Practical hints to help you prepare a seminar on prayer
1. Good preparation is always worthwhile
When possible, we would like to meet with those interested to organise a seminar in their Church or town. This would give us an opportunity to chat and discuss objectives, show the options possible, the content of the different seminars and the materials. If you would like us to come to your town some months before the seminar and discuss details with the leaders of your fellowship or Church, then please make contact with us.
2. Contact with other Churches
Why not make contact with other churches in your town or region with whom you normally cooperate? Inform them and invite them to a meeting where the seminar will be presented. Why not pass on a copy of this material that you are reading and thus give them an opportunity to know more about the seminars on prayer. This would give them an insight into the objective and effectiveness of this ministry and present the potential of hosting a seminar!
3. Preparation materials for each participant before the seminar
Preparation materials will be sent in advance to the organising committee. They in turn will photocopy and distribute these materials to the participants. Each participant is requested to complete this material and bring it with him to the seminar.
4. Registration for the seminar
We would strongly advice you create a registration system for the seminar. This will help us prepare properly and well in advance: the number of seats, tables, meals, manuals, etc.
5. One manual for each participant
Each participant will receive a manual when he arrives at the seminar. The manuals should be ordered and paid at least one week before the date of the seminar.
6. Time of the seminar
The seminar will last six hours (not including the breaks for lunch or coffee). During the seminar there will be Bible teaching, time for prayer, singing worship, group discussion and an opportunity to ask questions. The organisers should decide the date and time of the seminar that would be convenient for folks in the area.
7. Finances
The organisers are encouraged to cover all the expenses incurred by the seminar: manuals, travel, photocopies, time invested in the preparation of the seminar. A gift towards Ian’s ministry would be appreciated. Any excess finance will be used to “launch” future seminars. All expenses and income for the seminar should be noted in a book and submitted to if possible before his departure.
8. Publicity
Nothing will be achieved without planning, good preparation and hard work! True? It is vital that the seminar be prepared carefully, meticulously. Thought and prayer should be given to detail at each stage of the preparation. Inform the people in your community concerning the date, place and time of the seminar asking them to keep the date free! Try and make the posters, publicity and registration forms available as soon as possible. Please consult the presentations of the seminars that we have used in the past in other towns (Request from IAIN Smith). This could give you ideas and inspiration for your presentation which will be one of the best!
Before you print your publicity, it might be good to show us a copy just to check that you have included all the important details that the participant should have.
9. Music and pianist
If you have an “accomplished pianist” in your church who would like to play the piano during the seminar that would be great. Please ask him or her if that would be possible. It should be a person who is in the habit of playing in public. Please select a list of 15 different hymns or choruses that folks know (a mixture of old and new) and would be appropriate to use during the prayer seminar. Please have a variety in style: rousing, calm hymns that would draw us near to God, etc. It would be helpful if you could get this list to Iain Smith two weeks before the seminar.
10. Communication
It would be good if you could maintain regular communication with us during the different stages of the preparation. It is better to have too much communication than not enough! If you have any questions about the content of this document do not hesitate to contact us by telephone, e-mail.
May God richly bless you, and help us together as a team revive the flame of prayer in the Church and give Glory to God alone!