The HELPS Ministry

(Adapted from ‘Understanding the Helps Ministry’ Workshop Manual)

“And so it was, on the next day, that Moses sat to judge the people; and the people stood before Moses from morning until evening. So when Moses' father-in-law saw all that he did for the people, he said, “What is this thing that you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit, and all the people stand before you from morning until evening?” And Moses said to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me to inquire of God. When they have a difficulty, they come to me, and I judge between one and another; and I make known the statutes of God and His laws.” So Moses' father-in-law said to him, “The thing that you do is not good. Both you and these people who are with you will surely wear yourselves out. For this thing is too much for you; you are not able to perform it by yourself.” - Exodus 18:13-18 (see up to verse 23).

In teaching on the subject of the Helps Ministry, we have been able to identify seven major reasons why the work of the Helps Ministry is vital to the wellbeing of a local church assembly.

Namely:

1. To conquer dissatisfaction and grumbling regarding daily ministration (acts 6v1)                

2. To prevent burn-out and short ministry life span - (Jethro's Principle)

3. To continue the vision of ministry

4. To provide manpower for the work of the ministry

5. For multiplying accomplishments in the work of the ministry

6. To uphold the sent minister

7. To make-up for the sent minister’s physical inabilities

Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, watched his son-in-law at work from morning till evening. He attended to every single problem individually and personally. And Jethro said, “The thing that you do is not good.” This aged business administrator immediately identified the weakness of Moses’ leadership style. This method held troublesome potential for both Moses and the people he led and Jethro warned, “Both you and these people who are with you will surely wear yourselves out. For this thing is too much for you; you are not able to perform it by yourself.” And in reporting Moses’ dilemma and the solutions applied, the holy bible introduced the principle of effective ministry human resource management I call it Jethro’s Principle. 

SENT MINISTERS LEADING THROUGH THE HELPS MINISTRY

Through the generations of ministry till date this problem still rings. Rev. Kenneth Hagin once said that the church world has particularly suffered great loss by not fully recognizing the place of the Helps Ministry. Jesus rightly said that, “…For the sons of this world are more shrewd in their generation than the sons of light.” [Luke 6:8].

In a visitation I had in 1991, the Lord said to me, “Unless the leaders know how to fire up the ministry of HELPS the work will not be done”. The enemy can keep a church assembly on the run if laymen and women as well the clergy do not understand the Divine purpose of the Helps Ministry in the local church. This lack of application was demonstrated in the early church in Acts chapter five and six and it had its attendant problematic results.

Now in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplying, there arose a complaint... (Acts 6:1)

These complaints were resolved only after the proper order was put in place: 

– Laymen were assigned to their place of service in the work of the ministry. The Helps Ministry is vital to God's work on the earth and in the church.

-  Moses spoke to Pharaoh, and to the children of Israel, through Aaron operating in the Helps Ministry. [Exodus 4 v 14 - 16, 30 - 31 (and in v30 & 31, we see that through this combination and operation of ministry “the people believed”)]. However, we are not establishing this pattern as a doctrinal pattern but simply a peculiar operation of the Spirit, using different ministries to achieve a single purpose.

- John the Baptist's sole ministry was to announce Jesus. Even his baptism was a pointer to it. Without John, Jesus could not come or be made known.

- The Helps Ministry performed the Baptism of Jesus. Without John's ministry Jesus' ministry could not take off. That was the point of his 'release' into ministry.

- Jesus' ministry survived him because he had a Helps Ministry made up of the apostles and disciples supporting him. Apart from the apostles and disciples, he had no other 'fishers of men'.

In the episodes of the feeding of the 4,000 and the 5,000 Jesus did not serve the food in person but gave to the disciples who serve the multitudes. This is the pattern that he has ordained for ministry in the church. If Jesus never appointed people to work with him we would have had nothing left of the ministry of Jesus today. The same is true for the apostle Paul. Had he never had men and women work with him the church world would not have anything left of his ministry today. (Matthew 4:19, 10:1-4, 2 Tim2:2, Phil 2:19-20).

As a man, the Lord Jesus was physically limited. In the same way every called leader is limited just by reason of humanity. You can't do more than you can do per time.

CHURCH MEMBERS IN THE HELPS MINISTRY

The Helps Ministry exists for the sake of the sent minister. It is the vehicle through which the work of the ministry will be actualized in the world. For any ministry to attain its full potential, the Helps Ministry must be involved.

There are certain points that you cannot afford to miss out on as a church member. First, everything you do in the ministry, as far as your church is concerned is done on your Pastor's behalf and for him [or her], and most especially for the Lord.

Second, your involvement is for the purpose of fulfilling your pastor's ministry. The anointing to help you do this has already been released along with your Pastor's call. As you submit to the pastoral ministry it will flow upon you. Truth is, friend, you may not feel so but are God's tool. Stay blessed!

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