A healthy church has a prophetic culture that creates an encounter atmosphere. This generates a mentality that seeks to lead people into experiencing the love and power of God for themselves.
This post is part of a series looking at the five essential components of spiritually healthy churches. The posts are:
What is an Encounter Atmosphere?
An atmosphere that has been stewarded within the church corporate gatherings – whether large or small – that is focused on God first and foremost. It is a prophetic culture whereby the heart of God is revealed and manifested in such a way that people naturally encounter Him in new and fresh ways, whether they are believers or non-believers. This prophetic ministry could be defined as ‘connecting people to the Presence of God so they see, hear and feel Him for themselves’.
Why is an Encounter Atmosphere important?
In a prophetic culture, believers and non-believers will consistently and frequently encounter God for themselves and are shaped and changed.
What does a healthy Encounter Atmosphere bring to a church?
- An Encounter Atmosphere prevents the apostolic from becoming driven, which could result in program or performance-orientated leadership.
- An Encounter Atmosphere ensures the preaching of a Gospel of power, not just of words.
- An Encounter Atmosphere reconnects the wounded and broken-hearted to the heart of the Father.
- An Encounter Atmosphere adds experience to the preaching of the scriptures, ensuring the saints mature in a Spirit-led life.
What happens if an Encounter Atmosphere is lacking?
If there is an over-focus on the prophetic gifts, the church becomes experience-driven and shallow. If the prophetic culture is weak or lacking, the church can become a place of moralism, legalism, intellectualism or activism, without any deep spirituality.
What helps develop an Encounter Atmosphere?
- Pursuing and seeing increased healings, whether physical, psychological and spiritual
- Regular demonstrations of the prophetic gifts in small and large corporate meetings
- Worship times characterised by experiences and encounters with the Presence of God
- An intercessory team, made up of prophetically wired people who have a heart for prayer, and heart for the church.
- The existence of a ‘prophetic council’ of recognised and mature people with prophetic gifting who serve the church leadership
- The influence of at least one fivefold prophet
Key Questions
How healthy is the Encounter Atmosphere of your church?
Is it encounter-led, as in, prioritising first and foremost God, stewarding His presence and responding to His voice?
Is it an atmosphere, as in, a prophetic culture that is normal, which has been created to facilitate Holy Spirit-led experiences and encounters?
What Next?
- Discover how the health of your current prophetic culture impacts other areas of your church by taking a FiveFold Culture Assessment.
- Learn how I help churches like yours define, grow and develop their prophetic ministry by going here.
- Consider my book ‘Keys to Church Health’ which looks at this area, and other related topics in greater detail by clicking here.
- Review the other Keys to Church Health by going here.
I have written a book called ‘Hearing the Heart of Heaven’, which looks at developing your own personal prophetic culture. You can find out more here.
