By Dave Jacobs who is a Church Planting Coordinator for the Western Vineyard Region

and senior pastor of the City Vineyard in San Jose, California.

1. Personal background.

2. I’ve got a long history of going back and forth on the issue of whether or not to allow or encourage the gifts of the Spirit to happen in the Sunday morning service. I’ve done it, then stopped doing it and then tried it again…on and off, on and off. Sometimes it "worked" and sometimes it didn’t.

Things came to a head a while ago when I had a growing desire to see more of the people who came out on Sunday have an opportunity to participate in the service. I wasn’t limiting this to the gifts but also thought of people praying, sharing a scripture, giving a testimony of God working in their lives, etc. I was intrigued by I Cor. 14:26, "What is the outcome then, brethren? When you assemble, each one has a psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation, has a tongue, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification." I imagined the first century church as having a much broader base of involvement by the people on Sundays than what we currently experience.

So I decided to go for it no matter what. We incorporated "show and tell" time in the service and it’s been going well.

1. We must confront our fears.

1. We’re afraid that visitors or non-Christians will be turned off. To counteract this fear we must remember:

You always run the risk of visitors or non-Christians being turned of by something you do on Sundays, i.e. hands raised in worship, your music, taking an offering, etc.

In our culture today, non-Christians are less turned off by the supernatural than we might think.

You have a greater risk of freaking out visiting Christians who are checking out your church and they are not your main target anyways.

Paul taught that if the gifts are done in the right way it will actually have a positive effect upon the visitor or unbeliever.

1 Cor 14:23-25

"If therefore the whole church should assemble together and all speak in tongues, and ungifted men or unbelievers enter, will they not say that you are mad ? But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or an ungifted man enters, he is convicted by all, he is called to account by all; the secrets of his heart are disclosed; and so he will fall on his face and worship God, declaring that God is certainly among you."

2. We’re afraid that things might get out of control. To counteract this fear we must remember:

This could happen but not if there is strong leadership overseeing the whole process. If you’re afraid of things getting out of control, then don’t let them get out of control.

"Out of control" according to who’s definition of "out of control?"

Pro. 14:4

"Where no oxen are, the manger is clean, But much increase comes by the strength of the ox."

3. We’re afraid that nothing will happen and we’ll look foolish. To counteract this fear we must remember:

That’s our pride speaking.

Sometimes things will happen and sometimes they won’t. Let that be ok. There can be many reasons why the gifts don’t show up:

• The people might be uneducated concerning the gifts.
• The people might be closed to the gifts.
• The pastor might be closed to the gifts.
• Maybe that’s not what God wants to do at that time.

2. We must develop a plan to move our church in this direction.

1. You settle once and for all if you think this is right or not. Are you going to "go for it" or not? Ask yourself, "Can I come up with a scriptural reason to relegate the manifestations of the Spirit to home groups or "believers meetings?"

Paul’s instruction in I Cor. seemed to be within the context of the public gathering of the church.

2. Teach on the gifts.

I’ve provided you with an eight part teaching series on the gifts of the Spirit for you to use.

3. Model ministering the gifts in a naturally supernatural way.

Sometimes I would do this personally and sometimes I would call certain people up front who were experienced in the gifts and have them give words.

4. Provide a space in your service for this to happen.
5. Provide strong leadership and oversight while this is happening.

If things get out of control or in violation of the scriptures…it’s primarily your fault. Don’t be afraid to interrupt, redirect or instruct on the fly. If you must intervene, do so with love and gentleness. Let your people know that while they are learning how to do this that mistakes will happen…that’s ok. Vineyard goons will not come and escort them out.

6. Persevere. Hang in there, don’t give up. Sometimes it takes time to see this begin to flow.