. If your ministry time after a teaching is exploding, be open to continuing with that time instead of moving on to the next part of school. Remember, there is more the Lord can do through an encounter than can be done through a teaching (although teachings are just as important).

Be in constant communication with Him throughout your class time. The more you become used to asking Him what He is doing and what He wants to do next, the easier it will become to recognize His voice in the future.

BSSM 2 Overseer Gabe Valenzuela often tells a story about when he was first pastoring in BSSM. During a service, he was sitting in the back of the room and asking the Holy Spirit which way they should take the service. He felt like the Lord was telling him a particular direction they should go in, but one of the main leaders was at the front, leading the service. The leader at the front went in a completely different direction than Gabe felt they should have. 

Afterward, Gabe asked that leader why he went in the direction he did, instead of the direction Gabe thought he heard from the Lord. The leader paused for a minute, then said, “Yeah, I missed it.” Oddly enough, the world didn’t end when that leader admitted that he went in the wrong direction. Hell-fire and brimstone didn’t fall. Those who were touched during the ministry time were not suddenly un-touched. It was still an impactful time for the people who were touched. It was just a different direction they could have gone. And now that leader and Gabe have a deeper insight of how the Lord works and the directions they could go in. 

Whether you think you’ve “missed it” many times or you’re on the right track, the Lord can still work powerfully in your school. Remember, “all things work together for the good of those who love Him.” He is not a punishing Father that withholds His blessings if we get one thing wrong. He is a loving, kind, and generous Father Who gives good gifts to His children! We bless you to become more sensitive to the Holy Spirit and allow Him to ebb and flow in your school of supernatural ministry!

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