Worship

Praise and Worship of the Lord through singing and prayer, provides a primary and joyful opportunity for each participant to come close to and feel the presence of the Holy Spirit within their hearts. While some of us may not be aware of it; praising the Lord individually or together stimulates an intrinsic longing in our hearts to be where He is, so that we may be in His presence. Praise and worship facilitates our growth in experiencing His Love and enables us to willingly quiet and focus our minds on Him and quicken our hearts in adoration of His Love in praise.

For those persons or groups using the videotaped teachings of Drawing Near To God courses, we recommend the CD: The Face Of The Deep (www.faceofthedeep.com) as a part of your worship experience.

Teaching

The weekly teaching by Joanne Ellison, is the hallmark of the Drawing Near to God course, providing an opportunity for participants to recognize the value of God’s loving word to each of us, encouraging us to respond by loving ourselves. All of Joanne’s teachings are based on the Bible and are inspired through Holy Scripture. In her role as teacher; leader and author of Drawing Near To God, Joanne is one who has drawn near herself. She is personally compelled to lead others on the path of praise, worship, fellowship and biblically based learning. Her leadership and teaching demonstrates where and how she finds joy and love in her life. Each of us in turn, can take no greater a step in faith than to seek and put into practice those principles the Lord has authored for the guidance, instruction, and protection of His flock. Love of one’s self is rooted in humility when that love is the result of learning, nurturing and experiencing how our Creator feels about us and what He desires both from and for each of us.

Small Groups

Following the teaching, small groups of 10-12 men or women come together to review the week’s lesson. A small Group Facilitator guides the discussion, ensuring that group members have the opportunity to participate and share their insights about the lesson in a loving and safe environment. By sharing their insights, participants have the opportunity to work through with other group members, how the lesson might have new meaning and purpose within their lives. The small group environment also enables participants to freely discuss the scriptures and their relevance to personal life application and experiences. Subsequently, small group members are able to develop close, lasting friendships. "Love thy neighbor," the second great commandment, is nurtured through inter-personal fellowship within each small group.

Soaking Prayer

At the close of small group, participants are encouraged to move into a response time. If the teaching, small group discussion or even the music touched you in a profound way, that is usually a sign that the Lord is working and a response by you is necessary. Quiet, soaking music is played. This is a sweet time of prayer, reflection, healing and joy. Prayer Minister will move about the room blessing what the Lord is doing in and through the participants life. For more information on soaking prayer

More About Soaking Prayer(PDF)