.::Philosophy of Ministry

Prayer (Deep Breathing)

Worshippers, Warriors, Workers…. Intercession flows from intimacy-Our highest calling is ministry to the Lord and being His pleasure (Ps 27:4). From that place of worship and intimacy, intercession flows…intercession always flows from intimacy.

A healthy Body is our desire.

A healthy body has billions of living cells comprising muscles, organs and bones. All of these components are controlled by the neural transmissions from the head. When that connection is broken the result is paralysis or death.

In Christ’s Body, the Spirit in us serves the function of the neural pathways. Through the Word and meditation on it and prayer, we both receive the messages from the Head and respond with thanksgiving and supplication in much the same way our nerves do. We eat healthy as we consume the Bread of Life and drink in the Living Water of the Word, and we continually breathe deeply the oxygen rich air of praying without ceasing. And as we receive direction from the Head, those billions of cells that make up the Body respond in the form of movement, coordinating bone and muscle in an infinitely complex symphony of motion that ends only when the Body ceases to live. The desire of Tribe Issachar is to help the local Body in Athens reach this place of health.

Unity

The heart. Ounce for ounce, the most powerful muscle in the human body. It, above all others, is the one muscle that makes everything else possible, supplying oxygen rich blood to every part. Beyond the purely physical, the heart is how we refer to the inmost essence of a person. The passions, desires and emotions emanate from the heart.

Our heart should be God’s heart. So what is His heart anyway? Compassion. Love. Mercy. Faithfulness. There are so many more things that consume the Father-heart of God, but one major desire of the Godhead that we fail to embrace is unity. Jesus prayed for unity in His Body, among His followers, so that the world might believe that the Father had sent Him(John 17:21-23). There is a strong relationship between our unity in Christ and our witness to the world. Evangelism and outreach must flow from unity (see Acts 2:46-47).
But unity around what? We cannot jettison truth in the name of unity. A Body only comprised of muscles will only go as far as crumpling on the floor. Without a skeleton to work in conjunction with, motion is impossible. Our battle cry must not be “Unity at all costs!” If it were, we would lose the very things around which the Body  of Christ must be unified. We come to pray TO Jesus – Jesus only. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life(John 14:6), and if that offends you, then this isn’t the place for you. Skeletons enable movement and offer protection for vital organs, especially the heart. We need the doctrines of the faith to support the muscles of ministry.

Revival

What is revival?
Revival is an outpouring of God’s Holy Spirit in the lives of the members of a local Body. It is characterized by a desire for the Word and for personal holiness. Revival flows to the lost bringing transformation to the city, and revival transforms the city.   True revival is something much bigger than we can even imagine, and should even stir the fear of the Lord in our hearts because it is a time that the church of Jesus Christ is entrusted with much.

What is Community transformation ?

Community Transformation occurs when God pours out His Spirit over a entire community, flowing to all areas of the community-the rich and the poor, the socially and politically affecting the entire community. 

The Room

Why a room? Why not a prayer gathering or a prayer vigil or an intercessory worship service? The answer is simple: the room paradigm brings about the highest degree of unity. Gatherings of large numbers for prayer or worship inevitably run into questions of style and preferences, giftings and settings. A room eliminates the need for that discussion and prevents anyone from feeling alienated. In fact, it serves to achieve the opposite. The room allows people the freedom to pray in the manner they choose or worship as quietly or loudly as they wish because often they are alone in the room. They can be alone or sign up for a time slot with friends. Come with only a Bible in hand or bring a couple of guitars…the arrangements are endless and no one is left out because of someone else’s preferences.

Facilitating cooperative efforts

Tribe Issachar is not a church or campus ministry. In fact, our hope is to be a facilitator in the community to link churches and parachurch ministries in an unprecedented way. Unified prayer is a healthy neural pathway from the Head to the varied parts of the Body, allowing us to function to the glory of Christ.
The people that make up TI come from many different churches, campus groups, and para-church organizations. By teaming together and pooling our resources we can be more effective in reaching the lost and hurting than any of us could be individually. Coordinating and facilitating our efforts keeps each ministry from having to re-invent the wheel. In cooperation, not competition, we bring glory to Jesus